Management of change

Question 1

What are some common barriers of change within an organisation 4

Answer 1

Employee fear- it may leave to job losses, due to reasons such as improvements of technology as employees feel like they can’t keep up with the pace

Resource limitations- don’t have the necessary capital to influence the change. Brining in new inversions may not be ideal a they may want to take the business in a different direction and loans may restrict the cash flow

Uncertainty- fear of the unknown, many businesses like to stay in a comfortable zone and be weary to make decisions

Resistance - need to have enough employees behind the change otherwise it wont be successful as they can help push the idea

Question 2

Identify the approaches of managing change

Answer 2

Top down
Action centred
Participative
Negotiated
Piecemeal

Question 3

What is the top down method of change 3

Answer 3

• change is implemented quickly
  Usually used in big organisations in one off emergencies eg change in legislation
• autocratic (managers decide what to do

-little to no attention of idea is given to the employees

-

Question 4

What is the action centred method of change 4

Answer 4

• pilot based solution

-there’d a lot of solutions to the problem that need changed

• pilot one solution in a targeted Small area, and depending on the success, the idea is either implemented or not
• this method is easy to make changes

Question 5

Whats the participative method of change

Answer 5

• similar to negotiated

Full input on employees through discussion which reduces resistance

Feedback of information is used for problem solving and so the people who participate will be committed to implementing change

Question 6

What the negotiated method of change 2

Answer 6

-opposite of top down

Change is implemented through a bargaining process with employees, employers and stakeholders

Trade unions may be involved to ensure all voices of the employees are heard

Question 7

Whats the piece meal approach to change 3

Answer 7

• small incremental changes to b made over time

Build confidence within the business as taking small steps seem less risky

If the change isn’t working out then it can be reversed before the whole change is completed

Question 8

Whats the benefit of top-down 3

Answer 8

• top level management has good experience and a has a holistic overview. so can make change inline with business objectives and strategy mission

-works best in a crisis as decision making is short and the survival of the business may be at risk . this is because it is swift with little delays

-if change is inevitable then this is an efficient method of implementation- this is especially true when the main change is an external factor , such as economic changing to the government

Question 9

Whats the disadvantages to the top down approach of change 3

Answer 9

• staff resistance could increase- feel overlooked and undervalued which can increase staff turnover
• employees on lower level of the hierarchy have skills, knowledge and experience but these views aren’t taken into account, may not get the best decision as only top level managers deals with this change

-it can create motivation to be low and a culture if low morale which may resistance the change and a low staff retention rate

Question 10

Whats the advantages of negotiated and participated 3

Answer 10

• change is more likely to be successful as everyone is involved, and come out with the best delicious of change as everyone has different ideas
• forsters trust between employees and management, reduces staff resistance and improve moral

-creates an effective and competitive change, allows many skills, knowledge and experience to contribute

Question 11

Whats the disadvantages of negotiated and participative. Method of change 3

Answer 11

• these methods are time consuming as they involve lengthy discussions through the ice of quality circles, which also may be costly to take staff out of their work

Not effective in situation of urgency or where there is an unnegotiable outcome, this is due to too many people needing consulted and they all may have different views

• trust can be easily damaged if management retract power, made result with trade unions

Question 12

Whats the benefit of the change approach actioned centred 2

Answer 12

• allows businesses to try out possible solutions on a small scale limited time before making a permanent change, less resistance as intimadating
• all employees have different options from having an input which leads to better decisions and contingency strategies are formed

Question 13

Whats the disadvantage of being action centred 3

Answer 13

Doesn’t work in urgency, taking to much of a lengthy time due to too many people needing consulted and they all may have different views

-piloting ideas can be a lengthy and expensive process, if you retract the change because its not working

• doesn’t work if driven by and external factor- its part of a continues improvement an not suitable for large changes

Question 14

What’s the advantages of the piece meal approach for change 3

Answer 14

• it will create certainty for the business, employees will come accustomed to the change which will build confidence for the business
• gradual changes are less likely to result in staff resistance which makes people more comfortable do do gradual change due to it reducing risk

Question 15

What are the disadvantages for the piece meal approach for change 2

Answer 15

• a sense of overall change may be loss ad the smaller changes may conflict with each other
• some staff may be upset which can cause demotivating- decentralised changes may not be fairly rolled out across the firm

Question 16

what are change agents

Answer 16

Change agents are the people responsible for bringing out change

They can be key in ensuring the change takes place

Question 17

What can a change manager do 4

Answer 17

• they manage employees expectation and make realistic goals
• they can educate and inspire colleagues and ease them through the process
• change agents can be tasked with getting some employees on board and can be given a budget to introduce incentives

-they monitor and control the change process ensuring all interested parties are kept full briefed

-managing budgets- adjust spending and dont go over budget

Question 18

What are the factors affecting the success of a change agent 3

Answer 18

• familiar with the organisational policies- have to have expertise with dealing with different situation. But get to know the organisation
• work well with staff- staff resistance is a big resistor of change and the change agent must ensure they have support from staff
• organisational culture- must ensure culture is in line with the change that needs to take place

Question 19

Whats the benefits of a change management process 5

Answer 19

• change will be introduced gradually to allow staff to take on board the changes- less staff resisting the change

-success of the programme will be monitored- any errors will be identified quickly and be resolved efficiently

-good communication will minimise informal communication- start rumours and result in resistance for change

-if employees are involved with he change management- they will be aware as to how their roles and responsibilities have changed

-individuals will know how the change affects them- supported staff are less stressed and more productive

Question 20

whats the importance of managing change 4

Answer 20

• reducing the impact of barriers of change eg during unfreezing it will encourage a new transition to the new environment
• good communication will ensure people know what will happen; they will ‘buy into it’ and the changes are more likely to be successful
• letting individuals know how the changes will affect them eg during the chnages stages the organisation can keep up to date with developments and being bale to provide answers to questions, minimising concern and the resistance in the changing stage

-if changes aren’t properly managed then employees can become demoralised and worried about their positions, which hinder the change due to industrial action

Question 21

whats the overall evaluation of top-down 2

Answer 21

decisions are made quickly to ensure that the change isn’t drawn out and a long process

• workers may resist the change if they feel they haven’t been consulted - result in delays of change and can demotivate staff

Question 22

negotiated/ participative evaluation 3

Answer 22

marked aswell

employees will feel involved with the decisions regarding the change and therefor will be more likely to embrace it (1)
-this allows for two way communication as employees may have some good ideas (1)
however this may be a lengthy process as it takes time to consult with employees on the chnage process

Question 23

what the evaluation of the piecemeal approach 5

Answer 23

• employees become accustomed to the change as it is gradually introduced which can help build confidence for the future
• can reduce the pressure on staff of implementing change, reduce the chance of industrial action and work disputes which can increase the speed of change

-staff rewards can be linked to parts of the change and employee participation and achievement which can motivate employees and embrace the implement of change

• focusing on smaller changes may distract the overall objectives of the business

-there could be other changes during that time which could reduce the effectiveness of the initial change . a overall sense of direction could be lost as the change is implemented bit by bit

Question 24

evaluation of action centred 3

Answer 24

• by everyone agreeing the best option, employees will be involved in the decision making process and will understand how the final decision was made

allows a business to try out possible solutions on a small scale for a limited time before making the permanent chnage

-pikoting various options will be a lengthy and expensive process and this approach wont suitable in a crisis situation or in a sudden change of external factors

Question 25

benefits of having a change making programme 5

Answer 25

implementing change reduces the risk of business failure as it improves the performance on organisational systems

-helps a business pursue their aims and objectives in a more effective and efficient manner

-reduces reliance on specific systems or technologies and increases the ability to adapt when these become inefficient and outdated

-the rapid implementation of changes in operations when required will give an organisation a competitive edge over its rivals

-change is managed and a planned process. change is known before implementation and serve as motivators and assessment of progress

-

Question 26

advantages of change management 6

Answer 26

• employee performance is increased when staff feel supported and understand the change process
• increased customer service and effective service to clients from confident and knowledgeable employees

-supports a smooth transition from the old to the new while maintaining morale, productivity and company morale

• change process ensures that customers, suppliers and other stakeholders

-reduces the risk associated to change for example trade unions

• creates an oppertunity for the development of the ‘best practice’, leadership development and team development

Question 27

role of the manager in the change process 6

Answer 27

• managers need to ensure all the required resources are in place to allow the change to be implemented
• they need to plan for change, ensure that the objectives of the change are known and met, they must gather timely feedback, analyse it, share it and act on it

-managers need the support of employees and other stakeholders to successfully implement the change

• managers need to coach, re-educate, inspire and council employees. they must allow employees to give opinions, express their concerns and feel involved

-co-ordination is essential between managers of different departments to ensure they are all working towards the same aim

• managers need to evaluate the progress of the change- this involves checking that the change is going to plan and that the objectives of the change are going to be met

Question 28

describe the reasons for the resistance of change 5

Answer 28

• employees may fear change as it involves the introduction of new processes and technology which could lead to other changes such as job losses and loss of departments
• some employees may not be able to keep up with the changes as they will require re-training and the ability to have new skills
• they feel they have no say in decisions and changes proposed thus feeling a loss of control as they are not part of the chnage process
• some employees may not see the need for change, they may prefer traditional values. they may not invest the time and effort to learn to do things differently

-poor communication and a lack of information and a lack of involvement may cause cause employee resistance n of information about the change process

Question 29

identify resistance of change

Answer 29

• lack of trust
• lack of finance
• fear of the unknown
• competition
  -public opinion
• lack of availability of finance

Question 30

What are change agents used for 9

Answer 30

change agents will bring new ideas, methods and their experience of implementing changes elsewhere in the organisation

• managing the budget allocated for implementing the change
• defining key roles and responsibilities of key players in the change process

-building relationships with external agencies who may be able to assist in the change process such a consulting and negotiating with trade unions

• coordinating and recording an assessment of employee and departmental performance in order to reward individuals and departments for being positive about implementing change

-establishing strategies for implementing, monitoring the progress against the agreed targets, and evaluating the change process

-diagnosing what the issues are and the potential drivers and resisters

• informing explaining and persuading employees regarding the reasons foe the potential benefits of the change

Outsourcing tasks to experts with specialists knowledge

Question 31

Factors used to affect the success of change management 10

Answer 31

• business could develop an adaptive change culture, which will help employees cope with things that are new (1)
  Thus could include having a string vision which employees can relate too (1d)

Continuous improvement through employee involvement in improvement or suggestion schemes, as employees become used to the change and accept the norm (1)

-develop systems of regular communication between management and staff, to keep employees informed so the change doesn’t come as a surprise (1)
This allows employees the opportunity to suggest changes (1D)

-offering education and training to those affected by the change, so that they are fully prepared to cope with the new situations

Empowerment of workers, by giving employees responsibility for solving problems themselves (1)
This creates an environment responsive to change and it provides experiments for employees tackling something new (1d)

Offering financial or other rewards may ensure employees accept the change more readily because they know they benefit from it (1)
However these rewards may not be successful on their own as they do not tackle fears of not coping with new things (1d)