Complexity of the modern business world

Assignment Help HR Management
Reference no: EM13736415

Prepare a 700-1,050-word Article Review that includes the following:

Summarize the article.

Summarize the author's conclusion and/or recommendation.

Summarize your conclusion and/or recommendation.

Summarize how the concept in the article applies to your organization.

Week in Relation to the Course

As management professionals, we must remain focused on the fact that the overall success or failure of our organization depends upon our ability to outperform our competitors in a business climate that is very dynamic. That sounds simple enough but, in reality, it is a concept that is very commonly overlooked. Leaders and managers sometimes get so caught up in the everyday demands of their jobs that subtle changes in the organizational processes go unnoticed. Subtle change can easily evolve into critical challenges for organizations. The most successful management professionals are those who keep their organizations healthy in all areas. Increasing our ability to anticipate, identify, and manage internal and external change forces allows us to keep our organizations focused on the goals that lead to success.

In the coming weeks, we will discover how to employ a detailed model for managing change. Our challenge in Week One is to gain a thorough understanding of what change is, how and why it occurs, and what role we play in the process.

Discussion of a Key Point, Thread, or Objective

It is important to understand that change is inevitable and dynamic. Change is certain to occur in every organization and will result in some level of anxiety and uncertainty among the workforce. Managers and leaders have two clear options relative to change: to suffer negative consequences from it, or to find ways to manage it as an opportunity for success. Change is a potentially disruptive force that can destroy the morale of a workforce and, eventually, an entire organization.

Because of the speed and complexity of the modern business world, scores of businesses each year are unable to keep pace with the changes they encounter. These businesses suffer from an inability to recognize impending change or to recover from its effects. However, change can, if managed properly, be utilized as a process that transforms an organization from its present state to a more desirable and productive one (Beer, 7).

Change occurs for a variety of reasons. The most common cause is the external forces that exert pressure on the organization. Examples of external forces are competition from other companies, shareholder demands, and market trends. These forces often cause an organization to institute a planned change - one that is intentionally initiated. Technological advances, changes in the global economy, and government regulations are other examples of external forces.

Unplanned change occurs when less obvious pressures are exerted on organizations. As society evolves, so does the workforce and the culture of the organization. The dynamics of workplace relationships dictate that processes involving people are fluid and ever changing.

Individuals and groups that are involved in change are called "change agents." Anyone in an organization can act as a change agent, possessing the ability to cause, influence or manage change. The role a change agent plays in the change process can be a positive or a negative one.

Change in organizations is constant -- it has to be! Less than 60 years ago, workers' expectations were much different than those of today's workers. The hierarchical structures of organizations have collapsed into a more horizontal structure because the marketplace moves so swiftly. Less than 20 years ago, decisions were made one tier of management at a time: often by individuals with personal preferences and ideas that differed from the goals or needs of the organization. These structures are not flexible enough to respond to today's increasing competitive marketplace and consumer demand. In most organizations today, we find less authority held by managers and more latitude given to employees. This enables processes, including change, to occur simultaneously. Undoubtedly, many of you have observed these changes in your own organizations. Some change is planned and some is not; some is beneficial and some is destructive. What we can be sure of is that change is constant - it will always occur. Organizations are always being affected by change to some degree; whether change is a positive or negative force within the workplace is determined by the organization's preparation for, and response to, the changes it encounters.

Practical Application and Questions for Thought

Change can be seen everywhere. The text discusses Home Depot's efforts to remain atop the list of home building and improvement retailers. Wal-Mart's evolution as a retailing giant and the resulting effects upon locally-owned businesses and large competitors like Target and K-Mart provides a similar scenario: there are always a variety of forces acting upon organizations which require them to reassess their position in the marketplace and the goals they hope to achieve. Management should consistently ask what it can do to identify change and react to it. Similarly, organizational leaders must envision what the future holds for an organization and remain cognizant of what is necessary to achieve organizational ambitions. In order to accomplish this, organizations must insure that they continually learn more about their challenges and capabilities.

A learning organization is one that remains keenly aware of their environment, their assets, and their capacity for achieving success. An effective learning organization maintains the ability to understand its current state, envision a desired future state, and possess the ability to make its vision a reality. All of this occurs through knowledge. Without the ability to constantly acquire knowledge and to transform knowledge into insight, an organization remains sluggish in the face of change. The learning organization will be examined in detail in Week Five. For now, it is sufficient to realize that managers and leaders in learning organizations must constantly consider the following questions:

1. What is our method for insuring that we recognize and respond to challenges? Is that method effective? How can we improve our abilities in this area?

2. What are the challenges that threaten the success of the organization?

3. Are our current organizational vision and goals appropriate for our capabilities and environment? If not, what additional skills do we require and how to we obtain them?

4. What is our process for instituting change? Does it involve every aspect or the organization as a way for reducing the negative consequences of change?

Reference no: EM13736415

Questions Cloud

Discuss how women participated in creation of political : Discuss how women participated in the creation of political, social, and economic change in the 18th and 19th centuries. Be sure to use examples from Europe, Asia, and America in your answer.
Population and individual health measures : Population and Individual Health Measures and Healthcare Costs in the United States" - compare the magnitude of healthcare costs in the United States to that of other developed countries.
Possible reasons for the dismal ticket sales : The tour manager believes that there are several possible reasons for the dismal ticket sales: booked venues are too large, ticket prices are too high, the fan base is too young and/or the economy is weak.
What did emancipation proclamation do according to baldwin : What did the Emancipation Proclamation do, according to Baldwin? Bind the slaves to their owners. Force US slaves to return to Africa. Free the slaves and Give slaves permission to return to Africa.
Complexity of the modern business world : Because of the speed and complexity of the modern business world, scores of businesses each year are unable to keep pace with the changes they encounter. These businesses suffer from an inability to recognize impending change or to recover from it..
What techniques did henry ford incorporate : What techniques did Henry Ford incorporate to turn his small automobile company into the giant Ford Motor Company?
Find at what stage in the product life cycle is the iphone : At what stage in the product life cycle is the iPhone? What about other smartphones, Will Apple's iPhone maintain its competitive edge, or will Google's Android become the market leader
Westerners need to be aware of when dealing with japanese : What are some of the particular practices that Westerners need to be aware of when dealing with Japanese business people? The practices to comment on include the following:
Briefly how the presentation of the paper is organized : Explain briefly how the presentation of the paper is organized - summarize the papers and the main ideas that have been explored by other authors. In some occasions, you may combine this section with the introduction - summarize the papers and the ..

Reviews

Write a Review

 

HR Management Questions & Answers

  External influences

Counting the number of employees on payroll may be a misleading indicator of the workforce because it ignores the amount of scheduled time worked by each employee relative to a full workweek.

  Goal vs resource based approachwhat are the advantages and

goal vs resource based approachwhat are the advantages and disadvantages of the resource-based approach versus the goal

  Health care reform that is occurring in the united states

You are interested in learning more about the health care reform that is occurring in the United States. You want to determine how this relates to international health care. Using the library. Internet, and other resources, conduct reseach and add..

  1 as a result of rising health care costs and the challenge

1. as a result of rising health care costs and the challenge to contain them companies are trying to encourage

  Communications and interactions work

How will project communications and interactions work between the project manager, the stakeholders and the project team?

  Primary function of the job description paper

The primary function of the job description paper is to increase understanding of your current, or a prospective, position. The following areas of the job description should be considered:

  Health care organizations struggle to balance

Chief executive officer (CEO) Beranger is aware that there are many ethical issues that arise as health care organizations struggle to balance the needs of the mission and profit margin. She would like you to discuss how the financial complexity o..

  Conflict management report

The workplace can be an especially stressful environment. Personal conflicts between coworkers, fear of layoffs, and heavy workloads can be causes of negative stress.

  Evaluate the components of a total rewards system

Evaluate the components of a total rewards system. Also include justification for including each component and an explanation as to how it benefits the employee and the company.

  Explain the donor process who may donate what type of

explain the donor process who may donate what type of organs may be donated and address religious beliefs on

  Report for 1995 auto corpas the human resources legal

report for 1995 auto corp.as the human resources legal consultant contracted to provide recommendations to 1995 auto

  Highest depreciation expense

Which depreciation method provides you the highest depreciation expense in the first year? Why? What are some disadvantages to declining method?

Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd