CHANGE SCENARIO ASSIGNMENT 3
Change Scenario Research Paper Assignment
Introduction
All organizations have a need for organizational change at some point in their lifetime.
“Organization change may require a process of coping and adaptation. (de Fátima Nery, 2020,
Introduction section, para. 6)” Organizations go through involuntary changes as does the
environment in which they exist, therefore it is necessary for these organizations to adapt to
whatever changes they come across. Though some changes are smaller and easier to accept, there
are some changes that require a lot more hard work for an organization to make the change. This
can depend on the area that needs to undergo change, outside environmental changes, or even the
people that have to go through the process of change. So many different pathways lead to
change, but the most certain thing to acknowledge is that it is inevitable.
With all of the different types of changes that organizations can go through, there are also
a lot of strategic ways that the necessary changes can be enacted by the members of the
organizations or the leaders in charge. This is just as important as recognizing the need for
change, because the success rate of the change and even the resiliency of the company can
depend on the strategy chosen for change. For example, if a change strategy that does not fit the
organization or problem is used, it can have detrimental effects of the company without any
positive results on the initial problem or need for change. When taking a course of action in
change, all factors should be considered when implementation begins.
All over the United States there is consistent news of changes needed in school systems.
This is an important industry as the children affected will in turn affect the future of the country.
It is imperative that the appropriate steps be taken to ensure that children receive the education
CHANGE SCENARIO ASSIGNMENT 4
and experience necessary for them to be able to succeed. In this type of organization, the changes
that can be needed can vary from changes that stem from the passing of time changing laws and
cultures to changes that are born from the environmental changes that society endures. In
pinpointing what is necessary, steps can be taken to secure a positive future for the children that
are affected.
Section 1: Identification of industry and area in need of change
Education is a crucial part of society that puts children in the beginning of the cycle to
become a part of the world as adults. There are always changes that need to be put in place in
school systems because society is always evolving therefore the industry that build up the
backbone of it also must evolve. “In order to be effective, change cannot be a simple adaptation
of the current processes and practices. Change must be as substantive, as the changing demands
on schools are complex. (Russell, 2019, Introduction section, para.1)” The organization being
addressed is the Tuscaloosa City School Board of Education. As a board member, there is a lot to
pay attention in regards of the school system’s needs. As a parent, one seems to be afforded the
opportunity of another perspective that the constituents also share.
There is a very big need for change in bringing the school system more closely knit with
the community. Community involvement has the potential to bring so much more life and energy
into the education of the youth and allows a better gateway into adulthood and the workforce.
The community can build better relationships with schools in order to help strengthen the
stability of home for the children, offering a better chance of them staying near instead of leaving
with no plans of return. Increasing the community’s involvement in schools will change the way
that schools interact with the communities that are supportive of them.
CHANGE SCENARIO ASSIGNMENT 5
Another important change in the Tuscaloosa City Schools is the need for transportation.
There has been a decrease in the number of bus drivers available for students, while the need for
buses has remained and somewhat increased due to rising gas prices and parents no longer
working from home. This necessary increase of transportation is also for after-school activities.
There is so much significance in extracurricular activities as well as after-school tutoring that
greatly benefits children. However, some children are not able to participate in these programs
due to a lack of transportation after school. With transportation being available to students at
intervals after school, there would be an increase in involvement in all after-school programs.
This would positively affect children in a multitude of ways including affection for school and
introduction to different hobbies and new ideas.
Section 2: Plan for implementing the change
As mentioned before, there are a plethora of options when looking for the right method
needed to make changes. “Planned change interventions are still the most common ways of
initiating change in organizations, including schools. (Beycioglu & Kondakci, 2021, Debates on
organizational change in schools section, para. 9)” The method that can show a great deal of
promise in enacting change is Kotter’s Eight Step Change Model. This model focuses on using
the leadership to be the catalyst for change which is an important model in education. Once the
change trickles down from the leaders of the school system, they can affect the schools and show
parents the sincerity of their goals for the changes they speak of enacting. Taking it each step at a
time, real change can be made in the Tuscaloosa City Schools starting with the board of
education.
Using Kotter’s Eight Step Change Model, each stage is critical to the success of change
in the school system’s approach to community involvement and an increase in transportation
CHANGE SCENARIO ASSIGNMENT 6
availability. In order to first establish a sense of urgency, it is important for leaders to publicly
discuss the need for change within the school board to begin the conversation. This will bring
everyone who is a leader in the school system in the know of what processes will begin to take
place and allow preparation and input from the school and community leaders. A sense of
urgency creates a more vivid reality of the need for change and hastens the process to begin and
not be procrastinated on.
The next step of Kotter’s Eight Step Change Model is creating the guiding coalition.
Following after creating a sense of urgency, it falls right in line with the communication
necessary to take this next step. Speaking with the school board members is the first group that
has the appropriate power to initiate change. This group has the best positioning, because it has
the ability to make the biggest difference in the school system and the reach to enact real change.
After taking the initial steps of solidifying a position, the real groundwork begins to form.
“An effective vision clarifies a direction for the future, motivates all stakeholders to take realistic
action, is easy to communicate, and has the power to lead transformational change. (Pipas, 2020,
“Vision and Leadership” section, para. 2)” Developing a vision and a strategy creates a goal and
the framework needed to reach said goal. In increasing community involvement, the goal would
be to have programs where students have the freedom to interact with local businesses in the
community to learn about business, economy, charity, etc. A proper strategy to begin this process
would be to use businesses that currently sponsor the schools to work out a system. On the other
hand, the primary goal for transportation would be similar to a city bus line system in which
buses would be able to pick students up at intervals until the last after-school activity ended. The
main focus in this would need to be training and hiring new workers in the transportation
department to support the increased use.
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These are the initial steps in Kotter’s Eight Stage Change Model, and they lay the
foundation for the changes that need to be made in the Tuscaloosa City Schools. “The first four
steps in the transformation process help defrost a hardened status quo. (Kotter, 2012, p. 24, The
Eight-Stage Change Process Section, para. 3)” Afterwards, empowering broad-based action
helps lead to generating short-term wins. Getting support from the families of the students will
help push action forward and encourage businesses to open avenues for children to interact more
with them. This win directly affects the ability for an increase of the transportation budget seeing
as it can be used to help students be more involved in community projects.
Finally, consolidating gains and producing more change and anchoring new approaches
in the culture are the seal in this process. At this point, members of the school system will have
been put in place to liaison with the local community businesses and appropriate hiring will have
been done to bolster the transportation department. Once both changes are made, this is the ideal
time to observe the flow of things to be able to perfect any parts of the changes that do not
contribute to growth. There would be data to look at after at least a year to see the effects from
the changes made.
Conclusion
“One of the most difficult issues for any organization, no matter how large or small,
public or private, profit or non-profit, is implementing and adapting to change. (Wentworth et al.,
2020, Abstract section, para.2)” Having a plan of action to enact change is one of the most
important way to ensure that success will be had. Major changes can be difficult to acquire in a
school system setting because of many reasons including parents’ hesitating on new ideas and
the same for community leaders. Getting a collective of people that represent different parts of
the school system including teachers, parents, businesses, bus drivers, etc. together will provide a
CHANGE SCENARIO ASSIGNMENT 9
References
Beycioglu, K., & Kondakci, Y. (2021). Organizational change in schools.ECNU Review of
Education (Online),4(4), 788-807.Ghttps://doi.org/10.1177/2096531120932177
de Fátima Nery, V., Franco, K. S., & Neiva, E. R. (2020). Attributes of the organizational change
and its influence on attitudes toward organizational change and well-being at work: A
longitudinal study.The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science,56(2), 216-
236. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021886319865277
Kotter, J. P. (2012).GLeading change. Harvard Business School Press.
Pipas, C. F. (2020). Improving physician well-being through organizational change.Family
Practice Management,27(6), 23-28.
Russell, P. (2019). System approaches to school psychology (or why school psychologists
shouldn’t see kids).Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools,29(1), 100-
106. https://doi.org/10.1017/jgc.2019.8
Wentworth, D. K., Behson, S. J., & Kelley, C. L. (2020). Implementing a new student evaluation
of teaching system using the kotter change model.Studies in Higher Education
(Dorchester-on-Thames),45(3), 511-
523. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2018.1544234
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