Managing Organizational Change
The impact of change on individuals and organizations can be minimal or substantial. Discuss some of the tools organizations can use to diagnose the most appropriate change. Which do you think would be most effective and why?
In diagnosing change within any organization, there are a multitude of factors that need to be taken into account, many outside the organization and therefore not under the direct control of management. The series of concepts, frameworks and tools including the 7-S Framework (Kaplan, 2005), the Star Model, Congruence Model, Burke-Litwin Model (Moody, Smith, 2004), PESTEL framework (Walsh, 2005), GAP Analysis, Stakeholder Analysis, Force-Field Change and others all have been studied as a means to lessen resistance to change. Each of these concepts, frameworks or tools can also be used for diagnosing which specific strategy for change is the most appreciate for any given organization. In analyzing these concepts, frameworks and tools it is clear that the most adaptable in terms of taking into account both internal and external factors is the 7-S Model (Kaplan, 2005). The logic supporting this specific model is that it is the most adaptive and useful in defining strategy, structure, systems, staff, skills, style/culture and shared values both within and outside an organization. These form the foundation for creating more agile, and responsive change management strategies. What makes the 7-S Model stand out however is the integration of its seven core factors with a Balanced Scorecard (BSC), which seeks to equate organizational strategies to financial performance. Specifically included in the BSC approach are financial and customer perspectives, internal process perspective, and learning and growth perspective (Kaplan, 2005). The integration of the 7-S Model and BSC Methodology taken together create the most useful framework for initiating and managing change in organizations.
References
Robert S. Kaplan (2005). How the balanced scorecard complements the McKinsey 7-S model. Strategy & Leadership, 33(3), 41-46. Retrieved January 21, 2009, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 858853681).
Diane Moody, Andy Smith. (2004, October). Marching to the same beat. Personnel Today,23-24. Retrieved January 20, 2009, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 723783371).
Philip R. Walsh (2005). Dealing with the uncertainties of environmental change by adding scenario planning to the strategy reformulation equation. Management Decision, 43(1), 113-122. Retrieved January 19, 2009, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 828881461).
