Blog 3

Organizational change is an issue that most organizations face within their lifetime. Companies have been forced to embrace changes to adapt to the modern dynamic business environment (Sirkin et al., 2005). However, the human nature is predisposed to resisting change since people naturally have fear of the unknown. Many employees are unaware of how change will affect their role within the company, and their instinct is to oppose it. Consequently, many firms face conflict and opposition when implementing organizational change. For organizations to successfully implement changes, they should develop and execute a change management strategy.

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There are several benefits of implementing organizational change. The first is that it helps the organization to respond to the changing market needs. The modern business environment faces dynamic changes that relate to technological advances, consumer preferences, and political and economic impacts, among other factors (Sirkin et al., 2005). Corporations should adapt to these changes to continuously satisfy the market needs. Another advantage is that it helps firms to take advantage of innovation to attain competitive advantage. Companies that embrace changes and implement innovations and technological advances are likely to excel in their industry and become market leaders. Moreover, corporations such as Kodak failed to embrace the shift to digital photography and they consequently collapsed (Mui, 2012).

There are also certain steps that management should follow when implementing organizational change to ensure that it is successful. The first step is to disseminate knowledge to all employees and stakeholders on the need for change (Todnem, 2005). The organization should inform stakeholders on the need for change, its benefits, and how it will affect their roles within the company. The second step is formulating the change goals, and it entails developing clear objectives of implementing the changes. Developing a central goal provides a benchmark within which the success of the organizational change will be evaluated.

The third is formulating a change plan, and this step involves creating a practical plan for effecting the desired change, with clear guidelines on the role that each stakeholder will play in the process. The fourth step is implementing the plan, and it is a conscious effort by management and employees to apply the change strategy within the organization. Similarly, it should involve all stakeholders to ensure they feel that they own the process. Involving them will mobilize support towards the change efforts (Todnem, 2005). The fifth step is evaluating the success of the change management strategy, and it should be done periodically after the project is complete. The management should assess the benefits accrued from implementing the changes and assess them against the original change goals. In case the objectives have not been met, then the organizational change process should start afresh.

In conclusion, implementing organizational change is a conscious effort that most organizations perform to help them adapt to the changing market conditions where they operate. It enables them to adjust and satisfy the dynamic market needs, thereby creating a competitive advantage. However, many employees are reluctant to embrace change, and companies should therefore develop and implement a change plan, with the involvement of all stakeholders. They should follow all the steps that have been highlighted in this blog, and seek the support of all employees, to inspire them to own the process. Once the process has been completed, the management should evaluate the success of the changes based on the initial change goals. It should perform the process again in case the objectives of organizational change have not been attained. These strategies are useful in assisting organizations to adapt to market changes and seek the support of stakeholders when implementing organizational change.

References

Mui, C. (2012). "How Kodak Failed". Forbes. Retrieved from

https://www.forbes.com/sites/chunkamui/2012/01/18/how-kodak-failed/#11397d336f27

Sirkin, H. L., Keenan, P. & Jackson, A. (2005). "The Hard Side of Change Management".

Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2005/10/the-hard-side-of-change-management

Todnem, R. (2005). "Organizational Change Management: A Critical Review". Journal of Change Management 5(4), pp 369-380. Retrieved from

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233604011_Organizational_Change_Management_A_Critical_Review