TO THE BACK FUTURE
In this essay you have to reflect on this summary statement, and to offer your own opinion on its
validity, relevance and feasibility in the context of your own employment environment. In short, to what
extent can this theoretical view translate into effective action in the context of conditions experienced
in the practical workplace?
To prepare this essay:
� Read the Required Learning Resources which sent by email.
� Reflect on the ideas presented in the Week 8 Key Concept Overview and the assigned journal articles
in the light of your own practical experiences in the workplace.
� With reference to the summarised statement above, to what extent do you believe the propositions
contained in this statement are important, valid, relevant and achievable in practice, given the real-
world conditions that have been encountered in your own experience?
Back to the Future 2
Globalization and emergence of technology have driven firms to change their business
process to keep up with the changing market and consumer needs. To maintain profitability and
remain relevant, it is impeccable for managers to update the firm’s strategies. Successful
implementation of the strategic process is only possible if stakeholders are aware and committed
to the change initiatives. Thus, the adaptation of a change-oriented organizational culture should
be upheld by all firms to ensure that sustainability and growth prospects are assured.
Though resistance and challenges to the change process are unavoidable, application of
strategic communication approaches can help implementers of change program to address issues
and assure other stakeholders that the implementation is viable and the change is profitable
(Collinson 2015). For instance, implementers should explain to employees the advantages of
implementation of the change process such as the increase in market share. On the other hand, if
the change is not implemented, the company can lose market share which can lead to the
reduction in salaries and layoffs. As such, employees become actively involved and even give
opinions on how the implementation process should be handled to ensure that is successful.
Managers should be proactively involved before and after the implementation of the changes
instead of the usual practices in the current work places whereby its only during planning and
Back to the Future 3
start of implementation that managers are involved then leave out the process to be handled by
other stakeholders (Hind et al. 2013).
Traditionally, implementers of change have been the leading departments and not all
stakeholders. To make change a continuous process, Patricia et al. suggest the involvement of
human resources function in managing the change process by first improving the skillsets of the
departmental staff. When one department is given the task of establishing change, it becomes
easier for implementers to integrate all other functions, resources, and stakeholder of the firm.
Having HRM department manage the change process, stakeholders will perceive the change as a
chance to develop the organization which is essential in establishing a continuous change
process. Thus, instituting an organizational culture of learning and development does not
necessary help in change implementation but continuously sustaining the change.
The reason that firms in current working establishments have failed to implement change
is coming up with strategies that are not fruitful, no clarity on implementation process,
implementers failure to engage stakeholders in designing the strategies, implementers not going
forward with the change process once it is initiated, and focusing on the change process such that
other business process end up collapsing (Martin and Diarmind 2011). If these issues are put into
perspective before and after initiating the change process, firms can be successful in
implementing changes thus motivating employees and other stakeholders advocate for new
projects, processes, and systems. As a result, stakeholders change their traditional way of
thinking and adapt the change processes to their day to day operations thus translating to a new
organizational culture.
Back to the Future 4
It is possible to establish an organizational culture that focuses on strategic change if all
stakeholders are involved in the design and implementation of changes. When implementers
clarify the changes and how they are going to affect each stakeholder, and also address resistance
and challenges attributable to the changes before commencing implementation, success is highly
probable. In current working conditions, firms employ dictatorship form of leadership and
assume that all stakeholders will adapt to changes without much explanation. Through the
application of strategic communication approaches, the involvement of stakeholders, and
assurance of change implementation, the continuous organizational change process is valid.
Back to the Future 5
References
Collinson, G, 2015, An Approach to Planning, Initiating, and Managing Change.
Hind, P., Smit, A. & Page, 2013, ‘Enabling sustainability through an action research process of
organizational development,’ Journal of Corporate Citizenship, 49, pp.138-161.
Kingen, R. & Wilkerson, P, 2011,‘The seven deadly sins of strategic change,’ Global Business
and Organizational Excellence, 30 (2), pp.44-52.
Martin, C., and Diamird, C, 2011, The seven deadly sins of strategy implementation.
Patricia, Arnold, and Nadine, 2013, Enabling Sustainability through an Action Research Process
of Organizational Development, Ashridge Business School
Steenkamp, K., Botha, G. &Moloi, K.C, 2012, ‘Sustaining change in a learning organization,’
Africa Education Review, 9 (2), pp.380-394.
