Introduction
It is a well-known fact that the strategy of an organisation is mandated by the environment that it operates in. It is also common knowledge that the current environment that organisations function in is far from stable. Organisations and their members are required to go through change if they are to perform at competitive levels in this turbulent environment, and as Robbins and Judge (2012) argue, radical change is sometimes needed. Organisations need to adapt to changing environments and Waddell, Cummings and Worley (2011) put forward that in order to cope with the challenges and opportunities they face, organisations have to confront the challenge of developing a suitable management style and culture that is appropriate for them.
While many companies will inevitably have to face a form of organisational transformation (OT), Waddell, Cummings and Worley (2011) argue that organisational development (OD), a collection of change methods that attempt to advance organisational effectiveness and employee well-being (Sinangil & Avallone 2001; Marshak & Grant 2008; cited in Robbins & Judge 2012, p. 263), is what many companies desire to engage in. The increasing scale and complexity of organisational change due to technological, political and social environments, and organisations themselves becoming more complicated and uncertain, has seen firms address OD from a strategic perspective (Jelinek & Litterer 1988; Buller 1988; Worley, Hitchin & Ross 1996, cited in Waddell, Cummings & Worley 2011, p. 20).
Lines (2004, cited in Robbins & Judge 2012) articulated that human and organisational growth, collaborative and participative processes, and a spirit of inquiry are valued by OD methods. The most critical resource a firm h...
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Organizational change, particularly large-scale change, becomes part of the company’s history; therefore, it is crucial that senior leadership plan the change thoroughly. Planning may include understanding the current state of the organization, the external and internal environment, and identifying the organization’s long-term vision simultaneously. Choosing the right approach is significant in the change process as it may be true with British Airlines’ wildcat strike blunder. This blunder is now added to British Airway history where they lost 40 million pounds because of an oversight. Ideally, changes in the organization will have minimal employee impact and operational disruption; however, this is not the case with British Airways when
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Organizational change is a very big risk for organizations. The process of change can be very difficult for employees as well as the leaders implementing the changes. The changes are usually planned to improve the company. However, sometimes change can destroy a company when things don’t go as planned. From a change in management to a change in the company structure, or way of doing daily task, organizations must carefully execute the process of change and use change strategies that will ensure success.
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This paper will be broken down into six sections profiling each critical part of implementing and managing change in an organization. The sections included are; outline for plan creating urgency, the approach to attracting a guiding team, a critique of the organizational profile, the components of change, and how to empower the organization.
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Organizations go through different life cycles similar to those of people. For example, people go through infancy, child-hood and early-teenage phases, which are characterized by rapid growth over a short period of time. Similarly, Organizations go through start-up, growth, maturity, decline, renewal and death. Employees in these phases often do whatever it takes to stay employed. (Ciavarella, 2001)
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Organisation must be aware that learning is necessary before they can develop into a Learning Organisation. This may seem to be a strange statement but this learning must take place at all levels; not just the management level. Once the company has expected the need for change, it is then responsible for crating the appropriate environment for this change to occur in.
The idea of change is the most constant factor in business today and organisational change therefore plays a crucial role in this highly dynamic environment. It is defined as a company that is going through a transformation and is in a progressive step towards improving their existing capabilities. Organisational change is important as managers need to continue to commit and deliver today but must also think of changes that lie ahead tomorrow. This is a difficult task because management systems are design, and people are rewarded for stability. These two main factors will be discussed with reasons as to why organisational change is necessary for survival, but on the other hand why it is difficult to accomplish.
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