The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada - Research Paper Example

Select a change that the organization is going through and present background information and the current successes and challenges. The “RegionalTransportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC)” functions as a transportation-planning agency and transit authority in Southern Nevada. The organization is confronted with traffic congestion brought about by the increasing population. Thus, it sought to enhance mobility, improve air quality, enhance the quality of life, and promote sustainability in the region.

RTC (2012) aimed to establish full-integrated transit options. It desires to update and implement transportation systems to improve the air quality of the region. In addition, the organization concentrates on integrating transit system maps to the regular geographic detail. Lastly, it sought to increase public support and awareness of the RTC system (RTC, 2012). RTC is confronted with the difficulty of securing funds for operation, maintenance, and expansion of routes and systems. However, the organization has witnessed lesser traffic congestion upon the initial implementation of the changes in transportation systems.

More improvement is expected from fully implementing such changes (RTC, 2012). Reference Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada. (2012). About the RTC. Retrieved from http://www.rtcsnv.com/about/index.cfm 2. Lewin developed the Force Field Analysis tool to identify readiness for change. Some OD practitioners use the model as a formal assessment, asking team members (separately or in groups) to rate the strength of the forces for and against change. On a scale of 1 (not ready for change) to 5 (ready for change), rate the organization and explain why you provided the rating.

RTC can be rated as 4 in its readiness for change. Upon analyzing the driving and restraining forces, it is evident that minimal barriers to change remain such as funding and willingness of the residents of Nevada to support the change. Kurt Lewin termed this as force-field analysis, which is based on the assumption that change is brought about by the competition of driving and restraining forces (as cited in Daft & Marci, 2010, p. 277). Driving forces pertain to opportunities and problems, which provide impetus for change in the organization (as cited in Daft & Marci, 2010, p. 277). RTC saw the need to address traffic congestion, improve air quality, and enhance life in the region.

However, it is confronted with restraining forces or barriers to change namely, lack of funding, inadequate skill of employees to promote such change, resistance, and unwillingness of residents of Nevada to cooperate. RTC can successfully implement change if it eliminates the restraining forces. Reference Daft, R., & Marcic, D. (2010). Understanding management. USA: Cengage Learning. 3. Refer to the change model you selected in learning Activity 1 and present how the model might be used in this organization.

Explain how it could be used to develop leaders and employees. Organizational change pertains to an attempt to continually adopt to a changing environment or enhance the quality of services offered among clients. It includes different aspects of change in various types of businesses. Change initiatives include corporate structuring, modifying operating procedures, and replacing employees (Dawson, 2003, p. 10). A model of change, which reflects the modifications that occur in RTC is termed as planned change.

Some researchers consider planned change as a process of progressing to another state through pre-planned steps. Strategic plans are created based on the notion that companies function in a stable environment. Planned change focuses on preplanned, rational, and systematic process of initiating change (as cited in Perry, 2006, p. 265). It commonly operates in top-down manner whereby the management designed the preplanned steps. In addition, planned change functions in conscious and deliberate manner (as cited in Perry, 2006, p. 265). Planned change allows the organization to operate in an organized and guided manner as objectives are outlined and accomplished within a specific time frame.

In addition, it offers information pertaining to the current organizational and external environment and forecast necessary changes (as cited in Perry, 2006, p. 265). It teaches leaders and employees to be goal oriented and ensure that their actions are directed towards accomplishing the organization’s objectives. Planned change enhances the communication skill of leaders as they constantly communicate with the employees regarding the necessary changes through formal and informal means. It also empowers employees as they provide opinions during organizational forecasting and assessment (as cited in Perry, 2006, p. 265). References Dawson, P. (2003). Understanding organizational change: The contemporary experience of people at work.

USA: SAGE. Perry, B. (2006). CIMA learning system 2007 organization management and information systems. USA: Butterworth-Heinamann. 4. Using the content in the readings, present recommendations on how the organization could improve its change efforts and how HR and OD practitioners can strategically partner with leaders through the change process. Kurt Lewin proposed a model of change process, which influences the manner whereby organization managed planned change (as cited in Burnes, 2004; Holt, Armenakis, Field, & Harris, 2007).

He established the “three-state model of planned change,” which explains how leaders should initiate, perform, and stabilize change process. The three stages of the planned change are unfreezing, changing, and lastly refreezing. Lewin reiterated that there is a need to unfreeze the established system to foster an environment where barriers became temporarily permeable and ties are loosened (as cited in Burnes, 2004; Holt et al., 2007). Stability is necessary before the old behaviors are eliminated and the new behaviors become successfully entrenched.

Thus, there is a need for OD practitioners, HR managers, and leaders to examine the prevailing status quo and reduce the resisting forces for change. This can be facilitated through communicating to the employees why change is necessary to improve the services offered to the clients. The second stage involves introduction of the innovation or change and its absorption in the system. New elements are easily assimilated into the system with more permeable barriers and looser interconnections. Thus, OD practitioners, HR managers, and leaders must cooperate to encourage employees to be involved the change process.

Lastly, the last stage referred as refreezing involves making things permanent. This can be undertaken through offering rewards for the desired outcome. References Burnes, B. (2004). Kurt Lewin and the planned approach to change: a reappraisal. Journal of Management Studies, 41 (6), 977-1002. Holt, D.T., Armenakis, A. A., Field, H. S., & Harris, S. G. (2007). Readiness for organizational change: The systematic development of a scale. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 43 (2), 232-255.