The External Environment of the Suffolk County Council - Assignment Example

Environment Poses of the Suffolk County Council The external environment poses significant pressures to the Suffolk County Council that require immediate attention. While Pettigrew (1985) suggests that external environmental challenges are not the only signals of change, he concedes that they play an important role in shaping change management strategies. Cameron and Green (2012, p. 115) refer to this as the adaptive role of the organisation. Foremost among these challenges are the political and financial pressures. The recent general elections have brought in a new government that is poised to embark upon an aggressive austerity programme. In such an environment the SCC can expect to experience a diminution in the size of funding, which would make it difficult to offer the same level of services to its stakeholders. The second external pressure is financial. With a diminished level of government support, the SCC is expected to face a shortfall of £153 million by 2013. This would make it difficult for the SCC to maintain its sprawling human resource as well as passive organisational culture. Associated with the above two risks is the social pressure of providing greater services to a growing number of stakeholders. Financial austerity programmes are likely to increase the public dependence on council services, which may be difficult to meet because of reduced funding. Possible Internal Problems According to Reiss’s (2012, p. 135) classification of environmental opportunities and risks, the SCC confronts a number of risks such as reduced funding and poor enthusiasm for change, which adversely affect its survival. A number of internal problems may be caused at the SCC as a direct result of the external environmental pressures. Most importantly, the SCC will experience a severe form of financial instability as a projected shortfall of £153 million forces it to reallocate resources and curtail some of its services. In addition, the SCC may have to reduce the scope of its activities so that the funds can be utilised more efficiently. It may not be possible for the SCC to initiate, lead and manage a whole range of services for the public in its new and more challenging environment. The SCC would also need to consider the effect of the new challenges on the culture of the organisation. The new changes are likely to create anxiety in the workforce, leading to lowered employee morale. It may also stifle innovation as employees fear job losses and resist change efforts instead of using their potential to facilitate change (Arend and Bromiley, 2009). Purpose of the Proposal The purpose of this proposal is to highlight the significance of effective strategic change management across the SCC to perform efficiently in the changed external environment. It is the aim of the report that the readers can appreciate the external challenges and create organisation-wide commitment while dealing with resistance from the workforce. The report presents information from credible sources to help readers make reasonable evaluations about the severity of the challenges and the best change management techniques to re-organise the SCC competitively. Organisation of the Proposal The organisation of this report follows a logically structured approach to enable the reader to understand the implications of the external changes as well as the strategy for responding to those changes. The report aims to present the challenges to its continued services faced by the SCC, as well as suggest effective change management strategies and techniques. These recommendations are made in the light of relevant change management theories and concepts supported by scholarly research. At the same time, the report intends to apprise the reader of any shortcomings of the proposal while suggesting an implementation plan throughout the SCC. References Arend, R. J. and Bromiley, P., 2009. Assessing the dynamic capabilities view: Spare change, anyone? Strategic Organization, 7, pp. 75-90. Cameron, E. and Green, M., 2012. Making sense of change management. London: Kogan Page Limited. Pettigrew, A., 1985. The awakening giant: continuity and change at ICI. Oxford: Basil Blackwell. Reiss, M., 2012. Change management. A balanced and blended approach. Norderstedt: Books on Demand. Read More