Hrmt20028 | Factors Influencing Organisational Assessment Answers

The assessment requires you to undertake review of literature about organisational change. Organisations experience change due to many internal and external pressures. You are required to undertake review of literature using five guided questions below.

You will address of the five discussion questions below. Students are asked to have separate headings on each of the discussion questions. The use of 20 academic papers will be cited in this section of the essay.

Use headings to analyse and discuss the five questions below:

1. What internal and external factors play an important role in driving organisational change?
2. What role does senior management and line managers play in facilitating and implementing change?
3. What are some of the common causes of resistance to change?
4. What steps should organisations implement to ensure effective change process?


What strategies could organisations implement to ensure a change capable culture?

Answer:

Introduction

Change procedures are driven by various strategic considerations that includes need for enhanced and cohesive ways of working. These considerations results in structured change methods within organisations that are based on assumptions and theories aligned with unbiassed measures. However, scholars pinpoint on resistance to change and suggests to make close comparison between different organisational change theories while defining roles of effective change agents. Continuous adjustments are required by change programs that involves studying external and internal conditions of firms while operating in parallel to the progress of domestic change in organisations (By, 2005).  

Factors influencing organisational change

Source: (Ebrary.net, 2018)

Organisations undertaking change process have to face two major factors i.e. external and internal that plays important role in driving change. External factors are the ones in which organisations try hard to stabilize in terms of outflows and inflows. While internal factors relate to low productivity, decreased turnover, absenteeism, sabotage and reduced work performance (Rizescu & Tileaga, 2016). Kotter (1995) mentioned about different factors that affects change depending on the issue and situation. These factors can be related to technology innovation that causes radiant change. However, such changes may cost high and requires extra effort to learn. Phycological factors also necessitates change in which employees and management lacks tolerance, appreciation and often ends in conflicts. Lack of trust and insecurity becomes irresistible by employees that effects change. Sociological factors like societal issues and disinterest in work also adds to change factors (Brusseau, 2012).

In most of the case, internal factors that arises in regards to organisational change are planned to pact with external factors ( Carpenter, Bauer, & Erdogan, 2012). Every organisation has responsibilities and goals related to environment and the ones that remain dynamic. However, changes in political, social, technological, economic and legal environment forces change in organisations themselves. Such changes result in organisational change like labour management, production process, economic constraints, organisational methods, etc. Such change is desired due to several reasons, but mainly due to deficiency in firm’s practice and deficiency in managerial personnel. Nature in work force has also made many organisations adopt change management to avoid developing inertia ( Shahzadi , Javed, Pirzada , Nasreen , & Khanam , 2014).

Role of senior management and line managers in facilitating in change management process

Whenever a change takes place in organisations, senior management and line managers plays a very crucial role in facilitating and implementing change as they are closest to employees who need support in the process of change and behaviour triggered due to changes (Ionescu, Meruì, & Dragomiroiu, 2014). Changes usually affects the position of supervisors and seniors along with change in work culture for which management and line transitional mangers requires to build relationship with employees.

When employees are not sure about the reasons behind change and their future teams, senior management act as a source of information for them. Change management teams offers employees opportunities by giving them desired information (By, 2005). According to Lunenburg (2010), change agents or managers act as supporters for employees while they demonstrate the reasons behind change to gain positive outlook. Line managers on the other hand act as trainers who provide support to staff by training them according to change requirements. In literature, five phases in change process have been mentioned that are supervised majorly by middle managers. These are, realising the need for change, desire to participate in implementation and process of change, gaining knowledge, ability required for change and enhance employee’s behaviour towards change ( Engle, et al., 2017).

The theory of change manager’s role focusses specially in middle managers of firm and theorizes that they focus more on commitment to implementation and innovation by synthesising information through relevant examples and guidelines. Here the mangers also act as middle men who undertakes the responsibility of diffusing information to the employees by giving them strategical map of day to day activities. According to Yu, Gu, & Wei (2017), besides theoretical contributions, managerial implications suggest that bottom up management always result in positive change and thus effective change managers gives importance in building bottom up authorisation so that employees do not feel inferiority and accepts the change proximately.

Causes of resistance to change

In literature, whenever the topic related to change management process is discussed, factors related to it are given much significance as it mentions about stress and cultural change for which employees tend to resist (Pieterse, Caniëls,, & Homan, 2012). According to Hofstede’s theory on employee behaviour, an employee work performance is influenced by three principles that are organisational, national and occupational. National values are the ones that are driven by external environment and people, occupational values about professional and work-related experiences and organisational values the work environment. Some studies have found that whenever culture in organisations is discussed, companies identifies the way people behave with each other in organisational context (Serban & Iorga, 2016). Development of people’s culture often takes time and at times can become rigid and complex.

According to Khan, Raza, & Mujtaba (2016), “the more rigid the culture of an organization, the greater is the resistance of employees to change.” In the process, lack of communication act as key resistor behind change process. This is because employees start losing trust in its firm’s policy and if they are not communicated properly, they will never understand the reasons behind change. Although organisations implement change for better results, it effects the status quo where employees start feeling discontentment, uneasiness and mental anguish. Political dynamic also influences management decisions where people develop their own leaders who take responsibility for welfare of the union ( Y?lmaz & K?l?ço?lu, 2013). Furthermore, groups working in firms have to face differentiated powers and every time a change is facilitated, they lose their self-power and positions. If change tends to lose power, employees become resisted due to job insecurity and threat to their authority. Misunderstanding of process and fear of unknown authority along with threat to interpersonal relationships further adds to the reason behind resistance to change (Serban & Iorga, 2016).

Steps organisations implement to ensure effective change process

Many researchers have put forward many theories and models that defines operative steps which are immensely used by organisations to implement change process effectively. However, selecting best model further depend on the nature of organisation and reason behind change implementation. Understanding such becomes necessary so that change have significant and lasting effects (Cummings, Bridgman, & Brown, 2015). Lewin’s three-step change model steps includes steps that reduces forces in implementation process and helps organisation remain in current condition. Unfreezing stage can be accomplished by presenting new information and pointing out necessities for change of current deficiency in organisational state. After unfreezing, moving can be adopted where actual change takes place through identification, internalisation or change in structure. When all necessary changes seem to stabilize, freezing step in change process takes place where changes in norms and organisational culture is made permanent (Sarayreh , Khudair, & Barakat, 2013).

Source: (EDUCBA, 2017)

Building on Lewin’s change model, Kotter (1996) developed more detailed approach in change model by listing errors that leaders make while initiating change. According to Luneunburg (2010), these includes inability to modify sense of urgency and need for change, failure to communicate effectively, absence of vision, failure to provide short-term achievements and failure in anchoring effective changes in organisational culture. Based on all these errors, Kotter proposed eight-step model as shown in below figure that is immensely used by contemporary organisations to implement change in effective manner.

Source: (Edinburg Napier, n.d.)

Strategies organisations implement to ensure a change capable culture

Organisations face situations in which organisational changes needs to be made but at the similar time, these changes can bring potential inconsistent in existing organisational culture. Managing culture is significant when organisations faces changes especially in structural change that is directly linked to organisational work performance. In order to implement new changes, strategies require several changes in managerial assignments, structure, systems and operational procedures other than fundamental aspects of business. However, most of changes are hypothetically compatible with existing culture, there are few strategies that can leverage change capable culture within organisations.

Out of all, Five Forces-Field view in change management concept can be implemented which indicates change situations involved from moving to current situation to desired outcome. The current situation is in symmetry by two forces; one that facilitate movement to new condition and the other that restrains such movement. These forces can be identified to make management understand for developing a planned action or strategy in managing change process.

Source: (EQMS, n.d.)

However, Issah & Zimmerman (2016) argued that distinction must be made between change tactics and change strategies to ensure that the change process flows in specific action. Four types of strategies mentioned by the author are; facilitation of change strategies based on assumptions, attitudinal strategies based on premise. This shows change in behaviour which either provide attitude changes or help in maintaining employee behaviour. Finally, political strategies that depends on bargaining, withholding and competing scarce resources to accomplish effective change.

Conclusion

Much has been written in literature about change processes and best methods that can be adopted by organisations. Based on research, it has been found that not only external factor necessitates organisational change, but also any drivers due to internal factor may necessitate change process. To ensure effective change process and significant lasting effect, well known models like Kurt Lewin’s three-step model, John Kotter’s eight-step plan, Hofstede’s people behaviour and change resistance theories, Lewin’s five-forces field analysis, along with other models related to change management have been studied. Such frameworks along with potential change agents ensures successful change in organisations while diminishing negative impacts of it.

References

Brusseau, J. (2012). Business Ethics. Creative Commons.

By, R. T. (2005). Organisational Change Management: A Critical Review. Journal of Change Management, 05(04), 369-380.

Carpenter, M., Bauer, T., & Erdogan, B. (2012). Management Principles. Creative Commons.

Celik, A., & Ozsoy, N. (2016). Organizational Change: Where Have We Come From and Where Are We Going? International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, 06(01), 134-141.

Cummings, S., Bridgman, T., & Brown, K. G. (2015). Unfreezing change as three steps: Rethinking Kurt Lewin’s legacy for change management. Human Relations, 69(01), 33-60.

Ebrary.net. (2018). Organisational Change. Retrieved from https://ebrary.net/2906/management/organiational_change

Edinburg Napier. (n.d.). Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model. Retrieved from https://staff.napier.ac.uk/services/hr/workingattheUniversity/LandD/organisational-change/support/building-your-resilience/Pages/Kotter%27s-8-Step-Change-Model.aspx

EDUCBA. (2017). 5 Management Models That Can Help You Succeed in Your Career. Retrieved from https://www.educba.com/management-models/

EQMS. (n.d.). Lewin’s Force Field Analysis Used for Change Management. Retrieved from https://www.latestquality.com/lewins-force-field-analysis/

Engle, R. L., Lopez, E. R., Gormley, K. E., Chan, J. A., Charns, M. P., & Lukas, C. V. (2017). What roles do middle managers play in implementation of innovative practices? Health Care Management Review, 42(01), 14-27.

Issah, M., & Zimmerman, J. A. (2016). A Change model for 21st Century Leaders: The Essentials. International Journal of Pedagogical Innovations, 04(01), 23-29.

Ionescu, E. I., Meruì, A., & Dragomiroiu, R. (2014). Role of Managers in Management of Change. International Economic Conference, 16, 293-298.

Khan, M. M., Raza, M. A., & Mujtaba, B. G. (2016). Determinants of Resistance to Organizational Change: A Qualitative Study of a Non-governmental Organization in Pakistan. Journal of Educational Leadership and Policy, 01(03), 43-50.

Lunenburg, F. C. (2010). Approaches to Managing Organizational Change. International Journal of Scholarly Academic Intellectual Diversity, 12(01), 01-10.

Lunenburg, F. C. (2010). Managing Change: The Role of the Change Agent. International Journal of Management, Business and Administration, 13(01), 1-6.

Pieterse, J. H., Caniëls,, M. C., & Homan, T. (2012). Emerald Article: Professional discourses and resistance to change. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 25(06), 798-818.

Rizescu, A., & Tileaga, C. (2016). Factors Influencing Continous Organisational Change. Journal of Defence Resources Management, 07(02), 139-144.

Sarayreh , B. H., Khudair, H., & Barakat, E. A. (2013). Comparative Study: The Kurt Lewin of Change Management. International Journal of Computer and Information Technology, 02(04), 626-629.

Serban, A., & Iorga, C. (2016). Employees Resistance To Organisational Change Through Manegerial Reengineering. Challenges of Modern Management, 366-375.

Shahzadi , I., Javed, A., Pirzada , S. S., Nasreen , S., & Khanam , F. (2014). Impact of Employee Motivation on Employee Performance. European Journal of Business and Management , 06(23), 159-167.

Yi, Y., Gu, M., & Wei, Z. (2017). Bottom-up learning, strategic flexibility and strategic change. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 30(02), 124-141.

Y?lmaz, D., & K?l?ço?lu, G. (2013). Resistance to change and ways of reducing resistance in educational organizations. International Association of Social Science Research - IASSR, 01(01), 14-21