Business Finance - Accounting Homework

JWI555 Assignment 3 Submitted by: Group D

Chris Ramey, Hazar Allami, and Kamran Karbasi Professor: Dr. Michael Burgett Date: Saturday March 8th, 2025

Introduction

Change is a critical component of organizational success, especially in this era of rapid corporate transitions, shifting

customer expectations, and increasing regulatory scrutiny. In this assignment, we compare three different change

management plans: Hazar Allami’s Leadership and Organizational Restructuring Plan for SPSS (Allami, 1), Kamran

Karbasi’s ESG and Sustainability Integration Initiative (Karbasi, 2), and Chris Ramey's B2B Automotive Conference

Proposal for CarGurus (Ramey, 3). Each plan utilizes Kotter's Eight-Step Change Framework to drive strategic

transformation within their respective firms (Kotter, 4). However, their objectives, strategies, and execution differ

significantly. This analysis will explore the similarities and differences in their goals, approaches, tools, expected

outcomes, unresolved challenges, and potential improvements. By examining these plans, we aim to identify best

practices in change management, assess the effectiveness of different strategic approaches, and provide recommendations

to enhance each initiative.

Vision, Approach, and Timeline

Despite their different objectives, all three change management plans share commonalities in their approach. Each plan

recognizes the urgent need for transformation and begins by motivating their respective organizations to act immediately.

They also emphasize the importance of forming a strong stakeholder coalition to ensure diverse perspectives and expertise

are represented (Lorenzo, 5). Additionally, they all incorporate short-term wins to maintain momentum and demonstrate

progress.

However, their strategies diverge in key ways. Chris’s plan is centered on a single, high-impact B2B automotive

conference aimed at increasing brand engagement and sales in Canada, with a strict schedule set for the upcoming fall.

Kamran’s approach, on the other hand, seeks to embed sustainability and ESG principles into the very fabric of the

business. The initiative follows a phased timeline with specific progress checkpoints at 2, 30, 45, and 60 days to ensure

steady implementation. Meanwhile, Hazar’s plan is primarily focused on leadership restructuring and transforming team

collaboration at SPSS. The timeline for this transformation is contingent on various logistical factors such as obtaining

permits, signing leases, and completing construction.

Desired Results and Proposed Tools

Although each plan is distinct, they share a common objective of enhancing stakeholder engagement and improving

organizational effectiveness. To ensure alignment, all three strategies incorporate clear communication methods,

including emails, leadership meetings, and town halls (Kotter, 4). Furthermore, they emphasize employee empowerment

by encouraging involvement in the change process and decentralizing decision-making (O’Driscoll, 6).

Despite these shared elements, their proposed tools and execution strategies differ. Chris’s approach prioritizes market

expansion by leveraging sales, marketing, and event planning to drive customer engagement and revenue growth.

Kamran’s plan is deeply rooted in sustainability and corporate responsibility, incorporating governance structures,

innovation funding, and staff training to instill ESG principles. In contrast, Hazar’s plan focuses on leadership

restructuring and team collaboration, utilizing new management philosophies, tenant engagement forums, and leadership

training to enhance decision-making and accountability.

Application of Kotter’s Eight-Step Framework

Each change management plan applies Kotter’s model effectively, but with varying degrees of emphasis on different

stages. Chris’s strategy successfully incorporates urgency, coalition-building, vision articulation, empowerment, and

short-term wins (Kotter, 4). However, it lacks a well-defined post-event strategy to sustain momentum beyond the

conference. Kamran’s plan aligns closely with six of the eight steps but does not explicitly outline how ESG principles

will be institutionalized over the long term after the initial milestones. Hazar’s approach follows Kotter’s framework but

places greater emphasis on structural and leadership transformational changes without detailing long-term cultural

reinforcement beyond project milestones (Joubert, 7).

Best Practices in Change Management

Each change management plan demonstrates best practices that contribute to effective transformation. Chris’s strategy

offers a well-defined, event-driven approach with measurable, transparent performance indicators that are directly linked

to business objectives. Kamran’s plan successfully integrates operational and cultural change, incorporating clear

benchmarks to track progress over time. Hazar’s approach places a strong emphasis on stakeholder engagement and

leadership restructuring, ensuring alignment between internal teams and external partners. All three proposals incorporate

a clear vision, a strong change coalition, and short-term wins—key best practices for effective change management

(Kotter, 4)

Unresolved Issues and Recommendations

While each plan demonstrates strong strategic intent, they also contain unresolved issues that could impact long-term

success. In Chris’s case, there is no clear follow-up strategy to maintain engagement with clients after the conference,

which could limit the long-term impact of the event. A solution to this would be to develop a post-event engagement plan

that includes follow-up surveys, exclusive networking opportunities, and ongoing educational materials to keep clients

engaged. Chris should also consider making the conference an annual event, allowing it to become part of CarGurus

culture (McHarris, 8).

Kamran’s plan raises concerns about the long-term integration of ESG principles, as it focuses heavily on early progress

but lacks a structured approach for maintaining sustainability over time. To address this, long-term accountability

frameworks should be established, such as ESG committees, sustainability performance metrics, and annual progress

reports that reinforce ongoing commitment to these principles (Overby, 9).

Hazar’s plan identifies middle management resistance as a potential barrier to successful implementation, which could

slow or even halt progress (Kotter, 4). To overcome this challenge, leadership training programs should be introduced to

help middle managers transition from micromanagement to lateral leadership (Kotter, 4). This would promote a more

transparent and collaborative workplace culture while ensuring that middle management aligns with the broader change

initiative.

Effective Collaboration in Virtual Teams

Our team employed several methods to communicate and collaborate on our assignments. The discussion groups on

Canvas provided a platform to share ideas, submit assignments, and schedule calls. However, the layout of the discussion

sections proved to be somewhat cumbersome, as replies to posts were only visible when clicking the reply button, making

it easy to overlook comments from team members. Zoom emerged as a more effective communication tool, enabling

face-to-face discussions and facilitating the exchange of ideas in a more interactive manner. Over the course of the term,

we found virtual calls to be a more efficient collaboration method compared to the sometimes clunky discussion threads.

Lastly, while we did utilize AI in our assignments, it was strictly for polishing and proofreading our writing after the work

was completed.

Conclusion

The three change management plans analyzed—Hazar Allami’s Leadership and Organizational Restructuring Plan,

Kamran Karbasi’s ESG and Sustainability Integration Initiative, and Chris Ramey’s B2B Automotive Conference

Proposal—each offer unique approaches to organizational transformation while incorporating key elements of Kotter’s

Eight-Step Framework. Despite their differing goals and execution strategies, they share a commitment to stakeholder

engagement, clear communication, and structured implementation. However, each plan also presents specific challenges

that require further refinement to ensure long-term success. By incorporating best practices such as sustained post-change

engagement, long-term accountability frameworks, and leadership development initiatives, these plans can enhance their

effectiveness and drive lasting impact. Ultimately, the comparative analysis highlights the importance of strategic

alignment, adaptability, and ongoing reinforcement in successful change management.

References / Sources of Information

1- Hazar Allami. 2025. Assignment 2. Organizational Change and Culture Project – Business Brief. Jack Welch

Management Institute

2- Kamran Karbasi. 2025. Assignment 2. Organizational Change and Culture Project – Business Brief. Jack Welch

Management Institute

3- Chris Ramey. 2025. Assignment 2. Organizational Change and Culture Project – Business Brief. Jack Welch

Management Institute

4- John P. Kotter. 2012. Leading Change

5- Rocío Lorenzo. Nicole Voigt. Miki Tsusaka. Matt Krentz. Katie Abouzahr. January 23rd, 2018. How Diverse

Leadership Teams Boost Innovation.

6- Tony O’Driscoll. February 5th, 2020. Changing the Way We Change.

https://www.brightline.org/resources/changing-the-way-we-change/

7- Shanya Joubert. March 2019. Transformational Leadership: How To Inspire Innovation in the Workplace.

https://graduate.northeastern.edu/knowledge-hub/transformational-leadership/

8- Neely McHarris. March 1st, 2024. How to Successfully Navigate Culture Change Management.

https://www.prosci.com/blog/culture-change-management

9- Stephanie Overby. March 16th, 2022. 10 hard truths of change management.

https://www.cio.com/article/306342/10-hard-truths-of-change-management.html