Paper Sample on Adapting to Change: Overcoming Challenges in the Business World

Introduction

In this world of business, various dynamic spheres bombard companies to the point that they change their operations model before they are kicked out of the market. The ability of firms to maintain their stable structures and procedures is by ensuring that they adapt to the new practises and changes because of the turbulent environment. As known, change is not an easy task to initiate and manage because most workers are used to the usual way of working or are afraid of changing the status quo. This paper will focus on Kotter’s eight-step model in the management of change of BAT Kenya.

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BAT Kenya is an organization that has faced various challenges to the point of making them rethink of their systems, structures and strategies. BAT empowered the management and set aside resources to handle the threat during the tight regulations embraced to bring change. Companies must set clear cut procedures that will deal with change by using models that have been tested and tried by successful firms.

Various models are also used to curb changes that re-occur in any company. In any organization, change is caused by external or internal forces. According to Kotter, forces are driven by economic, technological, social or political factors. Such changes go beyond the management’s control, and this is why firms need to face looming opportunities and threats and strategies that can be used to reduce such effects around the work environment.

The effects that emerge from such changes can be reactive if a company realigns and aligns in the continuous measures that make sure that their structures and systems are positioned in a way that they can make adjustments. BAT as a case study went through a lot of challenges such as competition, and this forced them to place new marketing strategies in their brand, supply chain departments and human resource to maintain its status in the market. The company also added six players to scramble for the farmers. As a result, BAT increased its bargaining power mainly on the suppliers.

The change also attracted new challenges after some years, especially when the 2007 Tobacco Control was enacted to stop people from smoking in public areas. The act also banned promotions and advertisement of tobacco through labelling and packaging. BAT Kenya also faced challenges imposed by high taxes and product counterfeiting. Due to this, there was a lot of pressure in the company where everyone knew that the company would be closed and everyone would lose their jobs. The company then decided to develop action steps that involved all stakeholders.

Manager, in this case, play vital roles to ensure that departmental changes take place successfully. Their primary purpose is to ensure that they communicate the vision, the support efforts and the new model practices to all workers. The only way leaders can successfully implement change on the organization is by making use of their competencies and skills learned from their experiences. The employee who is also a stakeholder has a role of accepting the change applying and committing to the vision set by the management. BAT Kenya can apply two of the below-mentioned strategies mentioned below.

Establishing the Sense of Urgency

As management, they must convince the staff and employees about the importance of taking an emergency turn in operations as applied by the company. Kotter’s model also shows that the management team must assist others to gain the determination to win and move to the new direction. Kotter also observed that employees that would amid to anxiety, complacency, frustrations and false urgency would block the change. The only way BAT Kenya can implement this change is by mapping out the risks and opportunities that may arise from the company.

According to Kotter, companies need to analyze and access the environment for possible threats, opportunities and crises so that the management can convince the workers on the status quo and the dangers that may be involved. BAT, in this case, can achieve this change through various advances such as communicating to people concerning the expected results. This is done through old promotions and models concerning the out-dated commitments.

Generating Short Term Versions of Wins

Research has shown that many companies tend to lose the momentum of change fast. The only way to maintain a sense of urgency about this change is by facilitating the short-term wins. According to Kotter, organizations that use short-term gains complete the process of transformation. Proactively promoting and defining the visible improvement success is only done by recognizing the characters of the employees. BAT Kenya can train the management to improvise new ways that can enable the workers to complete their tasks when there is a limitation of resources.

Conclusion

Business is something that makes companies go through various dynamic spheres. Due to this, urgent change is needed to ensure that the operations of the market are maintained. In any organization, change is caused by external or internal forces. A suitable example is BAT Kenya, a tobacco company that went through challenges and managed to embrace strategies to curb the situation. Proactively promoting and defining the visible improvement success is only done by recognizing the characters of the employees.

Bibliography

Brodsky, Marc, and Gene Hyde. "Surviving the Downturn: Challenges Faced by Appalachian Regional Collections During a Time of Reduced Resources." Journal of Archival Organization 10, no. 3-4 (2012), 165-190. doi:10.1080/15332748.2012.772413.

Kotter, John P. "Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail." The Principles and Practice of Change, 2009, 113-123. doi:10.1007/978-1-137-16511-4_7.

Kulatunga, A. "A personal application of Kotter's (1990) definition of leadership." SSRN Electronic Journal, 2016. doi:10.2139/ssrn.976167.