Your task individually is to find and interview two people who have managed organizational change, or who have been directly involved in change implementation.

Your task individually is to find and interview two people who have managed organizational change, or who have been directly involved in change implementation. Design a “topic guide” for your interviews.

This should cover, for example, the organizational context; your interviewees’ roles in relation to change; the nature of the changes in which they were involved; why those changes were significant; how the changes were implemented, covering key decisions, actions, turning points, crises; how your interviewees would describe their personal management styles; the outcomes of those changes—successful, or not.

If possible, choose to interview managers from different organizations and sectors, to provide contrast. Once you have collected this interview evidence, consider the following questions:

• Which images of change did those two managers illustrate?
• How did those images affect their change management decisions and actions?
• Where they drew on more than one image, to what extent were those related to the type of change?
• context of change?
• phase of change?
• Their involvement in more than one change at the same time?
• What other factors did you identify?
• What conclusions can you draw from your analysis of the effects of images and mental models on the way that your interviewees approached their change management roles?

Turnitin is used on all reports and projects. A report can be obtained for your review prior to submitting your final work. Make sure that you are in compliance with the University’s 20/80 rule.

HRM587 Week 2 Case Study Once you have collected this interview evidence, consider the following questions: – Which images of change did those two managers illustrate? – How did those images affect their change management decisions and actions? – Where they drew on more than one image, to what extent were those related to the type of change? — Context of change? — Phase of change? — Their involvement in more than one change at the same time? – What other factors did you identify? – What conclusions can you draw from your analysis of the effects of images and mental models on the way that your interviewees approached their change management roles? Each paper should be a minimum of 3 – 5 pages and comprehensively incorporate ALL of the questions in the assignment.

 

 

Answer

Week 2: Case Study

Organizational change is crucial, and its management determines whether a firm will be successful or not. An interview of two different managers working in the same profession (Human Resource), but in different sectors and companies was done based on the context of whether the change was effective or not.

The image of change, from the first manager, illustrated that organizational change needs constant monitoring and nurturing of employees. This means that employees should be trained or educated on how to work in a dynamic environment. The second interviewed manager illustrated an inclusive image of change where all employees were involved in the change implementation process. To that effect, both managers considered organizational change as being a positive move towards overall growth of a business.

Manager A who saw that the change required constant monitoring, used a different management style than manager B, who viewed the change as being inclusive. Manager A used the coaching style on employees for them to be at par with what was required. Coaching requires employees to be collectively trained on how to be productive under new conditions with supervisors continually monitoring what they were doing (Berg & Karlsen, 2016). Coaching is essential in ensuring that employees were on board with the process and supported it fully. However, the decisions were made by the management alone without the participation of employees. On the other hand, manager B believed that the change needed an inclusive type of management. This meant that every employee was included in the change process from the beginning to the end (Gillespie, 2017). Therefore, decisions were made through meetings where everyone was allowed to brainstorm ideas and give suggestions on how the change process would be implemented.

Manager A drew more than one image during the initiation process. He not only viewed the change as requiring constant monitoring, but also one that needed interpretation. Therefore, he used interpretation as a management style during the initiation stage to ensure that employees understood what was happening. Interpretation is critical in gaining staff support and eliminating any opposition that may arise from employees (Gillespie, 2017). Manager B also had a different view of the change during the final stage of implementation. He believed that using a different management style apart from inclusion was necessary. Inclusion was applied to make employees feel as part of the change. However, he also needed to view the change in a more serious way by using a dictatorial or an autocratic management style. An autocratic management style requires managers to give directions for employees to follow (Gillespie, 2017). Orders are given and decisions are made without including employees in as is the case in a democratic leadership style.

According to manager A, the change involved moving from manual documentation to the involvement of Electronic Health Records (EHRs). The change was to bring efficiency in the billing process where the organization would claim reimbursements from insurance firms. It was also to link interdepartmental functions and provide more security to patient records. Manager B’s firm firm intended to add another clause to the existing policies and incorporate cultural sensitivity as a mandatory requirement. The aim was to improve the relationships between employees and clients and reduce any individual bias employees might have towards customers. The cultural sensitivity clause was also to protect the organization from legal lawsuits that may arise from discriminatory actions during interactions. The manager added that clients feel more appreciated and become more loyal to the firm’s products when there is an established level of respect. In a customer-oriented world, firms are required to sharpen their interactive skills and be more culturally sensitive to both clients and employees.

The interview was conducted when the changes were in their evaluation phases. According to manager A, the EHRs systems had already been implemented and they were evaluating the success of the program. They measured the time required to finish specific tasks and satisfaction levels of employees based on their workloads. Manager A’s firm had implemented the policy and was evaluating the nature of the customers’ feedback. Both managers had been involved in more than one change at the same time in the past. However, they both reveal that it was tedious and demanding since balancing the needs of both projects was challenging. Nonetheless, they managed to facilitate the change process by implementing them effectively. I also realized that they have failed in attempting to implement change successfully. Failure in change management should be a learning lesson. Failure is often detected at the evaluation stage when key performance indicators are not achieved (Cameron & Green, 2019).

In conclusion, both managers viewed change management as a positive thing. The image and mental models they created of the change enabled them to be supportive and committed to ensuring the processes were excellently done. Images and mental models set the tide and goal that is to be achieved. Managers are able to know how and what to do for the change to be implemented successfully (Cameron & Green, 2019). Even though both managers had different approaches to management styles, they had a common purpose of growth, improving work productivity, and boosting the overall growth of the firms.

 

References

Berg, M. E., & Karlsen, J. T. (2016). A study of coaching leadership style practice in projects. Management Research Review, 39(9), 1122-1142.

Cameron, E., & Green, M. (2019). Making sense of change management: A complete guide to the models, tools, and techniques of organizational change. Kogan Page Publishers.

Gillespie, R. (2017). A cross-sectional exploration of leadership styles exhibited when facing workplace challenges: qualitative interviews with “the Company’s” managers (Doctoral dissertation, The IIE). Retrieved from: http://iiespace.iie.ac.za/handle/11622/220