Introduction
In the globalizing, competitive, and technologically driven business environment, change is actually inevitable. This means that any type of organization should embrace change in case it desires to achieve better results. Customers in the modern world are highly selective implying that an organization needs to come up with new strategies, tactics, and methods of doing business. For instance, an organization must transform its managerial techniques to suit the modern environment. An autocratic form of leadership for instance would not yield any positive results in the competitive milieu because employees would tend to resist such form of leadership (Andrzej, & Buchaman, 2007). This would definitely have negative results on the performance of the organization in the market. In order to sustain customers and achieve organizational aims and objectives, any organization must adopt change. In this piece of writing, some of the significances of change, the ways in which change is to be initiated, and the challenges faced by change agents are discussed. As much as change is imperative in an organization, the management should do it in a humane way. If done carelessly, the employees would probably resist. In other words, change should be dynamic but not radical as suggested by some scholars.
Rationale for Change
In the new technological world, business executives would not be able to dictate decisions to secretaries and other junior staff. This practice is accused of delaying business transactions and wasting organizational time because everything depended on the presence of the top management. With the change, new techniques have been introduced that could probably reduce time-wasting and increase efficiency. In other words, the change allows the adoption of technology in organizations hence allowing effectiveness. Even though change is disruptive during its inception in the organization, it is proved to improve the productivity level of the organization.
In the era of technology, the organization does not waste time contacting its clients manually that is, by sending a company representative to address an urgent issue. The organization would simply contact the client or the customer through the available channels such as email (Kline, 2007).
The world is changing at the rate that few had predicted. For instance, customers are no longer satisfied with the old instruments such as the conventional ovens. This implies that as the world evolves, customer needs also develop, which poses a new challenge to the management. The management can only address this issue by embracing change. The companies need to be alert as regards the changes in society. They need to provide the customer with the current goods and services that satisfy their needs. Furthermore, consumption habits have greatly changed. The organization or the company needs to segment the market in order to establish the needs of each market. In the traditional marketing setting, the firm would produce goods before looking for the market. This has since changed meaning that the firm needs to understand the target group before moving ahead to avail the goods or services.
Through an initiative of change, employees in an organization can probably acquire new skills, explore new opportunities and perhaps develop the ability to be creative, innovative, and inventive. All these would be aimed at improving the performance of the organization given that new skills have the ability to turn things around. For this to happen, however, the management needs to prepare employees adequately by equipping them with the necessary skills. It is recommended that the management can prepare the employees through organizing traditional classroom settings or employing the modern technique through which employees are shown new ways of doing things online. The management should try as much as possible to conduct evaluative studies in order to determine the performance of employees. Through studies, the management can establish the effectiveness of the new techniques and the current needs of the market. Initiative change is a good opportunity for the young generation to challenge the status quo in society and in organizations. It has been established through research that the old is always reluctant to accept news ways that are considered effective in management in organizations. Therefore, change is a good factor that can alter organizational leadership (Avery, & McKay, 2006).
Ways of Generating Change: Case Study of the Emirates Airline Company
Identification of the effect attributed to organizational change would be initiated through a thorough investigation of diverse changes that have been adopted by various companies in the airline industry. It would also be fundamental to examine the effects of various changes that have currently been introduced in the organization, as well as the past ones since they provide a benchmark on which organizational changes can be measured against. Through comparison of various organizational changes, an individual or the organization stand a good chance of picking the best organizational change that has high chances of resulting in levels of positive output. The kind of organizational change a firm constantly comes up with always depends on the problems confronted by the firm, as well as the needs and requirements that the firm desires to achieve (Hiatt and Creasey 37).
The kind of leadership approach embraced by any firm towards influencing the behavior of individuals in the organization has an effect on the organizational level of performance. The Emirates Airline Company will have to analyze the type of leadership approach currently practiced in the firm (Doganis, 2003). It will also be vital to analyze the past leadership approach adopted by the company in running its activities. Furthermore, it would be crucial to understand the leadership style practiced by other firms in the airline industry since they provide a benchmark on the best leadership style to be identified and thus implemented in the organization. This would enable an organization to remain competitive in the contemporary turbulent business environment.
However, in order to come up with the best leadership style, a firm needs to understand the resources it has as well as consider the culture of both the employees and customers. Having in-depth knowledge about the internal and external publics allows the management to lead and direct the firm in the most effective way. It is said that the performance of a firm majorly relies on the effectiveness of the employees. Therefore, possessing the right skills in influencing the employees towards achieving the predetermined objectives and goals of the company would improve its performance level (Porter, 2008). The Emirates Airline Company would benefit from having the most effective leadership style, as well as adopting effective organizational change that has high chances of improving the performance of the firm. In particular, an effective leadership approach will help the firm understand both employees and customers and effectively come up with techniques that would assist in influencing their behavior in the most desirable manner thus improving the level of performance. For instance, Emirates Airline Company would motivate employees by promising promotions after attaining a certain level of performance. Alternatively, the firm might promise a certain increase in the level of salary after achieving a given predetermined target. Some companies find it necessary to let employees feel part of the organization by frequently listening to their problems and needs and accordingly responding to their problems on time. Through constant encouragement and motivation of employees, the company would be able to increase its efficiency at all levels of operations. According to Hiatt and Creasey (2003), adopting organizational change, which has positive effects as compared to negative effects would assist the organization to attain a high level of performance.
Challenges
The hiring of new managers would require sufficient capital. In addition, the firm would have to restructure its systems in order to allow the new organizational change to fit into organizational activities. Furthermore, the new leadership approach would as well call for new systems and organizational structure. All this will require implementation, which would greatly be aided by adequate capital resources. Primarily, the research would require a skilled person who would efficiently carry out the research in relation to effects associated with organizational change as well as carry out a thorough analysis on different leadership styles used by different companies in the airline industry. Analysts are as well required to compare the different leadership styles and choose one that would match with the organizational structure in addition to providing efficiency and effectiveness (Carson, 2008).
Conclusion
The proposed recommendations would help the organization in achieving its medium and long-term goals. Having an effective organizational change at hand, the firm stands a chance to reduce negative effects emanating from ineffective organizational change whilst maximizing the positive effects, which eventually lead to optimal benefits. Having an effective leadership style in place would optimally help employees increase their efficiency through encouragement and motivation, leading to high levels of output. Therefore, having the best organizational structure and valuable leadership approach would help the firm achieve its predetermined goals and objectives.
References
Andrzej, A., & Buchaman, A. (2007). Organizational behavior. London: Prentice Hall.
Avery, D., & McKay, P (2006). Target practice: An organizational impression management approach to attracting minority and female job applicants. Personnel Psychology, 59(3), 157–187.
Carson, A. (2008). Organizational theory: a libertarian perspective. Washington, DC: Book Surge.
Doganis, R. (2003). Flying off course: The economics of international airlines. New York: Routledge.
Hiatt, J., & Creasey, T. (2003). Change management: the people side of change. Madison: Prosci Learning Center.
Kline, A. (2007). How to Implement Change in Your Organization. Entrepreneur Journal, 1(1), 20-89.
Porter, M. (2008). The five competitive forces that shape strategy. Harvard: Harvard Business Review.