Category: Organization Development

Organization and Environment

Client’s Needs and External Environment

According to the data available from the interview, the Tarmac is a brand that aims at adopting innovation in the construction industry. However, the structure of the business described by Emma Hines involves a diverse range of specialists in different fields, some of which are only marginally connected to each other. In addition, the construction business as a whole is relatively traditional and, as a result, does not allow for an effortless upgrade. It is also worth mentioning that numerous aspects of construction and building materials production processes rely significantly on equipment.

This fact adds another barrier in the form of significant expenses to the process of updating a business. Therefore, it would be reasonable to conclude that the client needs to facilitate a consistent and steady change process across the multiple facets of the company that would overcome the internal as well as external resistance.

In order to better understand the factors that influence the process of change, it is necessary to first analyze the external environment. One of the techniques that are suitable for such assessment is PESTLE – the tool that gives a comprehensive overview of the most relevant factors that drive the principles of operation within the industry (Kelly 2009). The following segment provides the key factors in the environment by category.

The most significant impact from the political domain is the ongoing withdrawal of the UK from the European Union. According to the expert opinion, two outcomes can be associated with the event. First, the cease of free movement between the UK and other European countries will likely diminish the available labor force. Currently, both the volume (roughly 10 percent of jobs in the country) and the diversity of skilled and non-skilled roles in the industry are successfully met by the freedom of movement of labor (Wilson et al. n.d.).

Second, a significant portion of the multitude of resources necessary for the construction process is supplied by the members of the Union, which means that after the withdrawal, a significant shortage might be observed. The latter is especially relevant for the companies aiming at sustainable building design due to the specific requirements of the components and materials.

The current economic climate is relatively unfavorable. Specifically, the effects of the recession of the late 1990s are still observable in the industry and impact the decisions of the financial institutions involved. Most prominently, the majority of entities responsible for investment are still reluctant to provide funding for the construction projects, which inhibits the development of the industry (Economy Committee 2013). The innovative projects are especially susceptible to the factor since their potential is countered by the uncertainty and the lack of proof.

The expected annual decrease in the cost of rent by one percent introduces an important social factor (Hanna 2015). Despite its evident benefits for tenants, it can result in the decline of demand for new housing projects and, by extension, compromise the company’s profitability.

The technological advancements have a two-pronged effect on the segment. First, the introduction of smart technologies offers new possibilities for the company in terms of safety, efficiency, and sustainability. Second, it raises expectations of the stakeholders and thus puts additional pressure on the players that fail to keep up the pace of change (Chaffe 2016).

From a legal standpoint, the situation in the construction industry is uneven. On the one hand, the current changes in legislature aim at a transparent and less complicated process of obtaining a permit and complying with the requirements. On the other hand, reports indicate a persistently high level of Corruption in the industry (CIOB 2013a). Such discrepancy obfuscates the legal procedures and undermines the flexibility of operations.

The recent development of environmental regulations has created a setting where sustainability and energy-efficiency are favored and supported, making the goals of Tarmac easily aligned with the direction taken by the policymakers (CIOB 2013b). Therefore, the environmental aspect can be considered the least concerning the client’s needs.

Organization and its Internal Environment

According to the information on the company’s website, Tarmac’s vision is to become the provider of choice in the solutions for sustainable construction (Tarmac n.d.). In other words, the company aims at becoming a leader of the sustainable construction segment. Some of the values reflect this goal, such as the commitment to consistently deliver value to the customers and the determination to exceed the set goals (Tarmac n.d.).

Other values are internally-oriented, such as the priority of health and safety, as well as striving towards flexibility and timeliness. The values also indicate the principles of the team-oriented workplace culture and the reliance on trust and respect within the company. While the website does not specify the methods of communication, the statements made by Emma Hines in the interview suggest that it is established via a variety of IT-based means including social media and a proprietary online hub.

Therefore, it would be reasonable to assert that the strategic leadership styles used in the organization are participative in nature. Such style involves the input of the employees and peers while the responsibility for the final decision resting on the participative leader. The emphasis on communication also suggests the use of transformational leadership. However, it would be necessary to confirm the presence of the delegation process to confirm this allegation.

Tarmac possesses many advantages. It operates in more than fifty countries and is one of the world’s leaders in the cement industry. It has a strong supply chain, which makes its operation effective. However, the main strength of the company is its innovative approach. Particularly, Tarmac has done significant innovations in the sphere of construction and made landmark monuments in such countries as South Korea, Greece, and so on.

As far as the weaknesses are concerned, only two of them are significant. First, Tarmac faces strong competition, which means that it is market share growth is limited. Second, instances of alleged violations and legal cases took place in the company, which spoils the brand name (Tarmac n.d.).

Regarding the opportunities, the acquisition of other smaller companies would make the brand stronger. Moreover, the company can benefit from targeting the customer base of one of its competitors. Additionally, strategic advertising and marketing would help increase credibility and brand recall further.

Concerning the threats, the most conspicuous of them is the potential challenges of post-merger operations. One more threat is the increase in the costs of operations along with the strong competition (Tarmac n.d.).

Analysis and Recommendations to the Organization

Analysis of Findings

Considering the information compiled in the previous section, it would be reasonable to conclude that the external environment is challenging rather than supportive for the construction companies aiming at innovation and sustainability. Two of the factors whose influence can be considered positive are environmental and technological areas. Both domains display strong alignment with the company’s outlined goals and can be potentially used to gain a competitive advantage later in the course of development.

However, they can also create the risk of pressure in the short term in the case where Tarmac fails to demonstrate the ability to innovate. Four other factors are generally unfavorable for the direction taken by the company. Specifically, the reluctance of the financial organizations to invest in unproven technologies and approaches will severely limit the availability of options for the company, whereas the obscurity of the legal landscape will discourage the participation of innovation-oriented partners.

Finally, the political and social changes in the country are expected to introduce additional challenges in the form of limited labor and physical resources, as well as the decreased demand for buildings. As can be seen, the PESTLE analysis is appropriate for this type of analysis since it provides essential information from the most relevant areas. While it does not allow to determine the relative weight of each factor, such approximation is acceptable considering the strategic scope of the task at hand as well as a relatively long time frame (Kelly 2009). The long-term perspective of the goals adopted by the management, as well as the encompassing approach necessary for its implementation, makes it possible to downplay minor details in favor of eventual excellence.

Another important conclusion is the alignment of the company’s internal strategic leadership styles with the identified needs. The orientation towards the reliable two-way communication between the employees and the management is the most significant indicator of the possibility to successfully implement change. The construction industry is a domain with strong hierarchical structures required due to its complexity and diversity of the involved entities.

Therefore, it would be unreasonable to expect fully democratic decision-making to occur. Nevertheless, the ability of the employees to participate in the transformation can have a positive effect both on the process and on its perceived outcomes. In its current state, the well-established communication channels can be considered an asset that can contribute to the seamless transition towards sustainability of operations and the resulting products.

Finally, it is worth pointing out that the company acknowledges the participation of important stakeholders. The most prominent example is community involvement. The company is strongly oriented towards collaboration with people impacted by the projects through the transparency of the information and the incorporation of feedback in the decision-making process. The intention to minimize the negative impact while at the same time ensure the presence of benefits for the local communities is consistent with the concept of sustainability and energy-efficiency as well as affordability of housing and its alignment with the needs of society as a whole.

Based on this information, it is possible to conclude that the stakeholders that need to be involved in the construction of the future cities are the construction companies, the entities that provide related auxiliary services (possible partners), the local community, the activist groups, and organizations with relevant goals and missions, the state and local policymakers, the suppliers of resources and equipment, and the potential employees.

By extension, the management and leadership of these entities can be approached using a participative principle. Such an approach would allow negotiating the most favorable outcome for all parties, formulating the acceptable strategies, and outlining the mutually agreeable objectives (Johnson et al. 2017). In addition, it can rely upon the available communication network possessed by the company and adjust it to incorporate the increased number of parties, thus employing the communication proficiencies of the management.

Recommendations

Based on the findings from the analysis, several recommendations can be formulated. Due to the encompassing nature of the goals of sustainable construction as well as the number of entities involved, most of the recommendations will be long-term. The most apparent goal is thus the realignment of all components of the company towards the sustainability principles. More specifically, in addition to the building process, several related activities, such as transportation, natural resource management, land restoration, and environmental research, need to be updated in order to align with the sustainability. Another important area that needs to be addressed is the availability of labor force and materials.

As was mentioned in the previous section, it is possible to expect the decline in the supply of both following the changes in the political segment. Therefore, it would be necessary to evaluate the possible implications of the phenomenon for the company and secure the steady income of the workforce and resources.

The latter can be achieved through proactive outreach towards the potentially untapped market segments and establishing the communication channels with the potential partners, which is possible through several short-term milestones. Finally, the financial side of the issue should be tackled by seeking the investors oriented towards innovation and long-term benefits rather than the immediately apparent profits. This recommendation is also achievable through the communication of the vision and values to the right audience.

On the basis of the SWOT analysis of Tarmac, the primary recommendation for the company would be to focus on its strength, particularly on the further development of innovative methods in the construction industry. Additionally, it is important for the company to consider the possibility of acquisition of smaller companies to develop a stronger brand.

At this point, the distinction should be provided between strategic management and leadership. Since there is no single definition of either, and both concepts incorporate a broad range of meanings, the most common and relevant characteristics of both will be outlined. Strategic management is a subset of management that operates the skills and resources of the organization with the overall direction in mind (Langford & Male 2008).

It utilizes overall goals rather than short-term objectives and keeps the focus on long-term revenues. In this regard, leadership can be considered a method of successful strategic management that shares the vision among the employees and ensures internal commitment and a unified direction. However, unlike management, which can be passive in some settings, leadership is an active process. Finally, leadership is not restricted to strategic goals and can target short-term objectives.

Implementation

The broad scope of the recommended change makes it possible to adopt several strategies that rely on the participative principle. However, taking into consideration the available proficiencies and the corporate culture, it is reasonable to suggest a strategy based on Kotter’s eight-step model. Such a strategy would have two advantages. First, it would allow utilizing the communication resources already available within the company. Second, several steps necessary for the implementation of the strategy are at least partially completed.

For instance, Emma Hines explicitly states in her interview that the construction industry as a whole is fairly conservative and is thus not ready to embrace the principles of sustainability. It is, therefore, likely that such awareness is common to all company employees, which eliminates the need for the creation of urgency (the first step). The second step – the formation of a coalition – is at least partially achieved, considering the prioritization of teamwork in the company’s values.

While it does not necessarily involve the inclusion of community, it is possible to expect the collaboration on their part as the principles of green construction are attractive for the consumers and will be readily adopted once appropriately communicated, and the established presence on social media networks makes it possible to facilitate the required level of communication. Once this is achieved, the next step would be to create a vision that is attractive to all involved stakeholders.

Such a vision needs to be based on values that are relevant for the community and the potential partners as well as the organization. After this, the vision should be communicated to the audience, a step that would require increased media presence. In this way, the public awareness of the issues pertaining to sustainable construction could be enhanced, and, as a result, a broader commitment would be reached.

The next step would involve the elimination of obstacles (in this case – the financial, resource, and labor restrictions) and would necessitate specific strategies and quantifiable performance indicators, such as the volumes of the funds secured by approaching new investors and the number of new partners ready to collaborate. Some of these indicators can be used to create short-term wins – the feasible outcomes reachable in the short term. For instance, reaching out to new partners can be achieved relatively easily, conveys a strong sense of unity with the outlined goals and values, and can serve as a confirmation of the viability of the selected direction.

At this step, it is also important to conceive the potential benefits of succeeding with the objective and allocating resources to incentivize the team members responsible for the success. This element would improve the motivation of the involved stakeholders, persuade the critics of the change process, and, by extension, reduce the likely resistance to change within the organization. In addition, once reported, the completion of such objectives can improve the company’s public image and convince more organizations in the feasibility of the vision. Additionally, as it was mentioned above, the company should start from the acquisition of smaller companies specialized in the sphere of construction in order to strengthen the brand name and introduce new technologies that would help improve its business.

As was mentioned above, sustainability and energy-efficiency in the construction industry are only attainable in the long run. Therefore, the ultimate success of the proposed change can only be confirmed after a consecutive streak of accomplishments. Thus, the next step would be working towards continuous improvement using a suitable philosophy such as kaizen. This step is evidently strategic in nature and would thus require further breakdown into smaller objectives to keep track of the achievements and help communicate the sense of progression to the participants. It is important to understand that the broad nature of the formulated goals will make it possible to misinterpret a number of small-scale achievements as a confirmation of the ultimate success.

To avoid this, it would be necessary to assess the overall effect of each of the objectives on the implementation of sustainable operations and thus estimate the degree of meeting the final goal. Finally, due to the fact that sustainable construction is a concept that is still in its early stage of development, it would be reasonable to expect the emergence of other needs requiring adaptation later in the course of its life cycle. Therefore, the ability of the organization to facilitate change can also become an important asset and should be preserved through the step of incorporating the experience into the corporate culture. In this way, the company will retain the necessary level of flexibility and would require fewer resources for facilitating change in the future.

Aside from the possible emergence of unforeseen requirements, it is reasonable to expect other changes in direction. For instance, it is possible that at some point, the newly introduced regulations will render some of the values irrelevant. In this scenario, the strategy would require adjustments in steps three, five, and six. Simply put, the adopted vision would be revised, the components incompatible with new conditions would be adjusted, and the new vision would be delivered to the stakeholders along with the rationale for change. While such a move will likely raise concerns from some of the involved parties, it will provide the opportunity to maintain the momentum of change without the need for major allocation of resources.

The communication of vision in the process will be primarily within the leaders’ responsibility. There are several reasons for this. First, the leaders are directly involved with the employees through communication, resolution of issues, and management. Second, the leaders’ task to resolve conflicts within the organization generally puts them in a position of trust and serves as an additional advantage in the process of passing the information. Third, leaders have access to multiple modes of communication, are usually proficient in their effective utilization, and familiar with the audience of each media platform.

The combination of these factors, as well as the fact that leaders usually have access to employees on different levels, including one-on-one conversations, suggest the necessity to assign leadership the primary role in communicating the vision pertinent to the recommendations at hand.

Reference List

Chaffe, P 2016, How technology is changing the construction industry. Web.

CIOB 2013a, Corruption in the UK construction industry. Web.

CIOB 2013b, Environmental legislation and incentives in the UK. Web.

Economy Committee 2013, Challenges facing the construction industry in London. Web.

Hanna K 2015, ‘Will Osborne’s social housing rent rises for high-earners discourage work?‘, The Guardian. Web.

Johnson, G, Whittington, R, Scholes, R, Angwin, D & Regner, P 2017, Exploring strategy: text and cases, 11th edn., Pearson Education Limited, Edinburgh.

Kelly, P 2009, International business and management, Cengage Learning EMEA, Hampshire.

Langford, D & Male, S 2008, Strategic management in construction, John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken.

Tarmac n.d., Our company. Web.

Wilson, R, Hill, A, O’Donovan, J, Wood, J, Ainscough, M & Slowikowska, M n.d., How could Brexit affect the UK’s construction industry. Web.

What is organization development?

Organization development refers to a systematic and ongoing process of designing and implementing effective organizational change. It is also a scientific field of inquiry in which scholars study how best organizations can be developed.

The underlying principle of organizational development is therefore the need to implement change in organizations and manage the change so as to achieve certain predetermined objectives (Cummings & Worley, 2009, p.1).

Theoretical approaches to organizational development

Systems approach

Most of the modern theoretical approaches to organizations are derived from the systems theory founded by Von Bertalanffy in 1951. It conceptualizes organizations as being composed of sub-systems which interact with each other for the common good of organizations.

Each sub-system is considered as being important for the success of the whole and therefore organizations need to be guided by mutual trust, harmony and a unity of purpose. Von Bertalanffy argued that each and every employee was unique and thus there was the need of treating them as such without any cultural stereotypes or prejudices (Burns & Flam, 1987, p.381).

The systems approach has affected the field of organizational development by making organizations understand that each part of the organization is important for the functioning of the whole.

Through the approach, organizations have been able to integrate their various departments to operate in an interdependent manner, a situation which has seen the emergence of what is referred to as line or horizontal management. The harmonization of organizational departments has also led to the emergence of team work in many organizations.

The Contingency Approach

According to Burns and Stalker in an article titled “The Management of Innovation”, as quoted in the FAO Corporate Document Respiratory, it is not possible to have a universal approach to all situations and that different situations require different guidelines and modes of intervention.

Organizations do not exist in a vacuum but rather exist in an environment which is characterized by social, cultural, economic, political and technical forces.

In order for an organization to attain its objectives in an efficient and effective manner, it is good to consider the environments in which it exists and come up with strategies which match those environments, then cultivate an organizational culture which would enable it to thrive in those environments.

The contingency approach has affected organizational development in that organizations have become more inclusive in the process of decision making, which has seen employees have the permission to micromanage their work and come up with the best ways of performing their duties.

The reason is that managements have realized that full control of employees may interfere with their productivity, which in turn negatively affects that of the organizations (Donaldson, 2001, p.5).

Socio-Technical Theory

According to Pasmore in an article titled “Designing Effective Organizations”, and as quoted in the FAO Corporate Document Respiratory, each and every organization comprises of the people, the environment and a technical system. The social system is composed of the employees while the technical system is composed of knowledge, tools and techniques used by the social system.

According to Pasmore therefore, there is a need to maintain equilibrium between these subsystems so that organizations may be effective and efficient. The social technical theory has made organizations to integrate employees’ work with technology with a view of maximizing the available opportunities for attaining organizational goals and objectives (Thompson, 2003).

Action research approach

The approach conceptualizes organizational development as a product of a bottom up strategy to organizational improvement. The philosophy behind the action research approach is that any effective change must be based on evidence. The approach has its roots in Kurt Lewin, who is considered by many scholars as the father of organizational change and development.

Lewin came up with what he called three stage theory which involves three stages or steps namely unfreezing, changing and freezing (Cummings & Worley, 2009). The first step of unfreezing is about doing a cost benefit analysis about the proposed change and weighing whether the pros of the change outweighs the cons, then creating the necessary motivation for the change.

This stage is therefore the preparatory stage and is very crucial because it determines the success of the change if effected. When employees are highly motivated to change, the resistance to change is minimized and vice versa (Cameron & Green, 2009).

The next stage is the change stage which is also known as the transition stage and involves implementing the change. This is the hardest stage in change implementation because employees are always reluctant to move out of their comfort zones despite any motivation (Burke, 2011). During this stage therefore, employees need to be guided and encouraged to undertake the change.

The final stage is the freezing stage, which is also known as refreezing stage. During this stage, the organization has successfully sailed through the change process and is now leaving in a new dispensation. There is therefore the need of creating a new culture in the organization which is in line with the new organizational dispensation (Cummings & Worley, 2009).

Action research has affected organizational development in a variety of ways. In fact, it is the most popular approach in determining organization development in that many organizations actually base their changes on research.

Through research, organizations are able to initiate changes based on data collection and analysis. Some usually develop strategic plans based on empirical data. Programs are also implemented through a rigorous process which is composed of base line surveys, monitoring and evaluation of the programs in an ongoing process.

Forces which influenced the emergence of organizational development

The social force

The social force which influenced the emergence of organizational development was the shift from the classical management theories which viewed employees as robots to be operated by the managers to the human relations approach to management which views employees as social beings with physical, emotional and psychological needs.

The shift brought the need for organizations to put in place fare employee practice which involves things like employee training, team work, flexible working and scholarships to the employees. Through this, organizations are able to improve the competencies of their employees thus leading to increased efficiency, effectiveness and productivity (Jones & Brazzel, 2006).

Political forces

The political forces which led to the emergence of organizational development were the events of the World War II. Prior to the war, organizations largely relied on the scientific management theory by Taylor.

Taylor’s theory was synonymous to colonization in that it viewed employees as laborers and the managers as all knowing elites with an all round knowledge virtually in all aspects of organizational processes, functioning and procedures. After the world war, nations of the world realized that collaboration with each other was far much better than elimination of rivals or competing ideologies.

As a result, organizations realized that all stakeholders were important for their success. Managers therefore started embracing employee inputs by allowing them to be creative, innovative and flexible while discharging their duties. The result was increased productivity because some employees actually had unique talents, which made organizations improve their levels of attainment of objectives (Bradford & Burke, 2005).

Economic force

The economic force which led to organizational development was the global recession of the 1980s, a period of poor economic performance characterized by low gross domestic product for countries, reduced productivity, less income for those working or doing business, inflation and high costs of living.

The recession affected virtually all aspects of human life including organizations both in the public ad private sector. Due to the recession, organizations were forced to come up with strategies of cutting on operational costs. One way mostly adopted was that of training employees so as to enable them undertake various tasks within an organization.

Interpersonal force

Globalization is the interpersonal force which led to the emergence of organizational development. It can be defined as the minimization of the differences between people of the world and the maximization of their similarities through interactions, cooperation and communication.

The advancement in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has transformed the world into a global village. Through ICT and improved means of transport, people are more than ever able to do business with each other without any form of barriers (Scholte, 2005).

Through globalization, organizations have found themselves opening new branches in other countries. Examples of such organizations which have used globalization as an aspect of development include Tesco in the United Kingdom and Wal- Mart stores in the United States.

References

Bradford, D. L., & Burke, W. W. (Eds.). (2005). Reinventing organization development: New approaches to change in organizations. San Francisco, CA: Wiley.

Burns, T.R., & Flam, H. (1987). The shaping of social organization : social rule system theory with applications. London: Sage Publishers. P.381.

Burke , W.W.(2011). Organisation change: theory and practice.(3rd Edn.). Thousand Oaks : SAGE Publications.

Cameron, E., & Green, M.(2009). Making sense of change management : a complete guide to the models, tools & techniques of organisational change. London: Philadelphia.

Cummings, T. G., & Worley, C. G. (2009). Organization development and change (9th Edn.) Mason: OH, South-Western Cengage Learning. P.1.

Donaldson, L. (2001). The contingency theory of organizations. Thousand Oaks, Calif. Sage Publishers. P.5.

Jones, B. B., & Brazzel, M. (Eds.). (2006). The NTL handbook of organization development and change: Principles, practices, and perspectives. San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer.

Scholte, J. A. (2005). Globalisation: A Critical Introduction, (2^nd Edn.). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Thompson, J.D. (2003). Organizations in action: social science bases of administrative theory. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers.

Organization Development Case Study: Introduction

For any organization to be successful in its field and progress to profitability, it is important that managers and employees in its leadership embrace organizational development. According to Cummings and Worley, “Organizational Development (OD) is a planned long-term effort led and supported through the top management to improve an organization’s ability in a bid to solve its own problems by continuously working together and managing the culture using behavioral skills” (2005, p. 1).

The paper uses the Tedtec Company Limited, which is a fictional organization. The company chosen for this case study is respected in the country of origin. It is among the pioneers of organizational development in the country. Tedtec Company Limited that is located in India has been in operation for the last 70 years dealing with machinery, engineering, production, and construction works.

According to the results of the performance index of India’s companies, Tedtec Company Limited “is also adjudged India’s best managed and most respected company on various attributes of customer delight and shareholder value” (Roy, 2006, p. 25). The case study on organizational development was based on this company because of its significant history in this field in India.

Company profile

Tedtec Company Limited is among the most respected of India’s private sector companies that deal with technology, construction, engineering, and manufacturing. The company has been in existence for about seven decades with a strong international presence including offices in the China as well as her Gulf neighbors.

A wide marketing and distribution network and decades of strong customer focused approach has ensured that the company is the leader in its field. The company also “believes that progress must be achieved in harmony with environment” (Roy, 2006, p. 25). This claim has informed its commitment to protection of the environment and participation in community welfare.

Some of the achievements that the company has made include the record for having made the largest coal gasifier in India that it exports to China.

It is the largest FCC regenerator for a refinery, which is the longest coal conveyer in the world besides being Asia’s highest viaduct and the world’s largest EO reactor for a protochemical complex in the Gulf. The company also took part in the construction of India’s first nuclear powered submarine. It has won a number of local and international awards and recognitions.

The company is also one of the most profitable construction companies in the region with thousands of employees being employed directly or indirectly by the company. A policy of giving back to the society has ensured that the company establishes good relations with workers and the communities in which it is involved, with only the issue of pollution being the major challenge.

Tedtec Company Limited has however managed to remain viable and important within the manufacturing and construction sector even with the financial crisis experienced over the years in this part of the world and elsewhere in the world.

Diagnostic methods

The methods used for diagnosis in this particular organization included interviews and questionnaires, which were addressed to the employees in the organization. Initially, the company had experienced faults in its existing appraisal system at some point in its history. This challenge necessitated a professional correction of the system.

The company elicited help from some of experts in this field with eminent professors being invited to carry out a study and assessment of the appraisal process in the company (Wilson, 2003, p. 13). Walter Jay and Engineer Schwartz Raymond were the professors that were consulted in the evaluation process for the company.

In their study of the appraisal process in the company, they began by interviewing departmental heads and their subordinates. To accomplish the interview, they used diagnosis or action research with the results being recorded and analyzed against a background of other results they had gotten elsewhere and against the existing case studies.

Analysis and feedback methods

Feedback

From the diagnostic methods used in the company, a number of feedbacks were obtained. In the analysis of information provided by the subordinates in the various departments, there was apparent communication breakdown in the administrative hierarchy with junior workers not getting information and feedback on their performance in the company.

This case was despite their expressed a desire to get the feedback, which was not forthcoming. Another interpretation of the results of the feedback included the fact that the managerial staff members were responsible for a large number of employees thus making an appraisal of their subordinates difficult.

However, one shortcoming was that the appraisal form used was too lengthy meaning that the number of employees participating was reduced due to time constraint.

The results of the feedback were presented by the two professors to the top management of the company for consideration and formulation of suggestions and recommendations on the possible solutions to the actual problem.

According to Cummings and Worley, an appraisal system is important in any organization as it helps the company’s employees to understand their strengths and weaknesses and the progress they are making in the job performance (2005, p. 15).

It also enables them to understand the options available for growth in the company. Cummings and Worley claim that the process should “address the issues of appraisal, potential, counseling, career development, and training all in one” (2005, p. 15).

SWOT analysis

As in the case of IKEA that was discussed as a case study, Tedtec Company Limited used SWOT analysis in the achievement of objectives and planning of its strategic achievements.

As discussed in the essay and in the literature on planning strategies in organizations, this form of analysis investigates the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats that an organization establishes in its course of operations and development (Cummings, & Worley, 2005, p. 15).

According to Cummings and Worley, threats are external to an organization, and are outside the control of the company with the best examples being economic performance of the country, the levels of technology at the time, social changes, and the environmental conditions (2005, p. 24).

On the other hand, strengths and weaknesses are internal to an organization thus serving to counter the threats that are outside the organization’s control (Cummings, & Worley, 2005, p. 25).

As an opportunity, Tedtec Company Limited has over the years invested in manufacturing and construction industry. It boasts of creating a respected brand in India. The company has been in existence since 1938 when it started as a manufacturer of daily equipment.

Therefore, it has a well-established organizational culture and management policies that stand the test of time. The company also has vast investments in technology, investing heavily in the latest technology available in the industry. This opportunity has created a competitive edge over her competitors.

As strength, the organizational culture in the organization has been described as a goal-oriented one with the employees largely reporting career satisfaction when working with the company.

The company has invested in a number of international brands mainly in the region thus ensuring relevance and competitiveness in the industry. With diversification of its operations, the organization is now able to produce different products besides offering a range of services in the region.

A significant weakness that the organization has established in its operations is the pollution that has been created in the production method in the process of rectification following the ambitious investment in environmental conservation and social responsibility.

The company also faces a threat in operations in the form of the financial crisis that, as demonstrated in the last one, has the ability to paralyze its operations. The threat is however countered by the cautious financial investment in other market coupled with strict financial auditing and consultations.

OD intervention options and general risk and value scenarios

The assessment of risks in an organization is important as it enables the management to formulate the desired change and effect on it. This assessment is quite crucial for any company since it makes it aware and ready for any particular risk that it might incur.

Many companies have experienced an untimely closure following the occurrence of risks that it did not expect or rather risks that were not planned for in the event of their occurrence.

For Tedtec Company Limited, the specific interventions that were necessary included diversification of products and expansion into other markets to counter the decline in demand in the home country in a bid to create new opportunities to secure industrial relevance.

In the analysis of vales, one of the relevant values to the company is customer service. The company has established a number of methods of ensuring the customers are loyal to it. Customer loyalty is recognized as one of the factors leading to the success of many organizations and that the company is no exception (Cummings, & Worley, 2005, p. 25).

To guarantee exceptional customer service, organizations need to have an effective indicator in place (Cummings, & Worley, 2005, p. 21). For Tedtec Company Limited, customer loyalty rating is the key indicator. The organization has commissioned a number of surveys to find out the satisfaction of its clients on its products and services.

According to Cummings and Worley, this strategy is an effective way of doing it (2005, p. 21). The results have then been used to gauge performance and or inform decision-making.

The expected benefits include improved service provision and customer satisfaction as well as profitability. The company also utilizes feedback from clients especially complaints that are provided as feedback to change its operations.

Since Tedtec Company Limited carries out many civil projects that are funded by the Indian government and other governments, the quality of work is also evaluated by government contractors as well as other state agencies concerned with quality control (Cummings, & Worley, 2005, p. 25).

This ensures a subjective review of products and services provided thus ensuring that there is quality in the future projects. The strategy has enabled the company to win a number of tenders based on previous projects that were evaluated as being professionally carried out.

Evaluation methods

According to Cummings and Worley, post change evaluation in an organization is important since it presents the executives with a picture of the effects of the change (2005, p. 17) made by the change agent “in consultation with the management of the organization” (Wilson, 2003, p. 23). Wilson also states, “The evaluation sets initial agreed aims and objectives against the current, post-change situation” (2003, p. 23).

In the analysis made of Tedtec Company Limited, the attitude and satisfaction of workers as well as the financial outlook and performance ratings were made thus being some of the most common areas of evaluations in an organization development analysis.

The results of the evaluation were then presented to the management. The summary consisted of areas where the effected change was successful, recommendation for improvement, areas that were unsuccessful and not in line with the company objectives, areas that required constant monitoring, and the suggested rolling evaluation program.

For Tedtec Company Limited, the results showed success in areas of change such as improved organizational performance since the entry of the firm in to the international market.

The change in organizational culture, which was made mainly involving the diversification of the employee base, was also reported to influence the company in a positive manner with the employees reporting improved satisfaction from the working conditions.

The employees also reported a breakdown in communication and ineffective management mainly due to the large size of the personnel department, which was created by expansion. This exposition meant that the employees were getting inadequate attention from their bosses.

Recommendations

One of the recommendations is that the company should consider splitting or bifurcation of the personnel department in the company to ensure that fewer employees are under the supervision of managers in the various departments. It is said that the smaller the number of subordinates that each manager is responsible for, the better the output of the employees (Wilson, 2003, p. 21).

The company should also consider increasing the number of managerial staff especially those in the human resource department in an attempt to improve the contact between the administration and subordinates (Wilson, 2003, p. 18). Another recommendation is that the organization should monitor the human resource department and the marketing department to enhance customer loyalty.

OD Case Study: Conclusion

In conclusion, organizational development is an important aspect in the success of companies. Organizations that wish to perform well have a well established organizational development plan that stipulates the issues that they need to do or rather the issues that they need to be aware of so that they remain not only in track but also ready for any unexpected emergency.

The paper has used the Tedtec Company Limited as a fictional company in an attempt to address this key issue of organizational development. Thus, its evaluation should be carried out in a formal manner. Tedtec Company Limited is considered to have made significant organizational changes since its inception. The changes have affected its operations in a number of ways.

An evaluation of its organizational development established a number of threats, weaknesses, and strengths, as well as the effects of the organizational change. These elements were then evaluated with recommendations and suggestions being made to the development specialists and business executives of the organization.

Reference List

Cummings, T., & Worley, G. (2005). Organization development and change. Mason, Ohio: Thomson/South-Western.

Roy, S. (2006-2005). Made in India: a study of emerging competitiveness. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill Pub. Co.

Wilson, D. (2003). Promoting institutional & organizational development. London: Dept. for International Development.

Define Open and Closed Systems

A system is “a composition of different parts that perform together in order to improve productivity or performance” (Koskinen, 2013, p. 37). Two types of systems occur in organizations. The first one is an open system. An open system embraces new ideas from the environment. Many open systems interact with their immediate environments in order to improve performance (Singh, 2009). An organization’s marketing department presents the best example of an open system. A closed system is usually rigid in nature. Such a system will have little interaction with the surrounding environment. The transmission of knowledge and ideas does not occur within closed systems. A closed system can discourage growth because it reduces the level of interaction with the environment.

Determine if this organization is an open or closed organization

The targeted organization for this paper uses an open system. The company has always collaborated with different stakeholders and business partners to achieve its objectives. The company’s Production Department (PD) collaborates with different suppliers and business partners. The corporation has always used the best strategies to remain profitable. Such strategies focus on “every environmental factor such as politics, economic patterns, and socio-cultural practices” (McLean, 2012, p. 42).

The organization advertises its missions and products using various channels such as social media and newspapers. The above practice explains why this is an open organization. The “practical world does not give room for absolutely closed systems” (Silverthorne, 2005, p. 48). The firm’s marketing department also focuses on every changing environmental condition in order to achieve its targeted goals. The organization’s Research and Development (R&D) does not interact with the outside environment. This organization promotes an open system in order to realize its potentials.

Compare an example of an organization that is a closed system

Some companies are closed systems because they have little interaction with their outside environments or elements. Such systems “does not mean the organizations are completely closed” (McLean, 2012, p. 47). A good example of a closed organization is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). This agency is responsible for America’s space and aerospace research. The organization handles critical and sensitive information. The agency’s main stakeholders include the government and various learning institutions.

The organization prefers a closed system in order to conserve its information. This practice ensures the agency’s information in never corrupted or lost. The practice retains the level of integrity in the organization. This system differs from the one applied in the above company. NASA interacts with a small number of interested parties and stakeholders in order to achieve its objectives. Every organization should consider the best system depending on its goals and business objectives.

Are the system structures in these organizations appropriate or detrimental to their goals?

The open system used in this organization is appropriate towards achieving every targeted goal. Open systems ensure organizations focuses on the changing expectations of their stakeholders. This system structure ensures every organization acquires new ideas and information from the environment. Companies can use open systems to make the best decisions. An open system has always been supporting the goals and missions of the above organization (“Open and Closed Systems,” 2014). NASA is a closed organization. This system ensures the organization safeguards its information and data. NASA also collaborates with a few stakeholders in order to support its goals. This system structure is appropriate because it supports NASA’s goals.

Reference List

Koskinen, K. (2013). Knowledge Production in Organizations: A Processual Autopoietic View. New York: Springer.

McLean, G. (2012). Organization Development: Principles, Processes, and Performance. New York: Berrett-Koehler Publishers.

Open and Closed Systems. (2014). Web.

Silverthorne, C. (2005). Organizational Psychology in Cross Cultural Perspective. New York: Wiley.

Singh, K. (2009). Organizational Behavior: Text and Cases. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Introduction

One company that can be said to have changed the automobile industry is Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC). Since its establishment in the year 1937, Toyota Motor Corporation has evolved to become one of the best car selling companies in the world. At the same time, Toyota is estimated to provide employment opportunities to about 317,000 people at the moment, working as dedicated employees of the company.

Major activities of Toyota Company started after the Second World War, when the company started to design and manufacture automobiles in large number.

The history of Toyota Company is associated with Kiichiro Toyoda who was an excellent inventor and established Toyoda Automatic Loom Company that largely relied on his prolific designs (Toyoland, n.d). As part to generate more capital resources, the company Kiichiro Toyoda licensed part of the designs to the British and the generated money was used to establish Toyota Motor Company, an idea that received government’s support due to its military applications (Toyoland, n.d).

Before the establishment of the company, Japanese armies relied on imported trucks, and as a result of depression that affected the world and the country at the same time, resources to import trucks became scarce (Toyoland, n.d). As a result, domestic production was seen as an avenue to reduce costs, create employment opportunities, and empower the country to be self-reliance (Toyoland, n.d).

Some of the automobile designs by Toyota Motor Corporation in the history include: Model A1 and G1 models, model AA, sedans, phaetons or model AB, Toyota model, GB truck, G1 truck, Toyopet or the model SA, SD models, RH model, Landcruiser, Crown, Corona, Avalon, Camry, and Lexus (Toyoland, n.d).

Toyota at the same time throughout history has been able to establish plants in other regions of the world specifically in Latin America and USA. Today, Toyota Motors has evolved as the global largest designer and “manufacturer of automobiles, both in unit sales and net sales” (Toyoland, n.d). For instance in USA alone Toyota has succeeded in eclipsing Honda and sustained fierce competition to GM and Ford motors (Toyoland, n.d).

Further, in 2002, Toyota Motors incorporated 2010 Global vision, which according to the company is a vision aimed at achieving mobility needs in away that considers and respects environment and the people (Toyoland, n.d). Major themes in this Global vision include “Toward a recycle-oriented society, toward the age of IT and ubiquitous networks, toward a mature society, and toward motorization on a global scale” (Toyoland, n.d, p.1).

Toyota’s Organizational Structure and strategy

Richard D. Daft, writing in the book titled ‘Organizational Theory and Design’ observes that in defining what organizational structure is, it is important to put into consideration three important aspects: organization structure constitute formal reporting relationships that include number of levels in the hierarchy and span of control of managers and supervisors (Daft, 2009).

Second, organizational structure establishes the grouping together of individuals into departments and of departments into total organization. Lastly, organizational structure constitutes the design of systems to ensure effective communication, coordination, and integration of efforts across departments (Daft, 2009).

According to the author, these three elements involve both the vertical and horizontal aspects of organizing, with each representing a structure that is more appropriate in certain specific organizational orientation. Accordingly, an ideal structure should be in a position to encourage employees to provide horizontal information and coordination where and when it is needed (Daft, 2009).

From 2003, Toyota Motors was seen to be causing ripples in the automobile industry as it undertook initiatives at high speed catching up with the industry’s perennial leaders and dominant players like GM, Ford, and Chrysler (Griffin and Moorhead, 2009). Many people viewed this as a risk strategy, which upon failure would have severe negative impacts on Toyota Motors.

However, on gradual note, the strategy has been working out as some instances of literature postulate that Toyota Motors has been able to outperform one or two of these companies (Griffin and Moorhead, 2009). As the strategy appeared successful, Toyota put in place strategies to re-invent itself and one of the re-invention strategies was to introduce new designs.

One of the changes that has characterized Toyota introduced by the management include introduction of a number of new designs such as introduction of Prius hybrid model in 2004 (Griffin and Moorhead, 2009). When the success of this model was realized, Toyota was motivated to introduce another hybrid luxury sport-utility vehicle known as the RX 400h and today the company offers these two designs in the world’s market estimated to be about 50 per cent (Griffin and Moorhead, 2009).

Accompanying Toyota’s introduction of new designs in the marketing is the company’s well-established and known reputation that, on wider global scale characterizes the company as one of the world’s leading corporation to be involved in massive cost cutting. The company has continuously invented and improved guided by the kaizen (continuous improvement) philosophy. Kaizen has further been strengthened by the company’s kanban (just-in-time inventory) systems (Griffin and Moorhead, 2009).

The understanding of these two concepts is that the company’s managers should continuously search for diligent ways of reducing expenses. At the same time, Toyota has engaged in making numerous low-tech changes that are aimed at bringing about cost savings while at the same time, be able to improve speed and quality (Griffin and Moorhead, 2009).

Toyota’s urge and need for change is not only anchored in its favor for designs, processes and technology but also the company has undertaken broad initiatives to update and ‘repackage’ its organizational structure by replacing some of its top managers (Griffin and Moorhead, 2009).

At the same time, the company is integrating some of its far-flung divisions such as the business unit. With the coming of Watanabe as the new CEO after retire of Fujio Cho in 2005; change at Toyota has become an inevitable aspect as the new CEO pays attention to the aspects of cost cutting and quality control measures (Griffin and Moorhead, 2009). Watanabe has characteristically embarked on shuffling organization’s managers as part of his wider aim of having new and fresh blood in the top management of the company.

To make these changes more meaningful and genuine, the Company’s leadership is at the time involved in updating the organization’s culture. For a long time, Toyota Motors has been accused and viewed by many to be too conservative especially in its design, too focused on the Japanese market, as well as too timid and slow in adopting revolutionary innovations (Griffin and Moorhead, 2009).

As a show of changes taking place at Toyota, Maryanne Keller, an auto industry consultant noted that Toyota’s CEO was more focused and determined t pushing for more reforms, more openness, more alliances, more speed, and more risk taking (Griffin and Moorhead, 2009).

Today these changes continue to bore fruits since from 2007 although the world witnessed financial turmoil in terms of recession profits margins at Toyota increased by 4,7 per cent. Further, the company has invested about $16 billion in cash to enhance its research and development together with growth and as today it stands, re-invention constitute and define Toyota’s winning strategy (Griffin and Moorhead, 2009).

Organization change process

Today, organization change is seen to be inevitable feature especially given the competitive environment that businesses are being subjected to (Harigopal, 2006). Change in general manifest itself in two forms: intended change and unintended change. Intended also known as planned change usually takes place with aim of bringing about systematic change in an organization in order to increase or improver organization’s effectiveness (Harigopal, 2006).

Numerous models exist today that explain how change process can be undertaken and such models include “Lewin’s model of change, the planning model, the action research model, and the integrative planning model” (Harigopal, 2006). With regard to objectives of this research, attention will be paid to two major models: Lewin change model and integrative planning model.

Lewin change model postulates that change constitutes processes of modifying the forces that tend to keep a system’ behavior stable and that change can be planned by modifying the existing state through either increasing the forces pushing for change or reducing the forces that maintain the current state or even in some instances apply a combination of both (Harigopal, 2006).

Further, this model postulates that there are different levels at which change can occur in an organization. These levels of change are individual, with aim of changing individuals’ behavior, values, skills, and behavior (Harigopal, 2006).

In addition, there is structural and systems change, where the aim is to change or modify work design, reporting relationships, and information systems and even reward systems (Harigopal, 2006). Third level of change can take place at the organizational level where realization of change may be manifested in change of leadership styles, interpersonal relations, decision-making, and other aspects at this level (Harigopal, 2006).

On the hand, integrative model of planned change postulate that an organization exists in different states at different times and that planned change can occur from one state to another (Harigopal, 2006). Integrative model of planned consists four phases that include exploration phase, in which the organization makes a decision on whether to plan for specific changes and allocate resources for that particular change.

Next phase is the planning phase in which planning for change starts and usually comes about as a result of particular problem facing the organization. After diagnosis of the particular problem to be modified, planning process sets in. Third phase is the action phase where changes derived from planning are implemented at this stage. It is within this phase that the organization aims to transform from its current state to the desired future state.

Last phase is the integration phase in which changes are incorporated as part of regular organizational functioning after undergoing successful implementation. The new change behavior in the organization become reinforced through feedback, incentives, and reward system (Harigopal, 2006).

Organizational changes at Toyota Motors

In 2009, Toyota Motor Corporation announced major change initiatives as part of its organizational change (Toyota Motors Corporation, 2009). The organization change undertaken by the company rested on the theme of “reinforcing necessary functions and implementing that contribute to more efficient organizational operations to better respond to priority issues of each individual field and group” (Toyota Motors Corporation, 2009, p.1). Types of changes that the company anticipated to pursue included the following:

Business Development Group

The change to be introduced was to see the business development division being merged with marine business division; the two form a new division known as Business Development Division& the Marine& Unit Business Division (Toyota Motors Corporation, 2009). The aim of this initiative was to see the use of resources between the two divisions carried out more “effectively and increase the efficiency of the unit business” (Toyota Motors Corporation, 2009).

Purchasing Group

The company’s purchasing planning department, the global purchasing promotion division and the parts of purchasing division were to be integrated and re-organized into the new created Purchasing Administration Department together with Purchasing Planning Division (Toyota Motors Corporation, 2009). The purpose of this initiative was to ensure consolidation and centralization of purchasing issues and needs into the new Purchasing Administration Department in order to improve and strengthen the global strategies and project management (Toyota Motors Corporation, 2009).

Japan Sales Operations Group

The initiative to be implemented in the company was to see elimination of the Japan Advertisement and Marketing Division where the functions performed by this division were to be transferred to the new Toyota Marketing Japan Company Limited (Toyota Motors Corporation, 2009). The aim of this strategy was to see much emphasis and focus is directed towards activities that target Japan Market while art the same time be able to reinforce the identified and specific activities (Toyota Motors Corporation, 2009).

Middle East, Africa, and Latin America Operations Group

Accordingly, the company intended to create a new division, with the purpose of this initiative centering on “consolidating the product planning, profit management, affiliate management and business planning functions of the Middle East, Africa and Latin America Operations Group in the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Caribbean Planning Division in order to increase momentum and efficiency of operations” (Toyota Motors Corporation, 2009, p.1).

Customer Service Operations Group

Change here was to involve the Service Parts Administration Division where this unit as to be transferred to the new established Customer Service Operations Group. The major purpose of this initiative was to ensure there is closer achievement and “collaboration with parts and accessories divisions in Japan and overseas (in the service-parts segment) to achieve more timely supply and establish quality assurance standards” (Toyota Motors Corporation, 2009).

How success Toyota will be able to realize these changes?

First, it must be realized that Toyota Motors has pursued strategies of lean manufacturing system where the company’s production system in built on the principle of ‘just-in-time’ production (Bauer and Erdogan, n.d). The essence of this principle is that raw materials and other supplies are exactly delivered to the plant when production is to take place and this has avoided tendencies to waste resources.

At the same time, emphasis has been put on the importance of efficiency on the part of the employees specifically those located on the front lines (Bauer and Erdogan, n.d). Assembly workers have been empowered in decision-making processes to take appropriate action when production line experiences a problem.

Toyota Company has also been able to enact its change programmes by receiving help from its human resource strategies, culture and structure (Bauer and Erdogan, n.d).

For the human resource, Toyota has employee programs and initiatives that are see employment opportunity more permanent and stable, there is also “high investment in training and development, and internal promotions, all promoting a sense of employee ownership of the process” (Bauer and Erdogan, n.d). With regard to culture, Toyota company has put more emphasis on the learning and modesty specifically by incorporating past successes in the company that isolate them from other competitors (Bauer and Erdogan, n.d).

For example, the company requires and support employees to be experts in everything they do and as a result, the issue of specialization has been encouraged in the organization. From these aspects, Toyota Motors has evolved and established a effective structure that fosters internal communication. Further, meetings in the company are frequent being held after “every two days to coordinate the relations between chief engineers and functional managers” (Bauer and Erdogan, n.d). “

Other key aspects in the organization that facilitate effective functioning in the organization include effective communication channels such as presence of module development teams tasked with the role of harmonizing organizational operations and processes. These aspects have characteristically made Toyota Motors appear unique among auto companies since it is able to remain traditional and bureaucratic while at the same time striving to be agile and innovative (Bauer and Erdogan, n.d).

The culture of the company focuses and emphasizes continuous and constant learning and improvement with employees being given opportunity to analyze gaps in the expected performance and therefore be able to change.

Conclusion

Organizational structure is the key aspects to the success or failure of change in an organization. To fit into the challenges of dynamism in the environment organizations will be forced to undergo change if they aspire to remain competitive. Although there are two types of change – planned and unplanned – it is the planned one, which has the capacity to bring meaningful change to the organization. What is important is for the various organizations anticipating or planning for change to carry out the process more diligently.

There is need to carry out environmental scanning before appropriating the necessary change needs and strategies. Key and formidable internal structures should be able to support the change process and such can result due to presence of change-oriented management. When it appears, the management is not ready for change or re-organization then it becomes necessary for such management team to be substituted with more change-oriented management.

All in all change process is seen to be a tedious process that sometimes will results into failure but this should be an excuse not to undertake change. All organizations should be prepared to embrace and employees of the company or organization should be involved and even incorporated into change decisions for the whole process to succeed.

References

Bauer, T. and Erdogan, B. (N.d). Organizational Behavior. Web.

Daft, R. L. (2009). Organization Theory and Design. OH: Cengage Learning.

Griffin, R. W. and Moorhead, G. (2009). Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations. OH: Cengage Learning.

Harigopal, K. (2006). Management of organizational change: leveraging transformation. NY: SAGE.

Toyoland. (N.d). Toyota history: corporate and automotive. Web.

Toyota Motors Corporation. 2009. Toyota Announces Organizational Changes. Web.

Applied Research Proposal

Introduction

The university is experiencing some challenges which are directly related to its internal processes. This project will discuss various issues that affect the performance of the university’s registrar office using different published literature sources. The project will propose different types of improvements that need to be made to strengthen its long term performance. Therefore, this project will assess the needs of the registrar’s office concerning the role it is expected to play in the institution. Besides, the project will discuss the extent to which technology can be used to streamline its operations to make it improve its long term performance in the institution. Another crucial area that will be looked at by the project will be the willingness of the registrar’s office employees to accept various changes that will be proposed to improve performance. Consequently, the project will propose strategies that can be used to address these challenges. Some of the strategies that will be proposed will include: improving employees’ skills, changing the overall organizational behavior, and setting goals that are easy to measure.

Project scope

The project will focus mainly on processes that are handled by the registrar’s office to find out how they can be improved to achieve greater efficiency. Also, the project will look at the current usage of information technology in the office to establish if it responds to the long-term needs of the institution. Important functions that are executed by the office will also be analyzed to find out how they contribute to the long term vision of the institution. The project will also look at the overall objectives of the office of the registrar to find out if they address its long term needs in the industry. Consequently, the project will assess various change management models and approaches to find out how they can be applied to improve the performance of the office.

Objectives

• To propose effective change programs to enable the institutions to attain their desired objectives.
• Analysis of needs of the registrar’s office and improvements that have to be made to streamline its processes.
• Conduct a review of change management theories to find out how they can be applied in the institution.
• Analyze technological solutions used by the registrar’s office to find out if they are well designed to enable it to attain positive outcomes.
• To evaluate the skills of employees in the office to find out if they are capable of using new work processes to attain good results.
• Propose new technological and human resource strategies that can enable the registrar’s office to achieve its objectives more effectively.

Literature Review

Change management is an important concept because it enables an organization to review its internal processes to make them more responsive to its long term objectives. One of the important effects of change management in an institution is that it enables managers to adopt more innovative work systems. Therefore, managers can inform their subordinates about various improvements that are being undertaken and how they are going to benefit their organizations in the long run. More importantly, change management allows an organization to create high-performance standards that encourage all employees to acquire new skills and competencies.¹ As a result, workers can use such skills to think creatively to enable them to attain good results in their workstations. In the long run, this enables workers to add value to a firm’s internal work processes to improve the quality of outcomes it achieves.

Internal systems of an organization have to be restructured to allow change management processes to achieve their desired effects. One of the critical components of organizational development is the ability of a firm to use high-quality processes to improve how its internal operational systems are structured. An organization must be willing to come up with an effective plan on how it can utilize its resources to attain good outcomes from its operations.² This approach allows an institution to identify specific processes that can be made more efficient using various information technology solutions to attain positive performance in the long run. Also, a manager has to put in place effective ways of measuring performance and results to ensure they respond to the standards set. Therefore, this will compel him to choose appropriate technology solutions that are responsive to the internal and external functions of his department.

Change management strategies can only be effective in an environment where a manager is willing to show good leadership to other people working under him. The manager must also understand how to motivate employees working under him. This will encourage them to be more competitive in their workstations to make it easy for them to take new responsibilities. In the long run, this approach allows an organization to develop appropriate training programs that are suitable for its long term mission.³ Also, this enables employees to acquire new technical skills that help them improve their performance. Therefore an organization needs to have effective human resource planning methods to ensure its employees are equipped with the necessary skills required to make them attain positive results. The registrar’s office needs to take note of these processes to make it more responsive to the needs of its stakeholders.

Methodology

The main methodology that will be used in the study will be a review of different types of published literature that reveal more information on the subject. The paper will focus on secondary sources that discuss how information technologies can be used to streamline important work processes in the organization. Scholarly theories that relate to change management and its importance in organizational development will be analyzed to find out how they can be applied to this case study. The methodology will also use previous bodies of knowledge published on the subject to find out specific change management processes that are suitable for the institution. Some of the published literature that will be relied on by the project will be books and peer-reviewed journal articles. This will enable the project to come up with new knowledge that is responsive to the needs of the institution.

Deliverables

The main issues that will have to be addressed by this project will include technology implementation, attracting students and retaining them, staff performance and development, and improvement of internal human resource management.⁴ All these functions are important for the success of the registrar’s office and they will influence how both short term and long term goals are set. The office will have to look at appropriate technologies that are to be used and the benefits they will bring to the work process in the long run. Also, it will have to come up with more efficient strategies that can increase the number of students admitted to the institution to boost its long-term performance. The specific capabilities of different employees in the organization will have to be assessed to find out if they can cope with proposed changes in the department. Lastly, internal workforce management systems will be analyzed to find out if they offer the organization the ability to increase its competitiveness in the educational sector.

Timeline

The timeline of the project will be an estimated two to three weeks. This will enable important information that can be used to propose high-quality changes in the registrar’s office to be discussed. Moreover, during this period, the study will discuss all critical areas that are related to the project and how they can be streamlined to get positive results. Lastly, this period will allow important revisions to be made on the project to make its findings logical, accurate, and clear.

Final Report

Executive Summary

The office of the registrar needs to restructure its internal operational strategies to enable it to perform its functions more effectively. This approach will help it to be more responsive to the needs of its stakeholders to enable it to improve its long term performance. More importantly, the registrar’s office needs to adopt more efficient IT technologies to help it improve the quality of service it delivers to students and other departments of the institution. Change management processes that have been proposed will focus on improving performance standards in the institution to help it addresses various challenges it is facing. For these strategies to work, the institution will be forced to find out appropriate improvements that need to be made to help it become more responsive to the needs of its stakeholders. It will also be forced to come up with more efficient strategies that attract new students and retain existing ones to improve their image. Another critical area that has to be addressed is the excellence of its staff to ensure that they have adequate skills needed to use high-quality technological solutions proposed by the institution. Lastly, the organization will have to find out how its internal workforce management plans can be improved to sustain positive performance in the long run.

Objectives

• To apply change management models to this project and how they can be used to turn around the operations of the office.
• To propose appropriate technologies to be used to streamline the functions of the registrar’s office to make them more competitive.
• Propose appropriate ways of developing the skills of all employees working in the registrar’s office to ensure they have high levels of technical competence.
• Propose improvements in the internal operations of the office by focusing on workplace processes.
• Assessing if the organizational culture is dynamic to ensure it can adopt different types of changes in its operating environment to boost performance.
• Discuss other factors that have to be taken into consideration to ensure the changes adopted to improve the working environment in the office.
• Analyzing the effects of leadership on changes proposed to find out if they will enable the organization to move in a positive direction.
• Propose ways in which employees’ attitudes can be changed to make them have positive perceptions towards proposed change management processes.
• Communication of various changes to be implemented to students, workers, and other important stakeholders to make them change their attitudes.

Scope of the Project

The project will look at the current state of the registrar’s office about its core responsibilities in the university. The project will discuss the importance of change processes to the institution’s long term objectives and how they will help it satisfy the needs of its stakeholders. Also, the role of the change agent in enabling the department to attain its goals in the institution will be discussed using ideas from various published literature. The existing organizational culture will be analyzed to find out if it is flexible enough to enable the department to adapt to various situations it faces in its operational environment. Finally, another critical area that needs to be looked at is the overall vision of the department and if it guides people to be more responsible in their workstations to enable them to attain positive results.

The project will use all these guidelines to ensure appropriate information is reviewed and analyzed to be more responsive to the situation it currently faces. The project will also rely on information obtained through the review of various published literature. Therefore, it will be able to obtain new insights into the case study to address different issues that are related to it comprehensively. Therefore, arguments that will be obtained from various theoretical processes used will enable the project to reach factual conclusions. Conclusions adopted will be used to highlight different issues that are directly linked with the project. Consequently, this will enable the project to come up with appropriate solutions for the registrar’s office to enable it to satisfy the expectations of its stakeholders.

Methodology: Literature Review

As stated earlier, the main method to be used for this project will be the literature review. The project will rely on knowledge obtained from different published sources to come up with conclusions that address the situation described in the case more effectively. More importantly, the project will use diverse theories to find out how they relate to the case study and how they can be applied to solve problems that affect the registrar’s office. Other comparative forms of knowledge will be applied to the case study to find out how they address crucial issues. Moreover, the project will use arguments backed up by verifiable facts to come up with valid findings. Ultimately, this will ensure conclusions reached are appropriate for the situation that is being highlighted in the case study.

Justification

The justification for this project is to discuss the extent to which change management processes can be applied in educational institutions to help them attain high levels of efficiency in their operations. As a result, the project will aim at proposing actions that need to be adopted by the registrar’s office to ensure it executes its functions more appropriately. Also, the project aims at reviewing different change models and theories to find out how they can be applied to this situation to attain good outcomes. The role of the change agent will be analyzed to find out the impact he or she is likely to have in streamlining the internal and external systems of the department. Consequently, this will help to determine how the firm needs to implement the change management vision to make it attain higher standards of performance in its internal and external operations.

Relevant Literature and Research Models

One of the critical areas that have to be looked at in this project is the role of the change agent. The role of the change agent is important in making all stakeholders understand the importance of the change that is being undertaken. Therefore, a change management agent needs to be competent in various aspects of organizational development to be able to motivate other employees to emulate him. For instance, he needs to be knowledgeable about conflict management, effective communication, talent management, and staff recruitment processes.⁵ The registrar’s office needs a competent change agent who has adequate knowledge of the internal processes of the department to adopt effective strategies. The change agent to be chosen for the office needs to command high levels of respect from other employees working in the office, for him to attain positive results. Therefore, this will enable the organization to adopt more effective problem-solving strategies that enable it to overcome various challenges quickly.

In many organizations, leaders are the ones who are tasked with the responsibility of acting as change agents. A person who understands how to manage people that work under him needs to find out the value of the change processes proposed to the long term success of his organization.⁶ Therefore, he needs to make all employees aware of the organization’s intent to implement result oriented work processes to help it turn around its performance. This requires him to identify new skills which employees need to acquire to enable them to execute their responsibilities more effectively. Consequently, this will make the change management process to attain desired outcomes in the long run. One of the key factors that are directly related to this study is that leaders in the registrar’s office do not know how to coordinate the department’s internal and external processes. Therefore, this has made it difficult for employees to understand the overall vision that guides their operations and what they need to do to achieve it.

One of the reliable approaches that can be used to address issues that relate to change management in the institution is the systemic-multivariate view. This approach focuses on the way managers think about proposed change processes and the barriers they are likely to face during the implementation of these strategies in different organizational contexts.⁷ In effect, this approach addresses how change management processes may be inadequate in influencing managers to understand priorities that exist in an organization. Besides, the approach discusses limitations related to decisions making processes by leaders and how they guide them to allocate resources effectively. Consequently, this model allows managers to address crucial issues that affect change processes that they intend to implement in their organizations. Consequently, this equips them with the knowledge they need to restructure internal operations in their organizations more effectively. Therefore, when applied to the context of the registrar’s office, this model can be used to address a leader’s ability to drive the change management process forward effectively.

The SARA model can also be used to assess the extent to which an organization is willing to adopt different changes to help it improve its long term performance in a particular industry.⁸ The shock experienced by employees makes them disagree with their leaders over benefits to be realized from a proposed change initiative. Anger makes employees to be distressed because they may feel that the proposed change exposes them to unnecessary risks. On the other hand, resistance is used by employees to show that they also have a stake in the organization and they are not willing to compromise to accept the proposed situation. Lastly, acceptance occurs when all employees have been assured that the proposed change will improve how they execute their functions in the organization. Consequently, the SARA model can be used by the registrar’s office to change its processes by adopting more efficient technologies that improve the quality of results attained.

Another issue that has to be considered is the type of change agent that is suitable for the situation the organization is currently facing.⁹ A change agent who focuses on organization development is more interested in strengthening internal processes such as employee relations, communications, and decision making. More importantly, he is likely to encourage teamwork and greater collaborations to improve overall organizational behavior. On the other hand, a change agent that focuses more on changing people’s behavior comes up with better methods of uplifting their morale to enable them to achieve good results. This enables such a leader to set appropriate goals by allocating employees challenging tasks that allow them to develop their skills.. Consequently, this enables an organization to undertake various types of improvements in its internal functions to achieve good results in the long run. Therefore, the office of the registrar needs to choose an appropriate change agent who understands the situations it is facing and how they can be used to achieve its long term goals.

Key Research and Consulting Findings

The registrar’s office needs to come up with a new vision that can address its internal as well as external needs to help it attain good results. There are some important principles that an organization needs to be aware of before implementing any change management process. The registrar’s office needs to ensure that its internal processes are responsive to its short and long-term needs. All functions that are carried out by different workers should contribute to its overall organizational value to ensure all workers understand specific strategies they can use to attain good results.¹⁰ Besides, the proposed change should enable the office to take advantage of different opportunities that exist to help it attain good results in the long run. This approach will allow different stakeholders in the organization to understand specific contributions they are expected to make to help it attain high-quality results. Therefore, the registrar’s office will be able to offer high-quality services to students and this will make them change their perceptions about its effectiveness and ability to satisfy their needs.

Another key issue that needs to be addressed for the proposed change to succeed is that the organization needs to have highly skilled employees who understand how specific processes are going to be used to help it attain positive outcomes in its operations. The registrar’s office needs employees who understand how to use various technological solutions to perform their duties more effectively. This approach will enable the department to motivate its employees by encouraging them to acquire new skills through training.¹¹ As a result, employees will be more willing to take on new responsibilities to help them satisfy the expectations of the organization in the long run. Another key issue that needs to be looked at is the overall organizational behavior and how it is likely to affect how the proposed changes are adopted. Therefore, it needs to place more emphasis on issues that relate to diligence, employee discipline, and responsiveness to clients to ensure its service delivery processes satisfy the expectations of all students in the institution.

Any change initiative that is undertaken by the registrar’s office should focus on reducing various types of risks it has been experiencing in its operations.¹² Therefore, effective plans need to be put in place to ensure the organization is well prepared to deal with different types of challenges that are likely to occur in the future. Besides, the organization needs to identify other barriers that are likely to make it difficult for the changes proposed to succeed. This knowledge helps an organization to look at other alternatives that can be implemented if the proposed changes do not work. The registrar’s office needs to assess different technological solutions to determine if they are appropriate for its operations. As a result, it will be in a position to manage its records and other information functions more effectively. Besides, it needs to look for efficient communication solutions to enable its employees to stay in touch with staff in other departments in the university.

The change management model implemented should be able to measure the quality of all internal processes to find out if they satisfy high-quality standards that have been put in place by the organization. ¹³ Also, the change agent together with other important stakeholders in the organization needs to be able to measure specific results obtained from various new strategies implemented in the organization. This approach will enable a manager to compare the results achieved and objectives that had been set earlier to find out if any gaps need to be filled. More importantly, this approach will enable the organization to be ready to learn from information gathered from its stakeholders to implement positive changes in the long run. Consequently, the registrar’s office will be able to review its short term and long term strategic plans to find out if they change its overall performance.

The registrar’s office needs to adopt continual processes of organizational development to enhance the value of service it provides to students. It needs to have accurate measures that assess the validity of different performance standards that have been implemented. More importantly, the department needs to align the objectives of the change initiatives that it is going to adopt with the overall strategy of the university. A leader who is expected to initiate the change process needs to find out which important functions need to be improved to enable all participants to set priorities.¹⁴ This will enable the registrar’s office to set priorities that need to be covered by the change process to ensure it does not lose its identity in the industry in the long run. Moreover, this will help it to preserve its identity by controlling the pace at which changes are adopted to avoid confusing its employees, clients, and other important stakeholders.

The pace at which a particular change initiative should be closely monitored to ensure all stakeholders understand the value of transformative processes that are being undertaken. The registrar’s office needs to focus on implementing new technologies and developing the skills of its employees to make them capable of achieving good results in their duties.¹⁵ Besides, it needs to link these improvements to the overall quality of services it offers all students to encourage them to remain loyal to the institution. This will reduce the number of students that transfer to other universities. Therefore, the registrar’s office will be in a position to turn around the performance of the university.

Recommendations

• The registrar’s office needs to conduct a cost-benefit analysis that will guide the implementation of proposed change management strategies.
• The role of technology needs to be analyzed to find out how it will help the office to streamline its internal processes.
• Some of the internal processes the office needs to focus on include: records and data management, payroll functions, communication, and security.
• It also needs to find out the perceptions of all employees and students towards the various change management processes.
• The office needs to assess the competency levels of its employees to find out if they are able of executing functions that are envisioned in the proposed change.
• The registrar’s office needs to adopt an effective change strategy that will enable it to share information with other departments in the university.
• The office also needs to look at the viability of new processes adopted in helping it achieve a higher level of efficiency in the long term.
• The change agent to be used needs to have good human relations skills to help him deal with various forms of resistance by the department’s staff more effectively.
• Changes that will be proposed should also conform to the overall strategies of the organization to ensure they are suitable for the long term vision of the university.
• The department needs to have a clear vision that shows how the desired benefits will be achieved and the resources needed to actualize its wishes.
• The communication tools to be used should be proactive in identifying challenges that are likely to be experienced and how they are going to be addressed.

Action Plan

One of the theories the firm needs to use the benefits led approach to analyze the benefits it is going to obtain from the change it intends to initiate. This approach will enable all important stakeholders to define specific priorities that need to be addressed to streamline the functions of the registrar’s office. Besides, the change agent needs to understand appropriate tools that he can use to measure and track how different organizational functions are executed. More importantly, critical thinking strategies will determine if proposed changes will be accepted or rejected by various stakeholders in the organization.¹⁶ As a result, the benefits led approach will help the registrar’s office to forecast benefits or risks it is likely to experience in the future after implementing the new strategies. Therefore, this will enable the office to allocate adequate resources to ensure all expectations that have been set are achieved easily.

The university needs to regain its competitive position to reduce the number of students who are not satisfied with the quality of services offered by the office of the registrar. The change models to be used by the registrar’s office should be sustainable and well designed to ensure all important participants understand their roles.¹⁷ Therefore, the registrar’s office needs to put in place effective plans that will guide the organization to accomplish its plans. More importantly, the proposed change models must take note of various trends that are likely to affect the operations of the university in the long run. This will enable the change agent together with other stakeholders to find out effective ways in which the organization can respond to unforeseen risks that impact its operations. As a result, all improvements that are adopted should focus on developing the skills of all employees to make them anticipate the different needs of the organization more effectively.

Conclusion

The change management model adopted for the registrar’s office needs to take into account other organizational development approaches that can boost performance. Before these strategic changes are adopted, employees need to be informed about benefits that are likely to be obtained in the long run. Effective training programs need to be implemented to equip all employees with the appropriate skills they need to achieve good performance in their respective workstations. Lastly, technological solutions need to be made part of the change process to increase the quantity and quality of output realized from different work processes in the organization.

Bibliography

Bernerth, Jeremy. “Expanding our understanding of the change message.” Human Resource Development Review 3, no.1 (2004): 36-52.

Bradford, David L., and W. Warner Burke. Reinventing Organization Development: New Approaches to Change in Organizations. Hoboken: Wiley, 2012.

Chew, Mindy Man Min, Joseph S. L. Cheng, and Sonja Petrovic-Lazarevic. “Managers’ Role in Implementing Organizational Change: Case of the Restaurant Industry in Melbourne.” Journal of Global Business and Technology 2, no.1 (2006): 58-67.

Figliomeni, Carlo. Change Management Process for Information Technology. New York: Xlibiris Corporation, 2012.

Haddadj, Slimane. “Organisation change and the complexity of succession: A longitudinal case study from France.” Journal of Organisation Change Management 16, no. 2 (2003): 135-153.

Johnson, Sharon. Meeting the Challenge of Change. Sydney: Eastern House, 2001.

Letavec, Craig J. Strategic Benefits Realization: Optimizing Value through Programs, Portfolios and Organizational Change Management. New York: J Ross Publishing, 2014.

Long, Choi Sang. “Transformation of HR Professionals to be a Change Agent: Realistic Goal or Just a Dream.”Journal of Advanced Management Science 1, no.1 (2013): 50-53.

Saka, Ayse. “Internal Change Agents’ View of the Management of Change Problem.” Journal of Organizational Change Management 16, no. 5 (2003):.480-496.

Seel, Richard. “Anxiety and incompetence in the large group: A psychodynamic perspective.” Journal of Organizational Change Management 14, no.5 (2001): 493-503.

Footnotes

1. David L. Bradford and W. Warner Burke, Reinventing Organization Development: New Approaches to Change in Organizations (Hoboken: Wiley, 2012), 61.
2. Ibid., 71.
3. Sharon Johnson, Meeting the Challenge of Change (Sydney: Eastern House, 2001), 42.
4. Ibid., 49.
5. Craig J. Letavec, Strategic Benefits Realization: Optimizing Value through Programs, Portfolios, and Organizational Change Management (New York: J Ross Publishing, 2014), 33.
6. Ibid., 39.
7. Richard Seel, “Anxiety and incompetence in the large group: A psychodynamic perspective.” Journal of Organizational Change Management 14, no. 5 (2001): 496.
8. Ibid., 501.
9. Choi Sang Long, “Transformation of HR Professionals to be a Change Agent: Realistic Goal or Just a Dream.”Journal of Advanced Management Science 1, no.1 (2013): 51.
10. Ayse Saka, “Internal Change Agents’ View of the Management of Change Problem.” Journal of Organizational Change Management 16, no.5 (2003):.485.
11. Ibid., 490.
12. Mindy Man Min Chew, Joseph S. L. Cheng, and Sonja Petrovic-Lazarevic, “Managers’ Role in Implementing Organizational Change: Case of the Restaurant Industry in Melbourne.” Journal of Global Business and Technology 2, no.1 (2006): 60.
13. Ibid., 63.
14. Jeremy Bernerth, “Expanding our understanding of the change message.” Human Resource Development Review 3, no.1 (2004): 41.
15. Ibid., 47.
16. Carlo Figliomeni, Change Management Process for Information Technology (New York: Xlibiris Corporation, 2012), 71.
17. Richard Seel, “Anxiety and incompetence in the large group: A psychodynamic perspective.” Journal of Organizational Change Management 14, no.5 (2001): 494.