Essay on Change

Introduction

Every company must exert effort in order to stay alive on the conduct of its business. Many factors may be used in order to survive however; change is one of the effective means for the company’s continuous existence. This essay is an answer to the statement of Daft (2007) that says, “Today every company must change and innovate to survive. Change is needed in answer to the changes that have been happening in the world, one of the best examples is the constant change of technology. As regards to innovation, it is necessary in order to answer the demands of the public.

Basically, this essay is in a recommendation type of report, in order that a company be successfully do the innovation and change process. In addition, this will discuss policies and programs on how an organization will be able to change effectively. A successful organizational change and innovation is the key in order for a company to have an efficient organization. Changing is never an easy task and it is taking for granted by some companies.

The topics presentation is the following: the meaning of change and its importance; a comprehensive discussion of the factors to consider in order to effectively carrying out change; the recommended strategic plan and its discussion, which will serve as the conclusion of this paper. The facts will be supported by references provided in the last part of this paper.

CHANGE

As one of the commonly used phrase, “Change is inevitable”. In the personal lives of every person, change is necessary in order to adapt to certain changes that has been happening in the society and environment. In an organization especially in a business organization change is also important. According to McNamara (2008), organizational change is the fundamental and radical reorientation in the way the organization operates. An organizational change operates wholly and widely in an organization in order, effectively implements change. To give further explanation, according to Wikipedia (2008), organizational change is a structured approach to transitioning individuals, teams, and organizations from a current state to a desired future state. A successful change in an organization will depend upon on the way the employees and the organization adopt on the aftermath of the change.

According to Dooley (1998), in the twenty-first (21st) century, we increasingly see a move toward the integration of methods and techniques from widespread disciplines into meta-methodologies for organization change. Methods of change are different some may see change in an organizational culture change, or organizational management change. However, in this essay organizational change will be taken as a whole.

The author will provide solutions on how organizational change will be able to accomplish in an efficient way. Taking in to consideration, several factors that will be able to help the organization fully adopt in its change state.

FACTORS TO CONSIDER FOR AN ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE

This portion will discuss by topic the factor that the organization must consider in order to have a successful change.

GLOBALIZATION

Globalization is the term used as the world is on its way to become a united nation, having only one leader and one economy that will determine the whole conduct of different states. According to Akindele, Gidado, & Olaopa (2008), globalization refers to the process of the intensification economic, political, and cultural relations across international boundaries. It is principally aimed at the transcendental homogenization of political and socio-economic theory across the globe. The need to understand globalization in the concept of organizational change is important.

According to the article found in Reference for Business Website (2008), organizations operate in a global economy that is characterized by greater and more intensive competition, and at the same time, greater economic independence, and collaboration. However, it is the perception of the author that not only organizations, which are operating in a global economy, will have to consider globalization. Organizations, which may be classified as small scale, company though not operating offshore the country will also benefit.

It was also stated in the website that one major consequence of globalization is greater mobility in international capital and labor markets. This creates a global market place where there is opportunity, because there are more potential customers. The importance of globalization is that it seeks to remove barriers from different country’s economy. It can be inferred that the removal of economic barriers, the company will be more at ease in offering its products to other country.

Taking the above explanation of the globalization with its importance, in an organizational change it is necessary to include the emergence of globalization in order for the company to see that the change to be effected will be flexible to the factors that will change thru globalization. Thus, the company must provide measures in order for it to survive fully with the change on economic status of the country where it was residing.

MODERN TECHNOLOGY

Today, technology is not only part of the society’s daily lives but it is “in” the lives of every people. Modern technology is the state of the development of technology wherein the birth of many different innovations and inventions for the progress of technology is constant. It is important to look at technology on the process of an organizational change because as technology is on the state of rapid it is necessary that an organization will be able to adapt to the changes of technology.

The best product of modern technology is computer and the internet. According to Micha (2008), “the computer is the cathedral of today. Google is a technological edifice that towers over much of our daily landscape. Where medieval peasants may have entered cathedrals to search for meaning, we routinely come to Google for links. We stare in to the brilliant colours of our computer screens and marvel at what we see.”

It can be inferred from the aforementioned paragraphs that technology also is revolutionizing. The adaptation of technology in one’s organization is necessary in order for the company to be more systematic. Computers provide software that will improve the system of an organization; internet has the tool to put a bridge to everyone, especially in communication. Today, many companies who are using the process of outsourcing its business utilize the internet in order to interact with consumers and its principal branch.

It is important for an organization to take into consideration modern to have a successful implementation of organizational change. Modern technology will determine the efficiency of the newly changed company because this would entail that the organization will not suffer due to its technological incapability.

ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

Organizational Culture is the primarily a sense of belonging which provides values and helps in change and crisis. According to McNamara (2008), organizational culture is the personality of an organization. Culture comprised of the assumption values, norms, and tangible signs of organization members and their behaviors. Looking at culture in the method of organizational change will be able to provide the organization on how to enact policies or programs to enforce change. Thus, it is necessary for an organization also to have a culture management in order to determine whether the need to change will be able to offer the best in the culture of the organization.

Culture management is a part of Human Resource Management or HRM, because there is a need to ensure that the organizational culture will be supporting the policies and programs of the change that will be effected. Culture is necessary in change because it is a collective and part of the organization that will be affected. According to McNamara (2008), there has been a great deal of literature generated over the past decade about the concept of organizational culture. He further stated that there organizational change efforts which are rumored to fail the vast majority of the time. The failure was credited to the lack of understanding about the strong role of culture and the role it plays in an organization.

Thus, the author highly recommends that an organization must be able to conduct a comprehensive study of the organizational culture. The organization is strictly advised to see to it that the plan to an organizational change must not result into a failure.

ORGANIZATIONAL POLITICS

According to Kreitner & Kinicki (2008), organizational politics relates to the behaviour that individuals or group engages in for their own benefit and often at the expense of the organization. Politics in an organizational determines the capacity of an organization on how the company amidst the fact that there may be an existence of bad politics. The need to take in to consideration organizational change is in order to minimize whether or not the company will have to minimize the bad politics inside the company or not.

According to Ratzburg (2002), organizational decision-making and problem solving, while seemingly a rational process, is also a political process. Organizational actors seek to satisfy not only organizational interest, but also their own wants and needs; driven by self-interest. Hence, in an organizational politics always involves the necessity to promote self-interest of another. In relation to organizational change, organizational politics is a factor to be considered in order for the company to see whether the company was basically functioning on the basis of self-interest of individuals who comprises the system of an organization.

According to Thibodeaux (1990), organizational development professionals have continued to be cautious in grappling with the political realities involved in the implementation of planned organizational change, despite the increasing acceptance of the fact that organizational change is inextricably linked with organizational politics. However, the author disagrees with this statement. The need to look at the political realities of an organization in the implementation of a planned organizational is vital, for the fact that organizational politics determines the capacity of the whole organization itself to handle changes in leadership and structure.

Organizational Politics also involves leadership. Effective leadership can make a difference in the operation of the organization. There is a strong correlation between the leadership and an organization’s performance. The meaning of leadership is enormous thus; the necessity to provide for the concept of leadership in this paper is not needed. However, the author will provide for a brief discussion on the relevance of leadership as part of organizational politics to organizational change.

In the concept of organizational change, if in the former state of an organization leadership is effective then it is necessary for organization it is future state, after change has been effected, to incorporate such system of effective leadership. However, if the organization had a poor leadership then the organization must into consideration the need to study what are the factors that had been the reason for such poor leadership.

LEARNING ORGANIZATION

Learning organization is also necessary in organizational change because this will push the change to be effected on how will the organizations and its member will be able to learn and adapt to the planned change. According to Senge (1994), learning organizations are organizations where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive p[patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning to see the whole together.

Thus, the author’s perception is that the organization must see to it that it is learning which is willing to expand its capacity and horizon especially in organizational change. If the organization is a learning organization, hence the need to easily implement change will be done. However, if an organization lacks the capacity to learn and adapt to sudden change it may nevertheless fail to change. The concept of learning organizational is not a fact that can be easily grabbed immediately; it is must inherent or a part of the organization that will undergo change.

DIVERSITY

Diversity is about the differences in lifestyle, thinking, education, processing information, and how agreement is reached. According to the Girl Scout Council of Southeastern MA, diversity means an understanding that each individual is unique and recognizing individual differences.

There are many employers that recognize the importance of attracting diverse employees, which is a strategic business imperative. There are authorities who claimed that change is needed in order to have a diverse campaign. However, it is the point of view of the author that diversity and change is interrelated in order that an organization will function well.

Diversity is a factor in order the planned change will be effected. As provided, if there is a massive difference of every members of the organization and there is no cooperation due to the reason of such differences hence the organization must effect change taking into the consideration that will probably bring failure to the needed change. On other hand, change without diversity will not also prosper. The importance of diversity in an organization is also needed. Diversity means differences, differences means a variation of views and individual characteristics, which will be the factor to effective carry out the needed change.

BARRIERS TO CHANGE

According to Lorenzi and Riley (2000), many organizational changes typically involve many different types and levels of personal loss for the people in an organization. This means a serious loss of personal and organizational significance involve changing the way people actually work. Barriers to effectively carry out change are a nuisance not only to the company but also to its progress. There is a need to study the barriers to change in order that an organization will be able counter such barriers and provide for a concrete solution in order to eradicate those barriers.

There are two types of barrier to change, organizational barrier, and individual members barriers. The following are under organizational barriers: structural inertia, existing power structures, resistance from work groups and failure of previous change initiatives. These specific organizational barriers to change are due to the fact that the whole organization lacks the cooperation in order to handle the organization effectively.

On the other hand, the following are the individual members barriers to change: tradition and set ways, loyalty to existing relationships, failure to accept the need for change, insecurity, preference for the existing arrangements; break up of work groups; different person ambitions; fear of loss of skills, income and the unknown; redundancy; and inability to perform as well in the new situation. The mentioned individual member barriers to change are due to the different perception of people to change.

However, individuals in order for the organization to make easily its organization progress in the answer to the changing society must accept change. Such barriers must be taken into consideration by the organization in effecting change in order that the presence of opportunity will likely happen. Furthermore, the abovementioned barriers must be treated in a positive way and should not be the reason why the planned change will not pursue.

RECOMMENDATION

The recommendation of the author to the organization that wants to effectively carry out change will be discuss in this portion. First, the organization is advised to conduct a study of the whole organization itself. The study must focus on the matters that have been greatly affecting the organization. The organization may use survey or conduct researches in order for it to have a comprehensive on the matter. Studying the whole organization is the first step in effecting change in order to see whether the organization will respond positively to the change or not. In addition, on whether the organization is already mature to undergo change.

Second, the organization must set different committees as regards to the factors that have resulted positively and negatively. Such committees must take into consideration the matters discussed in the upper part of this essay. Such committees will formulate theories on how individual members and the organization itself respond to the change.

According to Randall (2004), in managing change, focus groups must be established across the organization, breaking down functional boundaries and working progressively on core ideas, business problems, and value change analysis.

Third, measures to be adopted by the organization must be coordinated with all the members of the organization. This coordination and communication will ensure that all the members of the organization will air out and recommend matters that in their own opinion or belief will be vital to the planned change. The measures, as subject to amendments based on the matters communicated by the members, will be done. The amended measures must ensure that it will provide on why some suggestions or recommendations were taken into consideration or not. This type may seem to be time consuming however, such system will remove bias and discrimination. According to Kreitner and Kinicki (2008), report research, which showed that co-operation, is superior to competition in promoting achievement and productivity in teams.

Fourth, the measures to be implemented must be flexible, which means that it can be easily adopted by the whole organization. It must have eradicated the bad side of organizational politics, but must promote good politics within the organization. It must also give the guidelines on how effective leadership will be observed. Lastly, the measures must be a product of the good communication process of the organization and not of separate identity of the corporation.

Fifth, the measures of implementation of effectively carrying out change must be properly coordinated and discussed with the members of the organization. In proper implementation, the members are needed to fully subscribe to the measures because this will determine the positive result of the effected change. According to Greenburg (2003), norms for individual behaviour are largely defined by an individual’s role within a context of a network. As individuals interact with others, a network of roles and their attending behavioural expectations known as role-sets are established.

Therefore, the capacity of the organization depends on the way its member will be able to adapt to change. As the measures that will be adopted by the organization in changing will have a positive resulted hence the whole organization may adapt to future planned changes in an easy way. Barriers will be eradicated and benefits will exist. As change will produce positive benefits to the individuals and individuals will have the opportunity to participate and shape the outcome.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS

Akindele, S.T., Gidado, T. O., Olaopo, O. R., 2002, Globalisation, Its Implication and Consequences for Africa, African Postcolonial Literature in English, Africa.

Greenburg, J., 2003, Organizational Behavior: the State of the Science, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah, NJ.

Kreitner, R. & Kinicki, A., 2008, Organizational Behaviour, Mc-Graw-Hill/Irwin, New York.

Lorenzi, N. and Riley, R., 2000, Managing Change: An Overview, J. Am Medical Information Association. USA.

Randall, J., 2004, Managing Change, Changing Managers, Routledge, New York.

Ratzburg, W., 2002, Defining Organizational Politics, Unknown Publisher and Publication Date.

McNamara, C., 2008, Organizational Culture, Authenticity Consulting, LLC.

Senge, P. 1990, The Fifth Discipline Field book: Strategies and Tools for Building a Learning Organization.

JOURNALS

Thibodeaux, M. 1990, Organizational Politics and Planned Organization Change: A Pragmatic Approach, Organization Management, p. 15.

Micha, 2008, ‘The Meaning of Art, The Purpose of Technology’, The User Advocate Group, 2 January.

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

Dooley, J. (1998), A Whole-Person /Systematic Approach to Organization Change Management, retrieved at <http://www.well.com/user/dooley/change.pdf> , 20 May 2008

Girl Scouts Council of Southeastern Massachusetts, Diversity, retrieved at < http://www.gscsm.org/resdiveintodiversityD.pdf> 21 May 2008.

Reference for Business,2008, Trends in Globalization, retrieved at <http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Tr-Z/Trends-in-Organizational-Change.html> 21 May 2008.

Wikipedia (2008), Change Management, retrieved at <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Change_management_(people)> 21 May 2008.

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