Change Management and Communication Plan (Essay Sample)

Change Management and Communication Plan
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Riordan Manufacturer required a new formal consumer information system that would accommodate all its employees. The managers, therefore, assigned the consultants under team A with the task of developing a change management plan and the appropriate communication plan for Riordan Manufacturing. The team reviewed the organization's intranet sites to help in understanding the different aspects of the manufacturing firm. The team then discussed the possible solutions and the challenges expected in the paper below. The article also includes the structures within the company and the potential structures to implement the change. The article also discusses the possible cause of resistance and the remedies that the managers and team leaders need to take to solve the issues. Moreover, an e-mail is sent to all the employees to clarify the structures and the change implementation process.
Change Management Plan
Formal and Informal Power Structures
Riordan manufacturing company is composed of both formal and informal power structures. The official power structure is readily identifiable through the company’s organizational chart. The legal powers structure is considered a legitimate power that represents the formal organization and enables it to represent authority to facilitate control over the organizational resources. However, the informal power structure in place is considered an expert power. The company has divisions of departments that are managed by various managers and other team leaders. The political structure of the enterprise affects their employee’s behavior and interactions to one another.
Effective Organizational Structure
Riordan Manufacturing headquarters has its location based in California. The company employs a large number of employees in their various branches and has other facilities located in China and within the United States. The organizational goal and vision involve the implementation of strategies that employees can utilize. Therefore, the most appropriate organizational structure that he company needs to employ is the bureaucratic structure. The structure is favorable because it will enable the organization to manage their manufacturing processes across the various departmental levels (Luthans, 1977). Moreover, the company will also benefit from the effectiveness of the structure since I require minimum duplication of the personnel and equipment during the production process.
Effects of Employee Behavior
The advantage of the bureaucratic structure is that it provides an organization with the consistency and simplicity when conveying of messages (Luthans, 1977). The messages are transmitted between different hierarchies hence establishes an effective organizational directive for employees to follow. However, some employees develop frustrations between the various hierarchy levels when their lack belief in the management and lack input in the decision-making process.
Characteristics of Culture and Influence on Behavior
The company’s culture affects how employees perform and relate to their supervisors and other fellow workers. In return, the behavior possessed by employees will affect their performance and work response. Riordan Manufacturers possess an organizational culture that favors fairness, dedication, trust, teamwork, and performance evaluations. The company also promotes cultures related to the care of the disable workers, educational assistance and provision of health insurance. Moreover, the company also values vacations and holiday trips among others. The organization, therefore, strives to provide quality services to their employees and promote their comfort and satisfaction to their work. However, the company should research and learn more concerning the ways of implementing organizational changes effectively.
Potential Sources of Resistance to Change
Every new change experiences a restriction towards it. Most of the organizational change restrictions arise from the employees who feel that their rights and responsibilities are not favored (Dean, 1981). The major causes of resistance involve the inadequate awareness of the change, fear of the consequences accompanied by the change process and other individual personal interest. The managers should, therefore, strategize and present favorable ways to convince the employees on the need for change. Moreover, the managers can also utilize meetings to bring the clear picture why change is required in the organization. During the meetings, they should identify and consider possible views from the employees before employing the strategies. It will help the organization to achieve its desired goals and guarantee future changes that will lead to success in their operations.
Recommended Strategy
Moreover, the team recommends implementation of an effective modern communication strategy to enable the company to convey information effectively between its consumers and employees. The company, however, needs to monitor the implementation process to ensure the it is efficient and favor its operations. An open communication strategy will involve all the employees in the decision-making process when implementing the changes (Dean, 1981). The involvement of workers will, therefore, facilitate their satisfaction and influence their success as well. Moreover, the strategy will require the trust from different departmental heads and teams to implement it.
Measuring Success or Failure
The process of change implementation requires continuous monitoring from time to time. This is effective since it determines whether the change process is significantly improving or stagnant. The managers, therefore, need to prepare evaluation assessments to their both employees and consumers to test for their take on the implementation process. Moreover, they should hold meetings weekly to get the opinions from employees in different manufacturing firms. It will also be appropriate if the managers meet every month to discuss the developmental changes and the ideas acquired from the various employees. It will promote unity among the employees from different levels to work together and implement the new consumer information system successfully.
Communication Plan
Appropriate Channels
Identifying the active communication channels is essential for a company operation (Gopal, 2009). The company has branches in different nations, therefore, makes other communication strategy complicated. Employing the modern technology like the internet, online meetings via social Medias and the intranet will ease the transfer of information between different firms in China and the USA.
Potential Barriers
Recognition of obstacles that deter effective communication between the departmental firms in the Riordan organization is significant to fac...