Models of Innovation and Change

 Assignment Overview

The sequence of assignments in this course asks you to focus on four main concepts:

 • How contemporary leadership practices and models support innovation in the global context. 

• The personal skills and leadership practices that drive innovation and the creation of innovative organizations.

 • The models of innovation and change management leaders use to create a culture of innovation.

 • Communication strategies, including storytelling, that support culture change in innovative organizations.

Your readings, videos, and other resources have introduced you to several models of innovation and change management as well as leaders’ role in the process. You have also researched additional articles and Web sites for this assignment, including:

• Two articles or resources on design thinking.

 • One additional resource on change management. 

• One article focused on leading innovation in your current or future specialization, industry, or sector.

Using all of these resources, you will develop your assignment as described below.

Assignment Instructions

For this assignment, identify a potential process, product, service, or procedure for innovation to use in your paper. You may use an idea from your current work, one you thought of in a past work environment, one from your personal life, or one you have read about in the Wall Street Journal or other resource. The point is to take an example of a potential innovation and apply it to your paper. 

Analyze and apply the first three components of the design thinking process to your chosen innovation:

1. Empathize (learn about your audience).

2. Define (create a point of view based on needs).

 3. Ideate (brainstorm ideas, be wild).

Analyze a change management model you could integrate into this innovative process. You may choose the one you studied in this unit, such as the one discussed in Worley and Mohrman’s 2014 article, “Is Change Management Obsolete?” or one you found in your own research. 

Evaluate two leadership practices, identified Units 1 and 2, that you could incorporate into your innovative change process. Explain how you, as the leader, would use these practices to accomplish the first three components of the design thinking process.

You will also be evaluated on how well you communicate your analysis and insights. It is expected that you will communicate in a manner that is professional and consistent with expectations for members of the business professions. To aid you in doing this, follow these guidelines:

• Carefully organize your assignment so there are three major headings devoted to each of the following topics. You may want to use subheadings in the first section to ensure the reader can find each of the three components.

 • Make sure that the reader can easily find: 

o A section that analyzes and applies the first three components of the design thinking process to your chosen innovation.

 o A section that analyzes a change management model you could integrate into this innovative process. 

o A section that evaluates two leadership practices that you could incorporate into your innovative change process. 

Optionally, graphs or diagrams may be included in appendices, if they are well-explained and applicable. 

Each section of the paper must be supported using the course readings, and additional scholarly resources or reputable industry publications may be used, if needed. One to three supporting resources are recommended.

Your assignment will be scored on the following objectives; see the scoring guide for details. Where it would be useful to your readers, support your analysis with examples.

1. Analyze the relevance of key design thinking components to a chosen innovation. Specifically, you will need to apply the first three components of the design thinking process to your chosen innovation. 

2. Apply key components of design thinking process to a chosen innovation. Specifically, you will need to apply the first three components of the design thinking process to your chosen innovation. 

3. Analyze a change management model you could integrate into this innovative process.

4. Evaluate two leadership practices that you could incorporate into your innovative change process.

Communicate in a manner that is professional and consistent with expectations for members of the business professions.

Submission Requirements

• Written communication: Writing should be free of errors that detract from the overall message.

• Paper length: 5-7 pages, excluding appendices, cover page, table of contents if present, and references page.

• APA formatting: References and citations should follow APA style guidelines.  

• Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.

Note: Your instructor may also use the Writing Feedback Tool to provide feedback on your writing. In the tool, click on the linked resources for helpful writing information.

Resources 

• Models of Innovation and Change Scoring Guide. 

 • APA Style and Format.

 • Capella Library.

 • Capella Writing Center.

 • Research Guide MBA.

 • Resource Guide | Transcript.

 • Writing Feedback Tool