Bottom Up Scenario
Your company, Bottom-Up, has just acquired Top-Down, a company that historically was a major supplier to Bottom-Up. You are the Change Agent responsible for changing the corporate policies of Top-Down to match the policies of your company. After a summary review you determine that the policies of Top-Down are very formal and rigid which matches the organizational culture often described as bureaucratic. Your company is more relaxed with an organizational culture that is more like a family. Choose a Top-Down or a Bottom-Up approach to introduce the changes in policy and explain why you would take that approach. Using Chapter 1 of The Heart of Change textbook and the Atkinson article required this week, summarize the eight stages of successful large-scale organizational change and discuss the resistance to change you anticipate from the Top-Down employees and how you would deal with this resistance. Discuss the pros and cons of using the approach you chose. Be sure to respond in your own words and cite accordingly.
Eight Stages of Successful Large-scale Organizational Change Sample Answer
Introduction
Therefore being a change agent Top-Down company needs a lot of restructuring to ensure that the company fits the culture of Bottom-Up Company. The change agent in such a case will use bottom UP strategy in guiding the change process in Top-Down Company to a less bureaucratic company. The change agent will thus focus on creating more flexibility in the company while at the same time creating an atmosphere of goal directedness (Kotter & Cohen, 2012). As such, there will be a propensity to create an environment that will create great necessity of change in the Top-Down company.
Therefore for the change to occur it will be necessary for the company to take measures that will ensure that the employees are educated on the change to be made to ensure that they adopt to exchange process as soon as possible. The change process from a bureaucracy to a more flexible culture that is goal oriented will take some time but as s change agent it is important to consider the various processes to be changed in the company (Todnem, 2005). Therefore, to create a policy the company will have to follow the laid down procedures by Bottom-UP Company to ensure that the various changes made are in accordance with the laws and regulations governing businesses. The policies will be changed to include the different frameworks that are inclusive of the employees and that help the company to change from a bureaucratic organization to a more flexible company.
The eight stages of change in large-scale organizations help businesses pass through the change process in an effective manner. Increase urgency is the first step to bring out the need for change in people whereby they start stating their need for change (Schröter et al., 2005). In addition, the urgency for change focusses on decreasing anger, fear and complacency that hinders change from happening. The second step is building the guiding team. The right people should be acquired who have the necessary characteristics that will help the change process succeed. The team in such case need assistance to be trustworthy and have commitment to each other.
The third step is getting the vision right. It involves the facilitation over the traditional forms of analysis budgets and financial plans. A strong vision is important in directing the company towards succeeding in the change process.as such it involves assisting the guiding team to come up with strategies that are strong and that will help develop a strong vision. The fourth step is communications buy in. involves the conveying of heartfelt, credible and clear messages regarding the direction towards change. Such buy in involves the actions of people. The use of new technologies, deeds and words will help in overcoming distrust and further making communication channels clear. The step helps in preventing distrust and confusion.
The fifth step is to empower action. It involves the removal of barriers that stand in the way of those who want change. The taking of the barriers helps the people to view the change positively. The six step is to create short-term wins. Creating enough wins as quickly as possible to reduce skepticism, pessimism and cynism. Ensuring that all people in the organization in this case the Top-Down company see the successes. The seventh step is not to let up. The company in such an instance will focus on chasing after change and not giving up until the change is established. As such, the process will include passing through the difficulties and the easy times without jumping one stage for the other (Reicher, 2004). Therefore, it involves pursuing the vision until it manifests.
The final step is to make change stick. It involves making sure that people stick to the new ways that follow the changes in the structure and systems of the organization. As such, the company moves from its normal traditional mode of working to the new methods that merge with the vision of the company.
The company will employ the top down approach in conducting bringing change to the organization. The top down approach involves the use of managers all the way in establishing change in the institution. The use of the managers is advantageous in that it involves leadership in the change process and ensures that they are monitoring the various changes taking place. The management will thus give the necessary instructions that will further be supervised by managers to ensure that it is carried out to the latter. The pros of using the top down approach is that the management in involved in the process of change in the organization. Cons involve the lack of inclusion of the employees in decision-making, low motivation and no collaboration among the employees (Petty & Krosnick, 2014). As such, the top down approach mostly deals with managers deciding everything while the employees have to obey and follow the instructions given to them. Since the company is moving from a bureaucratic to a more flexible organization, it is important to involve the management in carrying out the process because the people in the organization have been used to the bureaucratic way in their operations. It is therefore important to ensure the already planned actions regarding changing the organization to a flexible mode is executed effectively.
You can order a unique paper at an affordable price.
Get Your Custom Paper From Professional Writers. 100% Plagiarism Free, No AI Generated Content and Good Grade Guarantee. We Have Experts In All Subjects.
Place Your Order Now