SAP Org: Investigating Change Mgmt. Models & Staff Perceptions - Essay Sample

Abstract

The key aim of conducting an interview is this study in SAP organisation was to collect evidence which will support the success of the research and to answer the research questions:

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• Why are change management models used in an organisation?
• How should the McKinsey 7S and Kotter’s eight-step change models be used?
• How did staff perceive organisational changes?

Questions Asked

• Implementation of Change management
• What are the aims of change implementation in SAP organisation?
• What are the benefits of implementation of change management strategies in the organisation?
• Whats your feeling about change in the organisation?
• Do you feel that you have been engaged in decision making about change? How have you contributed to the change implementation process?
• Do the regional and local leaders of SAP play a role in ensuring the successful implementation of change?
• Which effective strategies the organisation should adopt?
• Did the change adopted by employees and leaders?
• Impacts of on-going change to people of SAP
• How does change impact employees?
• What were the employees’ attitudes toward change?
• What are the positive impacts of change on employees? How did the organisation benefits as a result of change?

Mckinsey’s 7s Model

• How does the organisation benefit from the implementation of McKinsey’s 7S model?
• How does the organisation ensure that there is an effective and competitive McKinsey model?
• Why is the McKinsey’s 7S model important in the organisation?
• How effective is McKinsey’s 7S model in the organisation?

Kotter’s Eight-Step Model

• How does Kotter’s eight-step model define the approach of handling change in the organisation?
• What is the importance of following keenly the eight steps of Kotter’s model in SAP organisation?
• What are the benefits of the successful implementation of Kotter’s eight-step model in SAP organisation?

In this study, the research was complete and credible since the interview questions were valid and reliable to the topic of study. The validity of the study is determined if the study measures what it intends to measure within the scope of the study. The reliability of the interview questions determines the quality of the study in the organisation. The questions for the interview were formulated in a manner to have simple and clear questions so that the respondents can answer. The validity of the study in SAP organisation was enhanced through a collection of data from all levels of departments, staff, employees, and leaders, and the interviews were conducted separately. In this study, the reliability of the research results was fulfilled by conducting interviews separately in SAP organisation to ensure that respondents cannot influence each other’s responses.

Results and Findings

Introduction

This chapter presents the results of a study conducted in the SAP organisation about change management strategy implementation – with a significant focus on the use of Kotter’s eight-step model and McKinsey’s 7S model – and the impact of on- going change on the people of SAP. According to AlMashari and Zairi (2000), effective change management plays a crucial role in the implementation of the McKinsey 7S model and Kotter’s eight-step model. Steps taken during the change management process are supposed to be specific to an organisation’s circumstances and aims. To answer questions as to why management models were utilised in the selected organisation, data was collected through interviews of SAP regional and local leaders. The data enables the researcher to test the hypothesis questions for the study. Results related to the strengths and weaknesses of the McKinsey 7S model and Kotter’s eight-step framework, as implemented in SAP, are used to answer questions about the models used in the organisation. The results were collected as part of the case study conducted and from interviews and questionnaires administered to leaders and employees of SAP.

According to Singh (2013), an organisation can select the best management strategy to adopt after conducting a critical analysis of strategies’ limitations, benefits, and impacts on employees in terms of output and input elements and the external environment. The organisational design has the function of organising the change management process in a way that is effective and realises the primary qualities defined in the company’s values and visions. The appropriate method to analyse this is by utilising the McKinsey 7S framework and Kotter’s eight-step model. Tang (2019) argues that Kotter’s eight-step model enhances the ability of an organisation to change and increases its opportunities for success; hence, the implementation of this model in SAP is crucial. Kotter’s eight-step framework helps SAP to implement effective changes successfully. In summary, the chapter examines the results and findings related to SAP change management, implementations of McKinsey’s 7S model and Kotter’s eight-step model, and impacts of on-going changes on the people of SAP.

Change Management

In the first question of change management, the people of SAP and staff were aware of the aims of change in the organisation. From the data gathered in the interview, employees and local and regional leaders of SAP claim that change brings innovation and inventions in the organisation hence leading to the success of business operations. Since the change has positive impacts on the organisation such as maintaining a competitive advantage, the employees of SAP demonstrate a positive attitude towards change, and they embrace its implementation. From the interviews, employees of SAP say that they were included in the decision-making process; hence they have played a crucial role in supporting the successful implementation of change in the organisation. In the fifth question of change management, the analysis of data collected from the interview conducted indicates that a local and regional leader of SAP plays a crucial role in the success of the change. The participants in the interview of SAP organisation about the effective strategies suggest that McKinsey’s 7S model and Kotter’s eight-step model should be adopted in the organisation. The results from the interview show that about 75% of the people of SAP embrace and adopt the changes since it assists the organisiation in meeting its objectives.

Finding from the research indicates that change management strategies are crucial to the success of an organisation, since they ensure programs for attaining organisational targets and objectives are implemented efficiently. Based on the data collected from SAP leaders and employees, the implementation of a change management strategy has enabled the organisation to be more efficient with an advanced organisation structure (Mento and al., 2002). An advanced organisation structure was adopted by SAP to achieve long-term goals. According to Lankton and Martin (1987), advance in organisational structure gives guidance to all employees by setting up the official reporting rapports which govern the workflow of the organisation. The results from the interview conducted from the leaders of SAP indicate that on-going changes have resulted in the advancement of the organisation structure, hence leading to the creation of positive attitudes and cooperation by the employees. This has enabled the organisation to have a successful implementation of change management strategies. Effective internal communication is required to create and sustain a competitive advantage in effective change management for improving organisational performance (Hayes, 2011).

Data about change management in SAP was collected using a closed-ended questionnaire and interviews. Analysis of the results revealed that most SAP leaders and staff supported the adopted changes. They accepted changes in the organisation because they believe the changes will lead to improved performance and will give the organisation a competitive advantage in the market (Aladwani, 2001). Change is crucial to SAP since, without change management strategies, the business will lose its competitive advantage and will fail to achieve rapid growth. The information collected from SAP leaders and staff indicates that they apply Kotter’s eight-step model as their management strategy since it results in positive impacts in the organisation, such as retaining their market position. The findings from the questionnaires are that the implementation of Kotter’s eight-step model is crucial in SAP organisation since it provides a smart model to sustain and implement change which can be utilised by SAP organisation managers and local and regional leaders to bring change in the organisation effectively and efficiently (Pollack and Pollack, 2015). The finding from the case studies conducted shows that changes should be introduced with a solid reason; hence the sense of urgency should be created for a successful implementation of change.

SAP implements change management strategies to achieve their goals and reach a future state which encompasses certain desired results, such as gaining competitive advantage (Gargeya and Brady, 2005). Interview results show SAP staff and leaders tend to have a positive attitude toward change since it enhances customer satisfaction and lowers operation costs. In pursuing change management strategies, SAP leaders are motivated by the crisis to be solved or the available opportunities. Results from interviewing SAP employees suggest that human factors should be considered before enforcing changes since employees’ positive attitudes and willingness to adopt changes will enable the organisation to achieve its objectives. To successfully manage change, an organisation should have an integrated technique that drives systematically to reduce the destructive barriers to change (Smith, 2011). Training staff before introducing changes helps remove these barriers’.

Impacts of On-going Change on the People of SAP

The employees were informed about the changes being introduced in the organisation and it was communicated well to all employees. From the data collected from the interview, change has both negative and positive changes to employees as discussed in the results of the study.

Information about the impact of change on people within the SAP organisation was collected by administering questionnaires to employees and conducting interviews with regional and local leaders. Analysis of these results reveals that 75% of the employees and leaders accepted the changes introduced in the organisation, since those changes have positive effects on them (Oakland, and Tanner, 2007). Their responses indicate that the implementation of change management strategies will enhance innovation and increase the quality of services and goods the organisation produces, thus enabling the organisation to make gains and maintain its competitive edge. The rapid change in SAP will force the management of the business to restructure to retain the company’s competitive advantage. Some SAP employees resisted changes, arguing that wrong decisions were made, and some said that the team leader directing change was incompetent and not up to the task.

Change management refers to a structured method for ensuring that changes in an organisation are smoothly and thoroughly implemented, and the lasting positive impacts of those changes are achieved. The key focus before implementing Kotter’s eight-step framework and McKinsey’s 7S model is on the broader impacts the changes might have on people (Holbeche and Mayo, 2009). Most organisational changes lead to the need for major restructuring, leading to sweeping life changes for some employees. The implementation of change management strategies has been found to have positive impacts on the people of SAP, but changes such as salary deductions, downgrades in job posi...