Managing Change

Introduction

This paper is purposed to decide a suitable change model among the many model available for the change project which to be carried on the task B in the Group project.

With the keen business competition and the turbulent external environment, information flow and communication is far than important to support a fast decision to sustain the business growth. In order to enhance the fast and accurate decision, high degree of information mobility is crucial. It should not be limited on one location, but should also be easily retrieved. E.g. Access by internet on any location. It is planned to improve the filing system from traditional to electronically. This change project will kick off from a department of an organization.

Change model is important as Charles Handy mentioned that there is no certainty anymore in human things. People nowadays should be well-prepared on the change challenges where a good models will be able to take awareness knowing what and where to change, alignment of behaviours, systems, attitudes etc to what being needed.

There are three types of changing model being chosen in the selection of this project, they are the Balanced Scorecard, Lewin's model and Chartier's model. They will be discussed individually and then conclusion to be drawn which to be chosen to carry on for Task B.

The Balanced Scorecard

The Balanced Scorecard is a management system, it can make organizations to clarify their vision and strategy and then to translate them into action. It also provides feedback around for the internal business processes and external outcomes to continuously on going improve the strategic performance and the results.

Features

It suggests that we look at the organization from four perspectives are the learning and growth perspective, the business process perspective, the customer perspective and the financial perspective. All these perspectives are to collect data and analyze it relation to each other.

When it is recommend

In general the Balanced Scorecard can be used on different industry. No matter they are private-sector, public-sector (e.g. Government) or nonprofit organization (Charity) (Kaplan & Norton 2004). It's just a modification on some of the important aspects. For example, some suggested that by using Balanced Scorecard on the non-profitable organization. Also, the Balanced Scorecard is more on business planning, when we through these four perspectives, we can see the problem and make it more clear.

Limitations

It is limited because it needs close monitoring during the process. Very frequent review on the change progress indicates that a lot of resources are required. For example, building database to facilitate the progress monitoring and company performance measurement takes a lot of resource. This might be more suitable for large company rather than small-medium sized company. And it is focused on task management instead of people management whilst.

The Chartier model

An initial organisational disturbance is the impetus in rational problem solving, and has six response steps in the change process. Firstly, feeling a need & deciding to do something about it; secondly, actively attempting to define the problem; thirdly, searching for promising solutions; fourthly, applying one or more promising solution to the need; fifth, determining whether the problem is solved satisfactorily, if it is not, just repeating the problem solving cycle. Lastly, we need to evaluate whether the disturbance resolved (satisfaction or dissatisfaction).

Features

Administrators, staff members or outsiders may implement the process of change. They can be act as five functional roles for facilitating change. They are catalyzer (person who promote the change process to keep it on track, it includes being able to stimulate, support initial steps, encourage productive activity and to foster problem awareness and definition), process helper (person who facilitate the process, it includes being able to define process factors, monitors and alter group interaction, promote need changes in interactions and inspire creativity and productivity), solution giver (person who find the solution, it includes being able to give information, present answers, help with group and provide background and clarify organizational responses), resource linker (person who provides the needed materials and support, the role of it to define factors affecting interactive situations as well as to define resources need of the situation) and stabilizer (person who maintains the core functions and direction during the change, such as provide support and assistance to who have unmet needs and to encourage the recognition and development of the team spirit).

These five roles of change agents are not mutually exclusive. A change agent may be a catalyzer, process helper, solution giver, resource linker, and stabilizer all at the time. Knowing how to be effective in one functional role can help a person to understand the others.

When it is recommend

It will be applied when a problem or issue that gains the attention of one or more people in the organisation. This is because it focuses on the process on how to change section part of whole company and focus on the task for our project. For example, there are dropping in sales volume, poorly performing unit within the organisation, increasing in complaints, and increasing staff absenteeism, etc.

Limitations

It is difficult to bring about change from below, and requires a certain formal power. Moreover, it involves many skills and knowledge of each role, if only one person to act all the roles, the result may be not satisfactory, because one's power is limited. If there are five staff members to act the different roles, it requires high co-ordination skills between change agents. Also, equipment and staffing is provided as part of the master plan. So, we need to concern about the cost / benefit analysis identify the results whether will be achieved. If the