Organizational Change Drivers of Organizational

Organizational Change

Drivers of Organizational Change

Most organizations are in a constant state of change though these changes might be very subtle and slow-moving, due to the ever-changing environments in which they operate. Successful organizations realize this and work to manage change in a manner that yields a certain degree of consistency and high reliability with the flexibility to adjust as necessary. There are also times when certain catalysts create a clear and pressing need for more major organizational changes, the management of which is at least as crucial as the management of incremental changes on a more ongoing basis. The following paragraphs will detail the drivers and management of change following to catalyst events witnessed by the author, with appropriate analysis and commentary from contemporary literature on the subject.

At one point, a retail establishment at which the author was employed experienced a catalyst for change due to a shifting market. The owner had opted not to carry a rather small line of specific products due to problems with the ordering process with this particular supplier. A sudden increase in the demand for this specific brand of products brought on by a new marketing campaign was resisted by the owner for some time due to the same hassles in ordering, but finally the clear potential sales won out and the increased revenue proved more than worth the adjustments that needed to be made in the ordering process. This led to a more flexible set of policies and expectations for the entire establishment in terms of ordering and diversifying offered items, and serves as a prime example of the concept of "outside-in" thinking for consumer businesses -- emphasizing opportunities rather than capabilities (Fisk 2008).

Another instance that occurred in the same retail establishment provides an example of how incremental change can lead to significant business problems over the long-term. A lack of any purposeful or directional change had led to a stagnancy in sales and a lethargy amongst the establishment's staff, and though the owner recognized this she did not seem to have an understanding of how to change it. This period happened to coincide with the departure of one of the more senior employees, and the owner used this opportunity to hire an assistant manager with previous HR experience; this individual developed new incentives and deeper levels of organizational involvement for all employees, which proved to be very successful at motivating individuals and creating a more adaptive and customer-oriented business. The assistant manager was very much brought in as a change agent for the organization, and demonstrated how successful such new insight to an organization can be when approached in the proper manner (Schabracq 2007).