change management research paper
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organisation changeTRANSCRIPT
HRM 511- Organisational Behavior
Research Paper on Organisational Change Management
Due Date- 29th June 13.
Submitted to-Tarun Chaturvedi. Submitted by-Haresh Gurnasinghani.
Section-1
Enrollment No-P301312CMG529
pg. 1
Abstract.
The issue of managing organizational change is of key importance within management theory
and practice. A number of lawsuits have shown that attempts to 'manage' organizational change
frequently failed . Therefore the aim of my paper is to find why does the failure almost occur?
Additionally, this paper's objective is to provide discussion and find reply to the following
questions:which specific aspects of change are currently impacting most on practicing managers?
How do they react to change? How are they so careless with them? And how successful are their
efforts? How do the problems identified and solutions described, relate to the theory and research
on organizational change? What kind of organizations is the most adapted to changes? The
findings suggest that most companies’ operational strategies and structures reflect past business
realities—making organizational inertia one of the most significant obstacles to change .
However, it is noted that leadership and management skills, such as visioning, prioritizing,
planning, and providing feedback rewarding success, are key factors in any successful change
initiative. It culminates with a final paper and oral presentation's conclusions, implications and
suggestions for further research.
Introduction.
What Are Organizational Change and organizational Change Management? Change has several
meanings, but for the purposes of this paper, change—or, more precisely, organizational change
—will be defined this way:
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Organizational change is the implementation of new procedures or technologies intended to
realign an organization with the changing demands of its business environment, or to capitalize
on business opportunities. In addition, organizational change management is the process of
recognizing, guiding, and managing these human emotions and reactions in a way that minimizes
the inevitable drop in productivity that accompanies change. Organizations have to deal with
new technology, and with upgrades to existing technology. They have to cope with
reorganizations, process improvement initiatives, and mergers and acquisitions. Which specific
aspects of change are currently impacting most on practicing managers? How do they generally
respond to change? How are they dealing with them? And how successful are their efforts? How
do the problems identified and solutions described, relate to the theory and research on
organizational change? Mergers, acquisitions, new technology, restructuring and downsizing are
all factors that contribute to a growing climate of uncertainty. The manager who moves straight
into why the change is best for everyone and how business is going to be conducted disregards
the human nature element - the emotions that are normal and natural for anyone feeling
threatened by change to fail. At every step in the process of implementing an organizational
change, a good manager will ask him/herself “How might I react to these changes “? As the
organization implements the changes though, the reality of the change becomes present and
employees may either resist the changes or start to adjust to the changes depending on the
individual. The employee who continues to resist, remains angry and is labeled as “difficult” is
feeling more threatened and may need some one-to-one time with the manager to discuss the
changes or at some point, may need clarification from the manager about performance
expectations in light of the changes. There trigger external and internal for organizational
change.
pg. 3
Motivation
Against a backdrop of rapid technological development, a growing knowledge workforce and the
shifting of accepted work practices, change is becoming an ever-present feature of organizational
life. However, whilst many organizations appreciate the need for change, as many as 70% of the
change programs do not reach their intended outcomes. In response to the increasing importance
organizational change, there is a growing body of literature looking at the concept and processes
of change management and factors that contribute to its success. Drawing from a wide range of
disciplines and theoretical perspectives this literature has been described as abounding in
complexities and containing many contradictory and confusing theories and research findings.
Any occupation in today's fast-moving environment that is looking for the pace of change to slow is likely
to be sorely disappointed. In fact, businesses should embrace change. Change is important for any
organization because, without change, businesses would probably lose their competitive edge and fail to
meet the needs of what most hope to be a growing base of loyal customers.
Purpose.
Organizational change management is a framework for managing the effect of new business
processes, changes in organizational structure or cultural changes within an enterprise. Simply
put, organizational change management addresses the people side of change management.
A systematic approach to organizational change management is beneficial when change
requires people throughout an organization to learn new behaviors and skills. By formally
setting expectations, employing tools to improve communication and proactively seeking ways
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to reduce misinformation, stakeholders are more likely to buy into a change initially and remain
committed to the change throughout any discomfort associated with it.
However since change is the only thing which is constant in this day to the day changing
environment, this topic is selected to understand why 70% percent organizations failed to
achieve their desired outcomes.
Literature Review.
1) Research on Organizational Change in Public Organization by Sergio Fernandez (Indiana
University) and Hal G. Rainey (University of Georgia).
The variety of theoretical perspectives summarized in the online version of this article presents a
rather confusing picture, but it provides insights into the nature of organizational change, and in
particular, the causes of change and the role of managers in the change process. Some of the
theories downplay the significance of human agency as a source of change (e.g., Scott 2003).
Conversely, other theories view managers purposeful action as driving change, although
environmental, cognitive, and resource constraints place limits on such activity. These major
theoretical perspectives illustrate researchers conflicting views about the causes of change in
organizations, especially the mental ability of managers to bring about change. Despite the
conflicts among theorists, however, a significant body of research indicates that managers often
do make change happen in their establishments. Public sector studies also offer evidence of the
vital role that public managers play in bringing about organizational change. Noting that
managers can effect change tells us little, however, about whether an intended change actually
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occurs and about the best strategies for effecting change. Fortuitously, a stream of research exists
that contains various models and frameworks, many of them loosely based on Lewin ’ s (1947)
steps or phases of change. These studies identify the process of implementing change within
organizations and point to factors contributing to success develop specific strategies for gaining a
future end state. Some research on private organizations indicates that it is easier to convince
people of the need for change when leaders craft a vision that offers the hope of relief from stress
or discomfort even suggest implanting dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs in order to
become members of the organization to embrace change. To convince people of the need for and
desirability of change and to begin the process of “ unfreezing ” the organization, suggest
employing effective written and oral communication and forms of active participation among
employee. Further from this research I understand, that successful implementation of new
programs depends on top management’s ability to disseminate information about the change and
convince employees of the urgency of change.
2) Organizational Change Management Powers Document Information Transformation.Source-
http://www.ricoh-usa.com
Research on Japanese company manufacturing xerox machines and printing machines. (RICOH).
Shows a new model of behavioral change management was developed called as a Prosci
ADKAR Model In support of getting desired business results.
The Prosci ADKAR Model represents five goals of individual change that must be accomplished
for a successful transformation.
• Awareness of the need to shift;
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• Desire to participate and support the change;
• Knowledge of how to change (and what the change looks like);
• Ability to implement the change on a day-to-day basis;
• Reinforcement to keep the change in place
Awareness – Understanding Why Change is Needed
Before people will accept change, they need to be aware of a compelling need for it. Senior
management plays a key role in clearly and consistently communicating why transforming
information management will further corporate strategic goals and why this initiative is to be
supported across all Line of business. Benefits are further reinforced at the Line of business
level by respected domain experts and Line of business managers. As a member of the change
management team, a marketing communications specialist is well-equipped to develop an
internal communication plan that helps promote awareness and lower the risk of employee
alienation.Internal communication tools may include:
• Official branded email announcements endorsed by top management (using company-specific
branded themes (e.g., “brand” the change--Better, Faster and Greener)
• “Did you know” pamphlets
• Lobby/break room posters
• Branded Post-it notes
Note: it is important to plan ahead and measure awareness before, during and after
transformation to determine whether communication plans are forming or need tweaking.
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Desire to participate and support the change;
Once awareness of why a change is beneficial has been planted, people need to be motivated to
particulate in the change on a personal level. Everyone in a business creates and uses
documents--it is intrinsic to the way people in virtually any role do their jobs. Habits are
ingrained and seldom given a second thought—it takes personal effort to change them. No
technology can effectively enforce a willingness to embrace new processes. The only way for
real change to happen is to satisfactorily answer one important question: “What’s in it for
me?”Some of the positive effects of transforming business critical document processes include
making knowledge workers’ jobs easier—more effective and, arguably, more employable. But
new processes and technologies frequently involve a learning curve, and this can promote
insecurity about whether they will win. It is important the benefits of change need to be
perceived as greater than this insecurity and the natural resistance to change.
Knowledge – What do you need to know to succeed
Because they have participated in designing the transformation of the current state to the “desired
state,” those same Line of business domain experts and managers are in the best position to help
design a plan for developing and transferring skills to the rest of the constitution. These SMEs
can work together with the marketing communications specialist or other resources on the
change management team, to design and implement a training program. Some examples of
programs for knowledge transfer may include: Formal on-site training Self-paced online training
and self-help documents“Cheat sheets”Decision trees for Help Desk responses these tools must
be in place before building the awareness and desire to participate. They will be part of the
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process to help people believe they have what they need to succeed, making the transformation
seem less daunting.
Ability to enforce the change on a day-to-day basis;
People need time to acquire new skills and behaviors. A plan for evaluating the success of
knowledge transfer, of proficiency in new processes, should set realistic expectations over a
reasonable period of time. Measurement of key performance indicators (KPIs) will reveal not
only the progress of an individual’s abilities but also the improvement in overall performance in
meeting program objectives, staying on schedule and staying on budget.
Interestingly, while new processes and technologies part of a transformation may call for new
performance measures, KPIs should be retained and leveraged as much as possible--like cost per
page or customer service response time. This provides a certain level of comfort and sense of
continuity throughout the organization.
Reinforcement to keep the change in place:
Reinforcement actually does more than sustain a changed process; it creates a culture of
continuous improvement. A culture of continuous improvement looks beyond the initial
transformation, for further opportunities for cost savings, greater innovation, and improved
customer service. There are three steps to reinforcing change: collecting and analyzing
feedback; diagnosing gaps and managing resistance, implementing corrective actions and
celebrating successes. The change management plan for this phase should include
The means for listening to employees and gathering feedback;
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Auditing compliance with new processes, systems and roles; an independent, ISO-like audit will
provide un-biased feedback to help reinforce new processes;
Analyzing the ongoing effectiveness of change management
The collection and analysis of feedback on the performance of the transformation will help
identify root causes and pockets of resistance to the use of new procedures and technologies—
and these, in turn, inform the development of corrective action plans that enable sponsors and
stakeholders to handle resistance, and extend the initial benefits.
3) Center for Understanding Organisational Change Management.
By- Matt Barnar & Naomi Stoll, National Centre for Social Research.
Within the literature, one of the most influential positions which I came through is known as
‘planned approaches’ to change that of Lewin (1952, in Elrod II and Tippett, 2002) who argued
that change involves a three stage process: firstly, unfreezing current behavior; secondly, moving
to the new behavior; and, finally, refreshing the new behavior. The three-step model was
assumed for many years as the dominant framework for understanding the process of
organizational change (Todnem, 2005). Since its formulation, the hypothesis have been reviewed
and modified, with the stakes being divided to create more specific steps. For example, Bullock
and Batten (1985) developed a four stage model consisting of exploration, planning, action and
integration.
Despite its popularity, Lewin’s original theory has been criticized for being based on small scale
samples, and more importantly the fact that it is based on the premise that organizations work
under constant conditions that can be taken into consideration and planned for. As a consequence
of such criticisms an alternative to planned approaches to organizational change was developed
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that is known as the ‘emergent approach’. An emergent approach to organizational change sees
change as so rapid and unpredictable that it cannot be done from the top downwards. Rather, it is
argued, change should be seen as a process of learning, where the organization responds to the
internal and external environmental changes.
A key point emerging from the review is that the literature is consistent in indicating that change
isn’t a single, continuous process, but rather is broken down into a number of different steps. The
implication of this is that managers will need to consider what strategies, in terms of
communication, training, reinforcement etc., are appropriate for the different stages, rather than
settling on a single approach that can be used throughout the procedure, and at the same time
remain flexible and reactive to changes as they occur. This of course will require more effort and
preparation time, but the reward is likely to be that change happens more smoothly and
efficiently. While planning these strategies, managers need to consider the nature of the
psychological contract the organization has with employees and how the changes they are
introducing might alter its balance. Crucially, if the balance is altered, managers need to consider
how to rebalance it if they want to avoid resistance that could undermine the process.
Nevertheless, the situation is further complicated by an awareness that even where employees are
not personally resistant to change, a wide range of other factors can prevent the change from
taking place or being sustained, and these also need to be taken into account.
4) Organizational Change: Motivation, Communication, and Leadership Effectiveness.
By : Ann Gilley, Jerry W. Gilley and Heather S. McMilla.
pg. 11
This research indicates that numerous variables have an impact on a leader’s effectiveness. This
study explores the behaviors associated with leadership effectiveness in driving change. The
findings confirm previous research that identifies change effectiveness skills while isolating the
specific leader behaviors deemed most valuable to implementing change: motivation and
communication, further this research also focuses on Lewin’s three stage change model and
compares with Ulrich’s seven step model and Kotter’s Eight steps Model, also this research
focuses more on leadership skills and abilities for effecting change in organizations. Which
further focuses on factors like Coaching,Communicating,involving others, motivating, rewarding
others and promoting teamwork.
5) Organizational Change Management: A critical review
Queen Margaret University College, Edinburgh, UK .
From this research paper we can clearly see that change is an ever present factor that affects all
systems. There is a clear consensus that the pace of change has never been greater in the current
continuously evolving business environment. Therefore a successful management of change is a
highly demanded skill. However the management of organizational change currently tends to be
reactive, discontinuous and adhoc with a failure rate of 70 % of all change programs initiated.
This may Indicate a basic lack of valid framework of how to successfully implement and manage
organizational change, since what is currently available is a wide range of contradictory and
confusing theories and approaches, which are mostly lacking empirical evidence and often based
on unchallenged hypothesis regarding the nature of contemporary organizational change
management.
pg. 12
By providing a current review of change management theories and approaches, this research has
made an attempt to highlight the need for a new and pragmatic framework for change
management. In order to build such a framework it is recommended that further exploratory
studies of the nature of change and how it is being made should be conducted. Such studies
would arguably identify critical success factors for the management of change. This research also
suggests that methods of measuring of organizational change should be designed in order to
appraise the value of any new framework suggested.
6) Change Management In High Performance Organizations as a Result Of Regulatory Shocks.
This research report analyses the impact of a regulatory change ('shock') on a public service
organization. Dependent upon the nature of the organization, various steps are undertaken to
absorb the shock. Since health care organizations are high performance entities and are a system
of interrelated medical care units, they need to apply theoretical frameworks that assist in change
management of large organizations. Currently there are a number of frameworks which can
achieve this. In this paper, I will analyze two system change frameworks and propose a new
approach based on these two frameworks.
In this research we have seen two models to handle change in system which are
The Star Model.
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The Star Model is based on the premise that a system level change requires attention to six
distinct areas of the organization/system. The individual vertices on the star work in tandem with
each other but not all areas are equally important all the time. According to Golden and Martin
(2004), there are six ideas implicit in the model and they are as follows.
1. Organizational problems are not because of lazy, dumb, unskilled people. Rather, it is the
entire system that is weak and this weakness is reflected in the attitude of its employees.
2. There is no single correct way to create a system. A systems construction is based on the
requirements for change, its previous configuration and the external elements which are present
in the proposed systems ecosystem.
3. All points on the star are not equally important in re-designing the system. The level of
importance for each area is dependent on the kind of change that is being pursued.
4. The model is dynamic in nature and changing the conditions around one area of the star could
lead to changes in some other area(s). Therefore it is advisable to be cognizant of this fact before
making sweeping changes based on the star.
5. Health care leaders can indirectly influence their systems by using the areas on the star.
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6. There is always a cultural backlash to all changes and tackling that is an important step
And the other model for change management is
COGHLAN & MCAULIFFE'S MODEL FOR LARGE SYSTEM CHANGES
This model is based on a five phase approach which happen in a sequence:
1. Determining the need for change.
2. Defining the desired future state.
3. Assessing the present in terms of the desired future to ascertain the alterations to be made.
4. Implementing the change and managing the transition.
5. Consolidation and sustaining the variety.
Though the model calls each of the five items it investigates a phase, they can also be considered
questions that are asked of the organization's management while going through change planning.
Although both the models are much effective for High Performance Organizations and are very
less useful for other companies.
7) Challenges Facing Change Management.
Mildred Golden Pryor
Sonia Taneja
John Humpheys
pg. 15
Donna Anderson
Lisa singleton
This research paper focuses on different change management models which are still relevant for
21st century. The problems are not with their relevancy or their worth. The problems and
challenges facing organizational leaders, organizational development experts and researchers
relate to the speed and complexity of change required today. This article addresses selected
change management models and research, their relevance in today’s global economy and the
challenges facing organizational leaders and researchers in terms of their application and
anticipated outcomes. We also suggest a relatively new strategic model as well as novel
applications of existing change management models and theories.
Various Change Management Models are,
The Action Research Model/Theory (Collier, 1945; Lewin, 1946; French, 1969; Schein, 1980);
Lewin’s Three-Step Model (Lewin,1945; Lewin,1951);
Schein’s Extension of Lewin’s Change Model (Schein, 1980);
The Lippit, Watson and Westley model of planned change which expanded Lewins Three-
Step
Model to a Five-Phase Model (Lippit, Watson, and Westley 1958);
Kotter’s Strategic Eight-Step Model (Kotter, 1996);
Mento, Jones and Dirmdofer’s Twelve-Step Model (Mento, Jones and Dirmdofer’s 2002);
Jick’s Ten-Step Model (Jick, 2003; Jick, 2001); and
Shield’s five-step model (Schield, 1999)
pg. 16
The change management models that have been discussed in this article are still relevant and can
be used as they have been in the past, with one exception – the speed at which the steps, stages,
or phases of the models occur. This era is one of rapid change, sophisticated communication and
technological systems and variables that make preparation for the future complex and fast-paced.
In order to be able to be a winner in this type of environment, processes and relationships must
be streamlined, non-value-added activities must be eliminated and people at all levels in
organizations must be empowered to rapidly make decisions and held accountable for those
decisions.
Discussion.
Starting with my analyses for the subject, In today’s ever changing world change is only constant
and our turbulent environment offers new opportunities that can be seized by those who
continuously develop their levels of expertise and learning methods. If we desire to be among
those who directs the currents of change, we must accept learning as a lifelong process, in which
our patterns of basic assumptions. m. . E paradigms play an important role. Such paradigms
change constantly during interactions with the changes taking place in an environment, so that
the contemporary paradigm of a successful post-modern society and organizations differs
significantly from its predecessors.
What further I analyzed about organizational changes are.
1-Changes cannot be predicted – they can only be anticipated.
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2-Owing to the fact that change is inevitable, the themes related to overcoming resistance to
change that were topical a decade ago, are giving way to new ones.
3-In these times of turbulent change that we live in, change has become the rule.
4-Carrying out changes is painful and risky task, which entails about all much hardwork.
5-If an organization wants to survive, it must even encourage change.
6-In times of rapid structural changes, those directing the changes will be the only one to survive.
7-One of the primary challenges of management in the 21st century is the restructuring of
organizations into conductors of change- as they need to understand the opportunities inherent in
change.
There is a comparative analysis of various models for organizational change management with
regards to situations or CHANGE organizations are facing.
Furthermore, the research showed a positive relationship between organizational commitment
and positive attitudes to change confirming evidence from the literature showing that
organizational commitment is one of the most significant determinants of successful
organisational change. The more employees identify with their organizations the higher their
commitment to their constitution and the greater their willingness to accept organizational
change. The present study has several practical implications for managers and organizations
facing organizational change. First, it was shown that good and effective work relationships are
very important in organizational change. Handling conflicts, building supportive work
relationships, communicating effectively all contribute to the formulation of positive attitudes to
pg. 18
change and, therefore, to the success of a change program. Second, organizations need to
examine the extra workload which organizational change may create.
Conclusion.
With this I conclude in a today’s world of constant, complex change, organizational leaders who
react rapidly and responsibly are successful. The organizational leaders who anticipate and
invent the future are even more successful because they are the leaders in their organizations and
their industries. The establishments that do not survive are those that are run by people who give
way to invent the future or even adapt to change. Empirical research should be conducted to
assess the extent to which organizations have developed an agile system that can continually
reinvent itself. This inquiry should investigate what parts of the system are missing or inadequate
aligned in order to predict how capable the organizations are in terms of organizational
transformation. And also It is clear that the potential to increase market competitiveness and
growth is within the control of an organization’s leadership. It is through the deliberate and
disciplined action of management that organizations effectively implement change initiatives that
cultivate success. Effective leaders engage their motivation and communication skills and
translate these into explicit behaviors to influence change initiatives positively. Organizations
and their leaders who fail to recognize the importance of these skills will become another
statistic in the failure rates of change.
pg. 19
References.
Organisational Behaviour Textbook 13th Edition Ch-19.
http://epublications.bond.edu.au
http://glennschool.osu.edu
www0.dmst.aueb.gr
http://www.sjm06.com
http://www.ricoh-usa.com
http://ro.uow.edu.au
http://www.bristol.ac.uk
http://academia.edu
http://www.performancexpress.org
http://www.thinkingexponentially.com
http://www.bristol.ac.uk/cubec/
pg. 20
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