Introduction
Organizational change is a transformation process that results in the adoption of new management structures in an organization. Organizations that undergo a transformation process may have success stories; however, some organizations have reported to experience a total failure following the adoption of the transformations. The Concord Bookshop is one of the organizations that encounter disappointment from the organization change processes that it adopted. However, a critical analysis of the Concord Bookshop case indicates that the bookstore did not employ all the phases of adopting organization change that are explained below.
Phases of implementing organizational change
- Creating awareness: The Company stakeholders ought to be informed that indeed, there is some pressure that calls for a change. The pressure could be poor company performance, and its awareness motivates the stakeholders.
- Identifying the area that needs some change: The stakeholders will work together to identify the existing gaps that need to be addressed accordingly.
- Diagnosing the problem: At this phase, data mining is done to determine the extent of the problem.
- First decision: The stakeholders decide on whether to fix the problem or put up with it.
- Developing, reviewing and determining the possible course of action: The stakeholders assess the impact of fixing the problem or putting up with it.
- Second decision: At this phase, the stakeholders will select the action that would bear the best results.
- The stakeholders come up with a change management plan that explains why the change was proposed, who the involved stakeholders are, and how the organization will adopt the change.
- Reassessing and making necessary adjustments: The change management plan is compared to the company’s business plan to make necessary adjustments.
- Change implementation: At this phase, every stakeholder is aware of the change, and the implementation process goes on smoothly with minimum change resistance.
- Evaluating the change and determining its effect towards the performance of the company.
- Celebrating achievements: In many cases, organizational changes that follow the above-mentioned phases come out successful and all the involved stakeholders celebrate the achievements.
The Concord Bookshop saga
An analysis of the Concord Bookshop saga indicates that the bookstore did not employ all the phases of implementing organizational change, and therefore, it experienced a change failure. The whole change process portrayed dictatorship, where the directors decided to make a sudden announcement of employing a new manager without giving the employees an opportunity to voice their concerns. The managers did not give a reason as to why they wanted to change the manager, and there was no mutual consensus amongst the stakeholders. This clearly portrays an infringement of the requirements of the first phase of implementing an organizational change (Spector, 2007). Secondly, the directors did not execute the fifth phase that requires people to review the possible course of action. At the time when the directors wanted to change the manager, the economy was in turmoil. In that state, the bookstore would have adopted a different approach like experimenting with a new financial model instead of challenging the aptitude of the manager. The employees resisted the change because of the ineffective manner in which the directors pursued the change.
Conclusion
From the discussions, it is evident that the wrong approach in implementing an organizational change is associated with maximum resistance. Therefore, organizational leaders ought to understand that change is a progressive process that should involve all the stakeholders. To achieve success, all company stakeholders should have a consensus in implementing the organizational change.
Reference
Spector, B. (2007). Implementing organizational change: Theory and practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.