Organizational change management is an important management practice critical to the business world in the twentieth century. Businesses are continuously evolving and they have to change their operations. Managers today find change management as an important skill that adds value to the organization. Organizational change management is a critical component that can result in either success or failure in dealing with human change. This paper analyzes various change management models and their application to the UWEAR-PALEDENIM scenario. Further analysis is made on managing people, key leadership and management behaviors, and additional information for a proper change management framework.
Change management models
Several change management models have been introduced to help an organization manage change effectively. One of the change management models is Lewin’s. The model is based on three fundamental stages that include change, refreeze, and unfreeze (Cameron and Green, 2015). Unfreeze means that the organization should be ready to accept the changing situation. While people can resist change, leaders should show that change that change is necessary through adequate communication. The change step involves the process where the organization should move through implementing the change. Refreezing is the final stage where people cope up with the changes. Employees should not revert back but follow the changing process.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Lewin’s change management model can be applied by ensuring that the merger of UWEAR and PALEDENIM follows the model of unfreeze, change, and refreeze. The unfreeze stage will involve the CEOs of both companies examining how much change is required for the merger. Communication to the employees will be important on how the two companies would combine their marketing, sales, strategic analysis, human resources, and leadership teams. The change process will involve employees adjusting to the change. Organizational functions and behaviors should be clearly specified in this stage. The refreezing stage will involve the employees of the two companies working together in cohesion. They should be able to work as a team and not to separate themselves based on the separate companies.
Kotter’s 8 step model of organizational change should be adopted by the company. The first step involves establishing a sense of urgency. To create a sense of urgency, UWEAR and PALEDENIM should create a timeline for the change and communicate the benefits of the change to the respective workforce. Kotter’s second step involves forming a powerful coalition. The two companies should create a powerful team within the management that spearheads the change. Kotter’s third step involves the two companies creating a vision that embodies the organizational objectives. The fourth step will be to ensure that the organization communicates the vision to everyone within the organization (Gupta, 2011). Mike and Theresa should communicate the company’s vision adequately.
The remaining steps of Kotter ensure that the change within the organization is implemented and finalized. The fifth step involves encouraging organizational members to work towards the vision. Any barriers to the change can be eliminated at this point. The final three steps will involve the company leaders, planning and creating short-term wings, facilitating improvements and more change, and formulating new institutional approaches (Salman and Broten, 2017). For the adequate implementation of the change, the leaders should be flexible to introduce new changes so as to foster smooth and efficient company operations.
Managing people side of change
Managing people side of change and overcoming resistance can be accomplished through various strategies. Education and communication will be important in informing employees about the logic of the change and the need for the change. Mike and Theresa should then ensure participation by all employees so as to reduce resistance and encourage commitment. They two CEOs should also emphasize on the need of commitment to the merged organization. Positive relationships should be fostered among employees of the two organization and managers ensure that the company operates in a positive climate. Proper selection of the company managers will be important. The newly chosen managers should be people that have a positive attitude towards the change and be willing to take risks (Hon et al., 2014).
Key leadership and management behaviors
The merger of UWEAR and PALEDENIM is a major transition for both companies. The integration of various management teams is delicate and requires adequate leadership and management skills. The leaders should display vision, integrity, patience, and understanding throughout the process of change (Goetsch and Davis, 2014). The two CEOs, Theresa Tramlin and Mike Miller should be able to handle the pressures of both companies. They should be strategic thinkers that can create a viable vision for the company. In order to guarantee adequate employee involvement and participation, they should be patient and charismatic. They should also be able to take appropriate measures so as to counteract any resistance.
Topics for additional information
A topic that would need additional information and clarification is regarding training and coaching. The two CEOs should provide information on whether the company carries out training and if they are effective. Proper training is one of the key information required to carry out a successful change. Throughout the process of change, the company should carry out sufficient training to ensure a smooth and easy transition.
In conclusion, the entire process of transition and merger of the two companies can be a difficult process. By adopting the change management models, the two companies should be able to merge successfully. The company should also follow several steps so as to manage the people side of change and deal with resistance. Proper leadership and management behavior will be important throughout the process of change.
References
Cameron, E., & Green, M. (2015). Making sense of change management: A complete guide to the models, tools and techniques of organizational change . Kogan Page Publishers.
Goetsch, D. L., & Davis, S. B. (2014). Quality management for organizational excellence . Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Gupta, P. (2011). Leading innovation change-The Kotter way. International Journal of Innovation Science , 3 (3), 141-150.
Hon, A. H., Bloom, M., & Crant, J. M. (2014). Overcoming resistance to change and enhancing creative performance. Journal of Management , 40 (3), 919-941.
Salman, Y., & Broten, N. (2017). Leading Change . Macat Library.
