Organisational change and development - Essay Example

?Organisational Change and Development Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Organisational Change Perspectives 3 Value Systems in Organisations 9 Conclusion 14 References 16 Bibliography 20 Introduction Organisational change management can be referred to as the process necessary for an association to identify, to organise, to employ and to attain full benefit from the alterations taking place within or outside the organisational environment. The objectives of organisational change management is concerned with effective planning, execution, measurement and preservation of the initiatives of implementing change strategies as well as augmentation of the capacity required for managing changes. Organisational change can be observed when an organisation intends to streamline its available assets and enhance its capacity to generate value by augmenting effectiveness to a sustainable extent. Changes are considered as ubiquitous in nature that helps progressing as well as achieving experiences which escort to the acceleration of the overall organisational growth (Friedman & Shcustack, 2008). The main objective of this paper is to highlight the various perspectives of organisational changes and its impact on the organisational development which can facilitate the organisation to sustain the long run and also help to gain competitive advantages. Organisational Change Perspectives In the current era of globalisation, the process of organisational changes is widely considered to be inevitable. In order to meet the technological as well as environmental challenges of the situations, the teams should be able to adopt changes in due course of time (Hughes, 2006). The change management strategies of an organisation are often based on diverse approaches such as individualistic, socio-economic and structural aspects among others which help in the development of many theories and functions. Along with the advancement of technology as well as new practices, the organisational change management process continues to alter in order to cope with the enduring changes. There are various types of approaches such as traditional, socio-economic, socio-structural and socio-technical approaches among others which deal with organisational change management from differing perspectives. One of the mostly applied perspectives to organisational change management is observed to be the traditional approach that can be effectively described by the Kurt Lewin’s classical model (Friedman & Shcustack, 2008). Kurt Lewin’s classical theory is influential in organisational change management as it focuses mainly on the individual aspects and social psychology rather than observation and problem solving. Lewin proposed that populace respond to any imaginary situation or changes and intends to shape it accordingly. This includes mainly three phases such as unfreezing, moving and refreezing. Unfreezing is a type of challenge faced by every human beings in an organisation. This means that the individual employees are often examined to depict reluctance to change according to the changes occurring within the organisational environment or in its external business environment. However, the reluctant employees ultimately accept the change in order to sustain in the organisation. It involves creation of the preliminary motivation towards the change by communicating the existing problematic situation or scenario to the employees of the organisation. This facilitates to understand the varied viewpoints of the individuals as well as helps to progress people from the ‘frozen’ state to an ‘unfrozen or change’ state so that it can be adopted efficiently by all. Next is the moving or transition stage. It involves recognition of the need of change, that can be in terms of cultural change or structural change in order to ascertain new principles and rules. Refreezing refers to the fortification of the new adjustments in order to accomplish rehabilitated stability among the organisational environment (Barling & et. al., 2008). Another approach of organisational change is the socio-technical approach. This theory proposes that both technical as well as social aspects should be emphasised while implementing the changes in an organisation. Thus, the advanced technologies can be utilised in an efficient manner by the individual employees. This can in turn facilitate the developments of both organisations and employees (Andriopoulos & Dawson, 2009). Socio-structural approach is another important perspective towards organisational change management which depicts organisations as efficient and automatic component aiding for the achievement of combined goals and objectives perceived by the members participating in the organisational process. It is in this context that influence of power and influence of income on the unconscious interpretation of the individuals or groups working in an organisation may act as a motivational factor to adapt changes. It can also cause conflicts among the members increasing the risk of miscommunication and misinterpretation amid the organisational communication process (Marie & Anderson, 1992). The systems and functional approach focuses on the proper distribution of responsibilities as well as efficient organisation of the allocated jobs which helps to motivate the employees to work mutually and accept the task or the change of the organisation. Socio-analytical approach is also an important perspective of organisational changes. It focuses on varied conceptions and ideas perceived by individuals or groups in organisations regarding the adoption of changes to attain the determined task. Strategies adopted on the basis of this approach can help to increase the capacities or potentialities of the members associated with an organisation (Marie & Anderson, 1992). Apart from these, one more organisational change management perspective that is adopted is the multiple constituencies’ approach that spotlighted employees as the fundamental resource of modifications in an organisation. It states that the organisations operate as coalitions of self interested members and thus, organisational goals can be changed as a result of negotiated processes of individuals and groups of the association on the basis of their differing perspectives (Morini, 2007; National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning, 2006). Thus, it helps in proper adoption of the change by the employees along with the use of effective techniques and information for the overall betterment of the organisation (Oxford University Press, 2011). Approaches to Organisational Change Management Perspectives Traditional Approach Individualistic Socio-technical Approach Technical Socio-Structural Approach Individualistic Socio-Analytical Individualistic/Group Multiple Constituencies Approach Individualistic The above described approaches intends to help in promoting the overall changes in the organisation which can in turn enhance the organisational development necessary to sustain in the long run as well as to compete with the changing scenario. The concept of Organisational Development (OD) is derived from a broader conception of Organisational Behaviour (OB). OD is a long array of attempts made to resolve organisational problems. It can also be considered as a process of regeneration, through more effective and mutual management of organisational culture along with a change agent or catalyst as well as the use of the advanced theory and technologies. There can be both internal as well as external change agents in terms of employees and economic factors. Every organisation includes diverse rules, norms and technologies which should be strictly followed by the employees in order to sustain in the organisation. Thus, OD can be stated as a reaction towards a change which proceeds with problem recognition by applying action research on the individuals, groups, stakeholders, and corporate governance or organisational level as well (Lassarato, n.d). At the individual level, behaviour modification theory is frequently used to promote personal growth. The behaviour of the individual employees is widely affected by the changes enacted within organisations which in turn enhance both organisational well-being as well as employee competitiveness. At the group level, intrusion strategies are formed along with analysis of group dynamics, whereas at the organisational level, the strategic interferences are mapped in order to cope up with the changes applying technology, structural alterations as well as human resources (The World Bank Group, 2009). Strategies at the individual level are inclined by the behaviour modification theory. The purpose of this method is to augment the rate of desired behaviours and condensement of the frequency of unpreferred behaviours in an organisation. Behaviour modifications help to adapt the behavioural aspects of individuals by providing training in order to identify an optimistic stimulus inciting a desired response. Intervention strategies are used inspite of behaviour modification theory to improve the individual learning which can be helpful to promote organisational changes. Similarly, the intervention strategies at the group level are created from the studies of group dynamics. Observations of groups help analysing that the groups also develop diverse personalities as a result of the sole opinion. Thus, change is more probable when a collective decision is taken by the members of the group on the whole. This is more effective in fabricating the desired changes in the organisation than the formal techniques (Oxford University Press, 2011). Higher emphasis is provided at the organisational level changes by the organisation as it involves an overall planned and calculated modification which can prove to be beneficial to cope up with the changing situations in the external market scenario. Thus, the organisational management makes use of advanced knowledge and technologies which act as an instrument or tool for transforming the practices or changes effectively. It falls under three broad classifications such as empirical–rational interventions, normative re-educative interventions and power-coercive interventions. Empirical–rational intervention mainly deals with political interventions arising new government policies. A normative re-educative intervention includes changes in organisation and group and is generally made by OD consultants. Finally, power-coercive interventions are planned to analyse the basis of power. This states that the political and economic power is desirable for achievement of the organisational changes (Mannix & et. al., 2009). Another noteworthy perspective towards the organisational change management is the creativity and volition which exposes the hypothesis of critical theory. This means that the organisational change can be adopted with the help of adequate talents and creativeness perceived by the employees, which are the prime factors of the business. It suggests that creativity and critical analysis facilitate changes within organisations which further assists in handling the alterations. The main focus of this approach is that conflict, rather than agreement, is the motivating force for adoption of change at an individual level as well as in the group level and overall organisational level (Mannix & et. al., 2009). Conclusively, it can be stated that changes can be implemented in organisations, provided that it is efficiently adopted by the employees and other participating members of the organisational process. Thus, the populace act as the fundamental factors responsible for enacting the changes in organisations. Moreover, the effective utilisation of the alternatives helps in the enhancement of productivity and profitability of the organisations. Value Systems in Organisations A value system in an organisation is a set of reliable values, beliefs and measures utilised with the intention to foster integrity within the organisational structure. The individual values and beliefs widely affect the organisational norms and standards but are strictly modified according to the rules of the organisation. It is very essential for both the organisation as well as the employees to share a common belief and value as they are act as vital influencing factors in relation to organisational performances which can be implemented through proper management of human resources and systems for sustainable output. Apart from individual values, organisations also intend to adapt the collective views and ideas of the groups as well in order to maintain mutual and share values among the employees. It also influences the behaviours and attitudes of the overall hierarchy of the organisation, which can be beneficial for the attainment of the common objectives. In absence of these values, individuals or groups may avert from the standard norms and regulations which may create inconsistency among the organisational members. So, the organisational values should be at par with the mission and the vision of the organisation. Thus, the articulated values of an organisation should be properly communicated to all the employees among the hierarchy so that everybody can share their views and ideas while accepting the norms and rules which can help in attainment of organisational goals (Dowling, 2007). The values determined within the organisational culture are also influenced by the values perceived by an individual employee, which can at times differ from that of the organisation. The organisational values are affected by the culture which helps to shape the perception and norms of the employees as well as the contributions of the employees towards achievement of organisational goals. Moreover, culture also affects personal job characteristics, work experiences, leader behaviours, organisational structure, group norms, commitments, job satisfaction, turnover, as well as social involvements. It is worth mentioning that the culture of an individual or groups in an organisation directly impact on employee responses towards any particular change. Similarly, a uniform culture can help to enhance the growth of the organisation (Brown & Harvey, 2006). According to Barrett (2006), the organisation is a complex social system with a uniform set of values and norms which are mainly followed by the employees. The employee needs should be integrated in the changed technical systems which can be beneficial as well as feasible for both. This can increase their motivation toward the assigned job which as a result can improve the satisfaction levels of the employees. Thus, it can increase the productivity of the organisations (Barrett, 2006). It is worth mentioning in this context that OD acts tends to provide with a just feedback towards any change which is expected to alter the beliefs, attitudes, values, and structure of an organisation so that it can better adjust to new technologies, challenges, and the ongoing changes. This further tends to have a significant impact on the value system of the organisation. In addition, OD and organisational change can also affect the challenges faced by the managers in organisations, which in turn can adversely influences the organisational value system. For instance, the social development of employees in the organisation and the change management occurs at three stages such as personal, group and organisational levels. At the individual level, the values are mainly improved through training and personal management which can be implemented as an effective tool for adopting the changes occurring within the organisations. Similarly, in the group-level, employees are liable for making collective decisions in order to solve a particular problem. Organisational level is another important level which helps in implementing changes through practical and coherent involvements of the employees. Thus, it can be stated that all the individuals, groups or organisational levels are accountable to adapt to the changes which can be possible only through mutual understanding, shared values, knowledge and culture which shapes the organisational value systems as well (The World Bank Group, 2009; Alvesson, 1995). Moreover, organisational change management is referred to as the imagination and volition which depict the hypothesis of vital theory. It mainly centres that the values perceived by employees are the key factors for implementing changes in the organisations as they act as the key change agents within the organisation. Organisational change management states that the main stirring force for adoption of change at an individual, a group and an organisational level is conflict, rather than agreement. Thus, due to varied individual ideas and views conflict arises among the members that act as a fundamental aspect in adapting the process of changes (Agricultural Leadership, Education, & Communications, 2011). The value systems in an organisation highlight more on the individual growth and efficacy by generating such an organisational climate that helps to extend human prospects for achieving organisational goals. Thus, the change should be institutionalised among the organisational value system so that the corporate culture, norms, rules and principles can be altered accordingly. As the procedure of alteration is an unremitting process, it materialises from elucidations of the conflicts. Thus, the perspective of value system progresses the idea that the change can be agreed by imposing the instructions and principles at different levels (National Arts Strategies, 2011; The Teal Trust, n.d). Consequently, organisational change when implemented effectively can improve the performance of the individuals or groups which can further validate the motivational level and the efficiency of the entire hierarchy of the organisation (JSTOR, 2011). With reference to the above discussion, it can be stated that the value system is the most imperative and vital component of the organisation which helps to augment the culture and principles of the employees by influencing their views and ideas towards the adaptation of organisational change. It is the specific values of the organisation which facilitates in incorporating the change in organisations by acting as a motivational factor for the employees and reducing the conflict among the peers. This also helps to amplify the brand image and productivity of the business on the whole. Conclusion The process of changes in an organisation is expected but the approval of the change management by the entire hierarchy of the organisation is appreciably a critical procedure. In order to meet the challenges of globalisation, individuals or organisations are facing rapid changes. Organisational Change Management is an action which is necessary for an association to identify, analyse, employ and to attain full profit from the alterations occurring within the organization. The change management is executed differently in organisations on the basis of the perceived management structure. There are various types of approaches which deal with the change management process of the organisation such as traditional approach, socio-technical approach, socio-analytical approach, and socio-structural approach among others focusing on both practical and theoretical practices of change management. Thus, it is apparent from these perspectives that the employees are the fundamental aspects of organisation change and act as the prime factors of the change management. Due consideration to the role of employees can lead to OD which is a long term attempt to resolve organisational management dilemma by the use of shared values and culture (Mueller & Passadakis, 2009). The OD is a response towards a change which intends to consider the perceived values by employees in relation to the shared values of the organisation on the whole. It includes mutual interaction among people, systems and processes in an organisation. Thus, various policies and techniques are anticipated to deal with an organisational problem at all levels of OD. Moreover, the creativity and volition also offers greater emphasis on the shared value amid the work culture of the organisation for adopting changes. The creativity and decisive investigation facilitates to convey the changes which motivates the employees towards attainment of the determined objectives. In addition, the value system also affects organisational changes by augmenting the culture and principles of the employees through modified views and ideas. So, it can be revealed from the above discussion that the change management is influenced by the culture, values, techniques and information system operating within the organisation connecting the employees efficiently as a group. References Andriopoulos, C. & Dawson, P., 2009. Managing Change, Creativity and Innovation. SAGE Publications Ltd. Alvesson, M., 1995. Cultural Perspectives on Organisations. CUP Archive. Agricultural Leadership, Education, & Communications, 2011. Identifying and Clarifying Organisational Values. Introduction. [Online] Available at: http://pubs.aged.tamu.edu/jae/pdf/vol41/41-03-70.pdf [Accessed December 28, 2011]. Barling, J. & et. al., 2008. 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