Week 9 - Change Leadership

Question 1

What is Change Management? (Miller and Proctor, 2016)

Answer 1

is defined as the process, tools and techniques that are used to manage the
people within an organisation to achieve required business objectives

Question 2

What are the different types of change that can occur within an organisation? (Yukl, 2020) (4)

Answer 2

• Roles or attitudes
• Technology
• Strategy
• Economics or People

Question 3

What is an attitude-centred approach to change in an organisation? (Yukl, 2020) (2)

Answer 3

• Is an approach that focuses on altering attitudes and values through persuasion, training, team-building, or culture change programs.
• The assumption is that new attitudes and skills lead to behavioural change. Leaders aim to turn resistance into support for the change.

Question 4

What is a role-centred approach to change in an organisation? (Yukl, 2020) (2)

Answer 4

• It is an approach that focuses on altering work roles by restructuring workflows, redesigning jobs, changing authority relationships, evaluation methods, and rewards.
• The assumption is that behavioural changes required by new roles will lead to attitude changes, reinforced by evaluation and incentives.

Question 5

Why is change management important?

Answer 5

Businesses risk their success and potentially their existence if they are resistant to change e.g. Blockbuster & Kodak

Question 6

According to Lewis (2011) what are the different triggers for organisational change? (5)

Answer 6

• Legal requirements
• Changing customer and/or client needs
• Technological advancements
• Availability of financial resources
• Availability of the labour pool

Question 7

What are the 3 types of planned change? (Anderson & Ackerman-Anderson, 2010; Packard & Shih, 2014)

Answer 7

• Development change:
  Focuses on refining existing skills, processes, or operations to meet higher standards. Examples include routine training, improving communication, or solving basic problems.
• Transformational change:
  The most significant, requiring fundamental shifts in vision, strategy, systems, or structure, often prompted by factors like technological innovations or new competition.
• Transitional change:
  Involves replacing old methods with new ones, such as implementing new programs, reorganising, or adopting new technology systems.

Question 8

5 Characteristics of planned change

Answer 8

*Stable and predictable
environment
*Change is identifiable
*Willing organizational members
*Appropriate tools and
techniques
*Criticized for being unable to deal with transformational and
rapid change

Question 9

5 Characteristics of emergent change

Answer 9

• Bottom-up as opposed to top-down approach
  to initiating change
• Cultural and structural elements
• Organisational learning
• Managerial behaviour
• Continuous transformation

Question 10

What are the 3 types of outcomes that come from organisational change?

Answer 10

+ Commitment: Target person internally agrees and makes an effort to implement it
+/- Compliance: Target person will comply with change but will give minimal effort
- Resistance: Target person is opposed to the change

Question 11

What fears can lead to a resistance to change? (4)

Answer 11

*Loss of power or influence
*Difficulties in learning new skills
*Changes in relationships or arrangements
*Relinquishing control over a particular activity

Question 12

What effects can lead to a resistance to change? (4)

Answer 12

*Complaints and dissatisfaction
*absenteeism and turnover
*Low standards of efficiency
*Restriction of output
*“Aggression” against management
*Organised resistance?

Question 13

Lewin’s (1951) 3 phase model for achieving organisational change

Answer 13

Phase 1 - Unfreezing: Recognising that current methods are inadequate. This may result from a crisis or a deliberate effort to highlight threats or opportunities.
Phase 2 - Changing: Exploring and selecting new ways of working.
Phase 3 - Refreezing: Implementing and solidifying the new approach to ensure it becomes established

Question 14

Lewin (1951) two strategies for change (3)

Answer 14

• Increasing driving forces, such as using incentives or authority to push change.
• Reducing restraining forces, like addressing fears or removing resistance.
• When resistance is strong, both strategies are needed. Relying solely on increased driving forces in such cases can create conflict, hindering successful change and stabilisation.

Question 15

What is the impact of skipping the unfreezing phase in Lewin (1951) 3 phase process model?

Answer 15

can lead to resistance, while insufficient planning during the changing phase weakens the process. Failing to maintain enthusiasm in the refreezing phase risks reversing the change.

Question 16

What are the different reasons for resisting change? (6)

Answer 16

• Proposed change in not necessary
• Proposed change in not feasible
• Change is not cost-effective
• Change would cause personal losses
• Proposed change is inconsistent with values
• Leaders not trusted

Question 17

What are the different forms of resistance according to Keen (1981)? (10)

Answer 17

• Making no effort to learn
• Using old systems whenever possible
• Not attending meetings to discuss the change programme
• Excessive fault finding and criticism
• Deliberate misuse
• Saying it has been tried before and failed
• Protracted discussion & requests for further info & meetings -dissipate energies
• Linking the issue with pay and other industrial relations matters
• Not releasing resources (e.g. staff for training) or diverting resources
• Reduce the champion’s influence & credibility

Question 18

What are the different reasons why change leadership can fail? (Kotter, 1995) (8)

Answer 18

• Complacency
• Insufficiently powerful
  guiding coalition
• Vision
• Under-communicating the vision
• Blocking vision
• Short-term wins
• Declaring victory too soon
• Corporate culture

Question 19

Prosci (1994) ADKAR model

Answer 19

Question 20

Kotter’s 8 step change model

Answer 20

Question 21

What are the 4 stages in reaction to change (Yukl, 2020)

Answer 21

1. Denial: Refusing to accept the necessity of change, e.g., “This isn’t happening.”
2. Anger: Blaming others and resisting giving up familiar ways.
3. Mourning: Acknowledging the inevitability of change and grieving for what is lost.
4. Adaptation: Accepting the need for change and moving forward

Question 22

What are the different steps when implementing change (Yukl, 2020) (3)

Answer 22

• Identifying what needs to be changed
• Understanding systems dynamics: how changing one aspect of an organisation can impact other areas
• Identifying who is responsible for implementing change
• Identifying the pace and sequences of the changes that will be made

Question 23

What are the guidlines for implementing change? (Yukl, 2020) (14)

Answer 23

• Create a sense of urgency about the need for change.
• Communicate a clear vision of the benefits to be gained.
• Identify likely supporters, opponents, and reasons for resistance.
• Build a broad coalition to support the change.
• Fill key positions with competent change agents.
• Use task forces to guide the implementation of changes.
• Empower competent people to help plan and implement change.
• Make dramatic, symbolic changes that affect the work.
• Prepare people for change by explaining how it will affect them.
• Help people deal with the stress and difficulties of major change.
• Provide opportunities for early successes to build confidence.
• Monitor the progress of change and make any necessary adjustments.
• Keep people informed about the progress of change.
• Demonstrate continued optimism and commitment to the change.

Question 24

How do visions influence change? (Yukl, 2020) (3)

Answer 24

• Success is more likely if leaders articulate a vision of a better future that is attractive enough to justify the sacrifices and hardships the change will require.
• Vision can provide a sense of continuity for followers by linking past events and present strategies to a vivid image of a better future for the organisation.
• Vision provides hope for a better future and the faith that it will be attained someday.

Question 25

What forms can visions look like in an organisation? (Yukl, 2020)

Answer 25

• mission statements
• strategic objectives
• value statements
• slogans

Question 26

What are the desirable characteristics for a vision? (Yukl, 2020) (6)

Answer 26

• A vision should be simple and idealistic, presenting an inspiring picture of a desirable future
• must resonate with the values, hopes, and ideals of organisational members and stakeholders, focusing on long-term ideological goals over immediate tangible benefits
• it must be both challenging and realistic—grounded in present realities rather than being an unattainable fantasy
• should address fundamental organisational priorities, including relationships with the environment and principles for treating people
• Visions should be SMART
• must be concise enough to be communicated clearly within five minutes (Kantabutra, 2009; Nanus, 1992; Zaccaro & Banks, 2004)

Question 27

What is the relationship between transformational leaders and visions?

Answer 27

Transformational leaders are more likely to create optimistic, future-oriented visions (Berson et al., 2001)

Question 28

What is the relationship between fast-growing companies and visions?

Answer 28

CEOs of fast-growing businesses frequently communicate visions emphasising future growth (Baum, Locke, & Kirkpatrick, 1998

Question 29

What are the guidelines for formulating a vision? (6)

Answer 29

• Involve key stakeholders.
• Identify shared values and ideals.
• Identify strategic objectives with wide appeal.
• Identify relevant elements in the old ideology.
• Link the vision to core competencies and prior achievements.
• Continually assess and refine the vision.

Question 30

What are the guidelines for increasing and learning innovation? (Yukl 2020) (10)

Answer 30

• Recruit talented, creative people and empower them to be innovative.
• Encourage appreciation for flexibility and innovation.
• Encourage and facilitate learning by individuals and teams.
• Help people improve their mental models.
• Evaluate new ideas with small-scale experiments.
• Leverage learning from surprises and failures.
• Encourage and facilitate sharing of knowledge and ideas.
• Preserve past learning and ensure continued use of relevant knowledge.
• Set innovation goals.
• Reward entrepreneurial behaviour.