Theoretical Foundation Change
Organizational Change Readiness
Lisa Smiley
Grand Canyon University: LDR 825
April 18, 2013
Professor Kathryn Moland
Organizational Change Readiness Many researchers have endeavored to define readiness for organizational change and have resulted in the development of processes aimed at guiding change. Organizational change can range from simple to complex shifts in the way of work. Some changes can be departmental, procedural, or an entire company modification. Change leaders must consider many aspects of the organization before restructuring can take place. It is natural for an organization to experience resistance, eagerness, and frustration during a change initiative and therefore knowing when and how to manage change is imperative to ensure success. The following discussion will identify factors that will help guide an organization in determining the need and readiness for change. Organizational change is definitely a task that must be embraced when the time is right and change leaders must be responsible for knowing when to implement the initiative. Researchers examined the complexity of organizational change readiness by using an assessment that considered factors such as organizational climate, resources, and motivation (Lehan, Greener, & Simpson, 2002). It was believed by the researchers that positive climate can be linked to the success of an organization. A characteristic such as employee collaboration and empowerment have proven to be indicative of a healthy workplace and is an important part of organizational change (Hellriegel, Slocum, & Woodman, 1998). Kotter’s Model for organizational change emphasizes the need to have a team that will serve as change agents and that the team is formed to collaborate and help with building the vision that will guide the change initiative (Appelbaum, Habashy, Malo, & Shafiq, 2012).
Lehan et al (2002) posited that resources that supported employees worth and value made a difference in
Lisa Smiley
Grand Canyon University: LDR 825
April 18, 2013
Professor Kathryn Moland
Organizational Change Readiness Many researchers have endeavored to define readiness for organizational change and have resulted in the development of processes aimed at guiding change. Organizational change can range from simple to complex shifts in the way of work. Some changes can be departmental, procedural, or an entire company modification. Change leaders must consider many aspects of the organization before restructuring can take place. It is natural for an organization to experience resistance, eagerness, and frustration during a change initiative and therefore knowing when and how to manage change is imperative to ensure success. The following discussion will identify factors that will help guide an organization in determining the need and readiness for change. Organizational change is definitely a task that must be embraced when the time is right and change leaders must be responsible for knowing when to implement the initiative. Researchers examined the complexity of organizational change readiness by using an assessment that considered factors such as organizational climate, resources, and motivation (Lehan, Greener, & Simpson, 2002). It was believed by the researchers that positive climate can be linked to the success of an organization. A characteristic such as employee collaboration and empowerment have proven to be indicative of a healthy workplace and is an important part of organizational change (Hellriegel, Slocum, & Woodman, 1998). Kotter’s Model for organizational change emphasizes the need to have a team that will serve as change agents and that the team is formed to collaborate and help with building the vision that will guide the change initiative (Appelbaum, Habashy, Malo, & Shafiq, 2012).
Lehan et al (2002) posited that resources that supported employees worth and value made a difference in
References: Appelbaum,S., Habashy,S., Malo, J., Shafiq, H. (2012) "Back to the future: revisiting Kotter 's 1996 change model", Journal of Management Development, Vol Hellriegel, D., Slocum, J., & Woodman, R. (1998). Organizational behavior. Cengage South-Western ISBN-13: 9780324323634 Kelman, S. (2006). Downsizing, competition, and organizational change in government: Is necessity the mother of invention? Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, v25 n4 Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment 22 (2002) 197– 209 Reardon, K., Reardon, K., & Rowe, A