Implementing Change, Coursework Example

Introduction

The implementation of change in respective organizations is not an easy process or undertaking. It has been noted that despite the change process being internally informed in some cases and in other instances being as a result of matters external such as mergers, acquisitions, closures and realignments that the respective organizations seek out to improve on efficiency, a number of employees are likely to offer resistance to the change process despite its inevitability.

This paper seeks to describe how to determine how effective the change process is once it is implemented, to examine the possible strategies to measure outcome with respect to the organizational change process, to determine how to measure quality, cost, and satisfaction outcomes to evaluate the proposed change to the organization, a summary of previous work from other parts and finally given conclusions on a comprehensive plan to implement the change process in the organization.

Determining the Effectiveness of the Organizational Change following its Implementation

The determination of how effective the change process is in an organization is paramount to knowing whether the process of implementing the change process can be deemed successful. According to Senior and others, (2010), all that which can be measured can be made better. This notion informs that the determination of how effective the change process has been since its implementation will enable the respective organizations to establish the worthiness of the change process and identify the variations from what was initially expected and inform on the possible measures that can be employed to address the failings promptly.

Among the means that can be employed to determine the efficiency and the correctness of a change process subsequent to its implementation is through predicting the involvement levels of the respective employees. According to Burnes (2004), the involvement of the respective employees in the organization with respect to the change process is recommended. He however adds that the lack of involvement of the employees in the change process does not deter the successful implementation of organizational change. In the determination of how effective the implemented change process is, one should monitor how enthusiastic the respective employees are with regard to how they go about their new tasks as well as their respective requirements and mandates. Employees play a key role in the successful implementation of a change process. Similarly, the employees are also likely to deter the effectiveness of a change process should they resort to not fully embracing the change process for one reason or another. It is therefore arguable that if the employees take positively to the change process, efficiency of the process will be enhanced. Similarly, the enthusiasm showed by the management team following the implementation of the change process.

According to Senior & Swailes (2010), the ability demonstrated by the organizations management to prevent inconsistencies and possible conflicts subsequent to the implementation of the change process can also be used to determine the efficiency and the correctness of a change process. He further adds that the lack of an efficient and adequate management team at the top of an organization would likely lead up to the failing of a change process at the implementation phase.

Another measure that can be employed to determine the efficiency and the correctness of a change process is the smooth transition of operations following the implementation of the change process. It offers a strong measure to determine the same for the respective organizations. The likelihood of the organization developing some minor problems and hitches is acceptable. However, the prevalence of a number of challenges may be indicators to other far reaching concerns with respect to the implementation of the change process. Taking the above considerations to mind, organizations that efficiently function subsequent to the implementation of the change process can be effectively used as a measure to determine the efficiency and the correctness of a change process as one among the prerequisites that inform how effective and efficient the process of change in an organization is the addressing of the possible deterrents that may frustrate the process in general.

The Measurement Strategies for Organizational Change Outcomes

The outcomes brought about by the process of change in the respective organizations can be measured by employing the strategy of alignment to benchmarks. The strategy of alignment to benchmarks entails the manner in which the process of change of an organization aligns to the benchmarks that informed the organizational change initially. When an organization fails to align its subsequent operations as was predicted in the strategic aspirations that were drawn out, it implies that the change process adopted by the organization is not efficient and that it should not have been adopted in the first place. Similarly, if the outcomes envisioned by the organization following the change process are realized and are aligned to its benchmarks, the change process undertaken by the organization can be deemed as successful.

Alternatively, following the implementation of the change process in an organization and the respective organization is deemed as able to realize its preferred goals and aspirations, can also be used as a strategy to measure the outcomes occasioned by organizational change. Change processes are usually informed by specific goals that the organizations want realized or certain issues that the organization feels would be addressed better with the inception of a different system and means in the manner which the organizations goes about its operations. Therefore, when an organization is unable to realize the same goals for which it fashioned its change process to address, can be deemed as a failure in the part of the process of change. Articulating of the extent to how an organization has realized the goals set prior to the implementation of the process of change can also be subjected to measurement.

The Evaluation of the Change Process: Quality, Cost and Satisfaction

Concerns are centered on the quality of the processes of the respective organizations as well as that of the goods and services that the organization has offered when addressing quality measurements. The analysis and the evaluation of how efficient the change process adopted by the organization has been can be established by the response accorded to the products that the organization offers by the respective clients and customers of the organization.

On the other hand, the change process that the organization should adopt should occasion the reduction in costs with regard to production and operations so as to ensure the profit margins are increased constitute the concerns that need to be addressed when measuring the cost effectiveness. This is a paramount factor to ensure the viability of the organization by facilitating growth and expansion of the respective organization as well as enhancing the wealth of the organizations shareholders. Finally, the satisfaction outcomes occasioned by the implementation of the change process can be evaluated by measuring the motivation levels of the organizations employees and the levels of satisfaction of the respective clients and customers of the organization.

A summary of previous work from other parts

According to Cameron & Green (2004), when University of Troy fashioned to change the name of their institution they were faced with a number of deterrents that had far reaching consequences that included: the barring of academic transfers, the barring of their brand promotion all over the world and the need for enhancing the procedures and the shared policies etc. According to Senior & Swailes (2010), the presence of an effective and efficient leadership team who advocated for the name change at the university played a critical role. He further points out that the process would not have made it past the implementation phase were it not for the leadership team that were effective. Considering the above instance where the university’s leadership maintained a key role in the implementation of the change, goes to point out that the effectiveness and the persistence of the leadership and the management team of an organization to a large extent determines the successful implementation of a change process.

Conclusion

According to Dawson (2003), a number of organizations and institutions struggle in their operations following the implementation of the process of change as a lot of the employees as well as those in top levels of management stray from the initial vision that the organization had. It is of great importance that the management teams as well as the respective employees are aware that the process of change does not alter the overall vision of the organization in any whatsoever. However, the ability of the employees of a respective organization as well as the management’s ability to not loose sight of the overall vision of the organization depends largely on the efficient and adequate handling of the process of change from its inception. According to Cameron and Green (2004), a number of issues need to be addressed with regard to the importance of the organizations’ visions and its link to the process of change. This would entail the adequate explaining of the process of change giving emphasis to the main reason for the change process, coupled by clearly stating the roles and the respective mandates of each of the employees as well as those of the management team in the whole change process.

It is therefore paramount to consider that the challenges experienced subsequent to the implementation of the change process in an organization can be viewed as the failings of the change process as a whole. To preempt the likely challenges that would later on crop up following the implementation of the process of change, the identification and the addressing of the hindrances likely to be experienced during the after the implementation should be facilitated. According to Senior & Swailes (2010), the identification and the addressing of the likely barriers should not be limited to the internal factors but should also covers an array of external factors that would include: instances of hostility, unfair competition and also the possibility of sabotage from other organizations and institutions. Similarly, the respective employees as well as the management teams should not loose clarity in the description and the requirements of the organization’s vision following the process of change in the organization. It is also paramount to remember that change is not interchangeable with transition and the two are not similar in any way. According to Burnes (2004), transition entails the getting from point A to point B, whereas change refers largely to the event and should therefore not be deemed as being the same.

References

Burnes, B. (2004). Managing change: a strategic approach to organizational dynamics. Financial Times Prentice Hall.

Cameron E. & Green M. (2004): Making sense of change management: A complete guide to the models, tools & techniques of organizational change. Kogan Page Publishers.

Dawson, P. (2003). Understanding organizational change: the contemporary experience of people at work. SAGE.

Senior, B., & Swailes, S. (2010). Organizational Change: Pearson Education Canada.