1. There are numerous diagnostic instruments that can be applied to the management of change. When highlighting a particular aspect of the change process, there are management experts who provide important tools to guide an organization through this often-contentious process.
• Using aspects or components of the various models , create a diagnostic model that can be applied to the management of change. For instance, your model can use components of the 7-S Model or the Star Model.
• Then, discuss in what situations your model would be best utilized and how it differs from at least one other model.
2. The degree of attention managers pay to the process of managing change is a reflection of the fraught nature of the process. In this regard, successful change strategies occur when the organization is most prepared for the modifications that impact its basic operations and organizational culture. In short, knowing when to change is as important as knowing what to change.
• Discuss how an organization assesses its readiness for change, including any tools or strategies it can utilize to determine the most opportune time to change itself.
3. Unless an organization and its managers are aware of the reasons employees resist change, they are unable to recognize not only the signs of resistance but also the solutions required to resolve this resistance. This discussion focuses on the general reasons that employees resist change and provides you with an opportunity to devise a strategy to reduce this resistance
There is a list of 14 reasons why some employees may resist change. Choose the two primary reasons that you believe people resist change, and then, offer one strategy an organization may pursue to lessen resistance in that particular circumstance.
• Explain why the strategy you chose would work best in this particular circumstance.
4. From Apple to Microsoft, Best Buy to Sears, the competitive nature of the marketplace is affecting many organizations. Those that have not yet been required to change their operations may be required to do so in the near future. Use this discussion as an opportunity to review the basic tenants of organizational development and assess how this tool can be utilized to better manage the change process.
• Select a company that is experiencing profound change.
• Briefly summarize the change in question.
• Describe how organizational development could be a useful tool for that organization to consider as it embarks on its intention to change its organization.
5. Models are helpful to guide organizations and managers through the arduous process of change where the outcome is uncertain and the path is complex and laden with barriers. Choosing the right model can be as important as the result you are trying to achieve. This discussion allows you to better understand some of the criteria that should be considered when choosing the right change management model.
One of the more difficult actions involving change is selecting the right change management model to guide your actions and processes. Considering this, respond to the following:
• Present the criteria/factors you would review to determine a preferred change management model to use in a given situation.
6. A vision states the long-term aspirations, and directions, of an organization. Visions are not static and must evolve as an organization evolves, especially in a rapidly changing world. Without question, you need to select the right vision if you wish to achieve a successful organizational change. This discussion provides an opportunity to create an invigorating, functional vision statement and explain why it is applicable to the organization.
Hinterhuber and Popp state that “having a vision is behind any new, entrepreneurial activity or major corporate change program” (as cited in Palmer, Dunford, & Akin, 2009, p. 249). Considering this, respond to the following:
• Choose any company you are familiar with and develop a new vision statement that is more appropriate to their future.
• Subsequently, detail how that vision is linked to its competitive advantage, organizational performance, and sustained organizational growth.
7. As given in your textbook by Palmer, Dunford, and Akin (2009), a KPMG survey of managers in 131 of Canada’s top corporations found that managers viewed communication as the most important factor in achieving successful changes such as mergers, downsizing, and reengineering (p. 291). Learning the components of the Simple Model of Communication is fundamental to the communication process, and this discussion allows you to extensively debate this model.
• Provide a brief overview of the principal components of the Simple Model of Communication.
• Determine the stage of the communication model that presents the greatest challenge to most leaders and managers along with a strategy that leaders and managers should consider to overcome this challenge.
8. Some believe the communication process is too rational and cognitive and does not account for the role and influence of emotions. From experience, we know that emotions often affect an individual’s ability to think reasonably and rationally. Thus, it becomes incumbent upon leaders and managers to learn to control their emotions throughout the change process
• Discuss the impact of emotions—fear, egotism, self-interest, anger, or frustration—on the overall change process and, specifically, on the ability of leaders and managers to communicate a clear, consistent message during the change process.
9. There are a number of reasons why communication falters in organizations. The communication channels may be inadequate, the individuals communicating the message may not be properly trained, or there may be language barriers that cannot be overcome, such as speaking different languages or not understanding the local culture. In such circumstances, strong and flexible communication skills become an integral component of a leader’s skillset. The following discussion activity will elaborate and reinforce the need for managers to develop a specific set of skills to be utilized in the change process.
• Briefly describe the four skills involved in engaging others in the change process.
• Examine how these skills affect the delivery and impact of a leader’s message during the change process.
10. When individuals, involved in discussing and implementing change, fail to adopt a change language with common meanings, then the change they are seeking to implement is likely to be problematic. This discussion question debates the preferred course of action one should take in determining the most appropriate words to utilize in the communication process.
• Choose three words that are commonly misunderstood in the communication process.
• Based on the chance that mistaken and misunderstood words can interfere with the communication message, determine more appropriate words that can be utilized than the three commonly misunderstood words you chose.
• Describe the method or manner a communicator can follow to ensure that he or she utilizes the most appropriate words and language when communicating with others.
11. Change must become an integral part of the organization. Eventually, it should not be seen as a change but as the regular way in which the business operates. This discussion question debates the manner in which change can be sustained throughout the organization.
It has been stated that change enacted must become the way we do things around here. Propose two actions or strategies that an organization should consider to ensure that change within the organization becomes part of the new culture, along with one strategy the organization should consider if the change begins to fail to become part of that culture.
Sample Solution
