Managing Change
Introduction
Kotter (2011) defines change management as the use of basic structures and tools to control any organisational change efforts. To this end change management is the guiding of change to a desired goal. It is an ever-present feature of organisational life (Burnes, 2004 cited by Todnem By, 2005).
My exposure to change was whilst working for a SME. The company, which had five retail stores throughout the west of Ireland, was an o2 mobile phone network dealership and also a DVD movie rental service. The store I worked in had 7 members of staff. The company had approximately 40 and operated from 2004 to 2008.
I became retail assistant manager in 2005, the first such position in the company. Relations with staff were tense as the position was filled externally. The manager delegated much of their responsibilities leaving me with a workforce unresponsive and unappreciative of the new level in the store hierarchy.
This assessment will detail the changes executed when I joined the company, through promotion to Store Manager, right up until my departure. Changes implemented at store level will be examined and compared to a change process made companywide, providing theoretical frameworks and linkages to managing change literature. I will conclude the analysis with recommendations on the approaches discussed.
Change at Store Level
During observation in my first few weeks, areas necessitating improvement were identified. Understanding the needs for change lays the foundation for the complete change process (Armstrong, 2006 cited by Brisson-Banks, 2009). Client/customer feedback was collected to explore perception of the store. Key drivers for change were identified as competitors (external) and a lack of staff morale (internal). This feedback and analysis confirmed required organisational change, indicating an overhaul of customer service and store image was necessary. A strategy was discussed with an unenthusiastic store manager who
Kotter (2011) defines change management as the use of basic structures and tools to control any organisational change efforts. To this end change management is the guiding of change to a desired goal. It is an ever-present feature of organisational life (Burnes, 2004 cited by Todnem By, 2005).
My exposure to change was whilst working for a SME. The company, which had five retail stores throughout the west of Ireland, was an o2 mobile phone network dealership and also a DVD movie rental service. The store I worked in had 7 members of staff. The company had approximately 40 and operated from 2004 to 2008.
I became retail assistant manager in 2005, the first such position in the company. Relations with staff were tense as the position was filled externally. The manager delegated much of their responsibilities leaving me with a workforce unresponsive and unappreciative of the new level in the store hierarchy.
This assessment will detail the changes executed when I joined the company, through promotion to Store Manager, right up until my departure. Changes implemented at store level will be examined and compared to a change process made companywide, providing theoretical frameworks and linkages to managing change literature. I will conclude the analysis with recommendations on the approaches discussed.
Change at Store Level
During observation in my first few weeks, areas necessitating improvement were identified. Understanding the needs for change lays the foundation for the complete change process (Armstrong, 2006 cited by Brisson-Banks, 2009). Client/customer feedback was collected to explore perception of the store. Key drivers for change were identified as competitors (external) and a lack of staff morale (internal). This feedback and analysis confirmed required organisational change, indicating an overhaul of customer service and store image was necessary. A strategy was discussed with an unenthusiastic store manager who