Contemporary Change Management

Introduction

Change is one of the constant aspects of businesses. Because the business environment is constantly changing in terms of the market activities, customer preferences and tastes, products and services as well as regulations and performance standards, business organizations must also change along with the market in order to maintain profitability. According to Simon (2020) enacting changes in an organization and its business environment overtime allows employees and other organization personnel to learn new skills and talents adequate in exploring new opportunities and impacting creativity and innovation which can ultimately give the organization a competitive advantage. However change often disrupts the organizations normal operations leading to the introduction of new difficulties and challenges that the personnel are not used to and as a result changes within an organization are highly likely to be resisted unless the change process is properly managed. CIPD (2009) further advances that change also often impacts on the morale of the workforce as is the case in Bell utilities not only leading to resistance but also significant confusion and an ultimate drop in performance efficiency, effectiveness and productivity. The management of change within an organization is as such a crucial aspect of the organizations’ growth and must adopt appropriate approaches and models to ensure success. The organization personnel must also be well informed and prepared for the change to ensure its ultimate success.

Change Diagnosis

Diagnosing the organizations need for change including the aspects that need change the departments and employees involved as well as the timeline for carrying out the change is significant prior to carrying out the change to allow for adequate planning and preparation. It also allows for the determination of the level of readiness of the organization for the proposed changes as well as the most effective approach and models to adopt for the change process. The force field analysis developed by Kurt Lewin (1941) is one particularly adequate tool for diagnosing changes within an organization. According to Mindtools (2019) the Force field change analysis is characterized by a state of imbalance between driving forces and resisting forces towards a proposed change. An organization can use this tool to diagnose the potential and viability of a change as well as identify factors that can be taken up to enhance the change success.

To use the force field analysis tool, the organizations management states the proposed change and all the impacted aspects of the organization as a result of the change including the personnel and resources. This is then followed by the identification of the factors and forces that are driving the change. According to Connelly (2020) these forces can be both internal and external and could include disruptive technologies, outdated machinery or even changes in policies, regulations and standards as is the case in Bell Utilities. This is then followed by the identification of all resistant forces towards the change which may include employee resistance, existing organization structures or government legislations (University of Cambridge, 2016). With these forces in mind the organization can then determine the feasibility and viability of the change as well as develop appropriate approaches for the change and the change models to adopt.

Based on the current operations at Bell Utilities significant organization change is required to not only stabilize operations and put the organization on track to adequately achieving their objectives and requirements but also to help the company update its endeavors to meet the changes in the industrial standards. Among the driving forces for the changes include the changes in industrial standards and the significance of adhering to these standards, the dwindling levels of customer service indicated by increasing complaints way above the industry levels as well as the currently existing work structure that does not offer any flexible working. Despite resisting forces such as employee resistance and the practical and functional organization structure currently in place within the company the driving forces are much stronger and necessary for the continued operation of the organization and future profitability and as such justify the need for adopting the proposed changes.

Change Readiness

Lee (2021) asserts that assessing an organizations fitness to undertake and make changes is significant to enhance the management and mitigation of any potential risks thereby enhancing the probability of success. Assessing an organizations change readiness also helps the management to plan around potential barriers such as any potential resistance that may be faced or the difficulties that may lead to the stagnation of the changes such as employee welfare and needs. The change readiness of Bell Utilities will be determined through a change readiness assessment. According to Airioidon Global Services (2019) the assessment will review several factors about the organization to understand how prepared they are to the upcoming change project. Some of these factors include their awareness of the changes within the business environment in general, their knowledge and proficiency levels regarding any new processes and tools to be introduced as well as their capacity to adapt to any required changes within their everyday activities and tasks. The management will also adequately inform the personnel of the reason and necessities for the changes as well as the expected outcomes of the changes and how they will benefit both the organization and its various stakeholders.

Approach to Change

In addition to change diagnosis and readiness, organizations also need to decide before hand the most adequate approach for the change process. According to Liebhart and Lorenzo (2010) two main approaches to change can be adopted by an organization in its change management process including planned change and emergent change. Planned Change involves creating long term change strategies which will be chronologically implemented within a given time with an estimated amount of resources and geared towards a definite outcome. On the other hand Emergent change involve embracing natural changes as and when they occur in the organization as a result of the process of continuous operation and performance geared towards success, productivity and profitability of the company (Spacey, 2016).

Planned change is adequate when the company understands the type of change required and the outcome to be achieved by the change while the emergent change occurs as a result of the company’s flexibility and ability to adapt to changes necessary for its continuous operations. When such emergent changes occur within activities in a planned change the organization is forced to adopt both of the change approaches in different organization aspects in which case the approach adopted becomes the Hybrid approach. Give the changes in the Bell Utilities are mainly driven by changes in industrial standards and policies, the organization will have to develop an adequate enough plan to see to the adherence of the standards for continued operations. However emergent changes are also predicted to occur in various departments of the organization and the departmental managers will have to develop ways of adapting to and operating within these changes. This makes the most adequate and effective approach for the organization change to be the Hybrid approach.

Change Management Models

The determination of which approach to take towards change directs managers and organization leaders to change models which basically outline how the change will be undertaken. According to Mulholland (2021), a change model provides guidelines and procedures to follow in the process of change planning and implementation. In addition it also helps the change management managers to identify any potential areas of resistance in the process of change in order to develop and implement strategies that are designed to eliminate or reduce the resistance to make the process smoother and more successful. Connelly (2018) asserts that a change model has a singular specific and important benefit of enabling the creation of an effective communication strategy within the entire organization for the ultimate success of the change process.

Currently there are multiple options of proven change management models including Lewin’s, McKinsey’s and Kotter’s change management models among others (Connlley, 2018). Change mangers can either use a single management model that suits their organization and the circumstances surrounding the proposed change or adopt multiple models to in a more flexible change process. Regardless of which model or combination that an organization uses to guide its change process, the practice of change through the application of the models will often lead to the accumulation of more experience when it comes to change thereby enabling the development of an even more effective change management methodology. Hicks (2020) further advances that adopting a trustworthy and effective change management model enables change leaders to consider all the factors and resources required for its successful implementation and provides templates for the development of a change workflow which can then be re applied in new change or emergent change processes.

The different change management models follow different and unique steps in the process of change. While some are as simple as three steps such as in Lewin’s change management model that advances three steps of change in freezing organization activities, implementing the change and then refreezing by constant reviews to ensure the change sticks (Mulholland, 2021), other models such as Kotter’s change management model have more comprehensive steps to ensure everyone within the organization is on board with the change process and therefore an ultimately more successful and effective change process implementation. The model of change adopted for the change implementation within Bell Utilities will include the Kotter’s change management model. According to Hicks (2020) Kotter’s change management model developed by a Havard professor and change management expert John Kotter focuses primarily on the people involved in the change and their psychology. Given that the change at Bell Utilities is largely driven by changes in industrial standards, change within the organization will primarily be within the processes and procedures taken up within the company to ensure continued adherence to the changed industrial standards. This means that the employees within the organization will be the most affected by the change as they will have to learn new ideas and effect the required changes in their day to day activities and tasks to ensure the implementation of the change. As such the change model should focus directly on them to ensure the minimization of resistance which is already being witnessed.

Kotter’s change management model follows eight significant steps (Hicks, 2020), all of which will be adopted within Bell Utilities process of change. These steps include creating a sense of urgency to motivate the employees. This can be done by informing the employees of the changes in industrial standards along with the potential benefits of adapting and implementing the changes versus the impacts of the failure to continually adhere to the newly set industrial standards. This step is followed by the development of a change management teams with leaders and change agents in various departments after which the organization has to define the strategic vision intended by the change and what should be accomplished for the ultimate successful change process. The fourth step involves the development of a communication strategy across the entire organization including every personnel involved in the change and then identifying any challenges or barriers to the change such as employee resistance and addressing them (Hicks, 2020). The sixth step will involve the breaking down of the change management process into short term, easily achievable goals and objectives and ensuring each milestone is adequately and effectively achieved. Finally change management managers will need to enhance the maintenance of the changes after the initial change process is complete through constant reviewing and evaluation of the new processes introduced.

Managing Change Resistance

Regardless of whether an organization change is big or small or whether it is a positive or negative change, resistance to the change is almost always certain as different personnel within the organization will be differently affected by the change. Bell Utilities for instance is already experiencing significant resistance to any changes despite the changes being necessary as a result of the changes in industrial standard which the organization must then adhere to. Alsher (2016) asserts that resistance is a function of the amount of disruption that a change creates for an individual within the organization. It is a way for people to protect themselves against changes in their work behaviors and habits, tasks, status or performance measures. As such change agents or managers can be able to predict and anticipate the levels of resistance likely to be experienced based on the degree of change in the employees current work habits and patterns. This enables the development of effective resistance management strategies.

Resistance can be managed by a wide range of effectively productive strategies such as adequately engaging the employees in the change process and highlighting the various expected impacts of the change and how these are likely to impact the employees’ position. Employees are much more likely to offer minimal resistance to change if they believe that their welfare and interests are being considered in the process of the change. Alsher (2016) advances that this can be done through the development of a personal rapport with the employees who are likely to be affected by the change and asking open ended questions to find out and understand their personal frames of reference and how the change process can be made more smoother for them for an ultimate win-win scenario.

Ethics and Responsibility in Change Management

While the first duty and responsibility of organization mangers is to ensure organization productivity and profitability even if it means the adoption of disruptive changes to the normal organization operations, the managers still have a social responsibility to ensure that all the stakeholders involved in the organization are ultimately well accounted for. This means that the organization shareholders as well as the employees and even the customers are considered fairly in the change process.

Changes bring significant uncertainty to employees and as a result they may feel pressured to go along with the change or risk job termination (Kittner, 2019), organizations as such have an ethical duty and responsibility to ease these pressures during the change process by offering adequate motivation to employees and being truthful about the reasons for the proposed changes and how the employees may be affected by the change. The planning and implementation of the changes must take into account all the involved stakeholders and try to limit the negative impact as much as possible in order to ensure not only a successful change process but also a healthy and positive work environment afterwards.

Indulging in unethical change management strategies and practices such as bullying employees into submission to the changes and threats regarding loss of jobs not only maximize the resistance to change which can ultimately lead to the failure of the whole process altogether but is also leads to the development of a negative working environment with negative behaviors such as groupthink, job dissatisfaction, lack of innovation and productivity as well as increased conflicts and employee turnover (Kittner, 2019). This can result to the failure of the change process and even the ultimate collapse of the organization.

Recommendations

The major changes required for the organization includes changes in practices and tasks carried out by Bell Utilities employees in order to align the organization with the newly developed industrial standards. To adequately achieve this change the organization can effect adequate changes and control in three main areas

Training – The organization should develop a new and improved training program for the employees and managers involved in the change process to familiarize them with the specific changes in the industrial standards and the changes in their everyday tasks and duties as a result. The training will encompass any new strategies or activities to be adopted for adequate adherence to the new standards as well as any changes in behavior and practice involved

Working Schedule Flexibility – Despite the organization having a policy allowing both full time and part time working systems, the employees are currently not afforded any flexibility in how they can go about their work. In the current work environment including current trends such as telecommuting and flexible work schedules to enable employee achieve adequate work life balance, having rigid work schedules will often inspire significant resistance. This in addition to the changes which will most likely further disrupt employee work behavior and habits, developing a more flexible work schedule will go a long way in convincing employees that the organization is considering their interests and as such make the change process smoother and more effective.

Altering the Management Structure – The departmental employees are the ones who undertake most of the work within the organization and as such they have valuable experience and insight about how various processes can be made more efficient. While the current management process takes into account the employee input, a majority of the decisions are made by top managers and instructions trickled down to the foot employees. Including more of the employees’ ideas and integrating them with the organizations visions and objectives can help to better organizations operations and activities to not only enhance adherence to the new industrial standards but also enhance the overall performance and productivity of the organization in the long run for enhanced success.

Conclusion

Organization change is a complex process that is often unique for different organizations and while similar approaches and models can be adopted to enhance and help in the process of change management, change mangers will often need to personalize their change processes for the maximization of success. Employees who are directly involved in the organization activities are also key figures in the process of organization change and they should as such be consistently involved in the change process to ensure success. Organizations can go through adequate and effective change management through effectively diagnosing the need for change, adequately preparing the involved stakeholders of the organization about the change and adopting effective approaches and models to the change management process. These models will provide adequate guidance towards the change process and offer possible solutions to any potential barriers or challenges that may be experienced within the process of the change

References

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