Environmental Impact Analysis - American Tool & Die - Essay Example

?Running Head: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ANALYSIS PAPER Topic: Environmental Impact Analysis Paper Introduction: Organizations are perpetually undergoing transformation touching on all aspects. In the context of this dynamism leaders ought to ask themselves the direction that they want their organization to take if they are to effect positive and permanent change in their organization, changes that are in response with current realities at any given time. The reason why the leadership of an organization is highly required in this regard is because the direction that it ought to take is solely the responsibility of the organization’s leadership. In fact, it is the discretion of the leader to decide on which direction to take in order to achieve certain objectives that might bring forth to the organization permanent and positive change. This is essentially the reason why the leadership style of the management determines to a great extent the success or failure of the leader’s attempt at effecting significant organizational changes. AT&D is an organization that is dire need of effective changes if it is to survive the cut-throat competition that is characterizing the industry it is operating in. It requires a serious rethink from its leadership and especially Muller who at its helm has the leeway to make important decisions that can consequently enable AT&D remain afloat in the ever changing motor industry. The only consolation that Muller has is the fact that there are a number of options that he can institute if AT&D is to weather the imminent bankruptcy that is staring it in the face. In this regard, there are a number of leadership models at his disposal that he can employ in order to steer the organization back to profitability. Already he has come to the conclusion that relocating to an area closer to foreign automakers like Toyota and Honda, which are increasingly displacing the big three US automakers in market share, and which AT&D is supposed to be supplying spare parts is the way to go. Some of this leadership that he can employ in his bid at enabling the organization relocate to new location without suffering more damage or disenfranchising section of the subordinates include; the 8-Stage model of planned organizational change, appreciative inquiry, individualized theory of leadership, and path-goal theory. The 8-Stage model of planned organizational change and “American Tool & Die" This theory is anchored in the understanding that an organizational change process can be implemented through following an eight step procedure if it is to be successful and effective. This strategy fits perfectly in AT&D scenario because of a number of factors. In this regard, John Kotter proposes eight stages namely; establishment of a sense of urgency; creation of a guiding coalition; development of persuasive vision and strategy; communication of the change vision widely in the organization; empowerment of the constituents for a broad-based action on the vision; generation of a short-term win; consolidation of the gains and production of more change; and anchoring of the new approaches in the organizational culture (Beer, & Nohria, 2000, pp. 304). In order to succeed in each of these stages, Keller Muller will be required to demonstrate a very high degree of leadership. First, he would be need to create a sense of urgency through convincing and demonstrating to his workforce that AT & D requires moving closer to foreign automakers if it is to survive the reduction in business that is being occasioned by the fact that the big three automakers that it has been depending on for business over the years are increasingly losing market share to these foreign automakers. This creation of urgency might take the form of demonstrating to them with figures and other fact how grave the situation is for AT&D such that it has to move with speed to evade a possible bankruptcy or a similar eventuality within a very short time, which in Muller’s opinion can only be achieving through courting these foreign automakers by moving closer to their premises in order to for them to see the cost-effectiveness of cutting transportation cost through getting spares form AT&D. The second part should involve creating a coalition within the rank and file of the organization’s work force. Once again, Muller leadership will come into sharp focus. This is because it will largely depend on how much Muller has been able to convince the workforce that moving in close proximity to the foreign automaker is the only sure way of reversing this trend where the company is in a freefall. Muller would have won the first battle if he succeeds in initiating a debate on the merit of moving within close proximity to their potential clients. He will also be required to be more convincing and therefore more likely to build a coalition around his proposal if he manages to get support and emotional commitment from other key stakeholders and industry people (Beer, & Nohria, 305). Muller will also be required to create a vision for this relocation that he is proposing. Accordingly, he need to demonstrate objectively why continuing to stay away from foreign automakers that are seemingly displacing the big three American automakers with every passing day is not going to improve the performance of the company or even save it from an imminent bankruptcy. In this regard, Muller also needs to come up with a clear strategy of executing this vision that is not only convincing but also workable. He should also communicate and if possible aggressively campaign for this vision if it is to get support from all quarter within the rank and file and also the management of the organization (Beer, & Nohria, 2000, pp. 307). Once he has reached this far, Muller will be required to put in place measures that will eliminate all obstacles in the way of the implementation of this vision. The importance of eliminating all obstacles emanates from the fact it will empower those people that he might be requiring in the execution of this vision, something that will help propel the vision forward. If Muller manages to reach this far, then it will be important that he create short-term wins (Beer, & Nohria, 308). Normally, people require tasting a piece of victory if they are to be motivated in pushing it forward. Otherwise negative thinkers and critics will get ammunition to poke hole in his vision as well as its implementation strategy thereby torpedoing the momentum of the change process. However, this declaration of victory as far as realizing short-term change is concerned should be done in a very cautious manner. This is because too early declaration of victory is known to roll back the gains that might have been made in the change process. If anything, continuous improvement is the way to go in this time and age as can be manifested in the likes of kaizen and other 21st century business concepts. The last step in the change process should involve anchoring the change in the organization’s culture (Beer, & Nohria, 2000, pp 308), which is the only way that can guarantee the change that has been implemented a solid place in the organization. Appreciative Inquiry and “American Tool & Die" Appreciative inquiry is premised on the notion that human system – individual, teams, communities and even organizations – tend to grow and change in that particular direction of whatever they learn. Appreciative inquiry works by focusing the attention of the organization’s greatest strengths or the so-called positive potential (Watkins, & Mohr, 2001, pp. 46). In this regard, an organization’s positive potential or positive core refers to the essential nature of an organization at its very best. In a nutshell, the appreciative inquiry calls upon the leader to exploit the positive energy of an organization’s tangible and intangible assets, strengths, resources, potentials, and capabilities (Watkins, & Mohr, 49). For instance in AT&D case, Muller requires to initiate a debate on how best to maximize the strengths of AT&D with the sole intention of steering the debate on the merits of keeping close to the foreign automakers who are increasing eclipsing the big three US automaker in terms of market share. His leadership skills will be greatly tested especially because he will be expected to be sensitive to staff emotions, while still enhancing positive feelings that are generated by this particular change program while decreasing the negative emotions and fears that are definitely attached to such a program. By doing so Muller will be enabling AT&D leap onward into the future. The best way to initiate such brainstorming session is to regularly host in-depth meeting ostensibly meant to explore the best way to improve sales and the overall performance of the firm. In order to avoid resistance as is normally the case with any organizational change, it will be important for Muller to package the brainstorming as a way of seeking improvements via planned and disciplined inquiry. This way Muller would have succeeded in convincing the staffs that his proposal, which no doubt they will ultimately settle on, is aimed at purely increasing the organization’s positive potentials. By having moved from “problem solving” to appreciation, the change process would also have moved full circle courtesy of Muller’s ingenuity and leadership. Individualized theory of Leadership and “American Tool & Die" Just as is the case with the social exchange theory, individualized theory of leadership is premised on the assumption that people are not only rational but also hedonistic, i.e. seeking pleasure while avoiding pain at all cost (Daft, & Pirola-Merlo, 2008, pp. 24). The traditional theoretical meaning of this model underlies the giving and receiving between partners on which the modern model is based. At the center of this model is the notion of “support for self-worth”, that essentially means that one persons provides for the other (Daft, & Pirola-Merlo, 26). The concept is defined as; supporting another person’s actions and ideas; assuring the other person of confidence, motivation, and ability; paying attention to the person’s needs and feelings. Applying this model in AT&D, Muller’s reward system will be highly required in wining support from his subordinates as far this change that he is proposing is concerned. It is a known thing that those who give rare and desirable rewards get more commands and esteem from their subordinates in return. Therefore Muller leadership style and prowess will come into sharp focus in winning support from his subordinate as far as supporting the decision to relocate is concerned. Path-Goal Theory and “American Tool & Die" One of the contingent approaches to leadership is called Path-Goal theory. According to this model, a leader’s responsibility is to increase staffs’ motivation to realize individual and organizational goal (Kotter, & Cohen, 2001, pp. 11). In this regard, a leader can do exactly that through; clarifying the followers’ path to the available rewards as well as increasing the rewards that the followers’ desires and value. Path clarification to a leader in this case means actively working with staffs in helping them identify and learn the behaviors that might lead to successful accomplishment of task and organizational rewards (Kotter, & Cohen, 12). To the leader, increasing the rewards of the staff entails talking to them in a bid to identify the rewards that they value and desire, in which case they might desire either intrinsic rewards or extrinsic rewards. In this case Muller will be required dangling reward as a means of seeking support for his proposal of relocating. Conclusion: Looking at the situation that Muller and his management finds themselves in it is obvious that they have their work cut-out. There are a number of options that they can decide to pursue, all of which touches on the leadership of the organization. For instance, they might consider using the above four leadership models in order for them to succeed in instituting a significant organizational change like the one being proposed by Muller thereby saving the organization from further decline. References: Beer, M., & Nohria, N., (2000). Breaking the Code of Change. Boston: Harvard Business Press Daft, L., R., Pirola-Merlo, A., (2008). Leadership Experience: Sydney: Cengage Learning Australia. Kotter, J., & Cohen, D., (2001). The Heart of Change: Real-life Stories of How People Change Their Organizations. Summaries.Com. Retrieved from http://hattonconcepts.com/media/papers/book- summaries/The%20Heart%20of%20Change.PDF Watkins, M., J., & Mohr, J., B., (2001). Appreciate Inquiry: Change of Speed of Imagination. Bonn: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer. Read More