BUSINESS MANAGEMENTchange management
You are required to write a 3000 word (+ 10%) report that analyses and evaluates the application of contemporary change management practice and its relevance to the case study organization (Case Study given in the end Pg.3-6). You should also make robust recommendations to improve how change management is approached within the organization, this should be supported by an action plan. In producing the report, you should ensure you have:
1. Analysed i.e., compared and contrasted the organizations approach against a range of models and frameworks covered within the module
2. Based on your analysis, identify the strengths and weaknesses within the organization related to its approach managing and leading change (including the human aspects e.g. creating readiness and overcoming resistance)
3. Made recommendations, identifying what the organization needs to do to improve its practice, this should be supported by an action plan that clearly articulates the short, medium and long term actions needed to enhance the organizations approach to managing and leading change.
You must utilize a professional report structure (format to be followed, Refer the detailed instructions for each section below)
An introduction
The main body of the report separated by sub-headings
1. Very Short paragraph about all the change models:
(Koter’s 8 step, Lewin’s 3 stages of change)
2. Current Issues faced in the case study – (Don’t forget to mention the employee resistance as one of the issues here)
3. Cause(s) of issues in the case study
4. Strengths and Weaknesses of the company in the case study
5. Change readiness linked to the company
A recommendations section
1. Recommending which Change model (Recommend Koter’s 8 step change model) for the case study
2. Proposed model & solution connecting to the case study
3. Implications of final proposed solution
4. Implementation according to the case study organization
A conclusion
Appendices
A comprehensive list of references and bibliography which demonstrates your research : (these should be in-line with the Harvard referencing guidelines)
An introduction leads your reader into the topic and sets out the context. The number of words in an introduction should be approximately 10% of the total essay word count. The structure of the introduction is: sentence 1 – introduce the general subject; sentence 2 -introduce the topic; sentence 3 – introduce your position (thesis statement); sentence 4 – introduce the essay as a document (first, second, third, finally); sentence 5 – state the scope of the essay and say what you will not cover.
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Hint! The introduction gives an overview of your whole essay. Do not go into too much specific detail; avoid quotes – this is a ‘big picture’ of YOUR argument. Save the detail for the body of your essay. |
The body of an essay comprises a series of paragraphs in which you support your thesis. In a 1-2000 word essay, each paragraph will be 2-400 words. This is where your describe and analyse the reasons in support of your thesis statement. Include evidence to back up your reasons (this can be in the form of in-text citations to other authors). Start each paragraph with a topic sentence. This states the main point you will make in this paragraph. The second sentence of a paragraph often expands and explains this point. Begin and end each paragraph with either clear or implied links to the previous and next paragraphs, so that there are no big jumps of meaning, and there is a sense of ‘flow’.
The final paragraph of your essay should summarise your argument. Do not add any new material. Remind the reader of the main argument (your thesis) and the reasoning behind it (your supporting points). Add any other remarks that emphasise the significance of the thesis. You may want to point to other implications that could be addressed in further research. The number of words in a conclusion should be approximately 10% of the total essay word count.
1. Company Profile
The company to be considered is a national utility company delivering power and energy services to in excess of 4,000,000 customers. These customers are domestic, commercial and industrial. The organisation operates across the United Kingdom. As a supplier of power and energy the organisation is heavily regulated in terms of its prices, services, health and safety requirements and corporate social responsibilities. Internal and external inspections and audits are frequent and rigorous.
The organisations mission statement is ‘to be a national leader in the provision of sustainable energy and power services. Working towards achieving this mission requires a structured, efficient and effective approach to managing quality, services and resources. The organisation has also declared to its customers that it aims to ‘get things right first time every time’
The organisation has made a clear declaration that it will develop strategic objectives around Corporate Social Responsibility issues. To become more socially responsible in areas such as:
· Engaging with and developing internal stakeholders
· Engaging with external stakeholders
· Engaging with the local community on energy related projects
Customer service is a key initiative in the organisation – complaints levels are higher than industry average targets and require to be improved. A significant number of complaints have been related to the disconnection policy of the organisation. This policy stipulates that customers who have not made payments for their energy will be disconnected if they have not made reasonable arrangement to pay within 6 months of billing. This policy is out of line with other energy suppliers.
Employment terms and conditions specify that contracts are available for staff to work full or part time and specific hours are agreed. Full time staff work 37 hours a week (this includes shift working). Currently no flexible working arrangements exist.
Benefits include sick pay and pension schemes.
An annual bonus is available for managers if their departments achieve objectives.
2. Current Position
One department within the company is focussed on the management of the infrastructure. The team comprises some 450 staff and has an operational budget in excess of £40 million [see table 1.0]
2.1 The Current Structure
2.2 Operational Practice within the Department
Managers within the department have responsibility and authority to make decisions which affect the operational day to day practice, they are expected to ensure the objectives of the department are achieved in a timely and efficient manner. They are encouraged to ensure staff are clear about the role requirements, objectives they must achieve and that their performance is monitored closely to ensure conformity and task completion. Managers are encouraged to focus on the achievement of their own departmental objectives and there is little cross functional working, although the organisation organises a quarterly cross organisation management meeting to discuss current performance of the organisation as a whole.
Decisions are, in the main, made at strategic levels within the organisation and fed down vertically to employees through managers and supervisors. Although staff will be consulted over major change initiatives, the final decisions on action lie with the managers.
The department have clear role and job descriptions outlining the specific tasks and duties staff must undertake. Many of the staff have clear demarcation of roles, although team working is encouraged where a range of supporting skills and knowledge may be required to complete a task effectively. Due to the regulatory environment, within which the organisation operates the department has clearly documented policies and procedures for work practices which are shared with all employees.
Staff are rewarded for their conformity to the practices and procedures and achieving objectives to deadline. Managers conduct annual appraisals to discuss performance and set new objectives and targets. Training to maintain role competence will also be agreed at the appraisal.
Should issues arise, the department has a comprehensive investigatory procedure in place to identify the cause and make amendments to working practices and processes. These improvements will be shared with the departmental staff.
All customer facing operational staff within the organisation wear a standard uniform provided by the organisation, all documentation contains the brand logo as do the vehicles used by the organisation.
For many years the organisation was stable and resisted change, however, the current regulatory environment has meant that change is becoming more prevalent within the organisation and also within the department, the need for change is primarily responsive and driven by the need to conform to external regulator standards. The organisation and department are struggling to adopt a consistent approach to managing the change and managers are adopting differing approaches. This is causing confusion across the organisation and certainly within the department currently many change projects are not considered to be successful.
2.3 Leadership within the Department
Strategically, the department is led by the Director and Head of Distribution. Decisions are made at a strategic level and filtered down to the operational managers and funnelled to staff via line managers. These decisions are informed by operational managers who have significant technical expertise. Staff further down the organisational structure are generally informed of decisions and change and encouraged to work within the system and achieve standards set both externally by the regulators and internally by the senior team. Outcomes are driven by standardised processes and procedures.
Operational Managers are responsible for decision making within the strategic parameters and expected to rise to the challenge of implementing change, leading and managing the resources (both physical and human) and developing opportunities to improve corporate social responsibility. All of the above must be conducted in order to achieve the objectives in a timely and efficient manner.
The managers are driven to achieve rational efficiencies and there are assumptions that effectiveness can be defined by the achievement of goals to satisfy external requirements as well as internal objectives, but many of these are driven by external regulatory influences and expectations. Goal achievement and effective and efficient functionality are key to success.
Managers are expected to engage in mandatory training delivered internally within the organisation and are also encouraged to develop their leadership and management knowledge, skills and behaviour at undergraduate and masters’ levels. This is usually supported both in terms of time and finance by the organisation.
Managers and leaders are located within the organisations corporate headquarters and have offices of their own, separate to operational staff.
2.3.1 Operational Staff
Staff within the department have clear job descriptions to work to, they are expected to work as part of a team and individually. They are expected to complete allocated tasks to time and within strict regulatory standards. Weekly workload planning is undertaken by line managers and operational staff receive their daily task allocation via electronic hand held devices. This scheduling aims to ensure all tasks are allocated fairly and clearly.
Staff are appraised on an annual basis in which measurable performance objectives are agreed and development needs relating to the role are also identified – achievement and conformity are seen as positive attributes.
Staff are expected to engage in mandatory training which is generally delivered internally within the organisation. To ensure capability and competence is maintained to professional body standards, additional training and development is undertaken both internally and externally by accredited bodies.
2.3.2 Relations
The organisation is heavily unionised – there are strong formalised partnership arrangements between the organisation and the unions. These arrangements aim to proactively encourage positive consultation in relation to change initiatives within the organisation.
3. The Past
The department has undergone change in the last three years to enable the delivery of centralised works planning and scheduling utilising handheld and vehicle tracking technology to control and despatch work within the extensive field work force. The introduction of this approach is expected to assist in the sustainable delivery of budget efficiencies exceeding 15% over the next five years. As identified by the CIPD (2009) change often impacts on the morale of the workforce and this is the case within this organisation. Currently, there are feelings of discontentment with the recently introduced work procedures and the staff are questioning the validity of these practices in terms of improving performance. Additionally, although appropriate consultation has been an integrated factor, some staff still feel that change is imposed and this has resulted in pockets of resistance. Comparable with many other organisations going through significant change, the department has seen an increase in sickness absence levels. The performance of the department has suffered as a consequence of the significant change, asset failure, changes in regulation (particularly with reference to corporate social responsibilities and delivery of effective customer service).
3.1 The Future
Recent changes to the regulatory framework have introduced changes which make the current departmental performance a significant risk to the company funding, reputation and industry standing. This coupled with changes to legislation particularly within the energy infrastructure area has required the company to reconsider its approach to managing its resources (physical and human) and activities. ‘
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