Managing Organizational Change - Case Study Example

Table of Contents Chapter Problem Overview 2 Chapter 2 The Change Process 3 Unfreeze. 4 Change 5 Refreeze 6 Chapter 3 Steps for change 7 Urgency 7 Coalitions 7 Vision 8 Communicate the vision 8 Empower others 8 Plan for Wins 9 Consolidate 9 Institutionalise 10 Chapter 4 Evaluation 10 Chapter 5 Conclusion 10 Chapter 6 References 12 Chapter 1 Problem Overview 'We need to be convinced, Parsons,' George Downs told his new Customer Services Director, Alan Parsons, at the board meeting. 'Change is disruptive. We've been doing things the same way in Downs Tools for 27 years. If there was a better way of doing them don't you think we'd have done it 27 years ago' (Braganza 29). The above citation is serves to illustrate what we are trying to achieve in this report. That is, to implement radical change, to persuade people it's now time to stop using bottled water, as it is believed the benefits are minimal. The same situation illustrated above is happening in Honk Kong with regard to the bottled water situation. The residents of Honk Kong strongly believe that the way to drink water is to use the bottled variety, as they believe the health benefits and convenience is preferred compared to boiling existing tap water. The debate surrounds the problems associated with these views, however. Hence the purpose we must now address is to radically change the way people in Honk Kong regard their water supply. The current thinking is problematic on a number of fronts. However, it can be seen from history that there was a time when everyone in Hong Kong drank water from the tap. So what has changed Bottled water is now the preferred choice, despite the fact that tap water is for all intents and purposes, free. Hong Kong residents try to justify this by assuming the following: Mineral water is good for your health, as distilled water is cleaner than the tap, especially in Asia. It is more convenient to buy off the shelf, than boil it. Branded goods indicate higher quality. It is a worldwide phenomenon. There is a counter-argument to this, but it seems to fall on deaf ears. In the end convenience seems to be a major factor, as with all consumer products. Here are some of the counter arguments: (South China Morning Post, 2007) " The health benefits of bottled water are unproven. Local landfills are filling up with empty plastic water containers. Waste of money and energy in transportation. Presents environmental concerns. Much bottled water is from the tap anyway. Some bottled water found to be contaminated." In addition to the above plus point and minus points, other factors need to be considered by the consumer. For instance buyers need to be aware that tax is being charged on the cost of a bottle of water. The long term solution of course is to improve the general water supply quality. Re-education needs to take place as too many people feel that bottled water is the only option. In the end a restriction policy may have to be put in place to make the production cost higher. Eventually this will make it more difficult for the end consumer to purchaser. The only problem with this approach is that it is not guaranteed to have the desired effect. Chapter 2 The Change Process So, how do we change the habits of approximately "6.92 million" (Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, 2008), Hong Kong residents Well, if we follow Kurt Lewin's model there are a few things we can do. We will take this one aspect at a time, and see where we can fit in an appropriate solution or scenario fitted for the stage in question. Unfreeze. The objective here is to establish a good relationship with the people involved, and enable others to realize that the present behaviours are not effective. As with all change of a radical or not-so-radical nature, we would need to minimize the resistance to change. Easier said than done perhaps In some films and books you often read about masses of people who have had their perception of a situation changed just because of a single appealing speech. Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King, Teddy Roosevelt and many others are famous for making speeches which assisted change or an adaption to new conditions. We are not suggesting that a single speech will persuade all those people to change their mind instantly on the subject of bottled water V tap water. However, it may well serve to educate people about the facts on the issue and persuade them that there are doubts about the current methods of obtaining drinking water. It would be a good starting point. Perhaps, rather than a speech a series of seminars and introductions to the topic at public events and music gigs might be appropriate. The music gigs in particular would have 1000s of young students who are drinking bottled water at the concert. There is also the schoolchildren population. Now here is a good market to change the way the perception of water is consumed, in the classroom. The seminars and speeches etc would serve not only to educate, but to build up trust with the water representatives and the general public. Another method is to use leaflet campaigns and publicise the issue in the local papers. This will help to assist with re-education and advertise where events and seminars on the subject are taking place. The advertisements, in some ways should rival the commercial advertising of bottled water producers. This may help to minimise the resistance to change. Change During the process of changing perception of the water situation, it usually helps to identify ways of challenging existing behaviour. The problem is that people's comfort zones do not fit into the reality of making a radical change to an accepted viewpoint. It is important to consider what the current drivers are, and to balance these out with the drivers for change. The drivers are considered to be either threats, or opportunities. In this case we can assume it is an opportunity to persuade people that change is required in their drinking habits. The change with regard to the water situation could involve: Education in schools, and restrictions on bottled water. Restrictions on the production of bottled water and prices setting higher. Seminars and Talks aimed at educating the general public. Leaflet and poster campaigns pointing to the seminars and a description of the benefits in using bottled water. T shirt and poster campaigns. Draw up an investigative report, which details the benefits of changing and make the report available to the general public. Include in any such report a method of improving the distillation and cleanliness of the local water supply. Refreeze Once progress has been made it is necessary to freeze the new behaviour, as this stage can be considered the way forward. We now need to create acceptance and continuity for the new message. If we don't follow up correctly, it will only be a temporary fix. Therefore the new message must be re-enforced regularly. For this step we will need to provide support and advice on an ongoing basis. It is probably beneficial, especially in the earl stages to reduce water charges further, and offered as an incentive to switch from bottled water to tap water. Provision of equipment should be made available so that people can distil their own water. Again, the equipment should be made available at a reasonable price. Positive reinforcement could take place via the featuring of members of the public in advertising campaigns, who are willing to validate the claims that tap water is just as good as the bottled variety. This is just one way that positive reinforcement could assist with the task of keeping people interested in the idea. Another way would be to show "before" and "after" pictures of the landfill sites once the reduction in bottled water usage has occurred. Chapter 3 Steps for change We now consider the change process and the steps required for this to take place. Urgency This particular problem requires a sense of urgency. Yes, this situation has been the way it has been for some time. So why bother being urgent now One look at the landfills should help to answer that question. Next week the landfill will be even more overrun with plastic bottles. The length of time for plastic items to break down is estimated to be from 20 to 70 years (MissJenn,2007), so yes the problem is urgent! So how do we install the sense of urgency Well, the before and after pictures of the landfill sites might help, including information on how long it takes plastic to degrade in general. The cost of local taxes going up could be emphasised with regard to the increasing cost of clearing out the landfills and disposing of the plastic waste in a safe manner. Coalitions Kurt Lewins model at this point states that you should form a powerful coalition. The thing is, with whom, how and when the coalition should be set up. Well, one thing is sure; it is unlikely that a coalition will be formed with the bottled water producers! So, how should we go about this Well, for sure the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China may want to address the issue at hand, with regard to the water situation. They would prove to be a powerful ally if they could be brought on board. In fact, the legislation and laws of the land of Hong Kong are set by this body. If new restrictions could be brought into play this would enforce the changes required. The best way though, would be cooperation through the government and the general public. There would be nothing more powerful than direct support from Beijing. Other alliances with the mains water suppliers could help, but it would probably no be as effective as government support. Vision The vision here is for a bottle free water supply, which is fresh and healthy. The visions could be part of media advertising and other promotional campaigns, as previously outlined. Communicate the vision In order to communicate the vision every possible channel must be used. This would be via posters, television, newspaper, seminars, talks and education in schools. Changing perception is a major task. Empower others One way of empowering others to act is to form a group of people who have the interest of the environment, and care about the city of Hong Kong enough so they want to do something about the problem. When advertising and promoting the tap water campaign information should be provided about groups, dedicated to dealing with the wider problem of bottled water over usage. The benefits of joining such a group would need to be emphasised, as would the benefits to Hong Kong as a city n general. Plan for Wins Winning, in terms of persuading people to change their habits with the water situation, could be used to advantage. For instance, once you have one set of people on board with the idea, they could be used to back up the general idea where other people are concerned. This is like a domino effect. The more people are convinced, the more people will join the race. It's partly peer pressure. Consolidate Once improvements have been identified for the general situation, it is time to consolidate what we have. Only by making initial progress can we hope to instigate change at a higher and further level. One change cane built upon another one. For example, improvements in the distillation and purification techniques currently used can be investigated and improved. This would involve scientific and engineering skills. These people may be available to provide free services, if they believe strongly enough in the cause, which has been discussed in empowerment. Institutionalise If the government bodies can be persuaded that what we are trying to achieve will benefit Hong Kong and support is provided there is no reason why the situation with regard to the use of tap water cannot become part of the institution. The institution is an accepted. "Institutions are structures and mechanisms of social order and cooperation governing the behaviour of a set of individuals." (Wikipedia, 2008). With this definition in mind we can strive to put the structures and mechanisms in place to ensure that people are happy to use tap water and not the bottled alternative. Chapter 4 Evaluation At this point some kind of evaluation needs to be put in place. This will need to take place on both a formative and summative level. The formative could measure the number of empty bottles of water appearing in the landfills, both before and after the change has taken place. The cost savings, if any of reduced energy costs and tax savings to the general public could be calculated, in addition to the general cost V the cost of using tap water. On a summative level, interviews and questionnaires could be made available to obtain the general publics viewpoint. Has their viewpoint changed in a major, indifferent, or minor way What did the surveys say before the change took place compared to now Chapter 5 Conclusion In conclusion, changing the general public's view from using bottled water to tap water would not be a straight forward task. It would however, be an interesting challenge. It would probably take a great deal of investment in the short term to promote and expand the idea that tap water is more beneficial. A great deal of persuasion could come from support groups concerned about the environment. If the Hong Kong government could be persuaded to support the campaign with backing from Beijing, the efforts expended would be easier. The government could force the issue, but this would not be a popular strategy. It could even cause further resistance to the idea of change. However, the opportunities to save the environment save tax and consumer costs can not be ignored. It is simply a matter of persuading a few million people to change! As difficult as this seems it is possible to achieve, with the right kind of campaign and a few innovative ideas in marketing, along with support from scientists and engineers to investigate the general tap water situation, it is not impossible to achieve. Finally: "One of the underpinning assumptions of lifestyle theory is that the environment is in a constant state of flux and motion. To the extent that a living organism is part of the environment in which it functions, it too is in a constant state of change and evolution." (Walters 2000, 85) Chapter 6 References Works Cited Articles: Braganza, Ashley. 2001. Radical Process Change: A Best Practice Blueprint. New York: Wiley. http://www.questia.com/PM.qsta=o&d=113942480. Walters, Glenn D. 2000. The Self-Altering Process: Exploring the Dynamic Nature of Lifestyle Development and Change. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers. http://www.questia.com/PM.qsta=o&d=24424079. News Articles South China Morning Post, September 16 2007 Internet U.S. Department of State, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, February 2008, accessed on Sunday 3rd August, available from: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2747.htm MissJenn,The Life Span of Commonly Discarded Litter, 2007, accessed on Sunday 3rd August, available from: http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/index.phpshowtopic=155036 Wikipedia, Institution, 2008, accessed on Sunday 3rd August, available from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institution Read More