Change Management and Organizational Culture
A practice-focused course for senior academics, heads of department, deans, senate/council members, and academic administrators who must lead institutional change and shape organizational culture. It develops understanding of organizational behaviour in the unique collegial context of higher education, the dynamics of resistance to change, the application of established change-management models (Lewin, Kotter's 8 Steps, ADKAR, McKinsey 7S), and the deliberate shaping of culture for sustainable transformation. Grounded in African institutional realities and CAA's ethos of excellence and transformation, the course equips leaders to drive lasting, contextually grounded change in resource-constrained settings.
A practice-focused course for senior academics, heads of department, deans, senate/council members, and academic administrators who must lead institutional change and shape organizational culture. It develops understanding of organizational behaviour in the unique collegial context of higher education, the dynamics of resistance to change, the application of established change-management models (Lewin, Kotter's 8 Steps, ADKAR, McKinsey 7S), and the deliberate shaping of culture for sustainable transformation.
Instruction & Evaluation
Online / Asynchronous (Self-Paced with Faculty Mentorship)
Self-paced modular instruction with continuous continental access via the CAA Member Portal, supplemented by faculty moderation.
Continuous Assessment & Practical Portfolio
Continuous Assessment (30%) — change and culture case studies and applied exercises (evidence-verified per the CAA CPD verification convention). Participation & Professional Conduct (30%) — seminar and change-scenario engagement. Capstone Reflective Assessment (40%) — a Change Management and Culture Transformation Plan (800–1,200 words) for the participant's own institution or a modelled African university, covering diagnosis, stakeholder/resistance analysis, change-model application, and sustainability measures. Credential: Certificate of Completion in Change Management and Organizational Culture (2 CPD credits).
What You Will Master
- Diagnose organizational behaviour and culture within higher-education institutions and explain how they influence institutional performance and change readiness.
- Explain the drivers and dynamics of resistance to change and apply strategies to engage stakeholders and build commitment.
- Apply established change-management models and frameworks to plan, lead, and sequence institutional change initiatives.
- Shape and sustain institutional culture aligned with desired transformation, quality, and improvement.
- Lead sustainable, contextually grounded transformation in resource-constrained African higher-education settings, embedding learning and continuous improvement.
4 Modules
Understanding Organizational Behaviour and Culture in Higher Education
Establishes the analytical foundation for leading change — understanding how universities actually behave and the cultures that shape them. Introduces organizational culture models (notably Schein's), distinguishes culture from climate, and examines the university as a uniquely collegial and decentralised organizational context.
3 Lessons
Managing Resistance to Change
Confronts the human heart of change — why people resist it and how leaders turn resistance into commitment. Examines the emotional, cognitive, and political dimensions of resistance, and develops skills of communication, stakeholder engagement, trust-building, and handling conflict and difficult conversations.
3 Lessons
Change Management Models, Planning, and Implementation
Provides the structured tools for leading change. Teaches the major change-management models — Lewin's three-step, Kotter's eight steps, ADKAR, McKinsey 7S — and how to deploy them. Covers diagnosing the need for change, planning, sequencing, and resourcing, leading and communicating change, and mobilising change agents and teams.
3 Lessons
Culture, Transformation, and Sustainable Institutional Change in African Contexts
Connects culture to long-term, sustainable transformation. Teaches deliberately shaping culture to support change, building a quality and continuous-improvement culture, and leading institutional transformation in resource-constrained African universities — grounded in African values and closing with measuring and sustaining change.
3 Lessons
Weekly Topics
Ready to enrol in LMA304?
Access this course, study modular pedagogical frameworks, and earn verified CPD credits through the CAA member portal.
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