Change Management & Enterprise Education - Research Proposal Example

? Proposal on “Change Management & Enterprise Education of the of the Table of Contents Table of Contents Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION 1 1.1. Background of the Study 1 1.2. Research Aim and Objectives 1 1.3. Research Questions 2 1.4. Significance of the Study 2 1.5. Ethical Considerations 2 Chapter 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 4 2.1. Organizational Change and Drivers of Change 4 2.2. Structure of the Organizations 4 2.3. Structural Changes in Organization 5 2.4. Management of Organizational Change 6 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 6 3.1. Research Approach 6 3.2. Research Design 6 3.3. Data Collection 7 3.3.1. Secondary Data 7 3.4. Time Line of the Dissertation 8 References 9 Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1. Background of the Study Past decades and passing time has proven to be the most dynamic for every global aspect. Organizations have also been faced with the need for change, no matter how large or small they are. Organizations go towards changes and modification to meet the pace of the changing world and its requirements. Although, the concrete and customized purposes of the organizations vary in nature; yet, the philosophy of change in organization remains the same, and that is, to become more effective, moving towards increased efficiency and being actively responsive to the ever-changing environment of the dynamic world (SONG, 2009, pp 6-7). Change does not dawn itself easily. Organizations, similar to any other forces that might get affected by change also face numerous problems in the process. As the change processes threaten the existing milieu of the situations, the organizations might face numerous problems including staff resistance, organizational strengths, weaknesses and capabilities, and most importantly the lock or lethargy of management. Rod ascertains that the administration should understand the processes of change intricately and its impact on the people, production and environment. For the purposes of comprehension of these processes and guiding the organizations towards the journey of change, clear and motivated management of change is inevitable (Fernandez & Rainey, 2006, p.168). Hence, managing change becomes as imperative as the change itself. Change management has justifiably acquired a chief aspect of the studies of management, outlining various types of changes which are adopted by the organizations, and their related theories or constructs. 1.2. Research Aim and Objectives This research will aim to explore the change management in organizations with particular reference to structure of the organizations. The objectives of the study will be to explore and investigate: Changes in organizations Causes of organizational changes Types of organizational changes Change management Change management with regards to structure of the organization Enterprise Education, a precursor for success 1.3. Research Questions The research will be carried out to respond to the develop research questions which are as follows: 1. What are changes in organizations? 2. What are the causes of changes in the organizations 3. What are the types of organizational changes? 4. What is change management? 5. What is change management in terms of structure of the organizations? 6. How can structural change management prove to be a precursor of success for the organization? 1.4. Significance of the Study As mentioned in the subsequent section, the study of change management has acquired a significant position in the management constructs. Globalization constitutes as one of the most key features of the time that drives the organizations to move forward and adopt global changes (Dawson, 2003; 114). Structural frameworks are the major stakes of organizational change. Related to management and forming the environment of the situation, structural changes in organizations are essential to delve into and be investigated. Consequently, this study will prove to be an addition to the wealth of researches and studies in this regard because of the essential nature of change and dynamism in this era. 1.5. Ethical Considerations Researcher is fully aware of the ethical issues involved in this work. The responsibility of all procedures and ethical issues related to the project lies with the principal investigators. The research was conducted so that the integrity of the research enterprise will remain and negative side effects that may decrease the potential for future research were avoided. The choice of research topics is based on the best scientific approach and an evaluation of the potential benefits. This study is related to a major intellectual problem. Chapter 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1. Organizational Change and Drivers of Change According to Heffron (1968, p. 152), change is unavoidable for the society as a whole, and for individuals and organizations as the units of society. The changes in the environment and around the globe are the precursors for implementation of change in organizations. According to the extensive literature on change, there have been numerous factors identified as the premium drivers of change in organizations and businesses. These are technology, political changes and globalization (Champy and Nohria, 1996; Hamlin, Keep & Ken. 2001). Technology affects the workings and the intricacies of the organization, its structure and processes. The technological advances have direct relation with the employee job status and natures, the environment of the organization, social structure and also the behaviors and attitude of the employees (Dawson Patrick. 2003). Political shifts in the region where an organization operates are also one of the major drivers of change in organizations as the regulations or rules of trade and commerce, and other business related issues are also subjected to change. 2.2. Structure of the Organizations Structure of the organizations illustrates the processes of the organization. The organization and its processes are alienated into various subunits and heads, which coordinate and synchronize in order to complete the tasks and errands. A contingency perspective (see figure 1) depicts that the designs of the organizations should be formulated in accordance to certain features. These features are: Environment Technology Organization size; And strategy of the organization Figure 1: Contingencies that influence Organizational Change The contingencies envisage the amount of the effectiveness of organizational structure. Traditionally, organizational structures in certain forms such as functional teams that are task specialized, self contained units or divisions which are leant toward a specific set of product, stakeholders, customer base or regions. Furthermore, there is matrix structure which is a combination of the divisions of functional specialization and the self-containment. With the widespread dynamic global environment and requirements of the competitive environment, the organizational structures are becoming more integrated and flexible in functioning; thus broadening the organizational operations (Cummings &Worley, 2008, pp315-316). 2.3. Structural Changes in Organization As laid out in the preceding section, change in the global milieu is being adopted for the betterment and modification of the organizational operations and production. The current world of the economists, any organization I evidently exemplified by the technology and production, both of which are direct upshot of the organizational structural design. Williamson (1975) and Grossman and Hart (1986) carried out a revolutionary work, defining and outlining the importance of the organizational structures. Ever since their work, the changes adopted by organizations are increasingly been carried out in the structures (Cummings &Worley, 2008, pp315-316). 2.4. Management of Organizational Change Because organizational change is one of the delicate and imperative concepts, a foremost challenge that the organizations face is the development of a goal oriented and ambitious management. Such management enables organizations to combat the challenges and the weaknesses that organizations face (Waddell, 2002: 23). CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 3.1. Research Approach The two types of research approaches generally utilized in the studies are deductive or inductive approach (Ghauri and Gronhaug, 2005). The deductive approach refers to the procedure wherein the work is started from a broad and general basis of any idea to reach at a more concise, specific and definite finding. These findings might prove or go contrary to the initially formulated hypothesis or questions. Another name for this kind of approach is the top down approach. However, this study will utilize the inductive approach towards research which is also known as the bottom up approach. In this approach, the work is started with some initial study and the researchers compare and contrast the theories and results of the numerous scholastic studies or researches to structure a general form of the results, going from general to specific. 3.2. Research Design The common parlance of research is the search for knowledge. Research methodology of any research study is the most significant element. Cooper, D. R., & Schindler, P. S. (2003) stated that research methodology of any research study is the organized technique in which specific data or information is collected so that the research questions and hypothesis are proved and justified (p.55). Qualitative research method comprise of the data or information that is non-quantifiable and therefore cannot be measured and valued in numerical values. Quantitative research method; on the other hand is quantifiable and thus yields the data in rates, percentages or other numeric and statistical concepts. However, for this study, it is proposed that the research will utilize the material already available related to the topic. The collection of secondary data will be beneficial for enhancing the understanding of the research topic under discussion. 3.3. Data Collection Davies (2007) stated that collection of data is the most significant element of the research study. Various methods and techniques are adopted by the researchers in different studies to collect the required primary and secondary data. However, for this study, the researcher will utilize the secondary data. The technique that will be used by the researcher to collect the secondary data is as following: 3.3.1. Secondary Data Secondary data for this study will be gathered by the researcher by accessing various public and private libraries easily accessible over the internet. Internet will be used as a major searching tool while accessing the accessible authentic public and private libraries. Libraries will be accessed using the internet to collect the secondary data or literature that enhances the understanding of the researcher. Only those authentic and reliable information and findings will be accessed for the study that is similar to the study under discussion; because it is important for the researcher to assess the validity and reliability of the secondary that has been collected from various authentic sources. Neuman (2003) noted that accumulation of secondary research facilitates the researcher in collecting the required relevant information that has already been published (p.1).Moreover, the accumulation of secondary data is comparatively less time consuming in comparison to the gathering of primary data through various complex methods and techniques. 3.4. Time Line of the Dissertation As, this study will be conducted for academic purpose the researcher encounters the issue of time constraint in completing validity and reliability procedures of the study. The following chart gives an estimated time frame for developing the complete report. TASKS WEEKS 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31   Problem Identification, aim and objective   Literature review   Research Methodology   Data collection (secondary method)   Data examination   Analysis, Presentation, discussion and findings   Conclusion and recommendation   Writing the dissertation References Champy, J. & Nohria, N. 1996. Fast Forward: The Best Ideas on Managing Business Change. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Cooper, D. R., & Schindler, P. S. (2003). Business Research Methods. Cummings, G. T & Worley, G. C (2008) Organization Development and Change. Cengage Learning. Davies, M., B., (2007) Key Concepts in Social Research Methods, New York, Palgrave, Macmillan LTD. Dawson Patrick. 2003. Understanding Organizational Change – The Contemporary Experience of People at Work. SAGE Publications London, Thousand Oaks, New Delhi. Fernandez, S & Rainey, G. H (2006) Managing Successful Organizational Change in the Public Sector. Public Administration Review. Ghauri, P. N. (2005). Research methods in business studies: A practical guide. Pearson Education. Hamlin Bob, Jane Keep & Ash Ken. 2001. Organizational Change and Development – A Reflective Guide for Managers, Trainers and Developers. Prentice Hall. Heffron Florence. 1968. Organization Theory and Public Organizations. New Jersey Neuman, W. L (2003) Social Research Methods. Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches, Allyn and Bacon. Song, X. (2009) Why Do Change Management Strategies Fail? ---Illustrations with case studies. Journal of Cambridge Studies,Vol. 4, No. 1. Waddell, D (2002) E-business in Australia: Concepts and Cases. Sydney: Pearson Education Australia. Read More