Managing Creativity & Change - Essay Example

?Running head: managing creativity and change 9th December Creativity and change The hierarchical structures in organizations must be followed by companies that aim at becoming competitive since power is delegated from the top to the lower management levels. Due to good communication from the top managers to lower managers, the flow of work goes smoothly. In the past due to monopoly of firms in production of goods and services, change and creativeness was not considered as a major tool that can improve the economy and create competition. Thus the past hierarchal management structure was based on transfer of orders rather than holding discussions among the top managers and staff at lower positions. Despite it being regarded as old fashioned by most firms, it is still commonly used in the military departments. Change and creativity is the key pillar for any firm that has to meet the goals that will influence technological and production transformation projects globally. Due to the current competitive situations in many industries, it has led to the need of firms to be creative in their production processes and making sure that the firms emulate change on their products thus ensuring that they are of high quality. Change can only be achieved through improved business efficiency and function. The technological advancement in combination with change and creativeness will always lead to innovation thus making the firms to be more competitive. A good example that goes in hard with the technology change is the media fraternity that will have to consider change and creativeness thus achieve its goals and attain competitiveness in the market. For any firm to be able to handle change successfully, it must provide the necessary structures and tools that will support the firm on the new development that will change the working progress and introduce a new methodology of working, then making sure that the staffs of the organization have the ability to work with the new machines. Additionally, managers should be dynamic to change. Creativity in any firm is encouraged to achieve the organization vision and mission. This is encouraged in all levels of management either from the directors, managing directors, departmental managers, and even the staffs. Creativeness is the major pillar that will lead to change since if the managers and the whole fraternity of the firm are creative then the organization will have a lot of changes thus achieving their goals while at the same time attaining a competitive edge. The hierarchal management changed because of three reasons; global economy, working environment and improved technology. Tips to manage change and creativeness Change and creativeness in an organization leads to new innovation and thus the goal has been achieved. The first option to manage change and creativeness in the firm is first agreeing the business case with the members who are actively involved. Secondly is to understand the number of stakeholder in the new programme. This means that one has to explain how the programme will work and what it entails. Thirdly is encouragement to those who are affected by change making sure that they are fully involved in the decision making process. For change to be accepted in the firm managers must explain the importance that will have to outweigh the disadvantages of the old system. Fourthly is to make sure that all the staffs and the management have the required skills (Clark, 1980). Fifth is to make sure that change must be implemented into phases to make it effective so as to achieve the goals. The next tip is behavioral changes to the staffs this means that the implementers must be quick to respond to the feedback and listen so that they can be aware of successfulness of the change to the individuals. This means that acceptance areas must be known and the rejection and weaker areas addressed accordingly. The next tip is to make sure that technology has worked for the first time, this stage delays and frustration are normal to the firm but the most important thing is to make sure that user testing has taken place. And lastly is to make sure that no other change should be carried before the first is successfully accepted in the firm and the market has known the changes that are currently. Changes and shifts in global economy Global trade trends Due to the competitive nature of markets globally, trade has grown faster like in the Coca Cola Company where wide range of brands have been introduced in the international market. This means that the Coca Cola Company is well known for trade dynamism and the use of high technology to advertise its products. The aim of the Coca Cola Company is to make sure that there is greater openness of global marketing trend, since some of firms do not have the capability to move to other countries and make investments. The global crisis that exists in the trade has encouraged fluctuation in the market products in the world economy making the developed countries to decline and rising of developing countries. Due to developing countries interest to trade with the developed countries firms like Coca Cola, the company has to increase the number of products and produce different brands that it will export thus changing the shift global balance. Developing countries have led to global trade dynamics and this makes the developed countries to consider the region or the country where it is located. Global capital flow trends Capital that emanate from global trade has grown faster than trade since foreign investment is direct to the developing countries making global organizations such as Coca Cola and Toyota Companies to enjoy a large share in the market globally and on the other hand making the developing countries to gain in term of economic stability due to increased investment. Due to foreign direct investments in trade, it has increased financial openness in terms of capital flow to both the foreign and developing countries raising the countries economically. The investors together with the developing countries are aware of the global crisis since it normally occurs and there is a way to control the same (Boutellier, 2009). The payments which are paid by the foreign investors are important source of foreign exchange thus developing and making change of the economy. The increased economic globalization process that was experienced during 2008 to 2009 resulted to tension in the market and made notable companies such as the Coca Cola Company to set some of regulation in the market due to poor global governance arrangements. Due to these market crises, there was shift imbalance in the market since the share of the developing countries in the global economy increased while those of foreign investors like the Coca Cola Company decreased significantly, thus the need to the introduction of global governance if there is any globalization to occur. Since globalization in the market is needed by all developing countries, the nations must know that globalization is a process and thus the need manage and control it in a good manner thus making the investors and the developing countries to benefit from each other. Different factors that need to be managed to enhance generation of new ideas, products, and services among others in a working environment In a company like Toyota, which is known for manufacturing of different brands of vehicles innovation is paramount. This makes the company to gain a significant market share since new products, ideas, and services among others are the co-factor of the business. Investing in different brands from the competitors is not optional rather it is crucial in the business and thus making the company like Toyota to grow and gain a lot of profit. Developing process is risk when a company like Toyota concentrates only in the development since marketing would be a problem making the company to reduce sales thus lowering its profit. Furthermore, development needs planning and organization (Boutellier, 2000). The factors that are needed to enhance generation of new ideas, products are: how to come up with the products and services, coming up with the ideas, products and services must meet the market need, pricing of products, development process needed, use of project team, cost control and how one will invest How to come up with the products and services (lifecycle) Toyota and Coca Cola Companies are known for investing heavily in the research and development. After recognizing the need to be creative and developing the product or the service, the next lifecycle for the two firms is to introduce the product or the service in the market. Since in the market the new brand is in most cases the only one, there are few competitors and this is the time of growth of the product. When there is an increased growth of the new product then the new product can be able to withstand the competition and thus the need to invest in the new product. When the competition of the new product is high in the market then there is need to increase promotional spending, upgrading or updating the new product thus being innovative and lastly one can even seek new markets. Coming up with the ideas When coming up with the ideas of how to develop a certain product, one consumes time and even risk since one does not know whether the product is going to be accepted in the market. The company like Toyota must make sure that investment is high and the resources are allocated wisely (Trott, 2005). Due to the risk, the company must ensure that the product is going to meet the customer requirements and having its goal in mind. Products and services must meet the market need The new product or the service must offer quite a good number of benefits to the customers so as to be accepted in the market. This point is very crucial since market research must be conducted using different means like surveys and interviews among others. The new product must be unique in the market place. This is based on the fact that in the contemporary business world, competition is stiff. Pricing ones service or products Pricing strategy is important during developing a new product and thus one will determine how one will afford to invest in the new product and again how the marketing techniques will be carried so as to make the new product to be acceptable in the market (Tidd, 2009). The selling channel must be established and benefits of the products notified to the customers. Development process needed New ideas must be captured in the introduction of the new product and making sure one is considering market potential and then making sure the ideas meet the business strategic goals. Use of project team When coming up with a new product or services a company like Coca Cola Company must make sure that there is a dedicated team as well as involving people who have the skills and are creative so as to enhance innovation. Cost control and how one can invest Cost must be controlled since introducing a new product in the market is risky and thus the need to invest carefully and making sure that cost is controlled fully. Any future investment must be strategically organized and planned well and again the expenditure must be justified. Improved technology Necessity is the mother of innovation and thus Toyota Company has to use the modern technology to come up with different models to achieve the company goals. Competition is stiff in the marketing area, and thus the need to advertise new different brands using modern technology. Coca Cola Company is well known to invest heavily on advertisement of their brands making them to be ranked as one of the best brands with a significant market share (Kelly, 1978). When a company like Toyota transforms it technology in phases and be successful in innovation, it makes the company to achieve a lot of profit and still becomes a learning tool for experience, this gives other company challenges and this will always led to stiff competition in the market. Coming up with a new technology in a firm like the Wal-Mart is not an easy work and so the managers and those who are top in management of the company must struggle to be independently sustainable and thus conducting a lot of research so as to outdo their rivals in the marketing segments. The management is the one to decide and improve technology in collaboration with the subordinate staffs. Organizational networking is encouraged to increase innovation and make sure that there exist free trade agreements so as to venture fully in the modern technology. Without creativity in a company like Toyota no change can be perceived and thus no innovation. Conclusion The use of the modern technology is more competitive in the market making the new developed product to be acceptable in the market as quickly as possible. Creativity and change must be the key pillars in any firm. For example, Coca Cola and Toyota Companies use the modern technology to market their products and again having managerial skill to be creative in the market thus producing unique brands in the market. Change is perceived in the company and thus encouraging innovation. The modern technology if utilized fully by those who are creative will always lead to innovation. References Boutellier, R. 2000. Managing Global Innovation. Berlin: Springer. Clark, H. 1980. Idea Management, How to Motivate Creativity and Innovation. New York: AMACOM. Kelly, P. 1978. Technological Innovation, A Critical Review of Current Knowledge. San Francisco: San Francisco Press. Tidd, J. 2009. Managing Innovation: Integrating Technological, Market and Organizational. New York: New York Press. Trott, P. 2005. Innovation Management and New Product Development. New York: Prentice Hall.  . Read More