Change is an integral element of global and local markets, and these markets are changing more and more dynamically in modern conditions. Today’s businesses, including large corporations and midsize and small companies, are doing everything they can to stay competitive, and this competitiveness requires change from time to time. These can be changes aimed at changing the structure of interaction with suppliers, changes in the way of selling, or the very corporate structure, the types of interactions between departments, and the way day-to-day tasks are performed. Typically, changes are met with moderate or significant resistance from company employees. This paper aims to discuss the views on the best ways and reasons for implementing changes in organizations.
Lussier and Achua, and McArthur present two distinct positions regarding implementing changes, although these positions have a lot in common. McArthur (2019) adheres to the concept that there is a lack of understanding of the ever-changing nature of the market in the modern business world. Although this perception is somewhat outdated, it presents several valuable insights. Firstly, McArthur advises embracing the changes as they are the features of the competitive environment. Secondly, the author says that to stay on foot in the waves of the ocean of changes, one should pay attention to patterns of changes that eventually become predictable.
Another interesting observation is that to discover the pattern one should trace where the organization’s money is mostly spent or lost. Such an attitude allows changing the patterns of doing business and staying fit in the current business realities. Finally, McArthur emphasizes that employees should understand the market value of their skills and knowledge. They also state that the company should evaluate its price in terms of demand for the goods or services it sells (McArthur). No less important, in the author’s opinion, the business leaders should stay in touch with the outside world by scrolling through the latest news in the industry and on the market.
Lussier and Achua present a more comprehensive and systematic perception of how and why the organizational changes should be implemented. Firstly, the scholars admit the importance of the leadership role in implementing the changes (Lussier and Achua 413). They warn of the dangers of learning anxiety that could increase the resistance among employees and encourage the leaders to use the survival anxiety as an argument for implementing changes. Lussier and Achua name the fundamental stages for implementing change. According to Kurt Lewin’s theory of planned change these are ‘unfreeze,’ ‘change,’ and ‘refreeze’ steps.
Most interestingly, Lussier and Achua compiled a list of the probable reasons why the employees may resist change. These reasons are the threat to self-interest, the urgency of the change due to fear of the unknown and lack of information, perceived low likelihood of success, lack of understanding of the need and urgency of the change, lack of trust in leadership, a threat to existing organization’s values, and fear of being manipulated by management.
Thus, the two perspectives on implementing changes in organizations were discussed. The author of the first article focuses on the outside business environment and how it affects the organizations’ workflows. They suggest the urgency of staying competitive and thus constantly reframing what should be reframed in doing business. The authors of the second article present a classic approach to implementing changes based on Kurt Lewin’s theory of planned change.
Work Cited
Lussier, Robert N., and Christopher F. Achua. Leadership: Theory, Application, & Skill Development. Cengage Learning, 2015.
McArthur, Heather, V. “How to Approach Change Like a Skill, Rather Than an Event.” Forbes, Web.