Kim Woods Only (615 1.1 Response)
Astroorange
6151.1Response.docx
Post #1
An organizational change that I encountered a few months ago involved new command leadership. The battery commander deployed and a somewhat seasoned 1st Lieutenant took over. There were many hiccups with his style of leadership and many Soldiers questioned his actions. They went to senior leadership (including me) to ask questions about what he had stated. An example was a four-mile run that was supposed to be conducted to standard (within 36 minutes). The problem was that this took place after we had already conducted a vigorous workout including pushups, sit-ups, and sprints. It wasn’t announced that the four-mile run would be graded to standard until after the run. Many people fell out of the run and the new commander threatened to flag them and possibly place a bar to reenlistment. This is when I had to explain to some new Soldiers that it probably wasn’t going to happen because the events that transpired that morning were not done correctly.
This caused the members of the organization to have to adapt to his leadership. Freda, Arn, & Gatlin-Watts (1999) state, “change can mean happiness for some people, but most dread the thought of having to alter comfortable, familiar routines” (p. 31). Furthermore, how people react to change often determines how well they will adapt to it (Freda et al., 1999).
This change didn’t meet the intended results because the position is intended for a more experienced officer. One that has been in the Army for approximately six years, not two or three. The organization will be much more effective once the actual commander returns. The one positive outcome is that the 1st lieutenant gains the experience of being a battery commander. This will prepare him for future positions. The commander of the overall organization chose him to be the commander from his previous work performance. Cawsey, T.F., Descza, G., & Ingols, C. (2016) state that organizational change is a planned activity that is designed to improve the organization’s effectiveness. While this change in leadership was planned, I do not believe that the organization has become more effective.
References
Cawsey, T.F., Deszca, G., & Ingols, C. (2016). Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit. Los Angeles, CA: Sage.
Freda, G.G., Arn, J.V., & Gatlin-Watts, R.W. (1999). Adapting to the speed of change. Industrial Management. 41(6), 31-33
Post #2
Our text identifies organizational change as planned alternations to organizational components with the intent to improve the effectiveness of the organization (Cawsey, 2016). When an organization is able to improve their efficacy, they in turn increase their ability to create value for those that they serve.
A recent organizational change that I have experienced is the transition and implementation of a new aircraft. For 18 years I have conducted my job as a Naval Aircrewman on an old, outdated four engine prop aircraft known as the P-3 Orion. Recently, the Navy has purchased and implemented the transition of our aviation community to the Boeing 737 P-8A Poseidon. Not only is the aircraft a newer faster aircraft, it has been updated with the latest technology on the inside to facilitate more effective and efficient means for us to do our jobs.
The initial need for this change was that the P-3 had outlived and overextended the lifespan of the airframe. Safety is the number one concern and the airframe was showing signs of wear and tear that could no longer be fixed without completely rebuilding the aircraft, costing the Navy more than purchasing the new aircraft that would have a much longer lifespan. Technology was another driving factor that facilitated the need for change. Cawsey (2016) points out that “technology has woven our world together”. In our face paced, technology driven society the P-3s technology, although updated as much as possible, was quickly being surpassed as technology continues to advance. The Navy needed to update this asset in order regain aviation superiority within the Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance and Intelligence community.
I would identify this type of change as overhauling. Overhauling is the “dramatic shift that occurs in reaction to major external events” (Cawsey, 2016). The complete shift to the new aircraft is based on advances in technology not only in the equipment we place on our ships and aircraft but the advances that other countries have made. The Navy must keep up with our technology driven culture in order to maintain an effect fighting force.
The change from the P-3 to the P-8 is approximately 75% complete, this change has already proven itself as effective with proven mission completion while these squadron have been forward deployed and surpassing the expectations of top military leaders. These aircraft have proved higher quality products, making our combat aircrews more effect and efficient.
Reference
Cawsey, T. F. (2016). Organizational change: An action-oriented toolkit. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
According to (Cawsey, Deszca, & Ingols, 2016) organizational change is “planned alteration of organizational components to improve the effectiveness of organizations” (p. 2).
Post #3
(Cawsey, Deszca, & Ingols, 2016) states that, organizational change is deliberate and planned. It is an internal initiative taken by someone in the organization to revise a significant organizational component. The above statement is true with IPPS-A, the leadership of the U.S. Army after analysis the way it conduct business realized the need for a modern personnel and pay system for the army.
The driving factor for the change is government legislature. In 2010, Congress included a requirement in the National Defense Authorization Act mandating the military to be auditable by September 2017 (Chappell, 2017) .
This type of change is overhauling or rec-creating, in a nutshell, IPPS-A will change the army does business today.
Cawsey, T. F., Deszca, G., & Ingols, C. (2016). Organizational change an action-oriented
toolkit. Los Angeles: Sage Publ.
Chappell, B. (2017, December 08). Pentagon Announces First-Ever Audit Of The Department Of
Defense. Retrieved June 24, 2018, from https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-
way/2017/12/08/569394885/pentagon-announces-first-ever-audit-of-the-department-of-
defense
https://www.ipps-a.army.mil/
