Change Management Theoretical Perspective

Transkrypt

1 Change Management Theoretical Perspective,,Tempora mutantur et nos mutamur in illis ( Times change and we change with them ) a Roman proverb 1 Białystok Z. Mikołajczyk, Zarządzanie procesem zmian w organizacjach., Wydawnictwo Dolnośląskiej Wyższej Szkoły Handlowej im. Wojciecha Korfantego w Katowicach, Katowice 2003, p. 13 1

2 Introduction Change is an inseparable element of our contemporary reality and pertains to nearly all the areas of human activity. Flexible adaptation of an organization to changes occurring both inside the organization and in the proximal and distal environment of it is an essential condition for its survival and development. Equally important is the ability to predict the changes to occur and be ahead of them, not only react to the existing ones. Therefore, skilful and consistent change management, or in a narrower meaning management of a change process, is especially important in that area. The study will also present selected theoretical issues referring to the issue of change management. Both the concept of management with its characteristic features and management in the context of managing change will be presented. Different approaches to the process of change management will be shown, with lists of individual phases of the process. The issue of examining the effectiveness of the process will also be mentioned. Finally, the main trends within change management will be pointed out. 1. Management the concept and its basic characteristic features. There are many different definitions of the term 'management', derived from particular currents and schools of management. They display various approaches to considering that issue and expose different characteristic features, but at the same time they allow for getting broader knowledge and better understanding of the discussed issue. As a result, finally they allow to create a coherent image of the defined issue. The most often quoted definition of the term 'management' is the one proposed by R.W. Griffin, which describes management as a set of actions (including planning and decisionmaking, organizing, leading, i.e. managing people and controlling), directed at the resources of the organization (human, financial, material and information ones) and carried out for the purpose of achieving the objectives of the organization efficiently (using the resources wisely and avoiding unnecessary waste) and effectively (taking proper decisions and successfully implementing them). 2 It is complex enough to comprehensively express what management is 2 R.W. Griffin, Podstawy zarządzania organizacjami., Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warszawa 2005, p. 6 2

3 to determine the actions included in it, the assumed goal and means of carrying it out and thus to clearly communicate the essence of the process. Another definition says that management is a process based on taking decisions which make it possible to use particular resources to achieve the desired goals, with coordination of actions involved in a particular activity of people. 3 It is based on similar elements as the definition mentioned before it also emphasizes that management is not a single action but a set of activities (a process) directed at a particular objective. Still another definition indicates that management involves the provision (conscious creation) of proper conditions for an organization to operate in accordance with its assumptions, in other words, to carry out its mission, achieve goals compliant with it and maintain the necessary level of coherence allowing for survival, which means separation from the environment and development, which means carrying out the mission and goals in the future : setting the direction and ensuring that the organization follows that direction. 4 In this case, the emphasis is on another aspect of management ensuring the survival (and in the future also development) of the organization by creating conditions appropriate for it. Henri Fayol, as a representative of the administrative trend, defined management from the perspective of five functions, i.e.: 5 planning predicting the future, setting objectives and the directions of activity enabling to achieve those objectives; organizing mobilization of resources (both material and human) necessary to achieve the set objectives and distribution of the resources among the selected contractors; ordering assigning tasks to individual persons involved in a given process and ensuring its completion; coordinating combining particular resources and ensuring their harmonious functioning for the achievement of the set objectives; controlling comparing the real state with the target one. 3 J. Bogdanienko, Wprowadzenie do zarządzania., Wydawnictwo Wyższej Szkoły Finansów i Zarządzania w Białymstoku, Białystok 2001, p. 7 4 A. K. Koźmiński, D. Jemielniak, Zarządzanie od podstaw., Wydawnictwo Akademickie i Profesjonalne, Warszawa 2008, p J. Bogdanienko, Wprowadzenie do, p. 13 and P. Buhler, Zarzadzanie., Wydawnictwo HELION, Gliwice 2012, pp

4 These are the basic functions included in management, applicable to any area. R.W. Griffin defined the term 'management' with the use of those functions, which has already been mentioned. P. Drucker, in turn, presented the basic qualities ascribed to management, which express the essence of it. According to him, management: 6 mostly refers to people; is deeply rooted in culture; requires simple and clear values, goals and tasks; should result in the organization being able to learn; requires communication within the organization and with the environment; is based on a complex system of indicators allowing for constant and comprehensive monitoring, evaluation and, as a result, increase of effectiveness; is one-sidedly and unambiguously oriented at the fundamental, most important result the set objective. It is not, of course, a closed catalogue of characteristic features of management but only a proposal, which can be modified in the case of a particular situation. At the same time, for a process to be called management, not all the listed qualities must occur; what is important is that the essence of activity is shown. In the context of management, environment plays a particularly significant role and therefore it should not be forgotten that the environment has a considerable influence on the process of management. Individual changes of environmental conditions make the organization constantly react and even predict those changes and take actions before, thus initiating the process of management within the organization. 2. Change management as a specific kind of management There are at least two approaches in defining the term of change management. The first of them indicates that change management is a specialist method of management, just like e.g. strategic management, human resources management or quality management. 7 The other 6 A.K. Koźmiński, W. Piotrowski, Zarządzanie. Teoria i praktyka., Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warszawa 2006, pp L. Clarke, Zarządzanie zmianami., Wydawnictwo Gegethner&Ska., Warszawa 1997, p. 58 4

5 represents a view that change management is an interdisciplinary subject combining elements of the theory of management, methods and techniques of organizing the institution and its work and knowledge of psychology, sociology, economics and technology. 8 The first of the presented approaches is definitely much narrower than the second one, as it only refers to the kind of management and thus it (or at least certain elements of it) is included in the concept of management. As for the second, it refers to change management in a more cross-sectional and comprehensive way, at the same time showing the multidimensional character of the process, and should be analysed from that perspective. It is often indicated that it is not change that is managed but a process of changes, and according to P. Drucker, change cannot be managed: it can only be anticipated 9 ; that, however, is the question of a particular approach to the phenomenon and the scope of analysis. The term 'change management' is commonly used and means, among others, predicting and anticipating changes as integral elements of the management process. We are going to stick to this attitude. A few selected definitions of the term 'change management' are presented below in order to introduce the analysed subject matter. Change management involves actions aimed at remaining in the course of change and making use of it so as to achieve one's own benefits. At the same time, it is a cyclical process of planning, operational activities, monitoring and control, which refers to all the entities functioning on the market, i.e. enterprises, territorial self-government units, business environment institutions etc. 10 This definition is closely related to the general definition of management expressed from the perspective of functions of management but also considers the background of occurring changes. Another definition says that change management is a process of using the organization's strategies to ensure harmony with reference to the changing environment, being closely 8 M. Bratnicki, Zarządzanie zmianami w przedsiębiorstwie., Wydawnictwo Akademii Ekonomicznej w Katowicach, Katowice 1998, p. 9 9 P.F. Drucker, Zarządzanie XXI wieku wyzwania., Wydawnictwo MT Biznes, Warszawa 2009, p Analiza trendów rozwojowych i podejmowanych partnerskich inicjatyw i projektów gospodarczych. Przygotowanie do planowania i zarządzania zmianą gospodarczą w województwie małopolskim., PwC, Eurokreator, 2011, p. 11 ( Krakowski-Obszar-Metropolitalny.pdf, 20/03/2013) 5

6 related to the available resources. 11 In this case, the special role of strategy as a tool enabling management of the whole process of changes was emphasized. Still another definition indicates that change management is a key and inseparable element of change, as its purpose is to allow people accept the subject of change (transition from the present state to the state which should occur after the change) with the use of a proper set of actions and techniques. 12 The definition points out the essence of the whole process in a very general but also very telling way. To sum up, change management is a process which enables to take an organization from the initial state to the assumed final state using the available resources, techniques and tools, taking into account its needs and aspirations as well as environmental conditions. Therefore, in the simplest meaning, change management is a category of management analysed with reference to the occurring changes of environmental conditions. 3. Change management as a process. It can surely be said that change management is not a simple activity but a process it includes many actions occurring gradually in time and basically aiming at the achievement of the goal set in the beginning. Since change management is a gradual process, selected approaches to it will be presented below. There is a multitude of various authors' proposals regarding the phases (stages) of change management. Some of them are very general, including only a few stages, whereas others are complex and detailed. Below, the ones will be presented which have a particular cognitive value for the discussed issue. It should not be forgotten that these are just model solutions, not common schemes of activity. A multi-phase process of change management includes only 3 phases (preparation, implementation and evaluation), but at least several stages are singled out within each of them: A. Zarębska, Zmiany organizacyjne w przedsiębiorstwie. Teoria i praktyka., Wydawnictwo Difin, Warszawa 2002, p R. Wendt., Zarządzanie zmianą w polskiej firmie., Dom Wydawniczy Zachorek, Warszawa 2010, p Z Mikołajczyk., Zarządzanie procesem zmian w organizacjach., Wydawnictwo Górnośląskiej Wyższej Szkoły Handlowej, Katowice 2003., p. 64 6

7 the phase of preparation taking the decision that changes are necessary, drawing up the general goals of activity and informing the interested parties of the planned actions; creating the control team and the research and planning team; analysis and diagnosis of the opportunities and threats occurring in the environment; analysis of the internal situation of the organization and the available resources; formulating the vision and strategy of action; development of the types of change from the strategic and operational perspectives and their evaluation; selection of the best solution and planning it. the phase of implementation creation of a detailed plan of changes and a plan of implementation; informing the staff of the selected program of changes and obtaining funds for the execution of the project. Development of schedules of implementation and training the staff; implementing the plan of changes (in the organizational structure, in technical and technological resources); appropriate control of the implementation program, elimination of the occurring barriers, including psychological ones. the phase of evaluation evaluating the results of changes from the perspective of economic effectiveness or social consequences; reinforcing the former achievements by further adaptation of the conducted changes. The multi-phase process of change management is very detailed and indicates particular actions within the framework of particular phases. It must be emphasized, however, that each organization is specific and the course of the above-mentioned model scheme may be a little different in each of them. Not all the steps must occur but all may occur. Some others may also need to be added to link the process together. Therefore, the indicated stages of change management must be approached flexibly and adapted to one's own needs. 7

8 Another approach proposes the following stages of change management: 14 determination of the organization's maturity to change; preparation to the implementation of change, including: analysis of the initial situation which is the subject of changes and identification of the entities / persons affected by change and their readiness for the process of change; planning actions as part of a project of change and developing the vision; communicating the idea of change based on the conviction to change; carrying out determination whether the planned change has resulted in organizational changes and development of a schedule of training sessions to support the planned change; creating and implementing execution of the prepared plans and their adjustment as the need arises on the basis of a wide range of communication and feedback, overcoming resistance to changes; training sessions; synchronization and compatibility of actions between particular areas. In this case, the number of actions was greatly reduced, and the stage of preparation to introduction of the change was emphasized and divided into particular activities. So as to keep the balance, one more approach to determination of individual phases of change management will be presented below. In that approach, the following stages are enumerated: 15 analysis of the organization's strategy and changes occurring in its proximal and distal environment; determination of the purpose and scope of change; diagnosis of possible solutions; planning the change in a multi-variant way, at the same time considering the interest of all the interested parties; selection of the variant and the strategy of implementing changes; implementation of the change and evaluation of its efficiency and effectiveness. On the basis of the information presented above, there are many different approaches to isolating individual phases of the change management process. It is worth emphasizing that 14 R. Wendt., Zarządzanie zmianą w, pp M. Lisiecki, Zmiany jako czynnik rozwoju organizacji, Wydawnictwo KUL, Lublin 2003, p. 16 8

9 identical phases and characteristic elements can be found in each above-mentioned approach to the determination of stages of change management. So, one can say that change management covers the same key stages and has the same qualities in every situation, regardless of what it refers to. Most generally, the primary stages of change management include: 16 the strategic stage (taking the decision as to the need of change and its direction); the planning stage (determination of the initial situation, development of a plan of changes aiming at the achievement of the desired state); the stage of realization (management of the change implementing project). The following characteristic features (elements) ascribed to the process of change management are enumerated: 17 identifying the reason for the need for change; emphasizing the target, where we want to be after the completion of the change; planning the implementation of the process of change; carrying out the process of change; taking actions to ensure durability of the introduced changes. Undoubtedly, each stage of change management is important and plays a particular role in the whole process, as it ensures its comprehensiveness; the phase of implementation, however, is especially vital. It is the culminating point of the whole process, because in that phase the plans, ideas and developed programs are confronted with the reality in other words, the obtained information and knowledge is used in practice in the initial stages, and the effects of the further part of the process are dependent on the result of that stage. Therefore, it is good to look more closely at the structure of that stage. The phases distinguished within the stage of implementing a program of changes are enumerated below. 18 gaining support and involvement of the key entities; preparing a suitable implementation plan; 16 K. Dziekoński, A. Jurczuk, Zarządzanie zmianą w procesach inicjatyw klastrowych., [in:] ed. A. Wasiluk, Nowoczesne podejście do zarządzania organizacjami., Wydawnictwo Difin, Warszawa 2009, p T. Wołowiec, D. Reśko, Strategia rozwoju gminy jako narzędzie zarządzania zmianą gospodarczą., Zeszyty Naukowe WSEI, seria Ekonomia 5 (2/2012), p K. Krzywicka- Szpor, Zarządzanie zmianą i okresem przejściowym., Wydawnictwo MT Biznes, Warszawa 2002, pp

10 supporting the implementation plan with consistent activity and behaviour; developing the structures which enable to achieve the goal; celebrating the achievement of milestones; constant communication. Change management as a process includes a number of stages, each of which is extremely important as it contributes to the success of the whole process achievement of the set goal but it must be remembered that achieving the success is not so easy. 4. Effectiveness of the change management process. There are two basic premises for taking up the introduction of change: necessity to quickly improve the economic situation or necessity to improve the organization's efficiency. 19 The change is supposed to contribute not only to improving the effectiveness of functioning but also to improving the ability to improve: in other words the ability to conduct further changes. 20 Depending on the occurring situation, a given organization develops a specific program of change management directed at the achievement of the set goal, not forgetting, of course, about all the determinants of the whole process, including risk (in the process of change management, determination of the risk level related to introduction of the change is necessary, as the risk may prove to be disproportionately high in relation to the expected benefits). All the concept models of effective implementation of changes are based on the natural and previously verified potential of the company and manifest the following qualities: 21 the changes must be cross-sectional; already existing procedures should be used to introduce the changes; indication of a set of factors necessary to achieve success. For more effective change management, it is necessary to have and further develop multidimensional resources, particularly the capital of strategic planning, company capital, social capital, human capital, sources of financing, infrastructure and technical capital K. Krzywicka- Szpor, Zarządzanie zmianą i, p M. Lisiecki, Konieczność zmian oraz ogólne zasady ich wprowadzania w organizacji. [in:] ed. Lisiecki M., Zmiany jako czynnik rozwoju organizacji., Wydawnictwo KUL, Lublin 2003, p D. K. Carr, K. J. Hard, W.J. Trahant, Zarządzanie procesem zmian., Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warszawa 1998, pp

11 For the process of changes to be effective, it must be based on the following seven steps: 23 mobilization of energy and involvement by means of common identification of problems and solutions to them; drawing up a vision of the changed and improved future accepted (shared) by all the interested entities; identification of leadership concerning the change, i.e. the leader to control the whole process; concentrating on current (short-term and fragmentary) results, not on particular actions; beginning the change from periphery (smaller areas) and spreading it to the whole area covered by change without pushing it from the top ; institutionalization of success by formal rules, systems and structures; monitoring and adapting the strategy of changes as a response to the occurring problems in the process of changes. Behaviour complying with the above-mentioned steps will allow to efficiently and effectively manage the process of changes occurring in an organization; 'effective' meaning one that ensures the achievement of the assumed objective. 5. Trends in the change management. Within the domain of management, there are different approaches to considering this issue. Literature sources point out three primary trends: 24 systemic (represented by: H.J. Leavitt, R.H. Waterman, T.J. Peters, J.R. Philips, A. Bednarski, J. Szlendak); behavioural (represented by: W.L. French, C.H. Bell, E. Masłyk - Musiał, M. Trocki, W.W. Burke, G.H. Litwin); 22 Analiza trendów rozwojowych i podejmowanych partnerskich inicjatyw i projektów gospodarczych. Przygotowanie do planowania i zarządzania zmianą gospodarczą w województwie małopolskim., PwC, Eurokreator, 2011, p K. Krzywicka- Szpor, Zarządzanie zmianą i okresem przejsciowym., Wydawnictwo MT Biznes, Warszawa 2002, pp A. Zarębska, Zmiany organizacyjne w przedsiębiorstwie. Teoria i praktyka., Wydawnictwo Difin, Warszawa 2002, pp and K. Krupa, Ewolucja procesu zmian organizacyjnych. Wybrane poglądy i koncepcje., Łódź 2012, pp ( 20/03/2013) 11

12 integrated (represented by: Z. Mikołajczyk, B. Wawrzyniak, M. Bratnicki, L. Clarke, D.K. Carr, K.J. Hard, W.J. Trahant, B. Grouard, F. Meston). The systemic (object) approach is based on the assumption that each organization is a system (a set of cooperating and interrelated elements) connected with the environment through information. That system is influenced by different forces but it will suffice to change the structures, technologies and people and the change will automatically spread to the whole organization. The essence of change management in that approach is based on working out mutual relations and adjusting individual elements of the system to one another, whereas all the difficulties result from unsuitable adjustment of particular components of the system (i.e. the strategy, structure, systems, action styles, personnel, skills, norms and values). The behavioural (subject) approach is mainly related to the areas of organizational structures, technologies, attitudes of individual participants of the changes and the essence and quality of employment relations. It treats change as a process of improving the organization, whose effectiveness depends on proper definition of methods, rules and procedures and the sense of need for change among the organization's members. It assumes that change is a condition of the organization's survival in the environment. However, it should occur not only in structures but also among the executives. It points out mutual relations of the participants of the change process and refers to educational methods of the trend of learning by experience. It emphasizes the special importance of the process of development of personalities and needs of the people who form the organization. The integrated (comprehensive) approach combines the elements of the systemic and behavioural approach. It points out the special role of leaders of changes in the change management process and the necessity to direct the changes in a strategic way. Conclusion Changes occurring both in organizations and in their environment are an inseparable element of the contemporary world. An organization, in order to survive and develop in the future, must skilfully and reasonably manage change with the use of all the available methods, tools and resources. It is not easy, it issues many challenges and requires overcoming a number of barriers but it is possible. 12

13 In the 21 st century, it must not be forgotten that change management is first of all: 25 the key skill of learning organizations which are oriented at the constant process of improvement; the most important skill of the people managing the organization; one of important aspects of economic entities transforming into companies managing knowledge. No doubt an increase of complexity and dynamics of changes in the environment has a detrimental effect on the process of management, complicates it to a great extent and forces the organization to look for newer and more effective ways of survival and development. 26 Thus, each organization should pay great attention to the process of change management, which is a tool and at the same time a way to find one's place in permanently changing environment. 25 K. Krupa, Ewolucja procesu zmian organizacyjnych, p R.W. Griffin, Podstawy zarządzania organizacjami., Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warszawa 1996, p

14 Bibliography 1. Bratnicki M., Zarządzanie zmianami w przedsiębiorstwie., Wydawnictwo Akademii Ekonomicznej im. Karola Adamieckiego w Katowicach, Katowice Bridges W., Zarządzanie zmianami. Jak maksymalnie skorzystać na procesach przejściowych., Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego w Krakowie, Kraków Bogdanienko J., Wprowadzenie do zarządzania., Wydawnictwo Wyższej Szkoły Finansów i Zarządzania w Białymstoku, Białystok Buhler P., Zarzadzanie., Wydawnictwo HELION, Gliwice Carr D. K., Hard K. J., Trahant W.J., Zarządzanie procesem zmian., Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warszawa Clarke L., Zarządzanie zmianami., Wydawnictwo Gegethner&Ska., Warszawa Daniecki W., Strategie zmian. Refleksje nad praktyką., Wydawnictwo SWPS Academica, Warszawa Drucker P.F., Zarządzanie XXI wieku wyzwania., Wydawnictwo MT Biznes, Warszawa Dziekoński K., Jurczuk A., Zarządzanie zmianą w procesach inicjatyw klastrowych., [in:] ed. Wasiluk A., Nowoczesne podejście do zarządzania organizacjami., Wydawnictwo Difin 10. Griffin R.W., Podstawy zarządzania organizacjami., Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warszawa Grzybowska K., Reorganizacja przedsiębiorstw. Zarządzanie zmianą organizacyjną., Wydawnictwo Politechniki Poznańskiej, Poznań Kisielnicki J., Zarządzanie organizacją., Oficyna Wydawnicza Wyższej Szkoły Handlu i Prawa im. Ryszarda Łazarskiego, Warszawa Kożuch B., Zarządzanie. Podstawowe zasady i funkcje., Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu w Białymstoku, Białystok

15 14. Koźmiński A.K., Piotrowski W., Zarządzanie. Teoria i praktyka., Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warszawa Koźmiński A. K., Jemielniak D., Zarządzanie od podstaw., Wydawnictwo Akademickie i Profesjonalne, Warszawa Krupa K., Ewolucja procesu zmian organizacyjnych. Wybrane poglądy i koncepcje., Łódź 2013 ( 20/03/2013) 17. Krzywicka- Szpor K., Zarządzanie zmianą i okresem przejściowym., Wydawnictwo MT Biznes, Warszawa Lisiecki M., Konieczność zmian oraz ogólne zasady ich wprowadzania w organizacji. [in:] ed. Lisiecki M., Zmiany jako czynnik rozwoju organizacji., Wydawnictwo KUL, Lublin Lisiecki M., Zmiany jako czynnik rozwoju organizacji, 20. Mikołajczyk Z., Zarzadzanie procesem zmian w organizacjach., Wydawnictwo Dolnoslaskiej Wyższej Szkoły Handlowej im. Wojciecha Korfantego w Katowicach, Katowice Roth G., Kurtyka M., Zarządzanie zmianą. Od strategii do działania., Wydawnictwo CeDeWu, Warszawa Webber R.A., Zasady zarządzania organizacjami., Polskie Wydawnictwo Ekonomiczne, Warszawa Wendt R.., Zarządzanie zmianą w polskiej firmie., Dom Wydawniczy Zachorek, Warszawa Wołowiec T., Reśko D., Strategia rozwoju gminy jako narzędzie zarządzania zmianą gospodarczą., Zeszyty Naukowe WSEI, series Ekonomia 5 (2/2012) 25. Zarębska A., Zmiany organizacyjne w przedsiębiorstwie. Teoria i praktyka., Wydawnictwo Difin, Warszawa Analiza trendów rozwojowych i podejmowanych partnerskich inicjatyw i projektów gospodarczych. Przygotowanie do planowania i zarządzania zmianą gospodarczą w województwie małopolskim., PwC, Eurokreator, 2011 ( Krakowski-Obszar-Metropolitalny.pdf, 20/03/2013) 15

16 27. Encyklopedia organizacji i zarządzania, Państwowe Wydawnictwo Ekonomiczne, Warszawa Zarzadzanie zmianą., Wydawnictwo Studio EMKA, Warszawa Zarządzanie zmianą i okresem przejściowym., Harvard Business Essentials, Wydawnictwo MT Biznes 16