Research Paper on Change Management and Cultural Web

Draw on each of the elements of the cultural web to discuss how the culture at Heinz Australia has changed and is continuing to evolve under Widdows leadership.

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

Save 25%

Each organization has a culture that guides it in all the operations and actions that it partakes. There is a need to understand the fact that the organizational culture determines the kind of outcomes that will be achieved at the end of a given program or initiatives. In this case, the main focus is on the cultural web in which a subset of organizational culture when looked from the perspective of things that are taken for granted - the organization under consideration in Heinz Australia. This organization has gone through many changes and advancements with regards to the modes of operation and interaction.

The social web represents the fundamental paradigm which is made up of assumptions that are in most cases taken for granted (Denison, 1990). It entails all sorts of physical manifestations that are associated with an organization, and in this case, the elements that are well connected to Heinz Australia are routines and rituals, control systems, organizational structures, stories, symbols, and power structures. Widdow's leadership has been associated with many changes, and most of them had facilitated initiations of better performances when compared to the way it was before he took over.

The routines and rituals of Heinz Australia were based on negativities and a culture that is positive when looked from an in-depth perspective. Since Widdows took over, the habits and rituals in the organization have been changing. This can be seen where the rewarding process in the organization have become better, and punishments have reduced. Defensiveness among the staff is vital, and this is what has made it o be in a better position.

The control systems of the organization have also changed as they make up part of the social web. This can be connected to all the factors that are put in place to make sure an organization is running in the right manner. In this case, Widdow's leadership made sure that the employee morale was high out of the compensations given and also the nurturing that they got. All the staff was supported when it came to all the initiatives that they put in place and even with regards to all the steps that they took to make sure that they are doing well in the food industry.

The stories element of the social web can also be used to develop a better understanding of the changes that have taken place at Heinz Australia. Most outsiders are now aware of the fact that the management has changed and they provide positive feedbacks with regards to the kind of services that they are getting from the organization. Symbols that the organization uses can also be attributed to the changes that are continuing to take place under Widdow's leadership. For instance, there is a manager and also a chief executive officer who bears titles that are in line with roles that they are supposed to accomplish.

The organizational structure has also changed drastically as this was among the factors that made the organization to lag in the industry. Widdows made sure that the attitudes and behaviors of the employees are adhering to the missions and objectives that the organization had put in place. Widdows engaged all the staff in the decision-making process as a way of making sure that Heinz Australia has "a great place to work." Everyone was supposed to provide some form of input with regards to defining how perfect workplace is supposed to be or designed. Consequently, the organization's structure changed regarding roles that were supposed to be accomplished by each employee and leader.

The power structures of the organizations are also crucial in this case, and they have contributed to the continued evolution of Heinz Australia under the leadership of Widdows. Peter Widdows serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Heinz Australia, and he happens to be the most powerful in the organization. This can be proved by the fact that he came up with decisions and initiatives that improved the situation in the organization. He claimed that the company was not at a standstill, but it was moving backward. In that case, the had to find ways of making sure that it is doing well not only in the United States but also in other countries in which it is located.

Based on your social web audit, identify the critical forces for and against change.

The social web has some factors that are supposed to be considered or put in place when initiating some change. There are critical forces for or against change when focusing on the cultural web. One of the fundamental forces for change is related to the rituals and routines that an organization practice supports change (Schneider, 1990). For instance, at Heinz Australia, the employees were always subjected to punishments and not being heard when they make complains or seek some changes to be made. The rituals and routines helped in initiating change as they had to embrace new ways of doing things as it had been brought up by Widdows. Widdows made the people have a routine of always being there for each and also being adhering to the necessities that are revolving around inclusion and management.

The organizational culture at Heinz Australia is one that is flexible and also welcoming. This happens to be one of the forces for change, and in that case, the management is supposed to take advantage of the same. The organizational culture makes the employees embrace all sorts of positivity that are subjected to them. In that case, it should be maintained so that the long terms positivity can be achieved. At the same time, the current leadership is one that is smart, and that is the reason why it has managed to remain stable since the year 2003.

Stories are forces against change as and it has a lot of power when looked from the perspective of consumers or people who are affiliated to the organization (Mind Tools, 2018). The past events and also the way people interact in and out of an organization prevent it from initiating a given form of change. For instance, if recent events of the organization have all be associated with failure, it would not be easy to change that notion as it is already rooted in people. Stories about Heinz Australia showed that it was always unprofitable and that the culture was always negative. These kind of stories were likely to prevent changes from happening in the organization, but still, Widdows managed to go against all the odds to make sure that the company is on the right track.

What appears to be the key strengths of the new culture?

The new culture at Heinz Australia is associated with significant strengths, and this can be looked from all sectors of its operations. The new culture at Heinz culture is characterized by employee morale and reduced turnover. The organization had been associated with many employees choosing to leave the organization to seek better pastures because the kind of culture that it had was not bearable. The workplace also has a culture of being positive and also portraying behavior that is well connected to what the organization desires when focusing on the values and beliefs.

The inclusion of all employees is the other characteristic of the new culture at Heinz Australia. The people were allowed to be in a position where they could make decisions and also display a better connection with the management. This is a corporate action that is supposed to be imminent in organizations that are willing to undergo improvements and perform in a manner that is at par with other competitors. The company also has a culture of making sure that all the ideas and opinions of employees are implemented if at all they are tangible and have a foreseeable result.

In that case, the key strengths of the new culture at Heinz Australia is awareness. The employees in the organization are aware of the fact that they need to change for the better. Most of them have realized that there is a need to change the way they operate and also the manner in which they take part in the production process. Awareness is a strength that is supposed to be cultivated into employees so that they see all the gaps that are supposed to be bridged. The organizational structure is one that enables the employees to realize their potential, and this is possible under the leadership of Widdows.

Desire is the other strength of the new culture at Heinz Australia. The employees have been showing the desires to participate in the change. For instance, they were willing to state the characteristics of the kind of work environment that they would want. They have an interest in change having in mind that they have been suffering from respect to the depreciating aspects of the company. Many of them were even leaving the organization because no change favored them in any way. Those who remained showed the desire to change, and since the year 2003, a lot of improvements have been experienced.

What aspect of the organization need to be monitored and sustained to ensure the organization does not slide back into the old ways of thinking and working.

The organization needs to make sure that it does not get back to the old ways of thinking and working. The organization culture is supposed to be maintained as this is a factor that determines the kind of future that it will have. The organization culture is supposed to be one that allows the practicing of skills and also one that facilitates the unity with each other at all times. The robust health of the organization will be sustained if it constitutes supplying the right staple foods and those that are needed by the customers. This means that they have to check on the demand and also the rate at which it is supposed to be supplied.

There is also a need to focus on the challenges of the organization with regards to the commodities that it offers and also the cost that is imminent in the market at large (Mind Tools, 2018). This will make sure that there is no turning back so long as the employees are treated in the right manner. The organizational routine is also one that entails serving a large number of customers daily. This means that it interacts with different groups of people who are supposed to experience a perfect picture or symbol in connection to the company. Heinz Australia has been engaging in the reduction of the number of employees by 25% so that it can be in the position to manage them efficiently. This is a routine that should continue so that the organization can remain in the same state with a lot of consideration being placed on the employees.

The organization also has an aspect of culture change which is focused on embracing a single cultural mindset. This is in line with the characteristics of a "great place to work." It is also the driving force, and it is combined with constant communication of its values and also making sure that the working force is committed to all that is associated with the organization. This will make sure that the company is standing still and that all the issues that are connected to old compliancy are not surfacing again.

The cultural web has elements that are supposed to be used by the company to check on areas that need improvements. For instance, the stories that it has should change if they are negative. People should start getting definite ideas and information with regards to the operations of Heinz Australia. Widdows is aware of all the areas that need to be maintained and also those that need improvements. Evaluations and assessment are even supposed to be conducted to check on areas that have done well and those that need improvements when looked from a broad aspect.

References

Denison, D.R.,...