Organizational culture, and change management Essay Example

and risk-taking, attention to detail, result orientation, people orientation, team orientation, and aggressiveness.Aggressiveness - the level of aggression and competitiveness among individuals rather than being laid-back. Stability - the extent to which organizational activities prioritize maintaining the status quo versus pursuing growth. These elements exist on a spectrum from low to high. By assessing these seven factors, a comprehensive understanding of an organization's culture can be obtained.

Explanation on internal and external factors that influence organizational culture:

Internal Factors: The actions of top management have a significant impact on the organization's culture. Senior executives establish norms and values within the organization that affect whether risk-taking is encouraged, the level of autonomy given to directors, appropriate dress code, and actions that result in rewards such as salary increases and promotions.

Human resources practices also play a role in maintaining the organization's culture by ensuring new hires align with it through processes like performance evaluations, career development initiatives, and promotions. However, even with effective recruitment and selection methods, new employees may not fully grasp or adhere to the organization's culture.It is essential for the organization to help new employees adapt to its culture through socialization. External factors, such as community perception and employees from the community, can influence internal factors within the organization. Organizational cultures that incorporate spirituality recognize the human need for meaning, purpose, and connection with others in a community. Government regulations also have a significant impact on organizational culture by dictating employee treatment and customer relations. National culture must be considered when predicting organizational behavior in different countries, as there may be conflicts between national and organizational cultures. McDonald's serves as a specific example of aligning its

organizational culture with national cultures.McDonald's adapts its cooking methods and menu offerings to cater to different cultural preferences. In India, they offer vegetarian burgers for practicing Buddhists while Asian countries with a preference for spicy flavors have introduced spicy burgers, chicken, and seasonings. This allows customers to choose between the American taste or the local taste. McDonald's achieves a balance by maintaining product standardization while adapting to local preferences.

Regarding company operations, McDonald's focuses on customer satisfaction through a customer-centered approach. This commitment is ensured by adhering to strict standards of food and service quality. Representatives from the parent company periodically visit specific branches to ensure the maintenance of quality standards, address problems and concerns, and provide updates on operations, management, and marketing techniques.

McDonald's also emphasizes employee relationships by implementing a policy of providing comprehensive training to its workforce. Freshly hired employees receive an orientation that includes an overview of regulations, company policies, and company goals. They are then introduced to various aspects of the job such as menu items, food preparation procedures, food packaging, cash register management, and customer service. New employees also participate in practical exercises to gain experience.The text highlights the importance of change management for managers and supervisors in various work environments. It emphasizes that understanding the basic principles of change management and implementing them is crucial. The section suggests five key principles to consider when planning for change: recognizing individual responses to change, fulfilling basic needs, acknowledging the sense of loss associated with change, managing anticipation logically, and addressing fears related to the changes being implemented.The business and industry press widely recognizes these techniques. Effective organizational changes require factors such as

lean manufacturing, 360° feedback, executive managers, Six Sigma, CRM, just-in-time supply and fabrication procedures like kanban and kaizen, Total Quality Management, and enterprise applications like SAP. Change management aims to maintain or improve service stability and availability, increase the likelihood of successful change processes, avoid reversing changes due to inadequate preparation, inform all affected parties about planned changes, record implemented changes for problem-solving purposes, assign accountability for technical and management aspects of changes, ensure accurate expectations regarding impact, and provide necessary documentation and training prior to implementation. The organization's culture greatly influences the change management process. Each organization has its unique culture which affects its management system. When implementing a change process, it is crucial to align it with the organization's culture; otherwise the organization's culture may need modification.The company's main goal is typically to enhance its financial position by improving employee effectiveness. However, certain organizational cultures can create obstacles to implementing changes, which must be overcome. Many managers and leaders resist making changes due to fears of success or failure. Cultural changes and adapting to the existing culture are crucial for achieving successful changes, as these two aspects are interconnected. When there is a positive relationship between organizational culture and change management processes, successful change can be accomplished. In terms of the changing process model, change is not a straightforward process and does not necessarily follow a specific order as suggested by change management models. When considering different theoretical models of change management, it is recommended to adopt a flexible approach rather than strictly adhering to a specific model. The implementation of changes may vary depending on the model used; however, there are basic

steps that are necessary and common to both personal and organizational changes.

Model for the Changing Process

Kotter's Eight Change Model

John Kotter's eight-step change model is highly suitable for comparison with other models in the Universal Supplier change process. It consists of eight steps that should be followed for proper change implementation in Universal Supplier.Step One: The first step involves creating a sense of urgency. Universal Supplier aims to expand their distribution network beyond London and throughout the UK due to competition from new market entrants. While London is highly competitive, there is potential for growth in other regions of the UK and even in other EU countries like France. It is important for the company to strengthen its competencies further.

Step Two: Building a Strong Alliance

Effective leaders who drive change do not necessarily follow traditional company hierarchies. To bring about change, management needs to form a team or alliance consisting of influential individuals with power derived from various sources such as job title, position, expertise, and political importance.

Step Three: Developing a Vision for Change The overall vision for Universal Supplier's transformation process is to become a leading food provider in the UK by expanding its market presence throughout the country and into other EU nations like France. During this period of change, numerous excellent ideas and solutions will likely arise.It is crucial to connect these concepts to a comprehensive vision that is easily understandable and memorable. Step Four involves communicating the vision of Universal Supplier to all stakeholders. There are several methods for successfully conveying the vision. Step Five focuses on removing obstacles faced by Universal Supplier in relation to the importation process. Importing

products comes with numerous regulations and ordinances, while employee knowledge and skills may not be sufficient for achieving this change. As a result, the company must overcome these obstacles through various strategies. One such strategy is creating short-term wins, such as one-year mark reporting and achieving 10% change coverage. By accomplishing early successes, employees will be motivated to work towards the final goal of the change process. Moreover, it is essential for the company to build upon these changes by implementing continuous improvement and adapting constantly to ongoing changes. An important aspect of this is expanding into other EU states as part of the change process. To ensure that these changes are firmly established, it is crucial for the corporate culture to reflect and support them, which requires commitment from all employees and a daily demonstration of the company's values.
The text emphasizes that resistance to change can arise from multiple factors, including lack of understanding, poor communication processes, cultural barriers, conflicts, company structure, technological capabilities, and managerial attitudes and styles. Therefore, it is crucial for managers and executives to acknowledge and address these different forms of resistance.

To successfully implement change, certain key parameters must be considered. These include the significance of the idea and the perceived necessity for change, acceptance by influential individuals responsible for decision-making and working towards planned goals, participation and support from both executives and general employees, documentation of major organizational changes approved by the board of managers, allocation of necessary resources within a specified timeframe accompanied by a flexible budget as well as appropriate human resources and technology. Additionally, executing the change decision in alignment with the organizational plan requires capital

investment approval along with employee training while ensuring adequate materials and equipment are made available.

Decision

This assignment explores different aspects of organizational culture and the change management process. The first part investigates factors that internally and externally influence organizational culture, as well as evaluates an organization's current culture. In the second section, the impact of changes on individual and organizational performance is analyzed, including how organizational culture and changes affect individuals and how a manager's personal values influence teamwork. The final section examines the relationship between culture and changes, identifying how organizational culture can impact the change process. It also discusses how organizational culture can influence individual and organizational changes, along with change process models, resistance to changes, and successful methods of implementation.

Universal Supplier (Pvt) Ltd is a UK-based company that imports various nutrient products from Asian countries, particularly Sri Lanka. Despite being a relatively new company established less than 10 years ago, Universal Suppliers has achieved significant success. As technologies advance and the world evolves, customer expectations and satisfaction levels continually evolve as well.Therefore, Universal Suppliers acknowledges the significance of adjusting to changes and places great emphasis on constantly enhancing their management strategies and product offerings to meet market demands.