ABSTRACT
Change is not without difficulties. In fact, Burnes (2004) suggests that two-thirds of the changes that he surveyed were unsuccessful. In spite of this, case studies regularly focus on success rather than on the inhibitors to change. To redress the balance, this chapter explores some of the structural factors that can inhibit the change process. The case study deals with curriculum change, set against a background of major organisational change. However, broader organisational change issues are addressed only where they affect specific curriculum matters. For a fuller reading on some of the organisational issues, see Tomkinson (2005). Among other things, the curriculum change in question involves introducing a greater focus on the management of change into the experience of all graduates. The initial concept of interdisciplinarity for societal responsibility led to the Ultimate Challenge – an initiative to develop, promote and embed the concept – but it will be seen that this has been affected by considerations of sustainability. In brief, this is a case study of the management of change to introduce a curriculum that is, in part, focused on change management. The change process is still active. Indeed, the process of change is itself still subject to change.
