Benchmark-Theoretical Foundations of Organizational Change
Leading and managing change require a solid theoretical foundation. In this assignment, you will
research the theoretical elements of change and change management.
General Requirements:
Use the following information to ensure successful completion of the assignment:
- You are required to use APA style for this writing assignment.
- This assignment requires a minimum of 10 scholarly research sources (please select at
least 10 sources from the following list) related to this topic, and at least one in-text
citation from each source referenced to be included.
Directions:
Write a paper of 1,200 – 1,500 words that explores the theoretical foundations of organizational
change. Include the following in your paper:
- A discussion that assesses the factors that contribute to the organic evolution of
change. (Benchmarks C2.1: Identify and assess the contributing factors in the organic
evolution of change.).
- A discussion of how to formulate strategic development approaches and to identify
models and interventions of change leadership. (Benchmarks C2.2: Formulate
strategic development approaches and identify models for change.).
- A discussion of the leadership and management skills necessary to implement
continuous change models. How do leadership and management integrate to facilitate
organizational adaptation? (Benchmarks C2.3: Integrate continuous change models as
a component of both leadership and management.).
- An evaluation of the leadership and management skills necessary to implement a
model of continuous change that facilitates organizational adaptation and ensures
follower commitment. (Benchmarks C2.4: Evaluate change models that facilitate
organizational adaptation while maintaining a high level of follower commitment.).
- A discussion of how to gather and analyze data to determine the most efficacious
timing of change.Available Scholarly Research Sources
(please use at minimum 10 sources from this listing)
Öner, M. A., Benson, C., & Göl Beşer, S. (2014). Linking organizational change management
and organizational foresight. Strategic Change, 23(3-4), 185–203. doi:10.1002/jsc.1970
Commons, M. L. (2018). Four forces that prevent change in organizations: How to become an
innovative organization. Behavioral Development, 23(1), 14-21.
doi:10.1037/bdb0000073
Hartge, T., Callahan, T., & King, C. (2015). Leaders’ behaviors during radical change processes:
Subordinates’ perceptions of how well leader behaviors communicate change.
International Journal of Business Communication, 56(1), 100–121.
doi:10.1177/2329488415605061
Kars, M., & Inandi, Y. (2018). Relationship between School Principals’ Leadership Behaviors
and Teachers’ Organizational Trust. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, 18, 1–
- doi:10.14689/ejer.2018.74.8
Lee, K., Kim, Y., & Cho, W. (2018). A Study on the Relationship between Servant Leadership,
Organizational Culture, and Job Satisfaction in Fitness Clubs. Sport Mont, 16(3), 43–49.
doi:10.26773/smj.181008
Lines, B. C., & Smithwick, J. B. (2018). Best practices for organizational change management
within electrical contractors. International Journal of Construction Education and
Research, 15(2), 136–159. doi:10.1080/15578771.2018.1479723
Lokuge, S., Sedera, D., Grover, V., & Dongming, X. (2019). Organizational readiness for digital
innovation: Development and empirical calibration of a construct. Information &
Management, 56(3), 445–461. doi:10.1016/j.im.2018.09.001Molineux, J. (2013). Enabling organizational cultural change using systemic strategic human
resource management – a longitudinal case study. The International Journal of Human
Resource Management, 24(8), 1588–1612. doi:10.1080/09585192.2012.723022
Petcu, M. A., David-Sobolevschi, I. M., & Cismasu, I. D. (2018). Dimensions and indicators of
quality management assessment in the context of sustainable development. Annals of the
University of Petrosani Economics, 18(1), 179.
Rafferty, A. E., & Restubog, S. D. (2017). Why do employees’ perceptions of their
organization’s change history matter? The role of change appraisals. Human Resource
Management, 56(3), 533-550. doi:10.1002/hrm.21782
Ravichandran, N., & Mishra, R. (2018). Toward building HR competencies: A shift from the
non-learning toward the learning organization. International Journal of Healthcare
Management, 11(3), 233–238. doi:10.1080/20479700.2017.1336835
Yang, M. M., Young, S., Li, S. J., & Huang, Y. Y. (2017). Using system dynamics to investigate
how belief systems influence the process of organizational change. Systems Research &
Behavioral Science, 34(1), 94-108. doi:10.1002/sres.2394
Benchmark-Theoretical Foundations of Organizational Change
Abstract
The dynamic business setting has made it imperative for organizations to increase efficiency in how change is managed. Change is influenced by different factors that include internal aspects such as expansion and external aspects like the adoption of new technologies that influence the industry trends. Leadership and management skills are imperative in the successful implementation of change. This has led to the development of theoretical approaches that can support the successful implementation of change. This is exemplified by systematic thinking, which allows leaders to take into account all organizational processes in making appropriate decisions. Technological advancements have also contributed to the use of a data-driven decision-making process, which relies on organizational and industry-wide data to make an appropriate decision in making change. Transformational leadership is the most desirable leadership approach that incorporates the interesting aspects of inspiration and motivation that sustain a commitment to the organization and reduce stakeholder resistance to change. This is achieved through effective communication channels and the inclusion of key stakeholders in decision-making.
Keywords: Change, Leadership, Management, Communication, Stakeholders.
Benchmark-Theoretical Foundations of Organizational Change
Factors that Contribute to the Organic Evolution of Change
The dynamic business environment has made it imperative for organizations to strategize on effective change management practices to increase organizational performance and stay competitive (lokuge, Sedera, Grover, & Dongming, 2019). The change experienced in the organization can be organic, which implies that it emerges from the ongoing processes, or inorganic, which highlights change influenced by acquisitions, mergers, bankruptcies, or government takeovers. The organic and inorganic approaches to change vary in the organizational context. Organic change alludes to the expected and natural progression of change. This is contrary to the carbon-based and inorganic aspects of change that are associated with other forms of interaction, leading to organizational change.
How to Formulate Strategic Development Approaches
According to Öner, Benson, and Göl Beşer (2014), the strategic development of organizations can be accomplished through adherence to the corporate life cycle. The first stage is the birth phase that entails identifying a niche through product innovation. This is followed by the growth phase, which focuses on expanding the niche and developing a formal organizational structure. The third stage is the maturity phase, which entails strategic undertakings to achieve stability and efficiency. The fourth stage is the revival phase, where the organization is focused on product-market diversification and innovative solutions that can create a competitive advantage. The last is the decline phase, which is characterized by stagnation of the organization due to conservative decision-making, little innovation, and risk-taking (Commons, 2018). Understating the corporate lifecycle allows the management to adopt appropriate changes that can promote rather than hinder growth and increase organizational performance, profitability, and sustainability.
How to Identify Models of Change Leadership
The workers are the most important assets in any organizational setting, which makes them the major drivers of change (Rafferty & Restubog, 2017). This implies that the leadership in organizations should be able to effectively engage the followers for effective change to be achieved. According to Molineux (2013), systematic thinking can be used to understand the appropriate strategies of leadership for effective change. In this light, strategic thinking implies an understanding of how different organizational aspects relate to each other in the self-organizing processes. Through systematic thinking, the leaders can gain insights about the events, behaviors, and structures, and subsequently formulate appropriate leadership solutions (Hartge, Callahan, & King, 2015). This includes the adoption of appropriate human resource management strategies, designing, and strategizing on how to shift the culture (Yang, Young, Li, & Huang, 2017).
How to Identify Interventions in Change Leadership
Effective identification of interventions to influence change in leadership requires the selection and application of appropriate models. This entails conducting an in-depth analysis of the organization to determine the most appropriate model that should be adopted. Nevertheless, it can be difficult to determine the most effective model and how changes can be made according to its provisions. There are numerous intervention strategies that can be adopted based on a particular model, such as Porter’s five forces model, which offers guidance on strategic management for leaders in organizations.
Evaluation of Skills Necessary to Implement a Model of Continuous Change to Facilitate Organizational Adaption and Ensure Follower Commitment
The success of strategic management is premised on the ability of the organization to evaluate products and services with the intent of determining the value they add to the organization. The key areas to consider in strategic management emerge from the realization that change is continuous, which highlights the need for sustained evaluation of the products and services (Molineux, 2013). This can be attributed to the aspects of globalization, the impact of technology, and the need to manage intellectual capital in modern organizations (Ravichandran & Mishra, 2018). Additionally, workers and resources necessary for the productivity of organizations are drawn from global markets, which increases the complexity of strategic management due to the need of cultural competencies. Subsequently, it is important to evaluate the skills that leaders should have for them to facilitate effective management of organizational change and the commitment of the different internal stakeholders (Hartge, Callahan, & King, 2015).
Leadership Skills
Leadership styles employed in the organizational setting are an important aspect of the success achieved in strategic management. There is a consensus among researchers that transformational leadership offers a bundle of qualities that are desirable for strategic leadership practices (Petcu, David-Sobolevschi, & Cismasu, 2018). The transformational leadership practices are an improvement of the traditional transactional leadership approaches that are deemed not effective for influencing change. Transformational leadership contributes to strategic management by influencing inspirational and motivational leadership qualities (Kars & Inandi, 2018).
Leaders who act as role models in how they engage in the work environment have a substantial influence on the workforce. This is attributed to the notion that the leaders’ engagement and inspiration to the workforce are accomplished by how their personality is expressed at work. Leaders who develop ethical personal relationships with followers are more likely to be recognized and supported in their responsibilities (Hartge, Callahan, & King, 2015). Other aspects to consider include the ability of the leaders to stimulate followers intellectually and offer inspirational motivation (Kars & Inandi, 2018). These leadership traits are evident in transformational leadership, and they are amplified if the individual has a charismatic personality and knowledgeable about organizational operations.
Management Skills
Having management skills alludes to the ability of an individual to apply leadership skills in the practical organizational setting, by defining, directing, monitoring, and evaluating what should be done, by whom, and when. Although leadership and management skills are often used interchangeably, they are often not the same skills. In the transactional leadership context, both management and leadership practices emerge as conflicting aspects of organizational change (Petcu, David-Sobolevschi, & Cismasu, 2018). Contrary to transformational leadership, the differences between leadership and management practices are minimized, leading to more effective implementation of change through increased engagement and motivation of the workforce (Kars & Inandi, 2018).
Facilitating Organizational Adaption
Stakeholders within an organization, including leaders and their followers, draw their power from the process that occurs in the organizational setting (Lee, Kim, & Cho, 2018). In most cases, this process only changes due to the impacts emerging from external forces. Subsequently, there is a change in the power structure. When organizations merge or during acquisitions, the culture of the entities involved is brought together, but the differences in culture and maturation aspects of the organizations make it difficult to maximize the outcome of the unions. Furthermore, the organizations might be at different stages of process development, which makes it necessary to adopt effective change management practices that can guarantee success.
Ensuring Follower Commitment
Developing follower commitment in the change process can be achieved by engaging champions of change. These individuals act as supporters of program improvement and sponsors who use their influence to become agents of change. The commitment of followers to change can be enhanced by the intellectual stimulation and motivation that is facilitated by transformational leadership (Kars & Inandi, 2018). This includes having clear communication channels, offering incentives, and engaging all stakeholders in the decision-making process.
How to Determine the Most Efficacious Timing for Change
Change can face substantial resistance from different stakeholders in the organization. Similarly, change can be detrimental when introduced at the wrong time. There are people in the organization who might have a limited view of the necessary changes or their importance in the organization. This can be attributed to the lack of effective communication practices across the organization. Additionally, the organization might be lacking the appropriate tools and equipment necessary for the execution of change. These issues can be addressed through effective timing that is facilitated by data-based decision making. This entails strategic management practices that ensure efficiency in how organizational activities are carried out (Lines & Smithwick, 2018).
How to Gather Change Data
Gathering of data necessary for effective timing of change begins with quality needs assessment, which offers the recommendations that should be adopted. Other considerations include knowledge about the industry and the resources necessary to carry out the necessary change. A clear picture of the organization can be achieved by conducting a SWOT analysis that offers insights about the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.
How to Analyze Change Data
Technological advancements have made it easy to conduct an analysis that offers insight into the strategic implementation of change. Increased computerization of the organizational process has led to a collection of large volumes of data that can be useful through sophisticated analysis such as big data analytics. This includes industry-wide data that is available via the internet. The use of software that is designed to facilitate change processes can be used to conduct data analysis that helps in data-driven strategic management practices.
Conclusively, organizational changes are focused on improving performance and sustainability. Organic change entails the progression from a small to large organization with optimal leadership and managerial skills that can be achieved through transformational leadership. Technological solutions help in gathering and analysing data for effective decision-making. The integration of effective leadership and management skills coupled with technological analysis lead to achievement of organic change.
References
Commons, M. L. (2018). Four forces that prevent change in organizations: How to become an innovative organization. Behavioral Development, 23(1), 14-21. doi:10.1037/bdb0000073
Hartge, T., Callahan, T., & King, C. (2015). Leaders’ behaviors during radical change processes: Subordinates’ perceptions of how well leader behaviors communicate change. International Journal of Business Communication, 56(1), 100–121. doi:10.1177/2329488415605061
Kars, M., & Inandi, Y. (2018). Relationship between School Principals’ Leadership Behaviors and Teachers’ Organizational Trust. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, 18, 1– 20. doi:10.14689/ejer.2018.74.8
Lee, K., Kim, Y., & Cho, W. (2018). A Study on the Relationship between Servant Leadership, Organizational Culture, and Job Satisfaction in Fitness Clubs. Sport Mont, 16(3), 43–49. doi:10.26773/smj.181008
Lines, B. C., & Smithwick, J. B. (2018). Best practices for organizational change management within electrical contractors. International Journal of Construction Education and Research, 15(2), 136–159. doi:10.1080/15578771.2018.1479723
Lokuge, S., Sedera, D., Grover, V., & Dongming, X. (2019). Organizational readiness for digital innovation: Development and empirical calibration of a construct. Information & Management, 56(3), 445–461. doi:10.1016/j.im.2018.09.001
Molineux, J. (2013). Enabling organizational cultural change using systemic strategic human resource management – a longitudinal case study. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 24(8), 1588–1612. doi:10.1080/09585192.2012.723022
Öner, M. A., Benson, C., & Göl Beşer, S. (2014). Linking organizational change management and organizational foresight. Strategic Change, 23(3-4), 185–203. doi:10.1002/jsc.1970
Petcu, M. A., David-Sobolevschi, I. M., & Cismasu, I. D. (2018). Dimensions and indicators of quality management assessment in the context of sustainable development. Annals of the University of Petrosani Economics, 18(1), 179.
Rafferty, A. E., & Restubog, S. D. (2017). Why do employees’ perceptions of their organization’s change history matter? The role of change appraisals. Human Resource Management, 56(3), 533-550. doi:10.1002/hrm.21782
Rafferty, A. E., & Restubog, S. L. (2017). Why do employees’ perceptions of their organization’s change history matter? The role of change appraisals. Human Resource Management, 56(3), 533-550.
Ravichandran, N., & Mishra, R. (2018). Toward building HR competencies: A shift from the non-learning toward the learning organization. International Journal of Healthcare Management, 11(3), 233–238. doi:10.1080/20479700.2017.1336835
Yang, M. M., Young, S., Li, S. J., & Huang, Y. Y. (2017). Using system dynamics to investigate how belief systems influence the process of organizational change. Systems Research & Behavioral Science, 34(1), 94-108. doi:10.1002/sres.2394
