Leading Change By John Ivancevich

MNGT 5590 OE | Integrative Paper | | | Spring 1 2011 | 2/20/2011 |

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Introduction:
There are many factors that impose organizational change which include technological, international economic and opening market forces. These forces can create more risks and opportunities for organizations. Change is inevitable, in order to successfully bring an organization into the twenty-first century, this must be recognized. There are many ways for an organization to achieve change; some are scientific theories like those stated in Organizational Behavior and Management written by John Ivancevich, while others stated in Leading Change by John P. Kotter believe it’s about paying attention to your employees. One can find the relationship
(I 121) Meaning, if the employee chooses to work toward the change effort they can either work hard to reach the goals of the change, put in much needed effort, or they can response with little intensity because they are skeptical of the change. When forming a coalition you first need to filter out employees that have low intensity, you need a team of people who are eager for a change and are willing to put in the effort to make the change happen. According to Ivancevich, a team is viewed as a mature group comprising people with interdependence, motivation, and shared commitment to accomplish agreed-upon goals. A total commitment to common goals and accountability to the team is what makes a team stand out and distinguish itself. (I 293)
A team that specifically relates to what Kotter speaks of would be a cross-functional team. Ivancevich defines a cross-functional team is one consisting of members for different functional departments. This type of team is formed to address a specific problem using skills, competencies, and experience of individuals from diverse areas within a firm can increase solidarity, trust, and performance. (I 294) Both Kotter and Ivancevich are consistent in the belief that trust is a key player in a team. Without trust a team will be unsuccessful with the change
Ever more, communication is always needed in major change programs. It can educate and prepare the employees in a way that reduces fear, anxiety, and resistance. (I 523) Ivancevich writes that a learning organization should have open discussions and accessibility to information and data, clear vision expressed at all levels, and clear goals and concepts of performance expectations. (I 523) Team members need information to accomplish their objectives. The failure of many team efforts can be traced directly to management’s unwillingness to share information with the teams it has created. (I298) Team members must be well versed in the company’s philosophy regarding the team, the team mission, and new roles and responsibilities individuals will have as a consequence of being part of the team. (I 298) Much like Kotter’s seven key element of communication, Ivancevich mentions common communication channels: face-to-face, telephone conversions, memos, letters, and bulletin boards. (I 380) Ivancevich also introduces repetition or redundancy into communication which ensures that if part of the message is not understood other parts will carry the same message. (I