Chapter 1

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Running Head: CHANGE ROLES 1

CHANGE ROLES 2

Change Roles

Wright State University

05/18/2017

Introduction

Changes in the organizations are common phenomena in today’s modern world word. When a change occurs in an organization, there is an alteration of its components such as culture, vision, technology, people, and strategy. It is very vital for an employee to be able to embrace these changes since they are ambiguous. The main change drivers in an organization include pressure from competition, customer needs, opportunities created from the market, and the company’s desire to align with its current values. Working in “Good Hope Hotel,” I have been a victim of change caused by the drivers mentioned above.

When did you play the role of a change initiator?

During my early employment periods, Good Hope Hotel was known as “The General Hotel.” The name changed to “Good Hope Hotel” because it was sold to a new employer who was a born again Christian. The new employer was kind enough to retain the old staff although some decided to quite and there were various vacancies present. The few employees who remained in the business were given the responsibility of initiating the change to align the hotel with the new vision and mission. The employer wanted to build the hotel on a new foundation based on Christian virtues. He ensured that we, the old staffs, were aware that there was a need for change. Before the new employer took charge, the hotel used to sell alcoholic drinks. It was up to us to inform the usual customers that we no longer sold alcoholic drinks. This was a tough role to me since confronting the old alcoholic customers was not a pleasant one. Most of them gave negative feedback regarding the new management, and some even swore never to come back. Nevertheless, we ensured that this policy became effective and were more than willing to let go of the old alcoholic customers. We ensured that the new services and products were in line with the new vision of the hotel and me for instance moved up to the supervisor position after four months under the new employer.

When did you play the new role of change implementer?

I found myself acting as a change implementer when I became the supervisor of Good Hope Hotel. Although the new employer made it clear that he wanted the hotel to be run under the guidance of Christian values, it was up to us the management to ensure this was achieved. I was faced with the challenge of managing the consequences of the decisions passed by the new boss. Few of the old employees never fully agreed to the principles set down by the employer. The role separated me from my old colleges who thought I was too strict on them regarding on how to conduct the customers. The new employees, however, preferred to be in line with the rules that were present. Most of the time I was forced with the responsibility of defending the new dress-code that customers believed to be outdated. The employer preferred the female employees to wear black skirts which reached below the knees with white long-sleeved blouses. For men, black trousers and long-sleeve shirts were the preferred attire. In regard, its environment, which was surrounded by bars and pubs, many of the customers were alcoholic and highly criticized the hotel. I and the manager had to stay strong, active, and ensure that both the employees and customers accepted the new dress-code and other rules that they though unfit. With time, the hotel came to be known as one of the most disciplined with good ethics compared to the few that were present.

When did you play the role of change facilitator?

Research reveals that many organizations fail in implementing changes when they are more absorbed in personalities and egos (Cawsey, Deszca, & Ingols, 2015). I became one of the change facilitators of Good Hope Hotel when it gained recognition from the neighboring environment. Although the hotel was surrounded by pubs and bars, there were two churches nearby and a couple of restaurants and bars that were its main competitors. The new boss was strict on cleanness and punctuality. Missing work without proper reason was an offense which he highly despised. The born-again boss was willing to fire any employee who was found guilty of such offenses repeatedly. Due to the strict rules, we employees became disciplined and handworkers in our workplace. We became popular among the church customers and others who preferred the hotel. I was forced to work closely with the managers especially regarding sensitive matters like employee disciplinary and marketing issues. I found this role interesting although at some point challenging. I engaged with the other staffs in marketing projects to advertise the hotel and attract more customers. After work, we would distribute advertisement fliers on the road to the people we met which was a fun activity. I was bold enough to convince the manager to offer compensation to the staff who engaged in the marketing activity to motivate them. This helped me build a good relationship with the junior staff.

When did you play the role of a change recipient?

I became a victim of a changed recipient after the hotel had gotten recognition from its customers and competitors. This change contributed to me quitting my employment. After all the hard work that I had put to ensure that the new vision of the hotel was being achieved, I felt degraded when the manager started receiving all the acknowledgments for the prosperity. The customers were more concerned about who the manager was and what he had done for the hotel. According to my opinion, I felt I deserved the credit more than he did, yet nobody seemed to take an interest in me. The junior staff felt more attached to the manager and forgot all the things I had put up during the first stages of the new hotel. I tolerated their mistakes and hid them from the manager and helped them where talked on their behalf when I felt they were being overworked. I lost my self-esteem and was absent on regular occasions. Although the current employer was well aware of my contributions to the business, I felt that I no longer belonged in the firm. The only achievement that I received after my resignation was a good recommendation letter from my born-again boss.