ORG713: Change Management & Adaptive Leadership

Instructor & Contact Information

The People tab in Canvas provides information on the course instructor and you can send a message to your instructor following these instructions. Faculty are expected to: 1) grade and return assignments, with feedback, within 7 days from the date of submission; 2) reply to your Canvas messages within 72 hours; 3) reply several times each week in total in the discussion forums (not to each individual student); and 4) demonstrate the core values of City Vision University.

Course Description

In this course, the student applies change management skills and processes needed to lead adaptive and transformational change initiatives in today’s changing environment. The student will engage in projects that provide the foundational experiences to understand that managing and leading organizational change requires the coupling of organizational understanding and change management principles for organizational change success. The student will understand how to manage the change management cycle, starting with a detailed analysis of the sector, the organization, and the strategy, including effective organizational communication. As change occurs and new dynamics emerge, leaders must refine the plan and change communications strategy to navigate the change successfully. Students explore change management's theoretical and methodological principles to build their leadership skills to effectively develop and implement change plans across organizations.

Course Outcomes

After completing this course, you will be able to:

1. Explain the underlying principles in change management to develop a comprehensive change management plan.
2. Assess, refine, and apply a change management communication strategy to a comprehensive change management plan.
3. Explain, assess, and build the skills necessary to execute organizational change initiatives.
4. Explain and apply ethical principles of change management to an organization’s change management plan.

Degree Program Outcomes

This course supports the following program outcomes, marked with an (I) for Introduce, (D) for Develop and an (M) for Mastery. 

1. Research methods. Apply action research methods to practical research topics in the field.
2. Diffusion of Innovation. Utilize technology and relational networking to help diffuse innovations within a community of practice.
3. Values Alignment. To develop a theological vision and to align your organization's strategy, culture and systems with that vision to avoid secularization and mission drift.
4. Strategy. To develop a synthesis to integrate a wide range of business skills into a strategic plan for starting or growing an organization. (D)
5. Social Entrepreneurship. Develop strategies and plans to effectively use technology and innovation to achieve organizational goals.
6. Action Research Project. Synthesize action research with theory and practice to solve a practical challenge facing your organization and/or the larger field.

Concentration Outcomes

• 7a. Executive Leadership & Fundraising. Develop and implement plans to grow an organization in its impact, financial health and relational health. (M)
• 7b. Nonprofit Program Leadership & Social Entrepreneurship. Improve the effectiveness of nonprofit programs by implementing best practices. (M)
• 7c. Education Leadership and Innovation. Apply disruptive and continuous innovation principles to designing courses and programs to provide radically affordable and practical online education.
• 7d. Organizational Culture and Change Management. Develop and implement plans to improve organizational health and adapt to change. (M)
• 7e. Trauma-Informed Counseling Management. Develop and implement plans to establish trauma-informed culture of health throughout an organization.

Broad Institutional Outcomes

• I1. Knowledge (Head). Apply a wide range of tools to help solve society’s great problems by shifting from a single lens/tool/discipline to a multiple lens, multifaceted Biblical understanding of reality. (D)
• I2. Skills (Hands). Develop the skills you need for the next position in your development as a leader by shifting from mastery & understanding of a division in an organization to a comprehensive systemic mastery/understanding needed to lead across the organization.
• I3. Attitudes/Character (Heart). Develop the character and discipline needed to step into greater leadership roles by losing the bias of your old position to gain broader perspective and intellectual humility needed to accelerate your commitment to lifelong learning. (D)

Required Texts

Students are required to purchase these texts before the first day of classes. 

• Hayes, J. (2021). The Theory and Practice of Change Management. (6th ed.) Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN: 978-1352012538
• Heifetz, R. A., Linsky, M., & Grashow, A. (2009). The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organization and the World. Harvard Business Press. ISBN: 978-1422105764
• Hodges, J. (2021). Managing and Leading People through Organizational Change: The Theory and Practice of Sustaining Change through People. Kogan Page. ISBN: 978-1789667981

Guidelines for Written Work

All written work must follow our Writing Format and Forum Requirements. You must read these to understand how to cite sources appropriately.

Critical Policies to Read for This Course

Note: These policies are critical for all students to read. In case of change, we have linked to the versions on our website to make sure you have the latest version.

• Grading Scale 

• Deadlines to Drop Courses

• Attendance, Late Policy and Extensions

• Technology Requirements for Courses

• Standards of Academic Integrity & Plagiarism Policy

• What plagiarism is and how to avoid it 

• Credit Hour Policy, Grading Policy and Other Academic Policies

• ADA Policy, Learning Accommodations & Disabilities Services
• Student Code of Conduct 

• Library Services

Additional Policies:

• Privacy Policy

• Consumer Disclosures
• Additional policies are listed in our catalog

This syllabus is subject to change without notice up until the first day of the semester. Last updated: November 25, 2025