Introduction
Organizational changes in management benefits incorporating the application of Kotter’s 8-step Change Model. Review of the following academic exercise part one outlining a change management plan through the Human Resource (HR) department of Kudler Communications provides a number of descriptions integrated with applying the Kotter Model. RBSGROUP (2014) on communicating the vision of the change incorporating the Kotter Model means, “Ensuring that as many people as possible understands and accepts the vision (p. 3).”
The focus of the HR change centers on management continuity. “Once the corporate decision has been made to pursue business continuity planning as an initial project, and hopefully, as an ongoing corporate process, it is critical and beneficial to disseminate this information throughout the organization (Howe, 1999, p. 109).” These include descriptions of the Kudler organization, the HR program needing changed, three reasons for the change, strategy for change, stages of change, identified resistance to the change, three diagnostic tools identifying needed changes, and three changes for sustaining the change
Section One
Description of the Organization
Kudler Communications organization remains a digital high-speed internet and cable company incorporated in 1946 as a family-owned and operated newspaper chain starting in Cleveland, Ohio. The ensuing years the organization bought several radio stations expanding its growth. The current status of Kudler Communications with its expansion and growth results from buyouts of small local and privately run cable television companies in major cities in California, Arizona, and Nevada over a 10-year time period from 2000 to 2010. Kudler Communications ranks 11 in the top 15 communication companies.
Description of HR Program Needing Changed
The HR program needing changed is the organizational effectiveness on internal management at the HR level. Currently the organizational policy on internal management aligns only to upper management procedures for interdepartmental continuity. The proposed initiative, for change looks at the current HR organizational policy expanding to include lower management role at a more interactive level than currently exists.
Three Important Reasons for the Change
Primary to the three reasons for the proposed change directly connects to the HR administration failure defining the job descriptions of lower management and the interdepartmental managers’ role because it lacks any clear designation of authoritative chain of command to the lower management levels. The second reason for change looks at the apparent overlapping of duties between each upper and lower management and the assistant manager specifically in supervising workers for specific assigned duties connecting to particular marketing projects engaging the different departments. This situation arises with the continued growth in customers.
While the overall administrative hierarchical organization and distribution of authority appears rational referencing the administrative organizational chart provided by Kudler Communication HR department, closer evaluation of the existing job descriptions of higher management shows that department managers and assistant managers have overlapping duties that show no clear delineation of authority. Third reason for change shows current job descriptions placing upper management accordingly supervising all lower management department heads the job descriptions for the upper management department heads does not clearly identify who directly supervises lower management. This condition remains such because HR took on the responsibility of the job assessment of all levels of management connected to pay increases, sick leave, and accrued vacations according to job performance. That no longer (if ever) serves a workable situation.
Since the HR, administration determines employee job descriptions according to Statt (2000) within a structured organization medium to large such as Kudler Communication, “a hierarchy of authority with power flowing [sic] from the top down” therefore needs a developed a rational job description for procedures at the upper management level as outlined by the HR administrator. Therefore, within the “division of labor into specialized tasks” connected to documented rules as well as procedures the implication refers to HR clarifying the authoritative nature connecting upper management with lower departmental section managers in clarifying each department manager chain of authority (p. 3).
The concern directed at the lack of continuity in delineating authority at the upper management level reveals how, “Many firms heavily invest in a core group of employees (often called knowledge-workers), while also maintaining a peripheral group of employees from whom they prefer to remain relatively detached (Burke & Cooper, 2005, p. 58)”. Consequently, the question arises as to how productive are upper management personnel, especially pertaining to management coordination dealing with projects outside the infrastructure c of the business (Staehle & Schirmer, 1997, p. 67).”
Recommended Change
Recommended changes include the accountability of HRA developing the upper management job description defining the role they play job assessment of all levels of management connected to pay increases, sick leave, and accrued vacations according to job performance.
Strategy for Change
Connected with the Kotter 8-step process for management change, a special task force committee made up of all upper management and all lower department management working with the HR administration staff needs organized for creating a strategy with a timeline for the proposed change. This strategy further incorporates the Kotter Model as it focuses on both identifying and removing any internal barriers keeping this change from occurring, (RBSGROUP, 2014, p. 1, 3).
Stages of Change
The sense of urgency as outlined by the Kotter Model determines needing established by the task force committee strategy for changing the proposed HR glitch in organizational management includes developing vision. “Urgent behavior is driven by a belief that the world contains great opportunities and great hazards. It inspires a gut-level determination to move, and win, now.” Further instruction using the Kotter Model advises, “creating visible, unambiguous success as soon as possible (RBSGROUP, 2014, p. 2, 4).” This aligns to developing a clear job description for upper management outlining their function for assessing the interdepartmental management work performance and all aspects aligned to salary increase, promotions, accrued sick, and vacation time working with HR.
The short term, win connects to the task force coalition creating a workable timetable for completion of the change process. Engdahl (2005) points out in this process that adaptive systems include “team-based operations (p. 50-51)”. The company culture already states the focus of cooperation between all the hierarchical aspects of the work force and the benefits from making this change merely reinforces the intention of the existing company culture in these terms. Finally, “Organizations are systems consisting of various components, each working distinctly yet interdependently to bring about desired business results (Gilley & Maycunich, 2000, p. 121).”
Identified Resistance to Change
Resistance to change typically occurs within the upper management and HR administration lack of desire abandoning the existing formulas already serving the past and present needs as aligned to the proposed change. “Clearly, for organizations to survive and thrive in these turbulent times, they must develop a pro-change mind-set (Frame, 2002, p. 50).” Within the Kotter Model, addressing the resistance to change the advice remains not letting up on making the change (RBSGROUP, 2014, p. 4). Four communication strategies addressing the identified resistance to the proposed change includes “developing an appreciation of change through education and training encourage upside down thinking (and, third) use crisis to shake up stagnant attitudes (Frame, 2002, p. 55).” The fourth communication strategy looks at what Gilley and Maycunich (2000) describe as identifying “the strengths” of the proposed change for the long-term goals of the organization connected to the organizational culture (p. 118).
Three Diagnostic Tools Identifying Needed Changes
First, of the three diagnostic tools is identifying “the most logical components to determine the extent of the problem or breakdown, such as management practices, leadership, work climate, or organizational culture.” Second, “Remember to identify only those components that have a direct impact on the problem. Second, define each component.” Finally, and third of the diagnostic tools means “identify their importance in the organization. This allows human resource professionals and leaders to develop a working definition of each component and prioritize them (Gilley & Maycunich, 2000, p. 118).”
Three Changes for Sustaining the Change
Howe (1999) suggests one of the three modifications for sustaining the change means building employee awareness by including every member in the organization about the change explaining how “developing business continuity capabilities has become a priority mandate to the organization . Management visibly (showing) supporting and endorsing the continuity efforts of the project throughout the entire process (p. 109).” In terms, of continued countering the resistance to change, the second idea for sustaining change according to Zwaig and Geller (2002) means keeping in mind, “While intellectualizing the process is part of restructuring, at the same time it is important to consider how emotionally challenging this is for most people ( p. 22).” Third, the ongoing process of HR management looks at the need for preparing “changing job descriptions (and) specifying the needed qualifications to do a job.” It is in this manner sustaining changes as part of the ongoing development process of any organization fortifies the organizational culture focus on sustainability of desirable aspects of the organization in general (Sims, 2002, p. 74). The Kotter Model according to the RBSGROUP (2014) advises, “Anchoring new approaches in the culture for sustained change (p. 5).”
Discussion
Understanding the functions of job analysis means HRM provides the answers about the specific work management down the hierarchical chain. Merely relying on existing job descriptions does not give the true picture of the organizational activities among its employees. As revealed in the preceding organizational change, an increase in organizational effectiveness looks at the function of HR needing produce the time important process for expediting the work of the task force. In this, the task force works clarifying the upper management job description connected to specific tasks of supervisory function existing as part of the HR function (Sims, 2002).
The HR contribution to the organizational effectiveness in successfully enacting the proposed change therefore looks at how, “HR professionals must rethink their function's structure, services, and programs to address how it can add value in today's economy with its new organizational forms and business strategies.” As Kudler Communication continues moving forward gaining new customers and expanding new services, this proposed organizational change provide HR the necessary experience for any future organizational change challenges. As with this organizational change proposal the foundation of any of organization change, either using Kotter’s Model or any other methodology must first focus on the organization culture fundamental precept emphasizing the human factor. .
Conclusion
As the introduction of this academic exercise section one, in creating an organizational framework plan successfully provided how the benefits of incorporating the application of Kotter’s 8-step Change Model provides a common sense approach to the process for the Kudler Communication company. Establishing the organizational structure provided the type of industry, its size, and its history. Further, by describing the HR, existing program centered on the failure of management continuity directed at upper management and the chain of command job description connected with interdepartmental lower management process. This fact specifically outlines the proposed change initiative presented here.
Connected to the process of incorporating the necessary steps as outlined by Kotter’s Model the discourse plan included the description of three reasons why this change remains important to the intention of the company culture in optimizing the most effective management continuity possible that does not presently exist. The recommended change thoroughly outlines an updated and accurate job description of higher management take place so it reflects as part of the work performance the assessment of the interdepartmental management job performance as aligned to promotions, salary increases, accrued sick, and vacation leave. In doing so, the change calls for the development of a strategy incorporating the Kotter Model 8 characteristics for initiating, completing, and sustaining the proposed change. This included establishing a sense of urgency; creating coalition; developing vision and strategy; communicating the vision; empowering broad-based action; generating short term wins; consolidating gains and producing more change; and, anchoring new approaches into the company culture.
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