...The Change Agent’s Strategy by Alex Bennet Surviving and thriving in a multifaceted world requires a multifaceted change strategy. Paraphrasing Ashby’s (1964) law of requisite variety, there must be more variety in the change strategy than in the system you are trying to change. So how do we change a complex organization to meet the challenges of this new world of exploding information, increasing uncertainty, and ever-increasing complexity? While there is certainly no simple answer---since change is situation and time-dependent---the change process for an organization moving toward becoming an intelligent complex adaptive system must engage every individual in the firm as well as external partners. Since organizational networks of people and knowledge have become more and more interconnected and more and more complex as the world has become more global, the larger an organization the more a self-organizing change strategy must come into play. An ICAS change strategy sets out to achieve what we call a connectedness of choices. This means that decisions made at all levels of the organization, while different, are clearly based not only on a clear direction for the future, but made in a cohesive fashion based on an understanding of both why that direction is desirable and the role that individual decisions play with respect to immediate objectives and their support of the shared vision. At the top level, a continuous increase of knowledge and sharing...
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...5 Four General Strategies for Changing Human Systems ROBERT E. QUINN SCOTT SONENSHEIN I n this chapter we articulate a new general strategy for effecting change in human systems. To do this, we return to the fundamental assumptions of organization development (OD). In examining the early arguments in the field, we identify an essential strategy that has never been made explicit. By developing this strategy, we open avenues for research and provide an action framework that will increase the effectiveness of change agents. FOUNDATIONS OF OD We begin with a review of the seminal paper published in 1969 by Chin and Benne, “General Strategies for Effecting Changes in Human Systems.” In the paper, Chin and Benne outline three general strategies for changing human systems: empirical–rational, power–coercive, and normative–reeducative. The empirical–rational strategy considers people to be rationally self-interested. An organization member adopts a proposed change if the following two conditions are met: The proposed change is rationally justified, and the change agent demonstrates the benefits of the change to the change target. In short, the rational–empirical approach emphasizes that if the target has a justifiable reason to change (i.e., if it is in his or her self-interest), change comes from simply telling the target about the change. Chin and Benne call their second strategy power–coercive. This approach focuses on change efforts in which a more powerful person imposes...
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...Implementation of Change The very first step to instilling major, dramatic changes across the board, is, of course, to establish a sense of urgency among top management and the whole organization. RadioShack needs to here the most blunt, truthful information about their organization; they’re obsolete, slow to adapt to change and are on the verge of total eradication from the business world. This leads to the next step: when other leaders, who values the organization in general, witness the legitimacy and truthfulness behind the intentions of the change agent, they develop more of a cohesive bonding with the change agent because their values and objectives are now of the same: the revival and survival of the organization. With this newly formed...
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...to resubmit the assessment. Refer to RGIT reassessment policy and procedure. 6. Unless the assessment task specifically allows pair work or group activities such as brainstorming, you must submit their own original work and are not permitted to copy the work of other students. Plagiarism is never acceptable. 7. Assessments must be submitted on their due dates. 8. Extensions are permitted in consultation with the trainer. Performance objective Candidates will demonstrate knowledge and skills required to influence groups and individuals. Assessment description Using the workplace scenario information provided, you will plan the implementation and resourcing of an organisational change strategy, consult with various stakeholders, and implement a key part of the change strategy. At all stages, you will build support for the implementation. Note: You will need to keep copies of the work you undergo in this Assessment Task for further use in Assessment Task 3. Procedure 1. Review the simulated business documentation, including policies and procedures, in Appendix 1 ‘Max Lionel Realty’. Review templates contained in Appendix 2 ‘Templates’ for possible use or adaptation in completing assessment task requirements....
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...detect, manipulate, exploit, or neutralize foreign intelligence services or terrorist group and protect the Army’s equities and personnel. CI support to Special Operations Forces is no different, yet demands that CI Agents...
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...In a progressively competitive and constantly changing business environment, organisations feel the need to look for quick change options, even if it means not giving proper consideration for the possible ramifications. Change theory argues that change must be considered and planned carefully. However, in this fast-paced business world, the complexities of change are sometimes overlooked in order to implement change quickly, especially in reactive circumstances, which leads to simplistic solutions and the search for one right way to change management. When possible though, change should be considered carefully so it does not act against an organisation’s strategic goals. This essay will firstly discuss the one right way to change and how no change theory is all encompassing, even though many models of change prescribe that it is the definitive change solution. The essay will look at environmental impacts that influence change. The punctuated equilibrium model and emergent change model suggest that the current business environment is volatile and unpredictable, which make planned change hard to achieve every time, especially when change is reactive. This essay will also discuss of the role of a change agent in organisations and whether using internal or consultant change agents affect the change process. On the surface, the one right way to change is unrealistic and potentially goes against the best interests of the organisation. Burnes (1996) argues that theory not only prescribes...
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...Center for Group Dynamics, particularly the early research by John R. P. French. The original French and Raven (1959) bases of power model posited six bases of power: reward, coercion, legitimate, expert, referent, and informational (or persuasion; Raven, 1965). Since then, as the result of considerable research, the model has gone through signiJicant developments. A more comprehensive model is presented here that reviews the following: various motivations of the influencing agent; an assessment of available power bases in terms of potential effectiveness, time perspective, personal preferences, values and norms; consideration of other strategies such as manipulation; utilization of various preparatory and stage-setting devices to strengthen olte’s power resources; implementation of the power strategies; assessment of effectiveness of influence attempt and its positive andl or negative aftereffects; use of various ameliorative devices; and review, reconsideration, and another round of influence strategies. The overall model is examined in terms of its applicability to various settings including hospital infection control, patient compliance with physicians’ recommendations, confrontations between political jgures, children’s influence on their peers, conflict resolution and negotiation, as well as supervisorlsubordinate relationships. More than 30 years have now elapsed since John R. P. French and I presented a typological analysis of the bases of power in interpersonal inThis...
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...LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE Nebojša Janićijević Belgrade University, School of Economics jnebojsa@eunet.rs MGT 597 ETHICS & LEADERSHIP References Mandatory Yukl G. (2010).Leadership in Organizations. 7th edition. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Supplementary Kotter J. (1996). Leading Chnage. Cambidge Ma.: Harvard Business School Press Janićijević N. (2009). Upravljanje organizacionim promenama. Beograd: Ekonomski fakultet . MGT 597 ETHICS & LEADERSHIP The process of organizational change management Initiating Diagnosis Creating vision Planning Motivating Power management Implementation Management of personal transition Stabilization Monitoring and control UNFREEZING MOVE REFREEZING MGT 597 ETHICS & LEADERSHIP Initiating changes The first step in change management The importance of leader’s mental change In order to initiate changes, a leader has to: 1. 2. 3. 4. Recognizes causes and drivers of change; Develops his own awareness of the necessity of breaking with status quo Develops his wish to make changes and to make decision to start changes; Identifies and appoint a change agent, define his roles and responsibilities and build productive relationship with him MGT 597 ETHICS & LEADERSHIP Model of causes of organizatioonal changes External soruces – changes in environment The inertia of organization Internal sources -. Changes in the company 1 Anticipation of the crisis External and / or internal misbalance 1 ...
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...Change is vital in every organization to survive and to keep up with the ever-changing technology and environment. They include globalisation, clashing cultures and diversity, changing technology, challenging economies, the need to be more efficient, innovative and responsive to customer demands, corporate social responsibilities, and aging and growing population (Thompson, 2009). In order to survive, organizations are required to constantly change so that it remains competitive with the changing environment Organization development is different from organizational change. It is primarily concerned with change that is goaled towards transferring the knowledge, skills and expertise needed to achieve goals and solve problems. The intention is to improve the organization in terms of problem solving, quality of work life, etc and moving the organization to a better direction or position in order to have better performance, lower turnover and higher job satisfaction in employees. Organizational change whereas, is more broad in perspective and can refer to any changes in the organization from change in organizational structure to technical or managerial innovations Organizational targets for planned change include changes in strategy, objectives, technology, culture, structure, processes, management etc. These change activities in the organization are managed, facilitate and implement by change agents. There will be a discussion on why organizations enlist the help of change agents...
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...Leading for Change Change Presentation 1. Is the need for change at Unitel a consequence of internally or externally driven factors? Explain your answer! Unitel’s need for change was driven by an external driven factor. An external driven factor is an outside influence that forces an organisation to adapt to the changing markets (new technology), population and economic situation, pushing the organisation to change and adapt to a new environment. It is evident that Unitel was formerly owned by the government but was later privatised in the early 1990s. When a company becomes privatised, this is categorized as an external factor because it goes beyond the control of the company. Significant changes in the external environment could include lowering trade tariffs or changes in government ownership policies, as a result of the change, the telecommunication company had experienced an ‘increased competition from foreign and local competitors’ and the ‘telecommunications industry has seen considerable innovation in terms of both products and services in recent years’. Senior management commented that Unitel needs to improve their culture to maintain its profits in the changing market. In order to improve their corporate culture, Unitel implemented a new corporate strategy, Vision 2020. Vision 2020 was developed by an ‘external management consulting firm’ which aimed maintain its name and profits by seeking excellence in their products, customer service, product delivery...
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...successful change agent. An effective and a successful change agent does not evolve overnight, but sometimes change agents are formed from the right combination of few characteristics like situation, vision, commitment to improvement, determination, intelligence, communication skills, etc. A change agent must have the capacity to overcome unmistakable difficulties that arise from working with energetic and self-motivated organizations. The proper evaluation of the method of interaction and communication plays a very important role in their intercession. They need to create connections that permit them to network and impact the diverse levels of individual society. Besides, the comprehension of the impact of society in the residential and worldwide companies permits change agents to choose procedures adequately that can influence people and firms to make the required amendments. They should ceaselessly upgrade their political and monetary wellsprings of data. These two components can impact the usage and result of the job performed by an agent especially in firms with strict controls. Also, they must have the capacity to recognize and comprehend the local perceptions of leaders in diverse settings which is of utmost importance for their prosperity as promoters of change. A change agent must also be open to learning, appreciating, adjusting to the diverse authoritative models with specific end goals and encourage the execution of new methodologies. I believe change agents should...
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...organisational change Steve Ryan, 17 Aug 15 INTRODUCTION Change is often forces upon organisations, be it through internal forces (e.g. a change in organisational strategy) or external forces (a change in government legislation or customer demand) (Jabri, 2012, p. 4). No matter the reason, it is important that managers, leaders and change agents are able understand the change process, predict issues and react appropriately. In an effort to further our understanding of organisational change, this paper will discuss how change is relational and, therefore, the product of mundane conversations. In achieving this, the paper will consider the meaning of organisational change, the meaning of conversations and social construction, and the role of conversations within change. In discussing these definitions and examining the role of conversations within organisational change, we will be able to highlight fictions within the change process and identify methods of negating them. UNDERSTANDING ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE The definition of change is one that has been discussed and debated by philosophers throughout the ages. An ancient criterion of change states that an object, x, changes if and only if there are distinct times, t and t’, and property p, such that x has p at t and fails to have p at t’, or vice versa (Lombard, 1978, p. 63). This criterion looks at change in the widest sense. To understand organisational change, we need look deeper into what creates change, how...
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...Improving a Change Reina Stewart HR587 Managing Organizational Change December 12, 2011 Executive Summary The name of the organization is Auto Club Group (AAA Michigan). ACG is an insurance company that has members in six states, MI, WI, IL, MN/IA. The members have insurance with AAA for auto, home, and/or life. The company also offers travel, membership and roadside assistance. The company has three call centers, Dearborn, MI; Grand Rapids, MI; and Omaha, NE. The call centers handle all the calls from members. Two of the call centers are twenty-four hours. My department is the Command Center, we monitor all three call center. My position is a Real-Time Coordinator. We have eleven RTC’s, seven at the headquarters in Dearborn, two in Omaha, and two in Grand Rapids. As a RTC, we monitor the agents on the phone to make sure the calls are getting answered. We are supposed to balance the service levels between all departments. The emergency roadside assistance is the department that is closely monitored. The department is also responsible for putting new employees in the systems and taking out the terminated employees. We are responsible for maintaining and updating employee schedules. The current software that was installed was IEX. The company learned at a conference there was a new version that would improve our daily routine. The company brought the new version, EWorkforce Management in hope of improving the system. The new system would improve real-time adherence, entering...
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...Leadership and Communication Leadership and communication goes hand in hand in all aspects of life. In order to be a leader worth being supported and followed one must have effective verbal and nonverbal communication skills. Along with exceptional communication a leader needs to develop both internal and external awareness. They must remember the audience they are addressing and how to get their point across. They will need to be aware of barriers that will be encountered and find ways to overcome them. Communication Strategies Associated with Effective Leadership There are vast amounts of communication strategies used for effective leadership. Leaders must remember the audience in which they are addressing or communicating with. Being a great talker does not necessarily translate to being a great communicator. A great communicator needs to have a high sense of situational and contextual awareness (Myatt 2012). A leaders also needs to prepare themselves to be a change agent. Audience Leadership will be more effective when keeping in mind the audience being addressed and how information given needs to be received. Audience is a vague term for a leader to address. It could mean on a more personal level like a one on one situation between supervisor and employee, a teacher trying to educate her students, or even the President of the United States giving a state of union to the nation. A leader may also want to take into consideration the generation they may be addressing. In the Generation...
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...Article Summary and Critical Review Human Resource Management A New Mandate for Human Resources By Dave Ulrich 1 Summary In recent times HR has been perceived as ineffective, incompetent and costly. A need has been felt for creating a new role and agenda to focus on the outcomes and deliverables enrichinhg the organisations value to customers, investors and employees. The four ways which should be adopted by the HR are ← It should partener with the management in executing the strategy ← Develop an expertise in organizing and executing administrative work efficiently. ← Become a medium of transferring employes concerns to the management and develop means to increase employee contribution. ← It should become a change agent, shaping processes and cultures for facilitating change in the organization. The primary role of transforming the HR role lies on the CEO and all line managers who have the main responsibility of achieving the business goals. Thus the line and the HR should form a partnership to make it focused on outcomes rather than activities. 1 Reasons for increase in importance of HR HR can play leadership role in meeting the following competitive challenges Globalisation – The HR must develop understanding and skills in ways of international customers, commerece and competition. It should facilitate the organization in increasing its...
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