Organization Diagnosing Change Analysis
Section One
Organisation Diagnosing Change Models
A diagnostic model can be defined as construction for identifying, analyzing as well as interpreting information in a particular circumstance to recognize possible needs. Diagnostic models play a significant role in evaluations. An evaluation could gather a range of data.
Nonetheless, unless there is some framework that can be used to tell what information to collect and how judgments about that information are to be made, the analysis may become a very devastating and baffling venture. A diagnostic model has various roles. These include proposing some standard of performance about how a quality business should be working, including information about the quality of its overall anticipated outcomes, practices within the organization, and how the same methods are incorporated with each other. It should also be able to suggest the particular types of information that need to be collected to make a comparison of the current performance of an organization with the recommended set of performance. Lastly, a diagnostic model should be able to make an easy comparison of the actual performance of the organization to the ideal standard of performance to create recommendations to advance the execution of that particular organization (Smith, 2011).
There are several types of diagnostic models for organizations which can be used to improve the performance: strategic planning, balanced scorecard, business process reengineering, management by objectives, benchmarking, total quality management, learning organization, Weisbord’s Six Box Model, cultural change, system-based model, quality management, knowledge management, outcome-based evaluation, and program evaluation, Lewin’s change management model, The McKinsey 7-S model and Kotter’s theory (Bateh et al. 2013). Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
Kurt Lewin’s Change Model
Management entirely entails the formulation of organizational goals and developing the most effective strategic approaches to achieve the set goals. Optimal productivity in an organization is obtained through the application of effective and efficient strategies. Organizational change entails the development of the right strategic strategies suitable and effective in the given organization. Organizational change should take place smoothly and through a simplified process. Kurt Lewin’s model is developed based on only three steps. These stages entail the freezing, altering, or changing the means and the unfreezing of the activities. The model elaborates on a simplified and applicable model for facilitating the change process. According to the model, the change process entails creating a perception that alteration and change are required. The process then involves moving towards the desired levels of behavior and solidifying organizational culture. The model is widely used across the world as the desired benchmark for the majority of modern change models (Cummings, Bridgman and Brown 2016).
Fig 1. Simplified Kurt Lewin’s Change Model (Burnes and Cooke, 2013).
Unfreezing
Before preparing a meal with frozen ingredients, unfreezing becomes the initial step in the process. The change goes through the same process; this is because of the expected resistance from the people. The goal during the unfreezing stage is to develop awareness for all the stakeholders of the organization and offers a long-lasting strategy towards achieving the objectives of the organization. People will naturally resist change in the long run. The stage ensures the creation of awareness; create acceptability of the new development approaches. Outdated approaches of thinking and organizational structures must be carefully evaluated to ensure the labor force understands how significant organizational change is required. Communication plays a vital role in the unfreezing stage. Employees should be informed on the importance of the process and involved in the development of these strategies that will steer the company towards the achievement of its objectives in the long run. The involvement of employees in the unfreezing is classified as a motivational incentive to the employees. Employees involved in the decision-making process are more competitive compared to organizations that are managed without the consultation of the employees (Burnes and Cooke 2013).
Changing or Transformational Stage
According to Lewin, this is a critical stage after unfreezing as the process can begin. Lewin elaborates that change is a process where the organization moves into a new state of existence. The scene is also called transforming or moving and is characterized significantly by the implementation of change. At this stage, the difference is observed. Significantly, this is the stage that also keeps people struggling with the new reality of transformation within the organization. At the scene, people begin to learn and adopt new organizational culture, processes, and also methods of implementing change processes. The involvement of all the stakeholders should be carried out to enhance the smooth transition. The more the employees are prepared for the organizational change, the more they are suited to complete the set goals and objectives. Employee’s communication, education, support, and time are critical for employees as they become familiar with transformation. Organizational change must be carried out in a dignified manner and planned carefully before the development of an execution plan. The employees should be regularly reminded of the importance of the process and its significance if accomplished to the end (Burnes and Cooke 2013).
Refreezing Stage
According to Lewin, refreezing represents the act of reinforcing, solidifying, and stabilizing the new state of the organization after the implementation of the change process. The transformations made to the structures, goals, and methods are refrozen as the adopted status quo. According to Lewin, the stage is critical in preventing the stakeholders from going back to the old approaches of carrying our activities. Suitable and effective strategic methods should be developed to ensure the gained progress is not lost, and the organizational culture should be developed and implemented by all the stakeholders. Positive rewards and acknowledgment of individualized efforts are utilized in the reinforcement of the new state. This is based on the argument that positivity behavior is likely to be repeated (Burnes and Cooke 2013).
However, various critics have explained the stage as an outdated approach due to the continuous need for transformation. Critics elaborate by telling that it’s unnecessary to freeze a new state when there are higher chances of re-evaluation in the short run. However, as developed, if the stage is not well developed, there are higher chances of the employees reverting to the traditional way of doing things. Taking one step ahead and two backward can be a challenge to an organization in the long run. Taking one step forward and two steps back can be a common theme when organizations overlook the refreezing step in anticipation of future change (Hussain et al. 2018).
Weisbord’s Six Box Model and its Application on Pemancar Company
Management of an organization has a critical role in establishing the competitiveness of an organization in industry and developing the right strategic approaches as competitive approaches. Weisbord’s six box model is an expanded theoretical framework that is used in the management across industries to disorganize issues that are not common to the executive management team. The model is developed based on six possible areas of interest to explore the significant linkages and limitations of an organization in the long run. The analysis is developed to ensure the organization performs to its optimal. The model is critical in the sense that some organization is large and the executive may fail to realize the full potential of the organization in question. The complexity of large organization makes it difficult to determine the right stage to start in developing the full potential of an organization and correcting the mistakes within the organization (Zaffar, Naeem and Jamal, 2018).
According to Weisbord, asking the right questions regarding departments within the organization is critical in the realization of the organization’s potential. The principle aim of the process is to reveal the information you were previously unaware of and possibly explore the areas of organizational weakness.
Fig 2. Weisbord’s Six Box Model (Zaffar, Naeem, and Jamal 2018).
Purpose
Understanding the purpose of the organization is critical towards the realization of the objectives of the organization. Acknowledging the primary vision and mission of the firm and asking the relevant questions as executive management of the organization plays a critical role in achieving the objectives of the organization. The administration should evaluate how these goals fit the organizational competencies and develop the right strategy to achieve optimal results. The setting of the goals also ensures every employee is aware of them and contributes towards their design as a motivational factor (Zaffar, Naeem and Jamal 2018).
Pemancar, a manufacturing company found in Peninsular Malaysia, failed to attain its manufacturing targets consistently. Danial keeps thinking of the measures he is going to put in place to make sure the objectives of production are achieved and costs contained. One of the critical and initial stage realizations of the full potential of the company is through the application of the purpose question on the Pemancar. The company has the potential of being among the competitors in the industry, however the establishment of its major strengths and competitive advantage in the manufacturing industry.
Structure
According to Weisbord, exploring questions regarding the structure of an organization is critical towards achieving organizational goals. Understanding and evaluating the formation of an organization is a positive strategy towards the achievement of Pemancar goals. Danial, as the manager, should aim to understand the nature of the organizational design before embarking on the transformational change. The structure should be organized accordingly to ensure the flow of communication across the organization.
Firstly, determine the nature of your organizational design, who reports to whom, and who does what. This can then be aligned with the processes of the organization to determine how well they are being supported. More specific questions about communication pathways, for example, can then be asked to determine how efficient these processes (Masoud, Sinaki, Naghavi, and Ali 2017). Danial realized that Pemancar workers had been stressed due to failure to attain their production objectives, as a result of the reduction of employees. The staffs were so nervous that further cutbacks would be made shorter or they will be asked to quit their jobs without early notice. This is probably one of the reasons why the company has not been able to achieve its targets. In this case, Weisbord elaborates on the importance of structure questions as an initial stage towards the formulation of the right strategy to fully realize the potential of the organization (Ahn and Kwon, 2018).
Relationships
According to Weisbord’s Six Box Model, relationship questions are critical to the development of a sustainable organization. The connection is essential to the exploration of team dynamics, collaboration, and communication occurring within the organization. Lack of proper communication channels creates confusion and a lack of precise approaches to achieving organizational goals in the long run (Masoud, Sinaki, Naghavi and Ali 2017).
In this Pemancar Company, superiority is determined by how long the person has served the company rather than accomplishment. This has affected communication flow between departments inside the company; as a result, some department heads take lightly issues painted by other departmental assistants. It is the responsibility of the managers to break down barriers among departments to facilitate teamwork according to the total quality management diagnostic model. According to the Weisbord, asking managers evaluation through the question relationship is critical towards aligning communication channels essential to the productivity of an organization (Ahn and Kwon, 2018).
Rewards
` Motivational incentives are critical to the development of an organization in the long run. The motivation is essential to the determination of employee’s performance and can be the unlocking key to organizational performance. According to Weisbord, it’s not only essential in determining the number of employees awarded but the work and productivity assigned. Lack of recognition can have a negative motivation implication to the employees.
Leadership
A leadership question is a critical consideration that should be critically analyzed in an organization. A leader should be developing a balanced approach that will necessitate its competitiveness in the industry. It is the mandate of the managers to ensure all the elements are running smoothly (Ahn and Kwon, 2018). Weisbord suggests asking leadership questions are critical towards establishing a long-lasting solution. Through a critical analysis of the case study, feeble supervisors are one of the significant challenges. This was in regards to delivery communication, attitude, and responsibility. The administration visualized that administrative skills are not learned at once. Total quality management emphasizes that managers should introduce an education and training program for constant enhancement and upgrading of employees.
Supporting Mechanisms
The productivity and competitiveness of an organization significantly depend on supporting communication mechanisms. According to Weisbord, assessing supporting tools is critical towards the establishment of a competitive organization. Budgeting, planning, and control systems should be well established to ensure the company is on a competitive firm (Ahn and Kwon, 2018). The Pemancar Company lacks proper leadership and thus lowers competitiveness in the long run. Weisbord’s six box model may not solve all the general and existing problems and questions within an organization, but it’s classified among the best tools for starting the transformation process. Through the use of an item, it is a practical and logical tool for investigating all the critical performance areas of an organization for possible weaknesses (Pinto, 2019).
Section Two
Interventions I Would Implement in this Case Study
Human Resource
Many organizations take employee training less seriously. Studies reveal that workers that don’t feel are raising in business are twelve times more probable to depart. A number of these organizations perceive employee training as costs and not assets. Companies should strive to realize what their workers are after and deliver on it. It is a great business opportunity to invest in your employees since it creates you an exceptional standing in the market. Engaged employees help to build better relationships with your clients.
Given that workers are more in touch with consumers, their thoughts and feelings are a better representation of your company (Cummings and Worley, 2014). Engaged employees can perk up client service and can lead to an increase in sales. Staff engagement also fosters loyalty .by, putting first your employees, you can help them relate with your company’s objectives and find a universal motive. Doing this creates trust and shared respect between the boss and the workers (Pinto, 2019).
When employees have been trained well, they become well prepared to spot and utilize passing chances. This will, in turn, benefit the organization. Every company should find the most significant ways to instill great relationships with their workforce (Hayes, 2018). There are several examples of how best companies are ensuring their employees are their top priorities. For instance, the company offers everything from laundry amenities to places for naps. They also provide free meals, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They give their employees’ health and dental benefits to make employees happy.
Listening to your employees is also a considerable investment. Involving your employees makes them feel appreciated and also helps you find new ideas and perspectives. Virgin is an excellent example of a company that listens to its workers. It realizes that every human being has the potential to come up with the next grand idea. The main lesson here is that employees have a lot of insight that is useful in improving the quality of service (Hayes, 2018).
A flat organization structure can also be adopted. This is where there are fewer management levels between leadership and workers. This kind of organization facilitates communication between everyone involved and allows ideas to flow easily (Cummings and Worley, 2014). Challenge your employees, Adobe is known for its generous perks, holiday pay, retirement plans, and medical insurance and education reimbursements. This firm also provides its workers with exigent projects then makes follow up with all the support they need to meet them. As a result, they usually deliver incredible products to the market (Du, Wu, Liu, and Hackney, 2019).
Techno-Structure Barriers Analysis
This entails a critical analysis of existing structures within the organization and developing the most applicable approach towards the achievement of the set goals in the long run. Among these barriers are tools, practices, policies, and individual conduct that keep workers from doing their roles most diligently. The barriers can be internal to the organization or personal to the worker. If the barriers are personal to the worker but lead to problems with performance may be resolved by the member of staff himself. Such restrictions include; poor habits, financial issues, family concerns, and other choices concerning the employees’ lifestyle. Even though bosses may be compassionate, they should not act as the counselors of the worker but keep their discussion focused on the performance of the worker and its impact on the company. Sometimes the barriers may be internal to the company, for example, policies, management practices, procedures, lack of critical resources like computers, and also customer and vendor issues (Du, Wu, Liu and Hackney, 2019).
The ability to do away with such barriers for your workers is one of the most influential apparatus a director can exercise. A firm should strive to provide its employees with all the equipment they desire and require to complete their work. Even in cases when the cost of the apparatus is a strain for the company, it should do anything possible to provide them (Abbah, 2014).
It is evident that not all barriers domestic to any firm are easy to identify and resolve. However, having to talk and listen to workers, making observations and walking around your company, maintaining contact with the vendor-client issues are some of the measures you can put in place to spot and get rid of barriers to ensure your organization is operating efficiently and blissfully (Pinto, 2019).
Section Three
Low employee morale
In many instances, workers hate change unless it is one that they asked for it. This means that they are the main obstruction to change. For instance, if you are altering your organizational structure from a flat structure in which all workers are expected to give response and take part in decision making to a top-down structure in which the manager is the chief decision-maker, you can expect employee morale to lower since the staff realizes that they are losing authority to have a say in how things are done in the company (Bateh et al., 2013). Low morale is likely to cause resistance among employees, which will make it hard for the manager to facilitate a smooth transition.
Lack of consensus
The resolution to execute changes comes from the top level of the organization. There is a need to involve all management-level staff by getting them on board to be able to deal with those particular changes. If you did not have everyone on board since the beginning, you should show managers how the proposed modifications would affect the company and the steps for implementing the changes to help them get on board if they initially have uncertainties (Canning and Found, 2019).
Recommendations for addressing these resistances
Effectively engage employees
The firm should obtain and react to the opinion given by staff. Workers are the ones ensuring client happiness and also ensure that all the work gets done. It is, therefore, essential to keep them on top (Du, Wu, Liu and Hackney, 2019). Managers should ask workers prying questions like: are the changes functioning? What can we do to better the performance? Do you have any concerns? If the opinion is available, it should be read and put into use. The responses can help alter the plan accordingly and prove to the workers that their thoughts and concerns are being heard (Canning and Found, 2019).
Communicate change effectively
The greatest way for an employer to communicate change is to openly inform the staff of what is going on. Combining formal and informal communication ensures all workers obtain information about the changes. Using communication outlets like email, face to face meetings, company intranets, and town halls ensures the conversation will reach crosswise the organization. Using several different means to pass messages concerning change could help clarify the goals, visions, and expectations for what should happen and the reason it should happen (Bateh et al., 2013).
All types of organizations frequently change, since as companies develop, businesses have to advance. In order to respond effectively to ever-changing demands, companies should be ready to improve continuously. Managers must recognize the essence of change and identify and deal with sources of resistance. The key to thriving organizational change is to engage the staff in every step of the process (Abbah, 2014).
References
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