Working and Organisational Change - Kitchenware Company - Case Study Example

WORKING AND ORGANISATION CHANGE By Name Course Instructor Institution City/State Date Table of Contents WORKING AND ORGANISATION CHANGE 1 Table of Contents 2 Case Study - The Kitchenware Company 3 1.0.0 Part 1 3 1.1.0 Resistors to Change 3 1.1.2 Selfishness and Feeling Excluded 4 1.1.3 Lack of Trust and Leadership 5 1.2.0 How to overcome them 5 2.0.0 Part 2 8 2.1.0 Good Listening 9 2.3.0 Building Firm Relationships 10 2.4.0 Self-Motivating 10 3.0.0 Part 3 10 3.1.0 Creativity 10 3.1.1 Employ Brainstorming Power 11 3.1.2 Reward Great Ideas. 11 3.2.0 Risk Taking 12 3.2.1 Generate a Portfolio of Challenges 12 3.2.2 Protect Instigators 12 3.3.0 Learning 13 3.3.1 Remember that corporate learning is informal 13 3.3.2 Promote and reward expertise. 13 3.4.0 Rebuilding self-esteem 14 3.4.3 Accelerating Towards Success 15 3.5.0 High performance teams 15 3.5.1 Get the right people on the team 15 3.5.2 Address team dynamics and processes 16 4.1.0 Intervention Strategy 16 Table 1: Stages of Group development 18 4.2.0 Collaborative by Action Research change plan 19 20 Stage One: Initial Reflection 20 Stage Two: Planning 21 Stage Three: Action 21 Stage Four: Observation 21 Stage Five: Reflection 22 5.0 References 23 Case Study - The Kitchenware Company 1.0.0 Part 1 1.1.0 Resistors to Change Basically, it is hard for companies to evade change, given that novel ideas facilitate development for them as well as their associates. Change happens for lots of reasons like innovative employees roles; increase or decrease in financial support; attainment of novel technology; new goals, vision or missions; as well as to get to new customers (Agboola & Salawu, 2011, p.237). Changes according to Thomas et al. (2011, p.23) can produce fresh opportunities, but time and again are met with disapproval from unwilling employees in a team. Apparently, resistance to change may take a range of forms and the mission of separating out the resistance cause can repeatedly be complex. Cases as observed in Kitchenware Company consist of work processes change where the desires, beliefs, as well as interests of employees are uncared for. Resistance to change can be caused by: 1.1.1 Insufficient Communication Sarin (2009, p.237) affirm that there are two branches of communication, which are internal communication (it occurs between Management and employees), and external communication (occurs between organisation and either customers or suppliers). Therefore in an organisation like Kitchenware Company, where previous management kept workers uninformed concerning change it ended up facing ferocious resistance. Workers according to Sarin (2009, p.237) could understand this as a plot not in favour of them; thus, unavoidably giving rise to a frosty environment to work in. Therefore, organisation that does not communicate with its clients and providers, changes that are to all intents and purposes can endure devastating effects. 1.1.2 Selfishness and Feeling Excluded Self-esteem time and again hampers the ability to become accustomed to change. A number of employees would desire to maintain the state of affairs to well again progress their own individual plans; others have distinct motives. Ultimately, workers performing in their own egotism, rather than the company’s greater well, will without doubt refuse to accept change. Time and again companies plead for advance input to make sure that all and sundry has a chance to voice their opinions as well as ideas. However, if workers see an unexpected change, and they possessed no input, Agboola and Salawu (2011, p.238) posit that they will feel excluded from the process of decision making and maybe insulted. 1.1.3 Lack of Trust and Leadership Trust according to Thomas et al. (2011, p.26) plays an enormous part in successfully running an organization. As observed in the Kitchenware Company, when employees feel they cannot trust their leaders, it turns out to be hard for them to acknowledge organizational changes. Thomas et al. (2011, p.27) posit that they could attribute the changes to a number of unconstructive fundamental basis or even presume they will ultimately become unemployed. Therefore, Strong leadership is needed so as to direct the process of change management in Kitchenware Company. Appalling leaders who just offer are not adequately working to motivate the workers to march ahead given that employees desire to be led by example. 1.2.0 How to overcome them For Kitchenware Company to overcome environmental as well as financial issues it must have a emergency fund to provide for changes sought-after or build up an extremely good connection with the manager of their bank lest they have to borrow money during difficult times. On the other hand, in case demand sore, then suppliers should be in a position to meet the demand; therefore, benchmarking suppliers will undoubtedly assist Kitchenware Company determine the finest suppliers to work with. To overcome structural setbacks along with insufficient communication, kitchenware Company management should ask workers to choose a representative who can act as their voice to enlighten possible hurdles openly to the company’s management. Furthermore, workers must be encouraged to speak their mind in case they feel that change is inducing an inconsistency. To overcome bad leadership, Kitchenware Company leaders should light the way and set a good example for employees to follow. Agboola and Salawu (2011, p.239) posit that others leaders in the company should as well take an active role alongside the workers so as to encourage and motivate. Workers have to be openly engaged in the process change, which according to Sarin (2009, p.241) shall encourage and decrease resistance. Additional incentives must be readily available to further motivate as well as reward fulfilment. Kitchenware Company should establish support networks as a way to strengthen the theory of change. Furthermore, the company must focus on arousing a sense of belonging by making sure employees are well informed, and are engaged in the success of the company. Admiration by others must be attained by encouraging teamwork as well as the sporadic appraisals by the company’s management as highlighted in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs according to Sarin (2009, p.239) illustrates the theory of psychological desires, morals of power, consistency and hierarchy, and safety needs. Fig 1: Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (Sarin, 2009) Kitchenware Company should as well carry out a force field analysis, which according to Agboola and Salawu (2011, p.239) assists in recognising the change forces (drivers) as well as forces in opposition to change (resistance) in the company. However, Kitchenware Company management must note that although they could have more drivers than resistance, this cannot essentially ensure them successful change. The main theme of force field analysis will be to get rid of the change barriers on the individual as well as organisational level. Fig 2: Field Force Analysis (Agboola & Salawu, 2011) 2.0.0 Part 2 Essentially, there are very many distinct methods to move towards Kitchenware sales, but they all seem to depend on the similar set of skill. It is worth noting that these are skills, and not talents: owing to the fact that skills are learned, but talents are inborn. Any person can be trained to be a successful seller, and first-class salespeople in a company during change period can turn out to be great ones by perfecting the following sales skills. 2.1.0 Good Listening Nearly all salespeople according to Johlke (2006, p.311) are natural speakers, but regrettably even a great talker will just get so far devoid of a little listening. Basically, taking time to enquire their likely questions as well as actually paying attention to the feedbacks exhibits high opinion for them, and offers them a more exculpated thought of what they desire. To be a good Kitchenware sales team, one must ask an undefined question and afterwards punch the silent button and leave himself quiet for no less than a minute (or until he/she is completely sure the prospect is completed). By compelling oneself to be silent, you will obviously discern at once how strong the urge is to leap in and say something before the Kitchenware prospect has finished talking. 2.2.0 Expressiveness Emotion according to Wachner et al. (2009, p.34) plays a crucial part in Kitchenware sales. Bearing in mind the old aphorism that “features tell, benefits sell,” features in this regard are the details concerning the Kitchenware products whereas benefits are their expressive implications. For instance, a 10 percent discount rate on kitchenware product is a feature, and being in a position to save money whilst purchasing the products is a benefit. Expressiveness is the skill that permits sales team to express such emotions to the client. Therefore, in case they make the prospect feel the greatness of owning the Kitchenware product and how much such products will improve their lives after buying the product, then the sales team can sell the product to them. 2.3.0 Building Firm Relationships This sales skill according to Johlke (2006, p.314) is crucial to both the business life of the sales team as well as each member’s personal life. Therefore, building as well as keeping hale and hearty relationships is the answer to building a firm network. In addition, networking will permit the sales team serve scores of prospects than they can manage for themselves. 2.4.0 Self-Motivating Undoubtedly, selling is a work in progress; therefore, a kitchenware salesperson can at all times come across a way to build up his/her skills, improve his/her pitch, as well as learn more concerning the Kitchenware products he/she sell (Johlke, 2006, p.315). However, the force to continuously enhance oneself has to originate from within. Nick and Dennis could direct the sales working team to make a number of changes in case the sales begin to fall, but if the team are continually working to develop into an enhanced sales team they can begin working on the matter sooner than it influences the company’s figures. 3.0.0 Part 3 3.1.0 Creativity If Kitchenware Company desires their team to be more successful, then Dennis and Nick must develop a creative work setting. Creativity according to White (2006, p.437) is extremely crucial to a company that desire to solve novel setbacks, mend present ones and be innovative in their Kitchenware industry. Here are several steps that Dennis and Nick can use to foster creativity: 3.1.1 Employ Brainstorming Power By urging their staff to brainstorm, Dennis and Nick can gather novel new ideas while ensuring that every employee voice is heard. Furthermore, they should hold regular conferences where workers take turns in sharing of thoughts, and either Dennis or Nick or both should write down every idea articulated by the employee and afterwards discuss them as a team to come up with a listing of the most excellent ideas that meet the company’s goal and objectives. One method of brainstorming according to White (2006, p.439) is to develop a problem mind map where key topic as well as the subtopics below it are selected. White (2006, p.440) posits that this is the best method to locate the basis of the problem the company is endeavouring to resolve. 3.1.2 Reward Great Ideas. Dennis and Nick should always allow the company’s brainstorming team to choose on the most excellent ideas that surface during brainstorming sessions. In this regard, they can reward the winner so as to put more consideration into their ideas. Furthermore, the brainstorming team must understand that their ideas are of substance, and that is why the best idea must be invested and budgeted for. Undoubtedly, the team will work with determination if they realize that they are driving change in the company and that they can possibly convey their idea to market. 3.2.0 Risk Taking Dennis and Nick should also realize that flourishing leaders are ceaselessly under duress to bring into being reliable results and uphold high standards. White (2006, p.441) maintain that making conventional resolutions as well as taking less risks, can lead to company stagnation. If Kitchenware Company wants to be innovative they must flourish on leadership as well as a culture that promotes proper risk-taking. To generate a risk taking culture in the company, Dennis and Nick must: 3.2.1 Generate a Portfolio of Challenges Dennis and Nick must establish a portfolio of three key ventures for employees to follow, and which contain changing degrees of intricacy as well as risk. Ventures must be unique, transformational as well as hard to achieve. Even though employees do not accomplish every milestone, the challenge positions the spirit for future risk-taking. In case employees meet some of their goals, the achievements serve to create power, interest and reliability. . White (2006, p.442) posit that this approach works mainly well for fresh recruits, permitting them to achieve momentum as well as visibility in a short time period. 3.2.2 Protect Instigators If Kitchenware Company Leaders who value creativity. They must protect risk-takers from cynics as well as critics. Status quo conservators will undoubtedly search for failure errors as proof to substantiate their resistance to change. The leaders should visibly recognise and reward risk takers and transmit a warning message to antagonists seeking to disparage and obstruct new ideas. 3.3.0 Learning 3.3.1 Remember that corporate learning is informal In case one asks any manager or corporate leader how employees learn, majority of them will say on the job. This is right since sales working team learn through sales calls, customer service personnel learn through problem solving, and engineers learn through practice. To succeed, Kitchenware Company should not concentrate much on offering formal training, but instead develop a work setting that encourages quick on-the-job learning. White (2006) research results exhibits that companies which espouse programs like formalized informal learning do better than those that concentrate on formal training. In such organisations the training team do not only train workers, it inaugurates programs and content to assist workers to hastily learn while on job. 3.3.2 Promote and reward expertise. Modern’s labour force is more specialized, and therefore, the most gifted workers in Kitchenware Company are not in management, but instead they are carrying out their jobs. Organizations that promote learning set free talented workers and implement programs to reward as well as promote even greater expertise levels; hence, Dennis and Nick must reward such expertise. The company should offer engineers profession advancement in their career line; offer employees time to learn and enhance their personal skills; and promote the experts success. 3.4.0 Rebuilding self-esteem Building self-esteem is responsively attainable, just provided that the company have the willpower and focus to carry things across. In addition, the things that Nick and Dennis will do to rebuild self-esteem will as well rebuild the company success after all, self-esteem will come from genuine, concrete success. 3.4.1 Preparing for the Journey The primary step according to Shapiro et al. (2002, p.457) involves getting employees prepared for the journey to self-esteem. Kitchenware Company leaders must evaluate where the company is now, deliberate where they want the want to head, get the entire staff in the appropriate state of mind for this journey. While getting ready for this journey, Dennis and nick must do these five things: look at what the company has already attained; reflect on their strength and deliberate on what is imperative for the company; where they desire the company to go; and after that commit the company to success. 3.4.2 Setting Out According to Shapiro et al. (2002, p.459), this is where Dennis and Nick should start, extremely gradually, heading towards organisational goal. By carrying out the suitable things, and commencing with diminutive, uncomplicated successes, the leader will manage to position the company on success path, and begin to rebuild the self-esteem that accompanies this. Here Nick and Dennis must build the knowledge they require to be successful, concentrate on the fundamentals, set small goals, as well as accomplish them, and keep managing their mind. 3.4.3 Accelerating Towards Success At this stage, will without doubt feel their self-esteem is rebuilding, and they will have concluded a few of the courses they had begun in the previous step; thus, having plenty of achievement to make merry. At this stage, the two leaders should begin stretching themselves, by making big goal. 3.5.0 High performance teams Not many teams function productively, but for those few that function well the risks become more, and so dysfunctional teams can decelerate, overturn, or even paralyse the entire company. 3.5.1 Get the right people on the team Shapiro et al. (2002, p.459) posit that the key to accurately get a high performance team composition is settling what inputs the team altogether, as well as its members as entities, have to make to attain a company’s performance goals and after that making the needed changes within the team. Obviously, this sounds simple, but Shapiro et al. (2002, p.461) claim that it normally needs mindful interest and bravery from the company leader; or else, the top team can fail to deliver. 3.5.2 Address team dynamics and processes Effective team dynamics always demand remorseless attention from the company’s leaders, and its absence is a recurrent setback. Based on Shapiro et al. (2002) study they established that in the midst of the top teams, most members accounted that approximately 30% of their time was utilised in industrious collaboration, a figure that declined even more when teams dealt with high-stakes matters where members of the team had disagreeing, deep-rooted interests. 4.1.0 Intervention Strategy To successfully become accustomed and succeed in modern’s business world, Kitchenware Company must put into practice effective organisation development interventions intended at enhancing performance at individual, group, and organisational levels. Organisation development interventions entail employee respect, an environment of support and trust, collective power; open issues confrontation, as well as the active stakeholders’ involvement. Organisation development interventions are broader in range, normally influencing the entire company. 4.1.1Team Development and Group Processes Interventions Team development along with group processes interventions focus on enhancing various facets of a team performance, like interpersonal relationship development in the midst of team members, goal setting, making decisions, role analysis as well as clarification, problem solving, among other. Aubé et al. (2006, p.270) posit that one of vital goals of team development interventions depends heavily on enhancing team members interdependency. The fundamental basis is that the summative team value is enormous as compared to any individual; therefore, according to Aubé et al. (2006, p.271), team development is valid where activities in the group are mutually dependent. Being an intervention for Kitchenware Company, team development is merely a way to acquire either a novel or poor performing team on course, normally with actions that reinforce those glancing vital concepts. Any group having every of this concept and having them in set of scales will positively be proportionate, resourceful and industrious whilst meeting the company’s goals and add value to the company. Table 1: Stages of Group development Aubé et al. (2006, p.274) posit that in case a team is not prepared, they will both turn out to be aghast and pay no attention to the response from top management. Team development intervention is therefore both a means to gain knowledge and a way to get better. Structural recommendations must be made by the company’s leaders so that the team become structured as resourcefully as possible. Apparently, management cannot completely invade organisational teams, but Aubé et al. (2006, p.273) posit that managers/leaders can make recommendations to assist the team function more efficiently. This without doubt is an additional way for Kitchenware Company teams to learn to resolve their own setbacks. 4.2.0 Collaborative by Action Research change plan Peterson et al. (2010, p.2) summarized a set of processes for action research that are still relevant in modern business organisation. Collaborative action research cycle is almost certainly what Kitchenware Company requires to realize their research and development (R&D) goals. In making changes and innovations in the company, the whole lot hardly ever goes faultlessly with regard to the plan. Typically, means are ascertained to enhance the innovation taking into consideration employees' experience and maybe response from the clients or others caught up in the process. One phase of preparing, acting, monitoring and contemplating generally leads to another phase wherein enhancements are integrated founded on the earlier cycle. Fig 3: Collaborative Action Research Cycle Stage One: Initial Reflection Peterson et al. (2010, p.2) posit that collaborative action research stems from a setback, predicament, or uncertainty in a circumstance wherein employees find themselves in. Peterson et al. (2010, p.3) denote these as thematic concerns that are established by the team engaged in the process of collaborative action research. Thematic concerns must not be confused as a technique for improving things, rather it endeavours to hoist the challenging nature of a certain working concern and does not acknowledge or recommend a working technique or means that is believed to be better. Stage Two: Planning The planning stage in the cycle entails developing a comprehensive game plan, which outline the employee who will carry out a certain task and when the task will be performed. Peterson et al. (2010, p.3) maintain that a time line is a crucial part of the planning enigma. At this phase, Kitchenware Company should develop a common language in the midst of research partakers to make sure that communication channels remain unambiguous. In addition, there the company must plan and confer monitoring and observation methods for the recommended changes. Stage Three: Action The action stage is led by planning, but according to Peterson et al. (2010, p.4) this phase is not controlled by it. Action must be dynamic and fluid, with employees needed to make unprompted resolutions as well as exercising practical sagacity. Once more, actuality can be chaotic and changeable, and as novel insights crop up, they can be integrated into present research, or could be possible future research topics. Stage Four: Observation Observation according to Peterson et al. (2010, p.5) has the task of documenting the consequences of vitally informed action. This phase offers a reflection foundation, and in the future as the cycle runs its path. Furthermore, collaborative action researchers must view the action course of action, the action effects (both anticipated and accidental), the state of affairs and action constraints, the way situation and inadequacies limit the intended action and its consequences, and any other issues that take place. Stage Five: Reflection The final stage, which is reflection, is an active process wherein employees make an effort to make sense of problems, processes, concerns, and limitations made, manifest in their strategic action. It considers the actuality of the state of affairs. This process according to Peterson et al. (2010, p.7) is extremely productive when carried out collaboratively. By means of discourse, team reflection will normally lead in the direction of a future research cycle with a revised strategy. Through this process, Kitchenware Company problem or concerns will turn out to be more focused and clearer. 5.0 References Agboola, A.A. & Salawu, R.O., 2011. Managing Deviant Behavior and Resistance to Change. International Journal of Business and Management, vol. 6, no. 1, pp.235-42. Aubé, C., Rousseau, V. & Savoie, A., 2006. Group regulatory interventions and team work: a theoretical model. Travail humain, vol. 69, no. 3, pp.269-94. Johlke, M.C., 2006. Sales presentation skills and salesperson job performance. The Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. 21, no. 5, pp.311-19. Peterson, S.S. et al., 2010. Collaborative Action Research Supporting Teachers' Professional Development as Exemplified by One Teacher Team's Action Research on a Study of Silent Reading. Ontario Action Researcher, vol. 11, no. 1, pp.1-8. Sarin, A., 2009. Corporate Strategic Motivation: Evolution Continues-Henry. A. Murray's Manifest Needs to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs to Anil Sarin's Contributory Theory of Existence. Journal of American Academy of Business, Cambridge, vol. 14, no. 2, pp.237-44. Shapiro, D.L., Furst, S.A., Spreitzer, G.M. & Von Glinow, M.A., 2002. Transnational teams in the electronic age: Are team identity and high performance at risk? Journal of Organizational Behavior, vol. 23, pp.455-67. Thomas, R., Sargent, L.D. & Hardy, C., 2011. Managing Organizational Change: Negotiating Meaning and Power-Resistance Relations. Organization Science, vol. 22, no. 1, pp.22-41. Wachner, T., Plouffe, C.R. & Grégoire, Y., 2009. SOCO's impact on individual sales performance: The integration of selling skills as a missing link. Industrial Marketing Management, vol. 38, no. 1, pp.32-44. White, J., 2006. Arias of learning: creativity and performativity in Australian teacher education. Cambridge Journal of Education, vol. 36, no. 3, pp.435-53. Read More