Essay Sample on Organizational Change: Driving Improvement and Efficiency

Introduction

The rate of technological development, work theories, dynamics, marketing plans, efficiency strategies, and productivity plans are driving the need for organizational change at high speed. These developments and management strategies need occasional adjustments that call for a partial or total overhaul of an organization's management practices. An organizational change process aims at improving effectiveness and efficiency. Markiewicz (2011) argued that it is a continuous process established to minimize negative fall-out from a firm's business engagements. Colander (2018) argued that it focuses on all levels, the macro and micro level, such as requiring the leaders to adopt a different management style or requiring the employees to learn new work-based skills, develop competence for new software or tools, and take up new responsibilities. The organizational change process entails a top-down strategy that puts into consideration the holistic management strategy involved (Molineux, 2018). The organizational change process cannot be successful without the modification of individual behavior from the employees, and all policies designed to support the process should align with the organization's goals and objectives.

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Organizational change can be used to motivate employees. One of the most important aspects of motivating employees through organizational change is by keeping the employee's morale high. As a family-owned enterprise, Gensco needs to undertake a comprehensive insight into its practices and operations that affect employee morale. Some of the identified issues, such as pay structure, collaborative relations with other departments, and improving the physical environment, are critical to keeping the employee's morale high (Colander, 2018). Despite showing impressive production results, the company requires a drastic change in its operations while at the same time maintaining some of its unsatisfactory aspects such as poor pay structure and practices. According to Maslow's Needs Hierarchy Theory, an individual derives a great deal of personal fulfillment through meeting their primary satisfaction, such as the sense of belonging that comes from having the feeling of belonging and love at the workplace (Colander, 2018). The company thus needs a raft of changes that will address its demotivation factors such as poor work environment and unsatisfactory pay structure.

Recommendation

Effective Communication

The most and outstanding basic principle of organizational change is effective communication between the senior leadership and the employees. It is critical to establish a strategic communication plan across all departments and levels of the organizations. According to the Stage Theory of organizational change, change as a procedural process goes through various stages, and to keep the whole process moving, communication is critical (Markiewicz, 2011). The recognition of the steps, strategies, and points of the process requires an effective communication process that focuses on the extensive involvement of all stakeholders and departments. Tidd and Bessant (2018) added that full participation of all departments and stakeholders will improve and address possible barriers that may come up during the process of organizational change. The general systems theory upholds that all the interactive elements in an organization play an essential role in the business environment and thus must be involved through effective communication to realize ardent engagement by all.

Continuous communication at all points of the change process is essential as it enables all employees and stakeholders to remain aware of the process. All stakeholders develop their understanding and what should be undertaken (Markiewicz, 2011). Lack of communication will result in a disjointed course that will block and suffocate most of the desired changes.

Comprehensive and All-inclusive Approach

Gensco should undertake a comprehensive strategy to address motivational concerns with the overall view of satisfying the personnel. Its first course of action should be to plan the changes prudently. The entire preparation for the modifications should not find the employees and departments unaware (Markiewicz, 2011) The management should take care of mapping out on the exact course of action that should be considered, how it is going to be undertaken, how it will take place and the entire process of its course action.

Align the Change to the Organization's goals

The management should also align its change process and goals to the unique aspect of the organization. For example, a one-size-fits strategy will not yield positive results since such an approach will not put into consideration other factors affecting the organization. It will be necessary for Gensco to consider its basic needs and bring forth a change that will achieve its primary objectives.

Make it Inclusive

As a medium-firm, Gensco should establish a system that has everyone on-board in the assessment, implementation, planning, and overall organization of the change process. Organizational Change affects not most aspects of top management. Markiewicz (2011) contended that significant transitions and shifts affect the whole company. All employees and stakeholders of the company should remain aware of the proposed modifications from the beginning to the end (Tidd & Bessant, 2018). While engaging all stakeholders and employees, having a point-person who will be tasked with taking charge of information dispensation is critical to quickening the process procedurally. According to Aljohani (2016) Garvin's Model change theory has three primary stages for affecting a practical organizational approach. They include;

Preparation of the Firm for the Change Process

According to the theory, an organization must enact appropriate steps that will ensure that the change process is aligned with the present dissatisfaction in the organization. For example, Gensco should ensure that the changing concept identifies the discontent among the employees, and through this, a sense of direction is implemented. The vision should be communicated to the employees and all stakeholders in time to build a formidable team that will lead the change process.

In stage Two, Garvin's theory proposes an alteration of the day to day management. For example, Gensco should change its processes, strategies, systems, and structures. The employees should be encouraged to bring up changes that will help improve their morale and augment their satisfaction. The organization management should model their behavior to help reveal their expectations from the employees.

In Stage Three, Garvin's theory emphasizes on ensuring that the changes stick in the organization. According to the theory, the steering team should ensure that the changes are fully embedded in the organizations' culture (Markiewicz, 2011). The organization should also ensure that the employees and management do not slide back on its course of action towards the changes. Gensco should thus ensure that all its attempts to the changes do not fail or fall. For example, if it about awarding employees for work well-done, the organization should ensure that the practice becomes a seasonal practice such as annually or semi-annually. It should form part of the company practice, embedded in its annual events.

Action Plan

The following action steps will be critical to establishing a motivating environment for employees of Gensco.

• Introducing reward schemes
• Creating a friendly environment
• Acknowledging employees general input and productivity
• Introducing paid leave
• Introducing a worthwhile and meaningful goal plan

The Human Resource Manager will outline how the leaves will be calculated every year for each employee. The HRM will also add enact how the rewards will be awarded depending on an employee's productivity and achievements. For example, the HRM will outline the criteria for winning the identified awards. The management will allocate a budget of $50000 towards the rewards and the proposed leaves.

Time Frame

The management set a time frame of six months to adapt to all the proposed changes. The HRM will have three months to set its strategies for the proposed changes. The department will also make changes to the payroll to introduce a section of bonuses pegged on productivity and high achievement. However, this will be undertaken will full collaboration with the accounts office that will follow on all the reports of the production office. The proposals will have approximately three months to streamline its operations in line with the desired changes.

Identification of Obstacles

Possible obstacles will include lack of time, negativity, resistance, fear from senior management, and lack of morale from the management team. Gensco management will enact various strategies to overcome possible obstacles. The management expects multiple challenges that may arise in the enactment of the change process that may bring forth difficulty in achieving set objectives of the organization's change process (Aljohani, 2016). Some of the techniques that will be used to overcome the challenges include;

Involving the Management in All the Processes

Establishing a transparent elaborate and effective communication process. It is essential to create a verbal, written communication and face to face communication strategy. Through this, all the stakeholders will find a common understanding of the progress and primary objectives of the change plan.

Remove possible barriers: Possible barriers such as employee resistance may create a problematic scenario for the management (Aljohani, 2016). For a long term strategy, it will be best to establish an achievable and manageable program that will help the management counter any resistance or tensions with the employees.

Introduction of a reward scheme: A reward strategy will be used to motivate employees who will help push through the change process harmoniously (Colander, 2018). The reward may be in the form of a prize token or money reward.

Enact the Plan

After addressing all the possible scenarios that may arise during the enactment of the change process, a full detailed program will be put in writing that will put into consideration all the factors that will be involved in the change process. The entire plan will be enacted in phases, starting mainly with the strategies outlined for the HRM that include a reward scheme and changing the payroll system. The accounts department will take a proactive approach in the entire program that will entail changing the current system to accommodate the bonuses.

Each department will have in place an outlined plan of engaging with the employees about the change process. The employees will be trained and given pamphlets describing the key objectives of the change process. The mini-training will take approximately one month and will be headed by the HRM, who will collaborate with all departments.

Conclusion

Organizational change is a long term process that attempts to change an organization's structure, operations, technologies, and essential day to day plans. For a successful change process, Gensco management will have to undertake a comprehensive behavior change involving all the employees. Extensive involvement of all employees will help improve the success rate of the change plan in addition to the overall success of the company's key objectives and goals. Through this, the management will undertake a roust modification and review of its management policies and practices that will play a role in motivating and encouraging the employees. The entire change process will involve adjusting, modifying, advancing, innovating, de...