Sometimes organizations can have gradual changes while adapting to the changing the business environment. This is usually through a continuous and an uninterrupted occurrence of events involving small improvisations and innovations (Poole and Van De Ven, 2004). The changes effected by the firm are inevitable due to rapid and radical changes in the operating environment of the organization. Important to note is that workers play an equally important role in effecting these changes as much as the top management. Incremental change concerns itself with the rearrangement of the organization without necessarily making major changes in the organizational culture. This requires the acknowledgement of a single goal that is achieved through small separate processes.
The frequency of doing a certain activity or process is a vital part of effecting changes in an organization. With increased frequency, perfection is attained, and this leads to minimized errors and a growth in the quality of goods produced or services rendered. With small changes, the personnel easily become accustomed to new policies and methodologies. This means there is reduced resistance from the employees.
Providing motivation to staff may have profound effects on the sales or production of a firm. This may be through rewarding or punishment (Daft, 2012). For instance, providing higher commissions to those salespersons with higher sales boosts employee morale and encourages hard work. Care should be taken when formulating motivational methodologies to prevent negative competition. It is, for example, more effective to provide a per unit platform for awarding personnel while providing healthy competition. The overall effect of these small motivational changes is an increase in sales and general employee morale.
A firm intending to diversify into other products has to use utilize gradual changes mechanism to minimize losses from the risk. This would mean a small amount of capital is invested in the new venture. Depending on the outcome of that sample, the entrepreneur or business managers can then decide to invest more and more into the venture until the new venture can be financially stable and independent from the parent company.
A similar principle can be used when obtaining supplies of a product from a new supply company. This acts as a validity and control measure against fraudulent and unscrupulous business persons aiming at hoaxing the organization. An organization can test the effect of hiring a new category of employees, such as engineers, on production. Depending on the gradual changes in output as compared to input (manpower), the organization can decide whether to increase or decrease its workforce.
The organization is seen as a complex adaptive system since there is no singe and assured manner or methodology that promises business success. Any decision made takes into consideration historical data and some degree of faith. Some situations are unforeseen and call upon a diversion from initial plans of the organization. This means that the innovation process stands to improve as the organization seeks for the best solution to difficult situations (Lewis, 2000).
The business environment may bring out the best or worst of leaders, depending on their personal traits. Some will be able to rise above tasking situations and emerge as good decision makers, supervisors and team players. Others may crumble due to the extreme pressure that comes from top management and executive members of the board (Bertocci, 2009). This means that leadership is dynamic and interactive.
References
Daft, R., L. (2012). Understanding Management. Connecticut. Cengage Learning.
Bertocci, D. (2009). Leadership in Organizations. Millburn. University Press of America.
Lewis, J., P. (2000). The Project Manager’s Desk Preference. New York. McGraw-Hill
Professional.
Poole, M., S. and Van De Ven, A., H. (Eds.) (2004). Handbook of Organizational Change and
Innovation. Oxford. Oxford University Press.
