Organizational Change for Business Growth

Introduction

Changes are considered by the businesses with the purpose of improving the processes and the outputs while addressing the shifting tastes and preference patterns of the customers. Rivers (2019) opined that organizations conduct change processes for improving the existing processes, reduce loopholes in the operational units and develop offerings that would be beneficial towards ensuring the growth and expansion of the business in the global competitive markets. On the other hand, the increase in competition and the shifts in the business markets also force an organization towards embracing change for the continuous growth and sustenance. According to Vardaman (2019), organizational changes supports the agenda of meeting their long term sustenance and growth while addressing the shifting demands and priorities of the customers with utmost readiness and improved process structures. In this connection, businesses take the initiative of developing certain change processes with the purpose of maintaining the standard of their offerings while providing the customers with utility as per their demand. The management of change is again an important factor that must be considered by the business owners and leaders while working towards implementing a change in their processes or offerings (Ojo 2018). It has been observed that efficient management of change is a necessity towards ensuring that the change processes are successfully implemented. Rivers (2019) stated that managers and leaders in an organization develop their skills on negotiation and delegation while improving their prospects on managing a change process from its initiation to its conclusion. The continuously changing business environment demands an organization to facilitate effective changes while addressing the shifting needs and requirements of the customers in order to sustain. Therefore, it might be observed that application of change in a business model contributes towards improving the business scope of sustenance and growth while operating in the international markets through modifications in the existing processes or the outputs for addressing the shifting needs of the end users.

Organisational background and stated need for change

Organisational background

Harrod is a family-owned business, which is focused towards manufacturing sports ground equipment and netting for schools and clubs throughout the UK. The organization was founded by Ron Harrod in the year 1954 and is headquartered in Suffolk. The philosophy that guided the existence of the organization was specifically based on delivering quality propositions to the customers while ensuring their satisfaction for the continuous growth and sustenance of the venture. It has been observed that the organization has been supplying their sport equipments in different international venues and events like Wembley, the Delhi Commonwealth Games 2010, Barclays ATP World Tour Finals and Santiago Bernabéu. The sponsorships and the supply of their propositions in different mega events around the world have supported the organization in gaining a competitive edge in their promotional activities while attracting the attention of a huge range of customers. It has also been observed that in the year 2004 Harrod Horticultural was established which was focused towards producing quality gardening products which has added to the diversification of the propositions that were previously being offered by the business.

Concerns faced by the business and the need for change

The organization mostly focused towards the implementation of the family values while motivating and encouraging the active participation of the different stakeholders in the organizational operational processes. The values of involving and motivating the people in the workforce of the concerned organization were established in the late 1980s. However, it has been observed that the organization focused towards making continuous growth in order to address their sustenance related needs in the intensely competitive global markets. Different HR processes like the introduction of the team based culture and the development of ‘Belbin’ character testing for identifying the gaps in teams as well as part of the recruitment process has supported the HR teams in empowering the activities that are being undertaken by the stakeholders in the different levels of operations in the business. However, it has been observed that there are specific challenges that are being faced by the organization which limited the scope of their operations. The major challenge that is being faced by the organization while restructuring the business operations and processes as the venture grew. It was observed that the business leaders experienced challenges in engaging the managers with the new way of working while influencing the same to adopt a more inclusionary and motivating management style. The insufficiency of engagement of the managers in the changed processes or learn the new processes or leadership styles has limited the scope of the business in empowering their capability on the restructuring activity. According to Sarkar and Clegg (2021), the active participation of the different stakeholders support an organization in gaining a competitive edge while increasing the quality of the outputs. In this connection, it has been observed that the business faced significant challenges in encouraging the involvement of the managers in the changes or the restructuring activity that the business has been planning. The insufficiency of change readiness among the stakeholders, specifically the managers, might thereby limit the scope of the business in empowering the change processes. Wiesner, Chadee and Best (2018)stated that Change readiness among the stakeholders play an integral part in empowering the change processes while addressing the diverse needs and requirements of the businesses. The insufficient change readiness among the managers might affect the capability of the organization in improving the scope of the change program. Therefore, the business must take the initiative of devising processes like rewards and compensation or specialized training activities with the purpose of encouraging the active participation of the stakeholders and keeping the same motivated towards attaining the organizational goals. The key areas of change in the organizational operations are reliant on the motivated and focused involvement of the stakeholders with improved degree of change readiness. The increased change readiness among the stakeholders, allow an organization in improving their prospects of successfully implementing a modification. Therefore, keeping the workforce motivated would allow the concerned organization in empowering and motivating the managers to adapt themselves to the change while remaining ready for addressing the future requirements of growth of the organization.

On the other hand, it has been observed that the continuous growth and expansion of the organization has been forging changes in the family values that has been driving the motivation of the human resource. It has been observed that internationalization of a business might include certain changes in the HR propositions and the governance activities in order to maintain relevance and growth (Thrassou, Vrontis and Bresciani 2018). In this connection, the changes in the corporate culture and the governance setting might affect the interests and the motivation of the different stakeholders who have been operating with the business for longer span of time. Moreover, it has been observed that the shifts from the family based values to more constructive internationalized values, in order to ensure the growth and profitability, might limit the capability of the organization in retaining the loyalty and commitment of their skilled and experienced workforce. The continuous changes in the corporate culture and the governance systems of the concerned organization might affect the capability of the workforce to cope which might reduce the productivity and growth of the business in the global markets, with increased staff turnover rates (Waddock 2020). The loss of skilled and experienced workforce due to the continuous changes in the organizational setting and procedures might significantly limit the improvement in the outcomes or propositions. Therefore, the organization encounters an urgency towards mitigating the challenges while keeping the workforce motivated and focused towards achieving the common goals for ensuring that the business operates as per the strategic goal requirements.

SWOT assessment

PESTLE assessment

Description of the change process

Changes are undertaken by the businesses with the purpose of ensuring improvements and growth in the global markets. In this connection, the utilization of models for the change supports an organization in conducting and guiding the change process more systematically (Brones, de Carvalho and de Senzi Zancul 2017). Curado et al. (2021) stated that the systematic execution of a change in an organization ensures that a business of the continuous growth and sustenance in the global markets. Therefore, most businesses take the initiative of implementing the theoretical change models in practical lives with the purpose of maintaining a success record while addressing the strategic growth and sustenance related needs. In this connection, the application of Kotter’s comprehensive eight stage change model would be allowing the chosen organization in implementing the changes in the business models with the purpose of ensuring the sustenance and growth. The section would identify and discuss the elements of Kotter’s change model and the manner in which the organization would be utilizing the change model with the purpose of ensuring growth while

Step One: Create Urgency

Changes are specifically performed by organizations through an idea of a change being necessary for the growth and development of the business. In this connection knowledge on the existing problem and the manner in which a possible solution is likely support for the sustenance of the venture is considered (Pawar and Charak 2017). In this connection, the existing performance reports of the concerned organization would be consulted while developing an idea on the different areas where the change would be required for empowering the sustenance and development. The chosen organization’s stakeholders, specifically the managing directors and the Board members, would consult with relevant stakeholders with the purpose of identifying the concern and developing insight on the urgency for changes or the type of changes that might be applied towards ensuring that the organization is capable of avoiding the challenges that the same has been encountering. The identification of the need for change or the organizational priorities would guide the entire change objective development and planning processes.

Step Two: Form a Powerful Coalition

Change processes are specifically conducted by the businesses through close collaboration between the different groups of stakeholders. The active participation of the stakeholders and collaboration between the same allows an organization in ensuring that a change is being successfully implemented. According to Wentworth, Behson and Kelley (2020), coalition in a change process supports in coming across a range of skills, a range of experience and people from different areas of the business in order to maximize the outputs of the change process. Moreover, it has been observed that coalition supports in communicating important information among the stakeholders while delegating tasks as per their expertise which supports in improving the scope of a change process. In this connection, the concerned organization’s CEO and the Board members would establish contact with different relevant stakeholders in order to make the same aware of the intents for the change while encouraging and influencing their active participation in the change process towards increasing the viability of the change process.

Step Three: Create a Vision for Change

A vision for change is complicated as it embarks on the change process and the ultimate outcome. In this connection, the development of a clear vision for a change in an organization is necessary towards contributing to the effectiveness of the change process (Galli 2019). In this connection, the CEO and the Board members would be developing the vision for change, in simple language, after referring and adhering to the urgency that is being experienced by the business for the change. After the development of the change vision, the respective management authorities must take the initiative of testing the authenticity of the vision at par with the change based needs of the venture. The activity would allow the management and the leaders of the organization in improving the scope of the change process.

Step Four: Communicate the Vision

Communication of the vision to all the stakeholders is a strategic initiative that is being undertaken by the business leaders and the managers with the purpose of educating the people and making the same aware of the change based needs. On the other hand, Harrison et al. (2021) opined that communication of the vision on change is essential towards encouraging the active participation of the stakeholders in the change process. The aspect creates a value of change readiness among the stakeholders, specifically the people in the lower stages of the hierarchy. Therefore, the chosen case organization’s leaders must take the initiative of communicating the nature and the vision of the change with all the stakeholders in order to empower their active participation while collaborating with the management towards achieving the strategic outcomes.

Step Five: Remove Obstacles

Identification of obstacles or challenges in the change process and removing the same from the work process or the implementation activity allows an organization efficiently implementing the change strategies in the venture. The challenges might reduce the chances of success for the organization. Therefore, the case organization must take the initiative of identifying the challenges or risks while removing the same from the change process through the implementation of strategic interventions. The implementation of strategic interventions would be allowing the organization in gaining a competitive edge through reducing the blocks towards achieving the success factors from the change process.

Step Six: Create Short-Term Wins

Developing short term wins is necessary to maintain the continuity of the change process has per the needs of the organizations. It was observed through the research made by Galli (2019) that most change processes fails to achieve the success factors due to their incapability of creating short wins that benefits the businesses. In this connection, the concerned organization’s managers and leaders must take the initiative of developing economically sustainable processes that would act within short terms in order to assist towards the continuity of the business operations while addressing the common strategic goals.

Step Seven: Build on the Change

Building on the change or implementation of the change in the organization is probably the second last stage where an organization implements the change strategies. In this connection, the businesses develop efficient collaborative teams with the purpose of ensuring the efficient implementation of the change strategies. The chosen organization must exploit the opportunity of empowering change readiness among the stakeholders while encouraging their active participation in the different change processes while guiding the activities towards the achievement of the strategic goals and objectives of the business.

Step Eight: Anchor the Changes in Corporate Culture

Most of the businesses fail to stick on to the change that has been implemented due to the insufficiency of monitoring and controlling activities or the lack of a cultural change. The development of monitoring and controlling activities supports an organization in identifying specific flaws in the change process and devises different interventions for improvements (Danko et al. 2018). The continuous improvements in the change process support an organization in increasing the scope of the success factors. On the other hand, the development of a change culture in the organizations allow the businesses in gaining a competitive edge over the existing market players while addressing the continuous development related needs. In this connection, the chosen organization must take the initiative of instilling a change culture among the team members and relevant groups of stakeholders in the operational processes for ensuring that the change is successful and continuous while addressing the strategic needs of the business.

Roles and perspectives of key functional areas

Stakeholders play an important role in the change processes that are conducted by the businesses. It has been observed that the active participation of the stakeholders in the different functions as per their expertise area supports an organization in improving the chances of implementing successful changes as per the strategic intents. Akbar et al. (2019) stated that the collaborative functioning of the stakeholders of an organization ensures that the business is capable of implementing efficient change processes. On the other hand, the leaders take the initiative of guiding or presiding over the activities of the stakeholders while providing the same with efficient instructions or feedbacks that improves the overall success rate of a business change. Lorenzo-Gómez (2020) observed that leaders governs over the change processes and activities that are undertaken by the stakeholders while guiding the processes towards meeting the organization’s strategic intents. Therefore, the leaders and the managers take the initiative of collaborating with one another in order to establish the change in the organizational model while aiming towards ensuring the growth and sustenance of an organization. The leaders of the concerned organization must take the initiative of devising the plans for the change while consulting with the different stages of stakeholders that are relevant. Consultation with the stakeholders would allow the organizational leaders in identifying the major challenges that are being faced by the business while operating in the different processes. Akbar et al. (2019) stated that consultation undertaken by the leaders with the stakeholders in the decision making and planning process supports in improving the scope of strategic interventions that are best applicable to the organizational situations. Therefore, consultation with the stakeholders would likely support the leaders of the chosen case organization in developing an idea on the urgencies that are being faced while evaluating the strategic interventions that might be considered with the purpose of avoiding or overcoming the challenges. The leaders would take on the planning activities at the pre- change situation and take the decision in close association with the management Board. On the other hand, the leaders would also play the role as instructors towards the lower stage people of the hierarchy, specifically the staff members and the workers in order to ensure that they participate proactively towards the change process. The leaders must identify the training needs of the employees while providing the same with appropriate and efficient training sessions in order to enhance the scope of change implementation. The leaders must delegate the tasks to the stakeholders as per their own expertise, skills and knowledge on the operations. The activities would allow the organizational leaders in developing coherent teams which would act as per the strategic needs and priorities of the businesses. The stakeholders are expected to collaborate with the leaders with the purpose of ensuring the efficient implementation of the change strategies in the organizational model. After the implementation of the change, the leaders must take the initiative of monitoring over the proceedings and evaluating the success factors against the agenda that was devised for change even before the implementation of the change process. Efficient monitoring and controlling activities supports an organizational management in sticking on to the change while improving the scope of the businesses in gaining a competitive edge over the existing competitions (Smith 2020). Therefore, it might be stated that monitoring and controlling activities are some of the measures that must be conducted by the leaders and managers in the post change phase in an organization for ensuring the continuity of the business innovation and change as per the strategic intent and goals. The effective collaboration between the managers, leaders and the different levels of stakeholders supports an organization in improving their capability of conducting and sustaining the change. The collaborative effort of the stakeholders and the leaders are required in order to develop change initiatives that would contribute towards the growth and sustenance of the businesses. Therefore, in this connection, leaders and stakeholders play an integral part in developing the change initiatives in order to comply with the sustenance based needs. The interests and perspectives of the leaders and the stakeholders differ although they collaborate towards the organizational change.

The leaders earn the profit percentiles from the extensive growth of the business, whereas the stakeholders are provided with remuneration and growth prospects through the change being implemented efficiently. In different situations, the clashes in interests might occur which might result to an increased amount of resistance, limiting the scope of the change implementation. However, it has been observed that the leaders take on the role of resolving the conflicts and empower the active participation of the stakeholders in the different operations in order to ensure the growth and sustenance of the businesses.

Application of the key theory to the case study

Change management is specifically based on the type of leadership and governance that is applied by the leaders while managing the operations or the workforce in a venture. It has been observed that the impact of leadership styles has a great influence over the success factors of a change initiative that is being planned by an organization. In this connection, Visser and van Scheers (2020) observed that the leaders take on the responsibility of keeping the workforce motivated and focused. Motivating the employees and the other stakeholders enables the leaders in encouraging their active participation in the change processes. On the other hand, leaders take on the role of negotiating with the employees and other stakeholders with the purpose of ensuring change readiness and avoid conflicts, disruptions or resistance over the change from the workforce. Tandogan (2018) opined that resistances to change acts as a barrier towards safe implementation of the change in the organizational model. In this connection, the leaders take on the responsibility of clearing the doubts of the stakeholders through transparent communication while winning over their confidence through effective negotiation skills in order to empower the prospects of successful change implementation. Akbar et al. (2019) observed that management of change requires the active coordination of the leaders with the stakeholders while identifying and resolving the concerns or areas of conflicts that are being encountered by the employees in order to maintain the continuity of the change processes. The implementation of transformational leadership supports a leader in improving the prospects of governance while improving the links of coordination between the employees and the leader for efficient change implementation (Doppelt 2017). Moreover, Bertoldi (2020) stated that transformational leadership acts as a governance mechanism in which the leaders take the responsibility of empowering and delegating the employees while keeping the same motivated and focused towards the successful implementation of a change. Therefore, the application of transformational leadership style allows a leader in influencing collaboration between the different groups of stakeholders while improving the outcome from the change implementation programs. On the other hand, the implementation of autocratic governance style might affect the interests of the stakeholders and result to resistances while implementing a change project. Sundfors (2020) opined that the autocratic leaders take the initiative of forcing their decisions on the stakeholders without maintaining clarity of intent, which might create misunderstandings and affect the prospects of growth of change projects. Therefore, after judging between the transformational and autocratic leadership styles, it might be stated that the application of transformational leadership style in a business supports in ensuring that the operations are undertaken as per the strategic intent of the business while improving the degree of collaboration between the stakeholders.

Efficient leaders take the initiative of creating training and development opportunities for the employees in order to increase the skills of the employees and their capability of addressing the changing needs of businesses. Tandogan (2018) stated that training and development of the employees support an organization in improving the overall flow of operations while maintaining a degree of change readiness. The increased change readiness of the employees improves the scope of change implementation in an organizational situation. On the other hand, it has been observed that the leaders delegate tasks to the employees on the basis of their expertise and experience which is an important aspects that must be considered with the purpose of identifying the contribution of the leaders towards the organizational change processes. The efficient delegation of tasks, as per the skills and knowledge of the people, supports an organizational leader in influencing the outcomes through the implementation of the change projects. Therefore, it might be stated that the leadership and governance styles greatly affect the change capabilities of an organization while creating an impact on the degree of engagement of the stakeholders in the different operations.

Conclusion

Therefore, from the above assessment it might be stated that the management of change is sp4ecifically based on the leadership qualities and attributes that are reflected by the leaders towards ensuring an inclusionary approach and maximize stakeholder engagement. The concerned case analysis identified the concerns that were being faced by the chosen organization, Harrod. The research also identified the different stages of the Kotter’s change model, being applicable to the case study with the schedule of operations. The research devised a clear view on the roles and perspectives of the stakeholders while evaluating the different aspects of leadership that creates an impact on the change capability of the organization.

Lessons Learnt: Personal and Organisational

From the overall study, it might be observed that change activities are mostly decided by the leaders on the basis of the urgencies that are being encountered by the organization and are generally carried out by different stakeholders like the employees, staffs, suppliers and the like. Transparency of communication, inclusionary approach, collaboration with stakeholders, motivating the stakeholders, creating reward programs and delegation of tasks are some of the major responsibilities that are undertaken by the leaders in order to guide a change process in an organization while encouraging the active participation of the diverse stakeholder groups. The leaders also take the initiative of overcoming various challenges and resolve conflicts in the workplace while negotiating with the stakeholders and influencing their decisions in order to improve the prospects of a change project function. Therefore, efficient leadership criteria contribute towards the efficiency of a change management activity.

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