This method that Kotter came up with has been widely accepted by many management practitioners and is as follows below. If the Walmart applied all or some of these steps, then it could have increased the chances of the changes to be effective. Step 1-Create urgency-since change can only be effectively initiated when the entire organization sees the need for the change and the change that should be experienced soon. The Walmart management did not take time to explain the employees why these changes were essential and urgent. Walmart management should have opened a candid and honest discussion with the employees about the change that is required in relation to the outside forces in order to create the urgency.

Step 2- Form a powerful coalition- such a coalition would work best if it has the most influential people like experts or people with titles within the organization. Walmart did not bother to form such coalition that would ensure each employee understands and participates in suggestion and implementation of the significant changes.

Step 3 - create a vision for change- with a clear vision each member will understand what they are called upon to take part in. With each employee able to see for themselves the sense behind the changes it gets easier to work with such a team, yet Walmart just made the changes and passed out a memo outlining the changes to be implemented by employees, hence uwilling participation for the sake of retaining ones job.

Step 4 -- communicate the vision- this must be done as many times as possible to keep the vision of the changes fresh in the mind.

Step 5 -- remove obstacles- the obstacles could be employees against the changes or established procedures that could barricade the changes.

Step...

Walmart never employed this approach since there was no short-term and long-term goals set.
Step 7 -- build on change- for change to take place successfully, there is need for continuous assessment of the changes being implemented.

Step 8 -- make change stick- once change becomes part of the organizational culture, the implementing new changes become easier.

Recommendations

The Walmart as an organization, having met stiff competition from other organizations like Kohl's and target, there is need to ensure the proposed changes have a high rate of success and acceptability among the employees. Walmart need to have a group of representatives from all sectors of the organization to form part of the group that propose and oversee changes within the organization. This will make each department feel their contributions are valued. There is also need to communicate in good time of the intentions to make changes so that employees can comment on and make suggestions before the implementation of the changes.

References

Managing Change, (2012). The 8 Step Kotter Theory to Master Organizational Change.

Retrieved March 31, 2014 from http://www.managing-change.net/kotter-theory.html

Adam Hartung (2012). Wal-Mart's Wrong-Headed Reorganization. Received March 31, 2014 from http://www.forbes.com/sites/adamhartung/2012/01/30/wal-marts-wrong-headed-re-organization/2/

Kotter J. And Cohen D. (2002). The heart of change: Real-Life stories of how people change their organizations. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.