Best Buy's ROWE: Organizational Change Management Models
This paper examines Best Buy's implementation of the Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE) as a case study in organizational change management. It applies two established change frameworks — the Seven Phases Model (Grover & Kettinger) and the Loss Response Cycle — to analyze how the company successfully shifted from a culture of face-time to one based entirely on measurable output. The paper traces the change process through strategy linkage, planning, process pathology, social and technical redesign, and continuous improvement, while also evaluating why the more resistance-focused Loss Response Cycle is a less fitting model for Best Buy's largely successful and organically driven transformation.
- Introduction: Best Buy's Shift to ROWE: Overview of Best Buy's results-only work environment
- The Seven Phases Change Model Applied to Best Buy: Introduction to Grover and Kettinger's framework
- Strategy Linkage and Change Planning: Drivers and planning behind ROWE adoption
- Process Pathology, Social and Technical Redesign: Documenting old failures and redesigning culture
- Continuous Improvement and Results: Monitoring outcomes and measuring productivity gains
- The Loss Response Cycle as an Alternative Framework: Why resistance-based model fits Best Buy less well
- Conclusion: Lessons learned from organic bottom-up change
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper grounds abstract change management theory in a concrete, well-documented corporate case study, making the frameworks tangible and easier to evaluate.
- It applies two contrasting models rather than one, which allows for comparative analysis and demonstrates critical thinking about which framework best fits the evidence.
- The use of direct quotations from primary business journalism sources (BusinessWeek, CNN) adds credibility and specificity to claims about productivity gains and cultural resistance.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates the technique of framework evaluation through case application — using a real organizational change event to test the explanatory power of two established models. Rather than simply describing what happened at Best Buy, the author assesses how well each model captures the dynamics of the change, noting where the Seven Phases Model fits well and where the Loss Response Cycle falls short given the largely voluntary, bottom-up nature of ROWE's adoption.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with an introduction to Best Buy's ROWE initiative and its key outcomes. It then systematically works through the Seven Phases Model (Grover & Kettinger), devoting a subsection to each phase. This is followed by a comparative assessment of the Loss Response Cycle, explaining why it is a less apt model for this particular change. The paper closes with a synthesis of lessons learned about organic, bottom-up change processes.
Introduction: Best Buy's Shift to ROWE
One of the most notable recent examples of successful organizational change at a major corporation is Best Buy's shift to a Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE). In the ROWE model, workers are judged solely on their output, not on how many hours they log at company headquarters. This represents a complete departure from the previous organizational culture and the way employees had been valued at Best Buy before ROWE was implemented. Previously, workers were encouraged to take pride in how early they arrived at the office and how late they stayed. Under ROWE, measurable output alone determines how workers are valued. "Employee productivity has increased an average of 35% in departments covered by the program," and the implementation of ROWE "has forced managers and employees to be really clear about what needs to be accomplished" (Brandon, 2007).
The Seven Phases Change Model Applied to Best Buy
The first change management framework applied to Best Buy's ROWE initiative is the Seven Phases Model developed by Grover and Kettinger (cited in Major Change Frameworks and Models, n.d.). This model provides a structured lens through which to examine each stage of the change process, from initial strategy through to continuous improvement.
References
Brandon, J. (2007). Rethinking the time clock. CNN Money / Business 2.0.
Major change frameworks and models. (n.d.). [University course materials].
Smashing the clock. (2006). BusinessWeek.
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