Barriers and facilitators to implementing change
Assessment 2
• In 3000 words:
• Critically discuss the roles of the leader in facilitating any change
process or performance improvement strategy in a workplace
• The role of the leader should be discussed in relation to a health
related workplace and more generally examine the components of
sustainable change and the roles of the leader in facilitating
change (with application examples), that have been covered in this
unit.
• Use of relevant literature is expected, including some references
from each of the three modules, as well as
• literature specific to the change the analysis and critical discussion
• Use references from the three module readings (and any other
relevant support literature
Interpreting the essay question
Assessment 2,
Critically discuss the roles of the leader in facilitating any change process or
performance improvement strategy in a workplace
This question requires you to discuss health-related examples of change or
performance improvement (PI) utilising change theory and leadership theory
• the role of the leader in a change process or performance improvement
strategy
• the leadership style(s) that can facilitate sustainable change outcomes (these
are changes that succeed and are maintained)
• the steps required (and the relevant change theory support) to implement this
change
• the impact of workplace culture
• the barriers and facilitators to implementing change and the management of
these barriers and how a leader might anticipate and manage these
• the importance of benchmarking best practice related to change/PI
• strategies for motivating and engaging the stakeholders/staff in the
change/performance improvement at all stages
Assessment 2
The role of the leader should be discussed in relation to a health-related workplace and
more generally examine the components of sustainable change and the roles of the leader
in facilitating change (with application examples of concepts that have been covered in this
unit).
• the role of the leader in change processes
• workplace culture and its relevance to workplace change (and the way in which a leader
can influence this culture)
• the importance of consideration of an organisation’s vision, mission and strategic goals
when considering workplace change (you may not know the specific mission, vision and
goals (MVG) but it is important that any change is congruent with the MVG or it is unlikely
that the change will be sustainable.
• analysis of a change theory and its importance in the planning and implementation of any
change.
• the barriers and facilitators to the success of this change and how the leader can manage
these.
• the role of the leader in building and maintaining the team, their motivation and the
workplace culture
• consideration of the way in which the development of a learning organisation might
facilitate a culture of commitment and problem solving and the advantage in relation to
capacity building at individual, group and organisation level
Interpretation of the essay question
Change theory needs to be applied to examples of organisational change or a
performance improvement strategy (this does not have to be one change but
you could give examples from a range of change /PI strategies).
You must discuss the role of leadership and discuss the reason for the use of
at least one change theory in supporting change/PI strategies:
?e.g. Leadership is required in order to guide the work team towards the
vision and mission of any organisation and is particularly important in
creating a workplace that is flexible and able identify the need for change
and work through a change strategy
?You must explain the importance of using a change theory in relation to
guiding the process of change.
?e.g. Strong leadership challenges people’s vision of the future, and builds
capacity through the development of a positive work culture and the
collaboration and flexibility required to work through change processes
Interpreting the essay question
• Remember the context of this unit is the
building of capacity at personal, group and
organisational level. It should be possible to
apply this to the change or PI you are
discussing.
Prepare a brief essay plan before writing
the essay to guide your thoughts
Sample essay plan using block structure:
Introduction
• Introductory sentence – about the importance of leadership and
capacity building in the workplace
• Background information – positive aspects of visionary leaders and
the need for identifying the need for change
• Thesis statement regarding the relationship between leadership
and sustainable change
• Aim –Outline – leadership theory/styles and roles, change
theories, the change(s) or PI’s and the reason for the change/PI
strategy, to the individual, the organisation and the individual, best
practice, learning organisations, flexible organisational cultures,
Structure of the Essay
The essay should contain:
• An introduction and a thesis statement
• The body (main paragraphs with the
argument/discussion)
• A conclusion
Please do not include headings in the essay.
Use them for your drafts but remove them for
the final submission
The Introduction
• This should contain all of the following:
• An opening sentence that introduces topic
• Relevant background information related to
topic
• A thesis statement
• An outline of main ideas covered in the body
The Opening Sentence
Should :
• Be concise
• raise interest in the topic
• not include reasons or examples
• not include an in-text citation (unless a direct
quote but this should be rarely used).
Background Information
Set the topic in context by providing some
background information which could include:
• Reasons for significance of topic/issue
• Potential effects of the issue
• Examples of use in healthcare
Ensure that both the information included and the
reference are relevant to the essay topic.
The Thesis Statement
A thesis statement should appear towards the end of the introduction and is:
A broad, formally written statement
Your point of view on a particular topic without the “I”(first person is not used in formal essays)
E.g.: I think, Performance improvement helps to build capacity in an organisation by enabling
people to achieve the goals of the organisation by assessing and benchmarking their
practice/skills against best practice standards .
OR
Leadership is a key component of any change strategy as a leader can build organisational
capacity by motivating and inspiring the people in the workplace to work towards achieving the
vision they share and best practice outcomes.
A thesis statement could stress a particular fact e.g.:
?It is generally acknowledged/considered/recognised that leadership inspires change in health
care settings in order to optimise the quality of care provided.
?Effective leadership in health organisations contributes to the growth of an organisation by
identifying the need for and implementing change.
Note: A thesis statement is your personal response to a particular question or a quote. Do not
use a direct quote or reference your thesis.
Sample introduction
Change in health care is best facilitated by effective leadership.
Visionary leaders possess the capacity to problem solve, make
collaborative decisions, implement evidence based changes, identify
the need for new knowledge and skills, build teams and facilitate
positive workplace cultures. Reduction in the incidence of clinical
errors and risks to patient safety could be attributed to effective
leadership and transformational leadership plays a pivotal role in
articulating and actioning visionary change in health care settings.
The aim of this essay is to explore theories of leadership and change
as they apply to several health related changes(or performance
improvement strategies). The role of leadership, change theories
and their relationship to capacity building within the organisation
will be analysed as they apply to the particular changes
The Essay Outline (in the introduction)
?Provides a map of main ideas to be discussed in
body paragraphs
?Generally it is the last sentence of the
introduction
?There should be no unexpected discussion in
essay writing. The main ideas which are
previewed in the introduction are expanded on
in body paragraphs in the same sequence as
they appear in the outline.
Aim of essay
The aim is a brief sentence that clearly outlines the
purpose of the essay. For example: The aim of this
essay is to:
• discuss the principles of effective leadership and
change theory to a change (or performance
improvement) strategy that has been implemented (or
planned) in a health care workplace (you can use
published case studies of change or discuss this in
relation to a workplace change you have experienced).
Aim (continued)
• Consider the implications for workforce development
and the ways in which organisational culture may
enhance or hinder the capacity to achieve sustainable
change outcomes in a performance improvement (e.g.
related to the reduction of post operative wound
infections).
• Consider the role of the leader in developing
workplaces that are able to identify the need for best
practice and facilitate the development of shared
vision in planning and implementing change (as
applied to the performance improvement (PI) or the
change management strategy you are discussing).
Writing The Essay Outline
Use an active or passive sentence to write the outline
? Active sentence construction example
e.g. This essay begins by focusing on the need for change and the
necessity of adhering to a change plan. It then critically discusses
the role of leadership in health care change (or performance
improvement strategy) and explains the processes required when
facilitating change strategies/programs in workplaces. Further, the
leadership role and change theory is discussed in relation to two
ocase studies from the literature (or a workplace change or
performance improvement strategy)
Essay outline
?Passive sentence construction example
The relationship between leadership and its role in
identifying the need for change will be examined.
Theories of leadership and change will also be analysed
in relation to a particular change or performance
improvement (PI) strategy (be specific about the
change/PI plan(s) you are discussing. e.g. the
compliance with best practice standards in hand
hygiene in a clinical area) will illustrate the application
of these theories.
Body Paragraphs
Each body paragraph focuses on ONE main aspect
It consists of:
?A topic sentence that introduces the main idea (no
in-text citation is required).
?Supporting sentences (facts/examples/statistics
that elaborate on the main idea; insert in-text
citations for every new piece of information).
?A concluding sentence that summarises the
concepts discussed in the paragraph (no in-text
citation is required as there should be no new
information).
Body Paragraph
Topic sentence – e.g. Transformational leadership builds teams and
flexibility within those teams so that individuals and the
organisation can build capacity to achieve their goals.
Supporting sentences – definition of transformational
leadership
• Strengths of transformational leadership as it applies to
successful change outcomes
• Apply this to the particular change or PI
• Concluding sentence – It is evident that transformational
leadership is critical to the change process
• Continue planning for the rest of the body paragraphs
The conclusion
?Summarises the main ideas covered in the body
paragraphs by
reading the body paragraphs and identifying one or
two key ideas from each body paragraph. You will
need to paraphrase them and insert them into your
conclusion. This becomes your summary.
?Restate the thesis statement
Note: Do not include new information.
No in-text citations are required as you will have
already have provided references in the main part of
the essay.
Conclusion (Sample)
This essay has explored the relationship
between the leader and the flexibility of the
workplace with the theories of change as they
relate to a particular change (or PI). Now
summarise main ideas from each body
paragraph. Effective leadership ensures
visionary change, optimum capacity building
outcomes and a motivated and flexible
workforce
Language features
• Use formal, objective language
• Do not use exaggerated language
• Explain clearly and do not use obscure words or expressions
• Use a range of tenses
• Use a variety of sentences – simple, compound and complex
(more compound and complex sentences used)
• Use reporting verbs – to objectively paraphrase other writers’
viewpoints e.g: Marquis and Huston (2017) state / indicate /
claim / suggest / assert etc.
• Make sure you reference everything correctly (see the APA
style guide on the vUWS site).
• Ask for help if you need it