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Transforming an Organization

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Running head: ORGANIZATION 1

Transforming an Organization
Linda Nance
MGT 435 – Organizational Change
Instructor: Dr. Brian Collins
October 12, 2015

Running head: ORGANIZATION 2

Transforming an Organization
Whether you have a large organization or a small one, the only thing that you can count on, the only thing that is constant is change. Change is needed in order to for companies to move forward and keep up with the needs of their customers. If you are the owner or the manager, you know that you need a change, but you are uneasy about the challenges that you may face, or unsure as to how to go about making the change happen. One organization that is constantly changing is Walmart. It is considered to be the largest retailer in the world (http://www.viewamerica.net/art/en-walmart.html). For a large organization such as Walmart they need to be able to keep up with the needs of the customers by reinventing themselves through change. Being relevant to customers and maintaining their high standards has been one of the reasons why Walmart has been so successful. Over the past eight years, I have had the opportunity to get a first-hand look at how the company has changed using different approaches such as Kotter’s eight step method – create an urgency, form a powerful coalition, create a vision for change, communicate the vision, remove obstacles, create short term wins, rebuild on the change, and anchor the changes in corporate culture.
The history of a company is important to change, knowing where the company began and how that company has gotten to their current position through the change process. Walmart began in 1962 with the vision of one man, Sam Walton, wanting to sell products for less and to give excellent customer service. He believed in leadership through service and had a servant leadership

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