Assignment - Critical Essay 35 marks, 2000 words

Session eight (Power and Change) and session 10 (Cross-Cultural Influences on Change) of this course discusses the topic which can derail most change programs if incorrectly used - power. Your task is to compare Singapore and Australia in terms of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, and then discuss how national culture influences French & Raven’s ‘Five Bases of Power’. From there, argue a case that the use of power in change programs may more efficient, or less efficient, if the organisational change is happening in Singapore or Australia. 

Introduction (Approx. 200 words)

 Sentence 1 - introduce the general subject; (organisational change) 

Sentence 2 -introduce the topic; (how power affects change, how the use and acceptance of power varies in different national cultures) 

Sentence 3 - introduce your position (thesis statement); 

example “This essay explores the contention that national culture affects the use and acceptance of power in change programs. This will be explored by comparatively applying the power-related elements of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions to Singapore and Australia.’’ 

Sentence 4 - introduce the essay as a document (first, second, third, finally); Sentence 5 - state the scope of the essay and say what you will not cover. 

Body Paragraphs (between 200-400 words each). 

• Introduce and define the types of power which may be used in change programs. 

• Explain the positive and negative aspects of the use of power in change programs. 

• Introduce and define Hofstede’s cultural dimensions. 

• Focus on and further explore the power-related aspects of Hofstede’s dimensions. 

• Compare and contrast the power-related aspects of Hofstede’s dimensions between Australia and Singapore. 

Conclusion (Approx. 200 words) 

• Summarise arguments from the body paragraphs. • Remind the reader of the main argument (your thesis) and the reasoning behind it (your supporting points). 

• Add any other remarks that emphasise the significance of the thesis.

Notes: A minimum of 10 peer-reviewed academic journal article references must be used. If there are fewer than 10, the section of the marking criteria “Appropriate references used” will automatically score zero.