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Change Management Practices
Name
Institution
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Change Management Practices
Management of change comprises a systematic strategy and application of the
knowledge, instruments, and resources of organizational change. To meet changing
environmental and business conditions require the implementation and deployment of
organizational practices, structures, processes, and technologies. Effective change
implementation goes beyond the administration of services and corporate operations to include
institutional changes that have the “material” component of systemic restructuring in an
organization (Petrou et al., 2018). The critical goal of change management is to successfully
implement modern procedures, goods, and business techniques while not reducing adverse
effects. The management of change effectively requires the recognition and control of change.
One of the best practices in change management implemented by Sears Company is the Kotter
change management method, which encompasses various elements in guaranteeing little or no
resistance from multiple stakeholders. Sears Holdings Company implements Kotter’s change
management process in changing numerous aspects of the organizational culture.
The Kotter model of managing change recommends the eight main steps of developing
the changes, stating that overlooking any of the stages can be adequate to cause the gross failure
of the process of implementing change in an organization. Workers accept the transformation
after executives persuade them of the imperative necessity for change to happen. The first step is
to create a sense of urgency, which aids as a stimulus throughout the change. This step is
dynamic to stimulate the essential cooperation, philosophies, and enthusiasm to make detriments
associated with the eminent change. In this case, the customer experiences will be an urgent
need. After the people sense that the adjustment is required, their vigor needs to be focused and
directed at the change process (Stouten et al., 2018). Consequently, the second stage requires the
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manager to generate the guiding coalition by choosing and employing a group of employees who
will be proficient in implementing the desired change, such as the customer relations department
and the vendors.
The third step requires the management to formulate a change vision to offer employees a
clear and definitive comprehension of the features of the change. In the fourth step, the
administrator needs to communicate the vision of the change aimed at informing the employees
on the positive effects of the shift in the organization and also to their careers. The vision, in this
case, is revamping the customer experiences and boost sales. The fifth step requires the manager
to authorize the broad-based act by eliminating hindrances that prevent the change vision or
disempower persons with impractical and unachievable aims. During the change progression,
preparation for and making short-haul wins is desirable to preserve interest and impetus to retain
the changing enterprise. Since change requires time, Kotter thought that it was significant to
combine improvements to create additional adjustment by concentrating on the role of initial
achievement as an enabler of forthcoming success. Lastly, to attain real transformational change,
the administrator and institution need to anchor modifications in the structural philosophy by
observing the receipt of the change and how to fit the administrative culture is adjusting to the
new norm (Baran, Filipkowski & Stockwell, 2019). This requires that the manager incorporate
the new changes into the corporate culture of the firm. This strategy ensures that future business
activities will reflect the changes. In the long-haul, the changes will change the corporate culture,
which has previously seen employees leave the company.
In light of the indicated change management practices, there are various issues or
problems which can be solved through the proper and adequate implementation of Kotter’s
change management theory. In the case of Sears Holdings, the leadership may consider a change
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in corporate culture (Bateh & Sofianopoulou, 2019). Considering the current state where the
company’s culture has led to many executives leaves their work, the current leadership should
consider intrinsic motivation. This change of approach to employees will foster engagement,
brand relations, and a feeling of fulfillment with its operations. For this reason, the organization
may apply globally accepted intrinsic motivation strategies. Leading scientific knowledge has
identified three important catalysts for intrinsic employee motivation. These factors include
significant team and managerial relations, recurrent and uncluttered communication with high
independence and recognized standard and aligning employee strengths with the task they are
chosen to create or assist. The organization should begin by introducing and reinforcing
conversations between the employees and the management. The management then uses feedback
from the employee engagement reports to provide information on daily interactions between
managers and workers.
In light of the above, Kotter’s model of change management ensures a complete analysis
of the current developments, technology, and diversity and, as such, ensuring a smooth change
process. Kotter’s model is management-oriented and starts from the top and then followed by the
junior staff members. This model, as such, creates room for inclusion and active participation,
especially for the members affected by the adjustments. As a result, employees feel valued and
perform better towards the actions related directly to the imposed change.
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References
Baran, B. E., Filipkowski, J. N., & Stockwell, R. A. (2019). Organizational change: Perspectives
from human resource management. Journal of Change Management, 19(3), 201-219.
Bateh, J., & Sofianopoulou, S. (2019). Organizational growth through operational
change. International Journal of Business Performance Management, 20(3), 278-296.
Petrou, P., Demerouti, E., & Xanthopoulou, D. (2018). Regular versus cutback-related change:
The role of employee job crafting in organizational change contexts of different
nature. International Journal of Stress Management, 24(1), 62-
85. https://doi.org/10.1037/str0000033
Stouten, J., Rousseau, D. M., & De Cremer, D. (2018). Successful organizational change:
Integrating management practice and scholarly literature. Academy of Management
Annals, 12(2), 752-788.
