Practicing Organization Development - Essay Example

Memo about organizational change Change in organizations has become a common thing today due to increased globalization. Globalization has increased opportunities and markets for more growth and revenue. Change in organizations has attributed to the diversity in the markets; hence, contributing to a variety of needs and expectations form customers and collaborators. Organizational changed can be defined as the restructuring, reorganization and turnaround, and it occurs where major strategies and section of the organization are being altered or changed. However, although change is important the company or organization should ensure that as it transitions through change it must consider and meet the needs of stakeholders. Therefore, mangers should have to the ability to manage change in the organization. Change is a strategy for success and enhancing the performance of the organization. This essay proposes a specific organizational change, as well as, the reason for the change in the organization. Blackberry Limited, which was formerly known as Research in Motion Limited, is a company in question that I will propose an organization change (Rothwell & Roland, 24). The company is based in Canada and deals with telecommunication and wireless equipment, as well as, the provider of a secure high and reliable software for Mobile Device Management and industrial application. The company is commonly known for the development of blackberry brand of tablets and smartphones. The company should change their organizational strategy by reducing the workforce that was meant to save the organizations money that they do not have as another phone company’s such as Apple and Samsung have dominated the market. The reason for organizational change in Blackberry limited has been associated with the financial struggle they have gone through that has been; as a result, competition. The value of the proposed change is that it will help the organization in getting back where it was before its competitors entered into the market. This is because there has been an increase in the number of phone companies globally that are making smartphones that have the same features as those found in blackberry. Blackberry decided to lay off their employees as they could not raise enough money to cater for their salaries. However, in a memo released by CEO John Chen he indicated that the company had completed its workforce reductions that have been on for three years. For that reason, the company was willing to hire only if the market did not get worse. The workforce reduction was meant to help the organization during their financial constraints, and because it is imperative for an organization to change its leadership strategies to manage to cope with the competitive world of business. Thus, the value of the proposal will be aimed at making or helping Blackberry Limited save money as they do not require many employees during the unbarring downturns in the market that were unexpected. Specific objectives to be achieved The objectives that will be achieved in the organizational change in Blackberry Limited include first, with decreased work force in the organization money will be saved that will be used in other areas of the company. Increase productivity and effectiveness in that when there is too much workforce in the workplace, and there are no adequate jobs the productivity goes down, as well as, effectiveness. Thirdly, the workforce reduction will ensure that the employees who still have their jobs work towards achieving the goals and objectives of the organization. Lastly, the organization will manage to compete and place the company at better position as its competitors Samsung and Apple Outcomes and metrics of organization change When an organization has restructured and reconstructed itself it seeks to achieve different outcomes that are contributed by the change, and the involvement of the employees in the change. Therefore, the main aim of reconstructing the organization is to ensure that the things that are making the organization fail are improved drastically (Rothwell & Roland, 45). In this case, the achievements or outcomes that the proposal seek to achieve include first, workforce reductions will ensure that employees work towards the goals and objectives of the organization. This will in turn increase productivity in the organization because if the products are being bought in the market the organization. Secondly, the organization will increase its competitiveness among other brands as the number of people working on the brand will be more dedicated. Thirdly, the organization structure in reference to leadership will change because the workforce reduction will be less globally; hence, improving the management of the organization. Fourthly, there will be organization sustainability not only in terms of finances, but also on the effective management of the finances. Lastly, there will be productivity in the organization because there will be both customer and employee satisfaction. This is because there will be an increase in profit as the gadgets made will be to the satisfaction of the customers as the employees who have not been laid off will do their best to improve the organizations products. Persons involved in the organizational change The persons who involved in the organizational change included the Chief executive officer and the board of directors. Because they came up with a strategic plan that enabled the organization to lay down the workforce without facing any challenges. Strategic planning also requires that the managers stipulate the finances that will be used in the transitioning or the reconstruction of change in the organization (Rothwell & Roland, 56). Therefore, the CEO, Board of directors and stakeholders play a vital role in the organization change because they have to ensure that change has been achieved. Employees will also be involved in the organization change because they are being affected by the change as some of the t hem are leaving the organization. Therefore, the remaining employees will have to work towards ensuring that there is key to the improvement of the organization. In that, in Blackberry the IT department will play a major role in ensuring that the products that are sent to the market are of the best quality, and have all the features that smartphones have or even better. The smartphones should be competitive in the sense that, when they enter the market they will be widely accepted. Additionally, employees will be involved in organization change as they will market the products made by Blackberry to ensure that there will be productivity in the organization. Customers will also be vital in the organization in the sense that the products being made are made for the benefit of the customers. Therefore, the marketers must do a customer survey to ensure that the products they are sending to the market will satisfy the needs of the customers. This means that without the customers the company will not manage to accomplish most of their goals and objectives. Duration of change The organization requires a maximum period of three years and a minimum of two years. This is because the company requires some time to consider the proposal and establish whether it is workable. Secondly, the organization will establish funds that will enable them to pay the workforce that was redundant. In addition, after the approval of the proposal the organization needs to establish a market base that will establish what the customers want in terms of the features to be installed in the mobile phones or smartphones. Methodologies to be used to achieve organizational change After establishing that change is required in the organization, it is imperative to use the change models for organizational change to ensure that all the organizational change model goals are achieved. The methodologies use to achieve change include the critical research model, which assumes that every organization has an ideology or rationale about how decisions are made whether consistent or not (Rothwell & Roland, 67). An ideology justifies the functions and existence of the organization, and when a natural tension develops in the organization, it is believed that change should happen as critical research heightens the tension by pointing out the inconsistency. Secondly, there is the tradition action research model where action research has been the basis of many change effort. The traditional action research model is a simplification of complex activities that should or is intended to occur in a change effort in the cases where it is engaging, empowering and participative. Therefore, the model serves as a compass that gives direction to consultants when it comes to facilitating change in the organization. Thirdly, there is the appreciative inquiry that helps in thinking about recent changes in the recent years. The appreciative inquiry model is a way of being, a conceptual framework, a model and a process that guides change in the organization (Rothwell & Roland, 68). The model grows out of social construction thought, and it is cooperative co-evolutionary in searching the best in the organization, in people and the world around them. The model focuses on what is right in the organization rather than what is going wrong, what is motivating, energizing, as well as, the key strengths of the organization. Lastly, there is the evolving view of the action research model, which was reviewed by Burke, where he posited that what might be regarded as seeds for developing the action research model. There are three phases in this model which include the post-launch that requires the managers to be persistent, and move people beyond their comfort zone by managing avoidance mechanisms. Secondly, there is the launch that entails the initial activities and also deals with resistance. Lastly, the pre-launch phase that begins with self-examination, examination of personal disposition and decision making, the need for change, external environment and provides for clarity of vision and directions. This model is written to guide change for leaders in the organization. In conclusion, with the incorporation of the three models of change in the organization the organization manages to achieve all the key objective and to attain the change that is much needed in the organization. However, the organization must be ready to face the challenges that may occur during the implementation of the model in the organizational change. Work cited Rothwell, William J, and Roland Sullivan. Practicing Organization Development: A Guide for Consultants. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, 2005. Internet resource. Read More