1- What is the title of your dissertation?
Changing the Resistance to Change in Organizations through Leadership
2- Which two or three key terms best capture the major topic area you intend to investigate. Do not use, simply on their own, "leadership", "innovation", or "change" since we know one or more of these will be pertinent?
Organizational change; innovation and learning; leading through change;
3- Which sources of information (books, journal papers, websites, etc.) would you classify as essential for inclusion in your review of the available research literature? List no more than three sources you consider seminal?
The review of the available research literature should include academic sources (books and journal papers), but also practical information about leadership, change and innovation, retrieved from online articles, websites or blogs with management and leadership focus. Here are three references that are seminal for the review, considering their connection with the conducted study.
Cummings, T.G. and Worley, G.C. 2014. Organization development and change. Stamford: Cengage Learning.
Dawson, P. and Andripoulos, C. 2014. Managing change, creativity and innovation. London: Sage Publications Ltd.
DeGraff, J. and Quinn, S. 2007. Leading innovation: how to jump start your organization’s growth engine. New York: McGraw Hill.
Additional sources will be integrated in the literature review section.
Boone, L.E. & Kurtz, D.L. 2011. Contemporary business 2010 unit. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.
Deiser, R. 2009. Designing smart organization. New York: Wiley & Sons.
Denscombe, M. 2010. The good research guide: for small-scale social research projects,. New York: Open University Press.
Gibson, J. L., Ivanchevich, J. M., Donnelly, J. H. and Konopaske, R. 2009. Organizations behavior, structure, process. New York: McGraw Hill.
Green, T, B and Butkus, R, T. 1999. Motivation, beliefs and organizational transformation. Westport: Greenwood Publishing.
Koestenbaum, 2003. Leadership, the inner side of greatness. San Francisco: Jossey – Bas.
Lumsden, G. Lumsden, D.L. and Wiethoff, C. 2010. Communicating in groups and teams: sharing leadership. Boston: Wadsworth.
Martin, J. 2005. Organizational behavior and management. Third eds. London: Thomson Learning.
Menken, I, and Blokdijik G. 2009. Organizational behaviour and leadership management. Emereo Pty Ltd.
Northouse, P.G. 2010. Leadership: theory and practice. California: Sage Publications, Inc.
Osborne, S.P. and Brown, K. 2005. Managing change and innovation in public service organizations. New York: Routledge.
Sadler, P. 2003 Leadership. London: Kogan Limited Page.
Shepard, J.M. 2005. Sociology, update. Belmont: Wadsworth, Thomson Learning.
Staw, B.M., and Sutton, R.I. 2000. Research in organizational behavior. New York: Elsevier Science.
Stephen, K. (2007), The key aspects to leadership competency. [onlie] Available at <http://www.helium.com/items/581405-the-key-aspects-to-leadership-competency>. [Accessed 1 June 2014].
Todnem By, R. and Burnes. B. 2013. Organizational change, leadership and ethics: Leading organizations towards sustainability. New York: Routledge.
Tosi, H.L. Mero, N.P. and Rizzo, J.R. 2001, Managing organizational behavior. (4th ed). Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.
Tosi, H.L. and Mero, N.P. 2003. The fundamentals of organizational behaviours: what managers need to know. Malden: Blackwell Publishing.
Tracy, de B, How the best leaders lead. New York: American management Association.
Tucker, R.B. 2008. Driving growth through innovation. San Francisco: Berret-Koehler Publishers, Inc.
Yarbrough, B.T. 2009. Module 1: leading groups and teams. Mason: South – Western Cengage Learning.
Zhivagi, K. 2010 Top 10 characteristics of an effective leader. [online] Available at <http://www.revenuejournal.com/2010/01/top_10_characteristics_of_an_e.php>. [Accessed 1 June 2014].
4- What research method do you intend to use? Again, we need just the basic approach and a very brief account of how you intend to implement it, so please write no more than one small paragraph?
The developed thesis will be based on qualitative research methods, using a combination of literature research and personal research. The personal research will consist in participative observation, which is a qualitative research method, wherein the researcher participates in the activity upon will she or he will later report (Denscombe, 2010). This research method will be applied within an organization that deals with a change. The proponent of the thesis will integrate in such an organization as a trainee, working closely to people who manifest behaviors and attitudes of resisting the organizational change. The personal research will also include a survey, which is usually a quantitative research method (Shepard, 2006). However, applied on a small sample (employees and managers working within the company targeted for the study), the survey will have a qualitative research value. All three research approaches will be initially analyzed individually and next the findings will be corroborated for generating new knowledge regarding the leadership strategies of driving change in organizations resistant to change.
Research Problem
Nowadays many organizations continue to be resistant to change and this generates problems that might lead to these organizations to lose their competitive edge because they are unable to adapt to the changing environment. In this context, the management needs to address the importance of change management by driving change within their firms through applying leadership strategies.
Research Objectives
The objective of the research will be to investigate the leadership approaches and strategies that should be employed in organizations that are resistant to change.
References
Boone, L.E. & Kurtz, D.L. 2011. Contemporary business 2010 unit. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.
Cummings, T.G. and Worley, G.C. 2014. Organization development and change. Stamford: Cengage Learning.
Dawson, P. and Andripoulos, C. 2014. Managing change, creativity and innovation. London: Sage Publications Ltd.
DeGraff, J. and Quinn, S. 2007. Leading innovation: how to jump start your organization’s growth engine. New York: McGraw Hill.
Deiser, R. 2009. Designing smart organization. New York: Wiley & Sons.
Denscombe, M. 2010. The good research guide: for small-scale social research projects,. New York: Open University Press.
Gibson, J. L., Ivanchevich, J. M., Donnelly, J. H. and Konopaske, R. 2009. Organizations behavior, structure, process. New York: McGraw Hill.
Green, T, B and Butkus, R, T. 1999. Motivation, beliefs and organizational transformation. Westport: Greenwood Publishing.
Koestenbaum, 2003. Leadership, the inner side of greatness. San Francisco: Jossey – Bas.
Lumsden, G. Lumsden, D.L. and Wiethoff, C. 2010. Communicating in groups and teams: sharing leadership. Boston: Wadsworth.
Martin, J. 2005. Organizational behavior and management. Third eds. London: Thomson Learning.
Menken, I, and Blokdijik G. 2009. Organizational behaviour and leadership management. Emereo Pty Ltd.
Northouse, P.G. 2010. Leadership: theory and practice. California: Sage Publications, Inc.
Osborne, S.P. and Brown, K. 2005. Managing change and innovation in public service organizations. New York: Routledge.
Sadler, P. 2003 Leadership. London: Kogan Limited Page.
Shepard, J.M. 2005. Sociology, update. Belmont: Wadsworth, Thomson Learning.
Staw, B.M., and Sutton, R.I. 2000. Research in organizational behavior. New York: Elsevier Science.
Stephen, K. (2007), The key aspects to leadership competency. [onlie] Available at <http://www.helium.com/items/581405-the-key-aspects-to-leadership-competency>. [Accessed 1 June 2014].
Todnem By, R. and Burnes. B. 2013. Organizational change, leadership and ethics: Leading organizations towards sustainability. New York: Routledge.
Tosi, H.L. Mero, N.P. and Rizzo, J.R. 2001, Managing organizational behavior. (4th ed). Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.
Tosi, H.L. and Mero, N.P. 2003. The fundamentals of organizational behaviours: what managers need to know. Malden: Blackwell Publishing.
Tracy, de B, How the best leaders lead. New York: American management Association.
Tucker, R.B. 2008. Driving growth through innovation. San Francisco: Berret-Koehler Publishers, Inc.
Yarbrough, B.T. 2009. Module 1: leading groups and teams. Mason: South – Western Cengage Learning.
Zhivagi, K. 2010 Top 10 characteristics of an effective leader. [online] Available at <http://www.revenuejournal.com/2010/01/top_10_characteristics_of_an_e.php>. [Accessed 1 June 2014].
