Prep. Dept: Initiating Changes to Compete in the Market - Essay Sample

Introduction

The study is concerned with the Preparation Department aimed at finding out what managers need to concentrate on in the process of initiation and implementation of changes relevant to the organization to cope with competition in the market. The department is the center for prepping and cooking of the products and, thus, responsible for fresh ingredients and meat intakes. Fresh ingredients include cream and yoghurt. Prepped products are with the inclusion of marinades (made in the department) and brine, which are then loaded into ovens and cooked. It, therefore, involves the use of management systems and specifications in carrying out routine activities.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

With the study focused on the management of change in an international poultry producing company, organizational change perspectives, effects of the change, and change effects upon implementation were the primary objectives. Resistance to change depends on the corporate culture within an organization since the company under highlight deals with food, which is prone to significant changes, the employees are used to change, and they fully participate in its implementation process as supported by the company's management.

Therefore, the study focused on enquiring how managers' perspectives on the implemented change differ with those of the employees. Also, employees' opinions and suggestions on the effects of the organizational change at large as well as related implications. The implications are based on the imposition and implementation of the changes in accordance with the actions of the managers.

During the study, samples were taken in a 1-stage cluster sampling, which is a technique in which a large population in an organization is divided into clusters or groups. Thirty respondents were sampled with fifteen from each shift. From which, nine were interviewed at their consent and without bias.

The adoption of the Palmiero approach for interviews is crucial (Palmiero, 1999). The interviews being audio-taped.

Strengths

In the organization, the majority of the employees and all managers agree that there is always room for improvement. Therefore, both managers are supposed to look for better ways of working. The change in the Preparation Department seems inevitable, and both employees and managers acknowledge it, which has to be implemented for the company to survive in such a competitive environment. Since the department deals with food, often, there are new laws and products in the market, which makes change a continuous process.

The majority of the people in the organization support active staff engagement as being key to business success and transformations. Therefore, the majority agree that change is manageable and thus should be adopted even as they perceive change as being something strange and new. However, the realization of change in daily life is quite tricky and often goes unnoticed and unappreciated. The majority of the people still agree that the reaction of employees to change is likely to be resistance due to their adaptability to known routine work. Change is seen as a disruption.

Most of the people agree that change is corresponding to business strategies. However, some don't even know whether change corresponds to business strategy in the department of their specialty. Although a few disagree with the claim.

Most people in the organization claim that change impacts are assessed and managed by the organization's leadership promptly. Still, most agree that change should be accompanied by a detailed description, specification, and implementation stages as undertaken by the management. In terms of communication, some members find it hard to explain project communication levels in accordance to their satisfaction. Communication being an essential element of change management, it is of the essence in the awareness of changes and transfer of information in the daily routine work. The majority of people feel there is a need for change networks. Some of them still think that the change management process can be independent of project financing. Still, most feel project financing is a crucial element in change management effectiveness and efficiency.

Most of the members value face to face communication of managers with their subordinates as the most appropriate method of change communication. However, some insist on the essence of meetings between employees and project teams, all of which propose corporate media as a crucial communication channel.

Members of the organization might resist to change in many ways, including through resignations due to the threats of organizational change. Stability, immobility, and denial are elements that characterize change. Stability involves the initiation stage before the announcements of the change. Immobility involves the shock that individuals develop due to a perceived negative change. While denial involves employees not being able to assimilate change into their current statuses. Denial comes with feelings of frustration and being hurt, which might develop depressions among them. Thus, with all these, the employees will lack physical and emotional energy towards the adoption and application of the change.

Organizational change thus involves a collective effort of both the managers and the employees such that managers are responsible for change creation, and the employees are responsible for accepting and adopting it. A better company's performance can only be achieved through effective employee-manager communication, a positive attitude towards change, appropriate managers' actions, and a conducive working environment.

Factors Necessitating Need for Change/The Urgency Diagnostic

Change is usually transitional. It involves moving from one particular state to another in a continuous way, which includes all life aspects in terms of activities and developments, whether in technology or the internet (modernity). Therefore, managing change is vital in the implementation of changes in any organization. The organization, in this case, need change management in the implementation of policy changes in the production methods, employee and the management departments.

Most organizations across the globe do acknowledge the need for change; the majority of the change programs implemented never achieve their intended outcomes (Balogun, Gleadle, Hailey and Willmott, 2005). Therefore, managing change is highly dependent on the type of business, the personnel, and the change involved. Moreover, individuals' knowledge about change and the process involved is crucial and that the management and employees involved in the organization might find it hard to cope with changes put across. Changes can disrupt the operations of employees, and thus, it is essential to adopt proper and appropriate change approaches.

Change is needed, especially when the organization wants to go through a transformation. Factors like competition, changes in technology, and employee retention are crucial in change management. Change management is vital in raising the organization's efficiency through the preparation of the organization's environment and staff for future changes. Close management-employee interactions are developed with change management, which is crucial in adjusting how individuals perceive the change in the organization in addition to the creation of a positive working environment, promote motivation and form a learning environment for the staff where skills and relevant knowledge is acquired.

The industry consists of many small and medium businesses, and it is thus vulnerable to environmental changes, which makes it necessary for organizational changes. These changes aim at attracting new customers, maintain the already-inexistence customers, and improve the performance of the organizations.

The internet is one of the leading causes of change in the marketing strategies, and also the discoveries of new technologies, thus new business approaches, and new approaches to life and style. Organizational change management is therefore aimed at seeking relevant knowledge relating to the current populational changes and behaviors, which makes up the market, and thereafter, implement strategic plans to work together with the target population to administer appropriate change to cope with the technological advancements and the internet.

A cheerful staff is part of a significant change that will promote efficient and effective departmental performance with a motivated workforce. The employees need to be more committed and spirited, which will boost morale and a working relationship. Managers have the role and responsibility to ensure there is a conducive working environment to fit the employees to avoid stress and negativity at the workplace. Thus, managers need to develop a supportive and healthy working environment that aims at promoting motivation and morale. Upon implementation of an organizational change aimed at improving communication channels, employees will be able to understand the need for change, accept it, and then apply it through sufficient information sharing with their managers.

Discussion on the Required Types of Change (Solutions) and the Rationale for Changes

Change management in an organization can, therefore, be viewed as the continuous shifts and adjustments in its operations and processes. These shifts occur due to the influence of external and internal factors. For this reason, the management has the task of reviewing and evaluating the changes before commencing on any process; thus, in the long-run, capital will be saved, and disruptions to the organization's routine activities minimized significantly. Change can involve the use of finances or, at times, be without the use of finances. Change cannot always fit the company; at times, it results in the decline of the organization's economic value, and therefore, a conducive working environment is what employees need to be more motivated and committed.

A cheerful staff is part of a significant change that will promote efficient and effective departmental performance with a motivated workforce. The employees need to be more committed and spirited, which will boost morale and a working relationship. Managers have the responsibility to ensure there is a conducive working environment to fit the employees to avoid resistance. Therefore, a competitive approach will only be possible through high-spirited and motivated employees to benefit not only the department but also the company as a whole.

Managers are thus, required to be keen on how employees react to change. Often, conflicts might occur in cases when there is employee-resistance to the applied change, which results in underperformance and thus affect the company's productivity. Managers are responsible for understanding employees' opinions on the change before its implementation. They should also stimulate and support employees in attempts to build and maintain a performing department.

Communication is vital in departmental operations success, which improves employees' productivity, and also in building workforce relationships. For this reason, managers need to adopt excellent listening skills that will enable them to get opinions from employees towards the change.

References

Palmerino, MB 1999, Take a quality approach to qualitative research. Marketing News.

Balogun, J, Gleadle, P, Hailey, V & Willmott, H 2005, Managing Change Across Boundaries: Boundary-Shaking Practices1, British Journal of Management, 16(4), pp.261-278.

Organization Change: Theory and Practice: 5th Edition Burke, W.W. (2017). Organization Change: Theory and Practice (5th ed).

Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. ISBN-13: 978-1506357997 ISBN-10: 15063...