MANAGEMT 7039NA Management of Change - Free Samples to Students

(i)Identify whether Mark Dawson is resisting the change that Cheryl Hailstrom is seeking to make. Your choice must be justified, with reference to relevant change management studies.

(ii)Critique the response of Cheryl Hailstrom towards Mark Dawson, using relevant change management literature and the principles that you formed earlier

(iii)Recommend no more than three measures that can be taken by Cheryl to manage the evident resistance that you have found, with reference to relevant change management studies. The measures must show that the principles of ethical change management that you developed are being applied.

Answer:

Introduction

To start with, for change to be effected, communication is key. Stakeholders, business partners, and other employees have to be informed about the new changes being anticipated. This gives them an opportunity to raise their concerns and also appreciate inclusivity in the business.  Secondly, a good team should be created so that the new changes can be affected by individuals of the same mind and passion, (Martinuuo & Hoverfalt, 2018, 135). A team of open-minded and passion-driven employees will help a leader achieve his or her dreams.

1. Whether Mark Dawson is resisting change that Cheryl Hailstorm is seeking to make

From the first instance, it is evident that Mark is resisting the new business idea of offshore manufacturing being advocated for by Cheryl. It is his view that venturing into off-shore manufacturing is beyond the company’s means and as such, the plan is bound to fail. He is also reluctant to discuss the details- a fact that Cheryl is aware of especially when she reminds him about their past in business and to top it all, she ‘bribes’ him with a smile. The second instance of resistance can be noted by the manner in which he approaches the former Chief Executive Officer- Walter Swensen. This is a clear indicator that Mark is not willing to accept the changes being proposed by Chery. Old companies like this are known to stick to their cultures and forms of operations. New changes face a lot of challenges which such as debates and disagreements by board members as well as stakeholders, (Vantrappen & Writz, 2018, 178). During the board meeting, Mark asked Cheryl about her past view of having the company’s manufacturing business based in Lakeland U.S.  Cheryl strongly believed that manufacturing the goods locally was a good idea. However, Cheryl opines that the cost of manufacturing has increased hence the need for outsourcing the service. Basing on Lewin’s model of change, Cheryl should adopt the un-freeze, change and refreeze tactic. Here, she should sensitize all employees, managers, and stakeholders about the need to adopt new changes, the importance of offshore manufacturing so that instill the change through good leadership. Lastly, refreezing the new changes that have been adopted should be done leading to a stable leadership and production of company products.

On the other hand, resistance can be thwarted by using Kotter’s ‘change management theory’. In this case, Cheryl should show urgency by explaining the need to take up the new contract and outsourcing the service or manufacturing process to other partners. Secondly, she has to get the right people who share her views hence building a good and vibrant team. Thirdly, the vision of the company should be embraced by all so that the emotional connection, creativity and attaining objectives are achieved, (Olins, 2017, 13). Fourthly, communication is key and for these changes to be understood well, Cheryl has to communicate effectively to all parties involved. Fifth, action should be taken and this includes drafting agreements, outsourcing the services as agreed and delivering the end product to the clients. By incorporating these changes, Cheryl is bound to maintain her leadership streak as before. As a result, Mark’s resistance will be defeated, (Hayes, 2018, 12).

2. Cheryl Hallstrom's Response to towards Mark Dawson

Cheryl does not give Mark sufficient time to expound on his resistance to the deal. A good leader should be able to allow good communication between her and a manager. First, Cheryl seems to be forcing Mark to implement the new changes yet Mark has a different perspective. Venturing into offshore manufacturing is expensive and this is a new thing that company has to think about secondly, Mark states that he has a bigger concern about their union in which their contract will be ending within nine months, (Hickman & Silva, 2018,32 ). It will be difficult for the company to have negotiations and at the same time shift its operations. Also, the Union will have a negative view of the operations being shifted elsewhere. These are valid points being raised by Mark, yet Cheryl is not willing to understand them better. Communication is one of the key fundamentals in Kotler’s Change Model and this should be adhered to, (Foy et al., 2017, 27). At this stage, Cheryl has formed a negative opinion against Mark basing in the premise that he is slow and not willing t accept the new changes. Basing on the second principle stated earlier, a good team should be able to analyze new changes and deliberate in what is good for the company.

3. Three measures that can be used by Cheryl to manage resistance

Basing in Kotler’s and ADKAR models of change, Cheryl should be able to implement these measures. First, she has to create awareness through effective communication about the new changes. By doing this, she explains the reasons for the changes, their importance and how the changes will be affected, (Carnall, 2018, 14). The need for these changes is brought by the desire to reduce manufacturing costs in the country. Secondly, she has to create a good team that is willing to drive the changes to success. A good leader must be surrounded by a team of employees, stakeholders, and managers who share the same vision and targets hence achieving positive outcomes in the end. Lastly, she has to act so that other managers can see the changes being done. This will encourage them to appreciate the new changes and become part of the team, (Shekshnia et al. 2017, 152). Most importantly, she should not give up and pursue her desire by engaging stakeholders, employees and the business owners.

References

Carnall, C. (2018). Managing change. Routledge, Vol 2, 13-33

Hickman, C. R., & Silva, M. A. (2018). Creating excellence: Managing corporate culture, strategy, and change in the new age. Routledge.Vol 1. Page 32

Olins, W. (2017). The new guide to identity: How to create and sustain change through managing identity. Routledge, 2(10), 12-78

Vantrappen, H., & Wirtz, F. (2018). A smarter process for managing and explaining organization design change. Strategy & Leadership, 22(3) 178

Martinsuo, M., & Hoverfält, P. (2018). Change program management: Toward a capability for managing value-oriented, integrated multi-project change in its context. International Journal of Project Management, 36(1), 134-146.

Hayes, J. (2018). The theory and practice of change management, 2, 12

Foy, S., Gaskell, C., Fox, R., & Daniel, B. (2017). Managing change: developing a specialist nursing service for patients with secondary breast cancer. Cancer Nursing Practice (2014+), 16(4), 27.

Shekshnia, S., Ledeneva, A., & Denisova-Schmidt, E. (2017). Managing Business Corruption: Targeting Non-Compliant Practices in Systemically Corrupt Environments. Slavonic & East European Review, 95(1), 151-174.