Theories and Practices in Change Management - Literature review Example

Institution : xxxxxxxxxxx Title : xxxxxxxxxxx Tutor : xxxxxxxxxxx Course : xxxxxxxxxxx @2013 Table of content Executive summary…………………………………………………………………....iii 1. Introduction 4 2. Change and change management 4 3. Effective change management strategy and tactics 5 4. The Change management planning process 5 5. Change formulation and its implementation 6 6. An effective and Comprehensive communication 7 7. Active resistance and its management 8 8. Training and Education 9 9. Survey/feedback 9 10. Future proofing to sustain change 10 11. Recommendations.……………………………………………………………………….10 12. Conclusion………………………………………………………………………..11 13. References Executive summary A superfluity of research, theories and practices in change management have without a doubt evolved considerably over the decades, and witnessed a marked transformation in form as well as function amid the rapidly changing business environment. Often than not, organizations undergoing radical and fundamental change transitions find themselves entangled into a mess only associated with chronic organizational management impediments. This report highlights the most appropriate strategy that can be leveraged so that change is not only successfully realized, but also fully accepted within an organization. Revolutionary organizational changes are actually prioritized as one of the most significant agendas for discussion alongside various management issues. This report therefore covers change and change management issues including effective change management strategy and tactics, The Change management planning process, Change formulation and its implementation, an effective and Comprehensive communication, training and education, survey/feedback, active resistance and its management, future proofing to sustain change, and Recommendations. It concludes by emphasizing that change can not be easily attained unless it has a systematic, well-lubricated process of management. Introduction In a highly-competitive business environment marked by sweeping transformations, the dynamism for change becomes quite indispensable for a greater success. Niccolo Machiavelli, an Italian writer and philosopher, once stated that “whosoever desires to realize constant success has to change his own conduct with the changing times” (Zehndorfer, 2013, pg.108). The very concept of organizational change has commanded and captured the attention of academicians and practitioners globally. According to Samson & Daft (2012), while an organization’s fundamental changes may involve people, cultural and structural changes, the significance of effective change management and communication can not be underrated. The long-term survival of an organization can in actual fact be judged more by the organization’s ability to effectively manage change than by its present balance sheet. Yet, many organizations are quite adept at evaluations regarding budgets and rates-of-return more than evaluating effectiveness of change management efforts. In view of this, this paper intends to provide an effective and comprehensive change management and communication strategy that incorporates the development aims and objectives, strategic planning activities, and an integrated communication strategy. In addition, the paper will reflect the potential challenges and gaps that are likely to be left unaddressed due to various constraints, and thereafter issue suitable recommendations. Change and change management ‘Anticipate the unanticipated’ should perhaps be the management mantra for organizations thriving in this 21st century business environment where rapid change is as real as never before. The times are more turbulent and an organization striving to operate successfully in the constantly-evolving business environment has to effectively manage change and harness that towards a positive outcome irrespective of the underlying circumstances. As highlighted by Samson & Daft (2012), change management involves the continuous activity/process of aligning the organization’s aims and objectives with the marketplace in an effective and more responsible way. A number of organizations that have successfully weathered various changes have beyond doubt noted how an organization’s change management strategy can be quite fundamental in re-shaping, re-inventing, and sustaining the organization’s future, especially by empowering an organization’s greatest asset- its people. Effective change management strategy and tactics Change management actually requires thoughtful planning, sensitive implementation and consultations with the people that the change affects. Planning is quite crucial for the whole process to realize success. The intended change should be realistic, apart from being achievable as well as measurable. Before initiating any organizational change, it is critical for the change situation to be understood from the objective standpoint and the people be assisted in understanding the aims and objectives. Similarly, some questions to be put into perspective include what the change aims to achieve, for what reason and how the success of such a change will be noticed. An effective change management strategy should also aim at addressing issues such as determining which people the change affects and what is their possible reaction. What extent of change can be achieved by the organization and what extent of that change requires additional help (Warrilow, 2012) The Change management planning process Change plans are fundamental in any change management process as they clearly, orderly and comprehensively lay out answers to various questions. During change, strategic planning can both be challenging and exciting. The change plan aims at enabling the organization to formulate fundamental decisions by having a long-range, futuristic view of what is to be accomplished and how that will be done (Blokdijk, 2008). It is thus based on the systematic analysis of the organization. In order to experience a successful change therefore, the most appropriate strategic plan must be put into consideration. The future vision, the organization’s strengths and weaknesses and the very nature of all the anticipated changes should be incorporated within the plan for a sustainable growth in the future. Further, the plan should describe the change sequence, the people responsible for leading the change, and the resources needed including their availability and whether some will be outsourced. The plan should act as the actual basis for decision-making, resource mobilization, resource allocation, performance standards and planning. The entire organization should as such embrace the plan. In managing the plan, it is of immense value that the progress of the change management actions within the plan be continuously assessed and reviewed where necessary for relevancy to be maintained. Change formulation and its implementation Formulation of a change management strategy is a pivotal step in the implementation of any methodology to be used in change management. It not only provides direction, but also results in an informed decision-making process throughout the entire course of change. Apart from describing how change will be undertaken, it significantly contributes to the formulation of other plans. There are various ways of formulating the strategies, depending on the time frame, power distribution, and the available information. Actually, the first step in developing the approach is to analytically diagnose the internal as well as the external forces in order to ascertain the actual need for a change. These diagnoses may be conducted by the middle-level or top managers. In a similar manner, the preparedness for such a change together with the potential resistance require close investigation and scrutiny on individual as well as organizational level to ascertain the chances of the change being successful. The various steps involved in the pursuit of change management should actually be collectively agreed upon so as to shape the general approach to be used in the process (Lewis, L., 2011). A team of change managers (change management team) having a higher credibility and the intellectual capacity needs to be identified. This team often consists of the change agents, top managers and key people responsible for triggering and mobilizing the various change engines in the entire organization. Middle-level managers may similarly offer crucial support since they are involved in the daily running of the business. The change agents serve to coordinate with the top management so as to gain the strategic supports apart from assisting in laying out the change plans associated with formulation and implementation. On the other hand, as argued by Werner & DeSimone (2011), there is little research regarding the precise roles of change agents. An effective and Comprehensive communication Of recent, the role that communication strategies play as providers of comprehensive mechanism for facilitating the change process has emerged as a significant solution to puzzles posed by the actual change upheaval. Communication acts as the vehicles conveying messages throughout the organization regarding the change effort. Blokdijk (2008) highlights that an effective communication therefore needs to have the communication objectives (for instance building awareness of scope, benefits and impacts. It should similarly contain the Communication Principles (guiding statements), Audience Definition and communication road map (how messages regarding the initiative will be conveyed using various campaigns. Likewise, when a communication plan is being developed, reporting protocols should be developed and responsibilities be distributed for a successful rolling out of the communication strategy. Other concerned sponsors, teams, staff and key stakeholders should also be included. Throughout all the involved steps, the messages must be conveyed in a strategic manner. This implies that the significance of clarity and precision of the message contents cannot be overlooked if a successful change has to be realized. Workshops are additionally argued to be quite important in developing collective ideas, understanding, methods, approaches and policies. Actually, workshops are recommended for any organizational change comprising of new objectives, processes and activities, as they help in achieving measurable aims, involvement and commitment. An informal communication forum appears to be the most effective channel as far as message delivery to employees regarding change is concerned. On the other hand most of the usual top-down communication channels within the corporate world are quite inadequate for a complex change. Additionally, Lewis (2011) argues that effective communication during change is one that utilizes all the available communication media since every employee gets to hear about the intended change. Effective change communications actually relies on much interaction, a higher engagement level, and exploration so that the changes along with the implications are not only felt, but also understood. As such, the communication plan should consider the human dynamics right form the start, and throughout each step towards change. According to Lewis (2011), failing to share the change information or even informing individuals adequately regarding the change and why such is necessary can have significant negative consequences, hence full and open information should be constantly conveyed. Active resistance and its management Ripple effects are frequently experienced during intended changes. Though this may be subtle and remain unrecognized by the change initiators, they remain a serious impediment as they may significantly raise concerns among employees and eventually create resistance to change. An instance would be the possible replacement or demotion of some top management personnel during change, which in effect would trigger uncertainty, pessimism, hostility, and disruption within the workplace. This may potentially affect employee morale, motivation and consequently productivity. In actual fact, the staffs only resist changes that threaten them psychologically or even economically. Williams (2012) also argues that they resist the changes they have little interest in or no understanding about. Through active listening and feedback-monitoring during implementation, areas encountering resistance can be identified. To avoid such resistance, a contextual analysis needs to be carried out. Employee participation, proper communication, negotiations and support from the top management can also serve to win the acceptance of change. Besides, employee readiness should be observed rather than merely delving into the change plan and employee support generated for a smooth and widely accepted change. On top, the actual evaluative feedback marking the progress of change has to be continuously publicized in order to form the positive image regarding change, and consequently gain consistent buy-in for the forthcoming change schemes. Training and Education Management training, education and the facilitative capability in change management are fundamental in going through the change process successfully and as such should be priority areas. They enable people to facilitate, convey and implement policies as required. The employees should be educated and trained with the aim of providing the necessary skills, techniques and tools required in the effective performance of roles associated with the change process (Dale et al., 2011). Survey/feedback Staff surveys remain helpful in repairing any damage or mistrust as long as they are completed anonymously, published and the findings acted upon. The gathering of feedback from employees, which is in fact quite significant to the implementation issues, performs a very important evaluative function during the change process and thus should be considered (Select Knowledge & Simms, 2012). On top, managers need to provide opportunities as well as channels for the employees/staff to gather feedback regarding their individual participation. Face to face communication is really important in finding out the concerns and opinions of employees. The informal programs of communication should similarly be extensively conducted for mutual understanding. Future proofing to sustain change Just as it is important to get the change implemented, it is also more important for a structure to be developed to ensure that the change is long-lasting, sustainable and meaningful. In order to achieve this, the new practices or behaviours should be driven deep into the organization’s culture for a long-lasting progress. More projects driving this change deeper into the organization need to be launched and the new practices be firmly grounded within the organization. Communication should as well be constant, especially regarding the change effort and the resultant outcomes (Dewe & Cooper, 2012). Recommendations The change process is an elaborate and delicate process whose success highly depends on vigilance against the potential setbacks. With the information vacuum being frequently filled with more rumours than integration and engagement of all the employees, it is crucial that all the employees be engaged in the visioning process supporting the participation, understanding and contribution towards the future goals. Similarly, for long-term benefit to be realized, it is immensely important for the organization to be actually prepared not only to devote its resources, but also an ongoing energy towards maintaining the new changes. Continuously developing the change agents and more consistently exchanging information with all the employees are also key considerations. Gosling (2008) also suggests that encouraging development of participative leadership in the traditional hierarchically-structured organizations is quite fundamental. Conclusion The road leading to a successful change has never been paved with flowers regardless of how genuine or good the intentions are or even the far-reaching support it will have. Just as the enumeration of failures and accomplishments of firms have been, it is without a doubt clear that all the organizations pursuing success in this 21st century and beyond must posses a systematic, well-lubricated process of change management. Change management and communication endeavours basically create alignment while also building commitment, managing the changes and enabling organizational transformation to support the intricate process involved in the implementation of approved recommendations. Communication strategy, which actually plays the fundamental part in any strategy used in change management, challenges all the traditional mechanisms with regards to facilitating change. However, communication strategies have limited chances of succeeding when done piecemeal or carelessly and as such have to be carried out in a well-thought, integrated system or framework. This not only ensures cooperation towards the success, but also broadens the horizons towards the entire organization’s holistic aspect. References Blokdijk, G., 2008, The Change Management Toolkit - the Missing IT Change Management Planning, Process, Theory and Tools Guide - ITIL Compliant. Lulu.com, 2008 Dale, B. et al., 2011, Total Quality Management, Pearson Education India. Dewe, P. & Cooper, C., 2012, Well-Being and Work: Towards a Balanced Agenda, Palgrave Macmillan. Gosling, J., 2008, Leadership: The Key Concepts, Routledge. Lewis, L., 2011, Organizational Change: Creating Change Through Strategic Communication, John Wiley & Sons Samson, D. & Daft, R., 2012, Management, Cengage Learning Australia Select Knowledge & Simms, H., 2012, Organisational Behaviour and Change Management. Select Knowledge Limited Warrilow, S., 2012, Practitioners' Masterclass, Practioners Masterclass Werner, J. & DeSimone, R., 2011, Human Resource Development, Cengage Learning. Williams, C., 2012, Management, Cengage Learning Zehndorfer, E., 2013, Leadership: A Critical Introduction, Routledge Read More