The Organizational Change of Introducing Charges for Car Parking - Essay Example

Organizational change is an organization-wide transformational change. A transformational change will require people’s perspectives and behavior to change bringing in the human impact into the change and making the change strategy more complex (Anderson & Anderson, 2001). Now let’s analyze the change in particular. The first reaction of the employees to this change is that of dissatisfaction and anger. The employees will view this decision as the company’s greed for making money through parking charges. To them, this change will not just burn a hole in their pockets but also cause a lot of inconveniences as their commuting time will increase and their time will take a hit if they decide to commute by public transport. The quality of their life can change drastically as a result of this change. Therefore, widespread opposition should be expected and the organizational change must be planned accordingly.

Most models of organizational change involve the entire process of identifying the problem, finding a solution, developing a strategy, and then implementing it. In the current context, the problem and the solution have already been identified. Hence, it is now up to designing and implementing a successful strategy to carry out the change. Three key strategies for managing organizational change are communication, participation, and support. It is through these three the current change can be effectively managed.

For employees to adjust effectively to change, it is essential to communicate the reason, purpose, and need behind the change (Walker, 2010). In the current context, it is highly essential to communicate the main reason behind the change. It must be made clear to all the employees that this is not a money-making initiative but an imitative to play by the rules and ensure that there would be no discomfort caused to others due to the negligence of the few. Also, it must be communicated that the initiative would result in positive effects on the environment by bringing down the carbon footprint of the company. It is only when this is communicated effectively to the employees that wholehearted support can be expected from them.

Participation is vital and for any change to work, employees must be engaged and involved in it. Even though employees were not involved in the process of finding a solution, they need to be involved in the implementation of change (Nelson & Quick, 2010). Their views on how best the change can be implemented must be considered. The best way to use both these strategies is through a session of brainstorming.

Brainstorming is a creative technique used to find a solution to a specific problem. In a brainstorming session, a group is asked to discuss and identify ways of solving a specific problem (Itzen & Newman, 2003). For the current organizational change, this can be used to communicate the reason and need for change and then ask the employees to suggest ways how the change is implemented smoothly. It is very important to communicate the advantageous or positive effects of this change.

Next is to support the employee in adjusting to the change. All possible support must be extended to the employees. Also, employees can be motivated to accept the change by giving them perks for carpooling or traveling by public transport. This way the organizational change can b effectively manage. Read More