Difficulties in implementing Strategic Change:

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• Lecture 35

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• Difficulties in implementing Strategic Change
• 1. Organization immune system
• Human system seeks homeostasis and equilibrium
• We prefer predictable and stable world
• Scientific knowledge
• 2. Numerous complex variables at work
• - Intervention in one field or domain do not
  yield results
• 3. Interconnectedness of various elements
• Organization is like a Woven fabric or sweater
  if you pull one string or single thread you run
  the danger of unraveling the whole
• 4. The need to change every thing at once
• - Incremental, gradual or radical change

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• Significance of implementation Process
• The weakness of many change results is often
  attributed to failures in the implementation
  process rather than strategy itself ( Beer et al
  1990)
• One problem is that research has long been
  characterised by search for the one best way to
  implement change (Dunphy Griffiths 1998)
• 5. Activity centered change programmes (a common
  pattern of failure)
• - e.g. Training Programme
• 6. Focus on quantity or numbers (revenue
  centric approach)
• Dominant tendency when organization is in growth
  phase

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• Example of Public Sector organization
• Example of Business organization
• Focus should be on qualitative or behavior
• Change implementation approaches
• 1. Participative approaches
• Sensitivity training, Participation, Teams and
  Job-redesign
• - Key mechanism of attitudinal change in this
  method is the generation of the support among the
  workforce

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• 2. Unilateral is achieved through technological
  solutions
• such as measurement and automation, system and
  process re-design, system and process redesign,
  and the restructuring of communication,
  authority, work rules etc.
• Behavioural changes lead to cause
  a shift in attitudinal change.

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• COMPARISON
• Change can be characterised as technical-structura
  l or behavioural
• Focus of Unilateral Change The success
  experienced by the workforce from forced changes
  will ultimately lead to workforce satisfaction
  and support.
• These are based on prescriptive, control and
  authority which modify objective or formal aspect
  of the work place.
• Participation and culture things are too abstract
  successful change results from focus on work
  itself

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• Shared methods are participative, consultative
  that directly target the values, attitude and
  skills of organizational members.
• Because employees are involved they develop an
  ownership which translate into commitment and
  motivation to make the change work.
• Unilateral change approach is considered
  simplistic to have change without employees
  support.
• Knowing both types of change - IMPERATIVE type
  of change (technical structural or behavioural
  social) should correspond to technique of change.