To prepare for this Key Concept Exercise:
� Read the Required Learning Resources for week 2. Which sent by email
� Reflect upon the ideas presented in the Week 2 Key Concept Overview and the assigned journal
articles.
� Review the case study example of the Deseret News, in Gilbert, Eyring and Foster (2012).
� Use the scenario planning processes described in the article by Konno, Nonaka and Ogilvy (2014a).
� In formulating your Key Concept Exercise, consider the following requirements:
o Provide an outline description of what you believe would be a �best case� vision (the set of
circumstances that would be most favourable) of what the Deseret News operating environment might
conceivably look like 5 years from today. Include a comment on those aspects of the operating
environment that you consider to be particularly influential over the planning decisions the organisation
will make today.
o Provide a parallel �worst case� vision (the set of circumstances that would pose the greatest threat),
using the same criteria used to develop your best case vision.
o Briefly explain whether you believe the best or worst case scenarios are more likely to develop,
providing a justification for your opinion.
o Suggest specific things that Deseret News could do now in order to maximise its capability to cope with
either version of the future.
ODC KCE W2: 2
Introduction
In consideration of the fact that the world is currently changing at a first speed that
requires organizations to understand the need and opportunity for change before their
performance results begin dwindling. It is against this that it is imperative to ascertain that
managers experience difficulties in determining some of the changes that need to be incorporated
within their organizations, developing a strategic approach of achieving these changes, and to
manage the process of change, with the aim of achieving the desired outcomes (Gilbert, Eyring
& Foster, 2012, pp.67). Without considering the element of change and adapting to new market
needs and trends which result from globalization, organizations are likely to experience
challenges in efficiently and effectively achieving their performance. This paper consequently
seeks to establish the manner in which an organization (Deseret News Company) may consider
the change element in effectively achieving its goals.
The Need for Change Management in Deseret News Organization
As detailed, between the year 2008 and 2010, Deseret News is considered to have lost
close to 30% of its display-ads, including 70% of some of the organizations classified revenues,
an aspect that is attributed to the growing internet startups that assaulted the organizations
subscriber and advertising base (Gilbert, Eyring & Foster, 2012, pp.67). In this case, it is
essential to consider that Deseret News only focused its attention on local daily newspapers even
with the changing environment that was embracing the aspect of digital publishing as a viable
long-term position.
This clearly necessitates the need for change management, a dual transformative
approach that would see this organization incorporate who are well vast with the knowledge on
digital publishing (Gilbert, Eyring & Foster, 2012, pp.67). For this reason, the organization needs
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good planning in achieving its success, an aspect that would require the organizations
management to predict its future performance in the same industry.
Deseret News Organization Best Case Vision
Deseret News best case vision would consider the organizations environment that details
some of the forces that surround its functions and that affect its performance (Morgan, 2011,
pp.13). These include some of the elements that exist outside the organizations boundaries. In
this case, Deseret’s best case vision over the next five years would include:
Deseret’s Internal Environment
This organizations internal environment would consist of factors that expose its strengths and
weaknesses that include:
- Leadership approaches
- The organizations culture and mission statement
- The behaviors of employees towards change
It is essential to detail that Deseret’s internal environment remains different from that of
its competitors since its leadership seems detached from the spontaneous needs of the market, an
aspect that details the challenges it has experienced in the market (Morgan, 2011, pp.13). On the
other hand, Deseret’s leadership remains incapacitated in initiating the element of creativity,
imagination, and ingenuity in solving the problems the organization encountered, an aspect that
requires change over the next five years.
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Deseret’s External Environment
Deseret’s external environment entails some of the elements that surround the
organization and influence its activities and decisions in determining some of its opportunities
and threats in the market. These factors include:
- Competition from the organizations rivals
- Customers opinions
- Economic conditions
The organizations external environments are likely to affect its decisions in regards to
making changes considering the fact that the customers are turning to digital publishing as
compared to the local dailies, an aspect that denotes their need for a superior product at a better
price (Nadina, 2011, pp.708). On the other hand, the condition of the economy would determine
the behavior of consumers, thus requiring effective understanding of the market.
Deseret News Organization Worst Case Vision
In establishing Deseret’s worst case vision, it is important to note that failure in
implementing change within an organization has some considerable implication on an
organizations change and development process (Mariana, Daniela & Nadina, 2013, pp.1606).
Some of the factors that would result in a worst case vision include:
- Leaders rush in changing their organizations without proper planning
- Lack of innovation
- Failure to incorporate a formal strategic plan
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In view of this, it is imperative to ascertain that the organization is in a position to
incorporate the best case vision, an aspect that can be justified in its approach to incorporate
leaders who understand the market trends and change the company’s approach from the
production of local publications into digital newspapers, an aspect that establishes the
organizations dominant story (Nadina, 2011, pp.708).
Change Management Approach in Deseret
Upon realization of the internal and external factors that affect the performance of the
organization, its managers have an uphill task in initiating processes towards organizational
change, an aspect that is achieved upon the identification of some of the existing opportunities
for the organization to improve its business processes. In order to achieve this, the organization
would consider a proactive change approach that would establish a rapid success into its
performance and progress (Noboru, Ikujiro, & Jay, 2014, pp.30).
In this case, the most essential role in initiating proactive changes would be achieved in
the event the organizations managers develop new products that have the capacity to generate
change in the consumer’s behavior, an aspect that would enable the organization to achieve its
competitive advantage over some of its competitors (Noboru, Ikujiro, & Jay 2014, pp.46).
Conclusion
As detailed in this paper, the world is currently changing at a first speed that requires
organizations to understand the need and opportunity for change before their performance results
begin dwindling. It is against this that it is imperative to ascertain that managers experience
difficulties in determining some of the changes that need to be incorporated within their
organizations, developing a strategic approach of achieving these changes, and to manage the
process of change, with the aim of achieving the desired outcomes.
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References
Gilbert, C, Eyring, M, & Foster, R 2012, ‘Two Routes to Resilience’, Harvard Business Review,
90, 12, pp. 65-73, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 18 August 2016.
Morgan, MI 2011, Executing Your Business Transformation: How to Engage Sweeping Change
without Killing Yourself or Your Business, San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, eBook
Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost, viewed 18 August 2016.
Mariana, P, Daniela, B, & Nadina, R 2013, ‘Forces That Enhance Or Reduce Employee
Resistance To Change’, Annals Of The University Of Oradea, Economic Science Series,
22, 1, pp. 1606-1612, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 18 August 2016.
