Summary Organizational Change (2023-2024)
Midterm exam
The midterm exam consists of 30 multiple-choice questions on important scientific
theories, concepts, and insights that play a role at different levels of organizational
change. The multiple choice questions are based on all content shared in the plenary
lectures and on the compulsory reading material.
Compulsory reading
Below you can find the compulsory study material of the course that forms input for the
midterm exam and your group assignment. On top of that, you must look for additional
literature to strengthen your change proposal.
Course objectives
1. Act as a change analyst who understands the impact of change across multiple levels
ranging from industry-level factors (e.g., market dynamics) to employee-level factors
(e.g., adaptive behaviors).
2. Act as a change advocate who evaluates the impact of change and develops
arguments to get various stakeholders on board (i.e., company leaders, employees,
HR, and externals).
3. Act as a change facilitator who analyzes the social dynamics of organizational change
and applies effective change tools (e.g., knowledge of financial literacy, agile practices,
and behavioral interventions).
Lecture 1: Introduction and managing organizational change at the change
agent level
The first lecture serves as an introduction to the course, where you will gain insight
into its overarching objectives, content, methodologies, and practical aspects. Our
focus will then shift towards understanding the fundamental role of a change agent in
effectively managing organizational change as this course is specifically designed to
equip you for this role. You will be introduced to various working styles and
competencies of change agents, and we will discuss how change agents impact and
can profit from resistance to change.
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Why do organizations need to change?
- Internal factors (improve working practices/conditions/employee exp. profit)
- External factors (societal trends, crisis, market pressures/competitiveness)
Change agent:
- Key role in org change process
- Connected to all levels of org
- Analyzing the need/driving/managing/sustaining change
, - internal/external perspective or/combined
- Somewhat objective
Org metaphors (Morgan, 1986)`
- Organization as a machine: This metaphor views organizations as
mechanical systems focused on efficiency, predictability, and reliability. It
emphasizes rigid structures and top-down control, often at the expense of
human aspects.
- Organization as an organism: This metaphor portrays organizations as
living systems that need to adapt, survive, and grow. It emphasizes
flexibility, adaptation, and the importance of the environment in which the
organization exists.
- Organization as a brain: This metaphor highlights the need for organizations
to continuously learn and adapt in a rapidly changing environment. It
emphasizes information processing, learning, and self-regulation.
- Organization as a cultural system: This metaphor views organizations as
complex cultures with shared values, beliefs, and norms that shape
behavior and decision-making.
- Organization as a political system: This metaphor sees organizations as
networks of individuals with diverse interests, often involving power
dynamics, conflicts, and negotiations.
- Organization as a psychic prison: This metaphor suggests that
organizations can constrain and limit individuals' thoughts and actions,
leading to a sense of confinement and restriction.
- Organization as an instrument of domination: This metaphor explores the
ways in which organizations can exercise power and control, often leading
to exploitation and misuse of resources.
- Organization as flux and transformation: This metaphor emphasizes the
dynamic and evolving nature of organizations, highlighting self-reference,
chaos, complexity, and the need for adaptation to change.
These metaphors provide different perspectives on organizations, offering
insights into their structures, behaviors, and interactions. They serve as
powerful tools for understanding and interpreting the multifaceted nature of
organizations.
Activities contributing to effective change management
1. Motivating change - Creating readiness/overcoming resistance
2. Creating a vision - describing core ideology/constructuring envisioned future
3. Developing political support - assessing CA power/identifying key
stakeholders/influencing stakeholders
4. Managing the transition - activity/commitment planning/management
structures
5. Sustaining momentum - providing resources for change/building support
system CA/ developing new competencies/skills/reinforcing new behavior,
staying the course
,The Star Model™ (Galbraith, 2004): is an organizational design framework
consisting of five categories of design policies:
- strategy, determines the direction of the company,
- Structure, determines the location of decision-making power
- processes, involve the flow of information and response to technology.
- rewards, influence employee motivation
- people/HR policies shape employee mindsets and skills
The framework emphasizes that different strategies lead to different organizations,
and the chosen design should align with the company's strategy. The model also
highlights the need for alignment and interaction among all policies to communicate
a clear message to employees. Additionally, it can be used to overcome the
negatives of a particular organizational structure by adjusting other policies. The
Star Model provides a comprehensive approach to organization design,
emphasizing the importance of aligning various policies to achieve organizational
effectiveness.
Porter's Five Forces (Porter, 2008): It is used for analyzing the competitive
environment of an industry and understanding its attractiveness. The model helps
businesses identify the forces that shape industry competition and determine the
potential profitability within that industry. The five forces are:
, - Threat of New Entrants: This force assesses how easy or difficult it is for
new competitors to enter the market. Factors such as barriers to entry,
economies of scale, brand loyalty, and government regulations play a role
here. Higher barriers to entry mean lower threat from new entrants, which
can lead to a more favorable competitive landscape for existing players.
- Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Suppliers can exert pressure on companies
by raising prices, reducing the quality of goods or services, or limiting
supply. The bargaining power of suppliers is influenced by factors such as
the concentration of suppliers, the uniqueness of their products or services,
and the availability of substitutes. When suppliers have more power, they
can capture more value from the industry, potentially reducing profitability
for the companies within it.
- Bargaining Power of Buyers: Just like suppliers, buyers (customers) can
also influence industry competition. If buyers have strong bargaining power,
they can demand lower prices, higher quality, or better service, thereby
squeezing profits of companies in the industry. Factors such as the
concentration of buyers, the availability of substitutes, and the importance of
the product or service to the buyer influence their bargaining power.
- Threat of Substitute Products or Services: This force evaluates the
likelihood of customers switching to alternative products or services. The
availability of substitutes impacts the price sensitivity of customers and
affects the industry's profitability. Industries with fewer substitutes typically
have more stable profitability because customers have fewer alternatives to
switch to.
- Intensity of Competitive Rivalry: This force looks at the level of competition
among existing players in the industry. Factors such as the number of
competitors, industry growth rate, product differentiation, and exit barriers
contribute to the intensity of rivalry. High competition often leads to price
wars, reduced profitability, and innovation as companies strive to gain a
competitive edge.