MANAGING CHANGE IN ORGANISATIONS

Managing Change In Organisations

Managing Change In Organisations

Change And Discuss The Background To Change

Change management encapsulates the basic three definitions, that are yet very simple and effective, that is first, the task of managing change, an area of professional practice and a body of knowledge. Managing change also has two meanings, one refers to the making of changes in a planned and managed or systematic fashion, where the purpose is to more effectively implement new methods and systems in an ongoing organization. The changes to be bring about lie within and are controlled by the organization. (Badaracco, 2004)Nonetheless, these internal changes might have been triggered by events inventing outside the organization, in what is generally termed “the environment. Where the second meaning of managing change is the response to changes over which the organization exerts little or no control, like state legislation, social and political outbreak, the actions of competitors, changing economic tides and currents, etc.

Strengths And Weaknesses Of Bureaucratic Organisations

Stalking from the view of change management as an area of professional practice there arises however a third definition of change management, that is the content or subject matter of change management. This embodies chiefly of the models, methods and techniques, tools, skills, and other forms of knowledge that goes into making up any practice. This is drawn from psychology, sociology, business administration, economics, industrial engineering, systems engineering, and the study of human and organizational behavior.

Managing change is seen as a situation of moving from one state to another, correctly, from the problem state to the solved state. Problem analysis is commonly recognized as essential. Goals were set and consummated at various levels and in different areas or functions. Ends and means were discussed and related to one another. Careful planning was accompanied by efforts to earn buy-in, support, and commitment. The net effect was a transition from one state to another, in a projected, methodical manner, following the planned change model. Taking the problem as opportunity, where a problem is nothing more than a situation requiring action but in which the required action is not known. Consequently, there was a requirement to search for a solution, a course of action that will lead to the solved state, termed as “problem solving.” Thus, problem finding was the search for situations requiring action.

Alternative Forms Of Organisatorial Development

The accentuation placed on the three types of questions mirrored the management tendency to think along certain lines depending on where one is situated in the organization. Successful organizations determine early on the issue of system, that is, the definition, placement and coordination of functions and people. Thus, problems may be formulated in terms of “how,” “what” and “why” questions. “How” tend to group in core units, “What” questions tend to group in buffer units, where people in perimeter units tend to ask “what” and “how” questions, “Why” questions are the responsibility of top management and in upset times, all must be concerned with everything. (Dodgson, 2007)

The characterization of the change process had ...