Assignment 3: Kotter Change Management Model

Due Week 6 and worth 140 points Using the company that your instructor previously approved, apply Kotter’s eight (8) steps of change management to an HR situation you have selected for change. You will address all eight (8) of the Kotter steps, developing an action plan for each step. Use a tablet, smartphone, laptop, desktop, or traditional video recorder to record a maximum of a five to seven (5-7) minute dynamic video on the topics detailed below. Alternatively, you may submit a four to six (4-6) page paper instead of the video submission. Note: If you are using a tablet or smartphone you will need to email the video file to yourself, then save it to a computer in order to upload to Blackboard. You may want to upload your video to a file sharing service, such as Dropbox, if your email will not let you send a large video file. Dropbox is accessible from all smartphones and tablets from the Dropbox app. Once you are ready to upload your video to Blackboard, click here to view the “Student Video Assignment Submission” video tutorial in the “Creating a Presentation for Your Course” playlist. Please use the following naming convention in the popup window for your video once it is finished uploading: Title: Your First Name, Your Last Name – Managing Organizational Change Tags: HRM560, Organizational Change Description: First Name, Last Name – HRM560 Assignment 3 (Date Uploaded ex. 11-14-2014) Prepare and present a video that is a maximum of five to seven (5-7) minutes OR write a four to six (4-6) page paper in which you: 1.     Ascertain how each of the steps applies to your specific organization. 2.     Develop a strategy that illustrates how you would address each of the eight (8) stages of change: a.      Establishing a sense of urgency b.     Creating coalition c.      Developing vision and strategy d.     Communicating the vision e.      Empowering broad-based action f.       Generating short-term wins g.     Consolidating gains and producing more change h.     Anchoring new approaches into the culture 3.     Use at least four (4) quality academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and other similar Websites do not qualify as academic resources. Note: If you choose to submit a video presentation, please also submit a one (1) page summary of your presentation. If you choose the written paper, your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

Solution

Introduction

UPS has been registering continued profitability despite a marginal fall in domestic freight volumes due to the ongoing reliance on electronic commerce. However, the last few years has seen this iconic logistics enterprise suffer negative media publicity owing to its rigid and rather ancient human resource policy. The Peggy Young case has attracted notoriety to the organization translating to a marginal fall in its overall share price (Grow, 2016). Peggy Young worked as one of the numerous UPS domestic truck driver but was subjected to unpaid leave lacking all benefits on the grounds that her pregnancy was deemed an off work event.

The overall HR policy at the entity is informed by two main policies; inclusion and diversity as well as the anti-harassment and professional conduct policies (Grow, 2016). The latter policy aims at attaining a working environment that entirely eliminates harassment from differences in gender, age, nationality, race, sexual orientation, disability or religion (Sherman, Weston, Willey & Mansfield, 2014). The Young versus UPS case highlighted that its HR policy was in essence unlawful as it failed to offer fair treatment to Peggy Young. The case has brought to light the urgent need to critically evaluate HR policy with an effort to ensure it is fully all inclusive and devoid of any instances of employee harassment. This research paper invokes the Kotter Change Management model towards transforming the entity’s HR policy to accommodate best practices in accordance to the contemporary labor environment.

Applying Kotter’s Model to Initiate HR Policy Change at UPS

Kotter’s change model is also referred to as the organizational learning model or the continuous improvement model (Pollack & Pollack, 2015). It is a model that support change to be effected beginning with the bottom and rapidly evoking appropriate change upwards within the organizational structure. The UPS seems to project an organizational culture that regards lower cadre employees as disposable (Sherman, Weston, Willey & Mansfield, 2014). To ensure that change is effectively attained herein, the devolved nature of the Kotter model can work to ensure that the proposed organizational change pinpoints, develops and implements appropriate employee empowerment structures (Pollack & Pollack, 2015). These will exhibit and more so attempt to institutionalize best interests for its numerous employees spanning numerous international and national boundaries. Working for change using the model will compel senior management to continuous improve on employee relations translating to UPS conforming into an ideal learning organization.

Another benefit stemming from employing the Kotter model in propagating change with UPS’ HR function is that the process will not confined to timeline. As such, it ought to be rather be open ended and continuous as the organization adapts to internal as well as external conditions and circumstances (Sherwyn, 2016). Given the sheer size of UPS operations and its global reach, the Kotter model remains the most potent in vouching for in-depth and far-reaching understanding of its structure, strategy, people, systems, culture and style (Sherman, Weston, Willey & Mansfield, 2014). The model will seek to assess how these work in tandem to oppose change or otherwise offer leverage towards more effective and greater change process.

Kotter’s change model proposes adherence to an eight step process: instituting a sense of urgency; facilitating for a guiding coalition; developing chosen change vision as well as strategy; communicating the chosen change vision, empowering workers to commit to broad-based action; recognizing short-term achievements; consolidating attained improvements while vouching for greater transformation; and integrating novel approaches into an organization’s culture (Kotter, 2014).

First Step

The HR function has to identify and empower a team of employees with whom it will sustainable initiate and progress a strong sense of organizational urgency to all employees regardless of job cadre (Kotter, 2014). The Kotter model champions for a situation where the HR staff close to the employee on the ground are empowered to disseminate the sense of urgency within UPS. This particular team of HR employees will have to be extremely creative to attain the desired sense of urgency within a relatively short duration while also encouraging a positive response from UPS senior administrators.

Step 2

The new sense of urgency will require guidance from a competent team of staff from across the board with connections, skills, credibility, formal authority and reputations necessary to offer a robust change leadership outcome (Kotter, 2014). This team has to have strong emotional commitment and trust amongst other UPS staff as its mandate may continue into the long-term. UPS is a vast entity deeming it critical that the chosen team bears to capacity to reach out to its international employee base.

Step 3

The guiding team will be expected to generate a vision and enabling strategies that are simply understood, clear, uplifting and sensible (Kotter, 2014). The vision should fully address the contemporary situation of employee relations where the common worker now has a voice that has the capabilities to make or break an organization. On the same note, the strategies created out to reflect the sense of urgency projected in the initial step.

Step 4

To ensure successful communication of the chosen vision and enabling strategies, dedicated channels should be created to allow for the simple, concise and heartfelt communications to be conveyed to all UPS staff (Kotter, 2014). The aim of such communication is to release greater energy levels from the critical mass of UPS staff, promote greater comprehension and facilitate for a deep sense of obligation to the vision. It is necessary to point out that deeds convey a stronger change oriented message than words and more so, symbols are louder than simple words. It is critical to ensure that the message is conveyed repeatedly and concisely.

Step 5

UPS has to fully empower employees by eliminating present and emerging barriers to effect change (Kotter, 2014). The boss mentality and inadequate information systems have to be completely erased from the organization’s culture to enhance self-confidence amongst workers thereby realizing desirable transformations.

Step 6

With UPS staff empowered to conform to the selected vision, registered wins have to be acknowledged and contributors lauded accordingly (Kotter, 2014). These short term successes will appraise as well as sustain momentum, resources and credibility towards envisioned goals. Failure to have a properly managed process takes into account the possibility of cynics and thus notices successful outcomes promptly.

Step 7

It is imperative that the transformational team has the emotional maturity to continue steadfastly into the long-term (Kotter, 2014). Initial successes are bound to generate a good deal of momentum and these early wins ought to be consolidated. This team is expected to insightfully discern the next process steps to undertake thus continuously realize incremental changes till the chosen vision comes to fruition.

Step 8

The realized change outcome can only remain permanent if incorporated into the existing UPS culture and thus, translating to an entirely new organizational culture for the multinational entity (Kotter, 2014). A novel culture will prescribe desired HR behavior norms as well as shared values developed from consistency of vision attaining strategies over an extended duration. As such, it is imperative that appropriate promotions, emotion stimulating events and skillful orientation of new staff can facilitate for desired changes to the UPS culture. It is critical to note that a lot of work can be quickly dispersed by those clinging on to earlier traditions.

Conclusion

UPS is a strongly placed organization in the global transport and logistics sector. Its highly advanced and efficient supply chain, its intricate international network, global brand awareness and capacities to deliver monumental packages to any global location are just some of its strengths. Despite having more than a century of experience in its field of operations, it suffers bad publicity from simply avoidable legal cases stemming from its apparently rigid HR policy. Instituting a change process via the Kotter model can ensure it positions itself desirable to conform to social perception and changes in employee relations well into the future.

References

Grow, L. (2016). Pregnancy Discrimination in the Wake of Young v. UPS. U. Pa. JL & Soc. Change, 19, 133.

Kotter, J. P. (2014). Accelerate: building strategic agility for a faster-moving world. Harvard Business Review Press.

Pollack, J., & Pollack, R. (2015). Using Kotter’s eight stage process to manage an organisational change program: Presentation and practice. Systemic Practice and Action Research, 28(1), 51-66.

Sherman, M. B., Weston, H. A., Willey, S. L., & Mansfield, N. R. (2014). Risky Business: Managing Risk in a Complex and Connected World. Management & Avenir, (8), 159-173.

Sherwyn, D. (2016). Dealing with shifting labor employment sands. Cornell Hospitality Report, 16(18), 3-9.

  Do you need high quality Custom Essay Writing Services?