Organizational Development and Change - Case Study Example

INTRODUCTION This report has been designed to throw light and emphasis on change agents and their role in determining the success or failure of a change program though an understanding of their traits, attributes and notions. The report focuses on various aspects of change agents and their varying roles in a change program. The report provides a complete understanding of how change agents majorly affects the success or otherwise of a change program. To provide a clear understanding of the topic the report firstly explains the real meaning of change agents in context to current environmental scenario and lays down the various roles and responsibilities of change agents with regards to a change program. The report then highlights the requirement of change agents and their various differing roles which they develop through their own traits and attributes. The report also focuses on real life situations to show the impact of change agents on a change program. Finally the report is concluded to provide a complete understanding of the entire project through both theoretical and practical approach. UNDERSTANDING CHANGE AGENTS In order to understand the important impact of change agents on the success or failure of a change program. It is firstly important to understand the real meaning of change agents/ agency and understanding “who actually change agents are”. Change agents are someone who is differently unique in its attitude and continuously strives to do job to make people better off from their current existing condition to a better future. Change agents act as catalyst to motivate and develop commitment among individuals and groups to ensure higher organizational output and realize self actualization with lesser efforts (May, 2007). A change agent is someone who acts as a leader in influencing people to adapt to the change program and ensure lower resistance to change by removing any negative movements during the implementation of the change program. Change agents through their quality attributes and traits enable people to do more and provide a desired direction for future growth and achievement of the individual and the society at large (Rappe & Zwick, 2007). It is to be noted that the major goal of change agents is definitely to bring changes to which people stick. In a nutshell it can be explained that change agents are much about quality identity and characters and does not possess a definite definition of the same. Change agents are fueled with passion and ability to inspire passion among others to ensure success of a change program by mitigating the risk of failure to a considerable extent. NEED FOR CHANGE AGENTS Need or requirement of change agents has always been an arguable question among managers, employees and HR professionals. The role of change agents has always been misconstrued with the role of a leader or a manager. However it is to be noted that in a fast and dynamic environment changes are a regular part of daily activities (Manning, 2003). An environment is continuously characterized by unrelenting changes and demand for change agents are always on the higher side as the same has potential capabilities to turn paper strategies and plans into realities. To provide a deeper meaning of the importance and impact of change agents on the success or failure of a change program it is important to firstly understand the exact role and responsibility of a change agent which has been discussed as under. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILTY OF CHANGE AGENTS/AGENCY Change agents act in a proactive manner to decide upon plans and strategies to successfully implement a change program and ensure lesser or no negative movements against the change program in all circumstances i.e. before, during and after the implementation of change program (Virtanen, 2000). Change agents are characterized by their own differing roles and responsibilities and play a major role in the success or failure of a change program. Broadly classifying a change agent looks towards the following roles and responsibilities (Lorenzi & Riley, 2000) A change agent completely understands the current scenario and develop change program accordingly to ensure success in future. It focuses on people’s ability and build commitment towards individuals and groups to ensure management of future changes in a more comprehensive and synchronized manner (Suutari, 2002) It looks to draw conclusions and prepare reports to handle all contingent situations in cases of negative movements arising from change program. Change agents build a trust and confidence among others to ensure people that the change is for a better living environment for all. Change agents enable people to work more effectively and efficiently and adapt to changes with lesser complexities and difficulties. Thus, we see that the very roles and responsibilities itself highlights the importance and impact which change agents have on the success and failure of a change program on a social basis perspective. IMPACT OF NOTIONS, TRAITS AND ATTRIBUTES OF CHANGE AGENT Notions, traits and attributes are the factors that distinguish change agents from others. These play as an important factors and determine the success and failure of change agents to a considerable extent. It is to be noted that not all change program are successful there might be various reasons for the failure of the same like lack of tangible and un-tangible resources, wrong strategic planning or incorrect implementation of the plan, external barriers from environment, negative movements during the plan or resistance to change from people affected by the change program, lack of attributes and traits among the change agents to suitably deal with various situations and conditions etc (Kim, 2007). It is to be further noted that a failure of a change program may have a sharper negative affect than the success of the change program as the same may lead to de-motivation, demoralization, negative thoughts and complete breakdown of the trust and confidence along with changing mindset of the people involved in the change program to never ever willing to commit to changes in future. Thus we find that role of change agents are important to remove the unwanted effects of a change program and ensure successful implementation of the change program by mitigating the risk of failure of the change program to a considerable extent. DIFFERING ROLES OF CHANGE AGENTS Change program are usually characterized by different situations and require change agents to act differently in different situations. Some of the various roles which change agents acquire during a change program to create an influencing impact and ensure successful implementation of change program are The Facilitator Strategic designing of the entire process along with understanding the requirement of various tools and resources to implement the planned strategy in reality and ensure success, change agents acts as facilitator of the entire change program (Harris, 2001). Change agents through their expertise knowledge and skills develop basic and supplementary plans to deal with contingency situations and thus create a base for successful implementation of the change program. The Detective Change agents act as detective all throughout the implementation and even after the implementation of the change program to find out any clues that can act as a threat to the change program and may lead to rise of a negative movement (Duncombe, 2004). Further to ensure and taste success of change it is of prime important that change agents analyze the current environmental scenario and develop plans and strategies accordingly to ensure higher commitment of people’s attitude and behavior towards the change program. The Advocate It is a well known fact that to implement changes in anything in any part of the world, it requires someone to note that people are focused towards the change. Change agents here acts as an advocate to ensure full engagement of people towards the change program and builds a relationship of trust and confidence to ensure people that the change is for the betterment of the people (Dent & Goldberg, 2009). The Mediator Rising conflicts and resistance to change are the two common characteristics which are common in a change program which when not dealt in a proper manner leads to rise of a larger negative movement and eventually complete failure of the change program. Change agents act as mediators and experts in handling such situations (Jokinen, 2005). Change agents through their expertise and traits try to resolve such conflicts and negative movements and synchronize both individual and group goals towards a common desired change goal to ensure a win-win situation for all. The Counselor To ensure successful implementation of the change program attitude, behavior and traits of the counselor plays an important role. Change agents act as peacemakers and come out of their comfort zones to completely take in-charge of the entire change process. Change agents act in a dynamic manner to change their own attitudes, traits and behavior before actually persuading or building trust of others towards the desired change program (Deem, 2005). Thus, change agents act as a counselor to ensure successful implementation of the entire change program. Thus, we see that change agents adopt to various roles which itself highlights the impact that change agents create on the success or failure of a change program. It can be rightly said that a change program without a change agent is like a boat without a rudder which has a very high probability of sinking. EMPIRICAL VIEWS AND PRACTICES OF CHANGE AGENTS In order to understand the impact of change agents on the success or failure of a change program, it shall be useful to throw light on some of the real life situations where impact of change agents can be more precisely understood and studied. CASE STUDY: A Consulting Organization A consulting organization was an IT organization which provided custom made software solutions to its customers. The organization used a new Logic method which had four stages which were initial stage where customers ordered for their own tailor made software, the design phase where software were actually developed, the implementation stage where software had a run trial and changes were made as per customer preferences and finally the transfer stage where the software was installed and transferred on the customer system. This was a completely new method which created a revolutionary change in the working pattern and was opposed by many employees as the same was a newer concept and demanded high skills and face to face communication with the customers from the very inception stage of the development of the software (Bridges, 2003). The entire process was different from traditional approach as the components had to be specifically designed for every alternate customer as per their demands and requirements. The importance of customer involvement led to crucial tough process for the management and the engineers to design software. However, it is here that the role of change agents became prominent who dealt with the situation in the following manner to ensure success in the change program. Change agents possessed the knowledge of developing customer relations with the customers. Change agents communicated the entire change program to employees and stakeholders via face to face communication, conferences and observation. The goal of change agents was to lower cost of production, develop an integrated system of working pattern and documenting the process for future projects (Alvarez, 2008). Change agents resolved the resistance to change among employees by rewards and punishment strategies, by working with the customer and employees and ensure higher monetary rewards for better performance by the employees (Thach & Thompson, 2007) Change agents through their expertise knowledge and formal and informal training developed confidence and trust along with commitment among group members to accept change for better future living (Harris, 2001). Change agents acted in various differing roles which included listener, engineer, architect, creator and counselor of the entire change program. Thus we see how change agents created a positive impact and helped to achieve success in the change program through their traits, behavior and attitudes. CONCLUSION The report has been designed in a logical and sequential manner to highlight the importance and impact which change agents create on the success and failure of a change program. The report focuses on the meaning of change agents along with their needs, requirements and role played in a change program. The report also highlights that how change agents through their traits, behavior and attributes adopts to differing roles and acts as mediator, facilitator, counselor etc to ensure successful implementation of a change program. Finally the report sites real life situation through a case study which highlights the major role and responsibilities of change agents create in ensuring the success or failure of a change program. REFERNCES Alvarez, R. (2008). Examining Technology, Structure and Identity during an Enterprise Systems Implementation, Information Systems Journal. p. 54-64 Bridges, W. (2003). Managing transitions: (2nd Ed.). Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press: p85 Deem, R. (2005). Management as ideology: the case of ‘new managerialism’ in higher education. Oxford Review of Education. pp. 217-235. Dent, E.; Goldberg, S. (2009). 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