Implementing Organizational Change: Issues And Solutions At B.R. Richardson Timber Product Corporation

Question:

Discuss about the Leadership and Supervision Majors.

Change is inevitable for any organization looking forward to growth, efficiency, innovation, and more general success. To meet the goals, targets, and expectations in a corporation, there is a need for development and implementation of new ideas (Bolaji, 2011). Change is an enhanced interlocking between an organization and the setting in which it is evolving as well as a more effective and efficient working methods (Freeman &McVea, 2014).To effectively implement change in an organization, it should be one that can be embraced by the majority of the corporation community. Richardson Timber Product Corporation needs a positive change by all means to realize a significant growth.

The purpose of this report is to analyze the issues in B. R. Richardson Timber Product Corporation and how they have affected the organization. Also, it is purposed to suggest probable measures to be undertaken to cope with the challenges.

The report evaluates the situation of Richardson Timber Product Corporation and critically analyzes the corporation operation and management issues. The analysis is drawn from the responses provided by the organization employees and observations during a visit to the company.

Technology is an ever-growing process. Technological developments in an organization increase the aspirations and expectations of employees, investors, customers, competitors and other stakeholders of the corporation (Akinsaya&Momoh, 2012). It also develops the concept of competition with other producers and suppliers. Embracing modern means of communication is very vital in conveying information among the organization's management, employees, consumers, and suppliers. Richardson Timber experiences communication issues among the management and employees. Juanita reiterates that information concerning the flow of cash in the organization is a weak spot of Joe’s administration. Some members' supervision regarding their performance is poor leading to sloppy work. An example is Nita misbidding because Sue did not get the bid back to a customer. Another instance is when Sue ran out of invoice papers which meant that they had to scamper around to look for a solution. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the management to keep pace with the growing technology to maximize the opportunities for success (Patrick, 2010). Richardson Timber ought to embrace modern information technologies to improve consumer satisfaction and employee performance.

The relationship between an organization and the public plays a significant role in its success. A corporation is obliged to develop and maintain a functional association with the society in which it is established (Beverungen & Case, 2011).The company and the people around need each other equally (Beverungen, Dunne &Hoedemaekers, 2013). The organization is meant to serve the community satisfactorily and contribute significantly to the growth of the society.

Proposed solutions

Richardson Timber has a poor reputation in the community. The lousy relationship is as a result of increased matters of turnover, accidents, and fatality. For instance, Fuller was hit by a beam and was off for seven weeks. He was replaced. The organization has failed to create a propitious environment for workers. The glue section is overcrowded making movement around difficult. There are band saws without guarding which can cause accidents. Furthermore, workers use helmets of poor quality which endangers their safety. Therefore, the management should ensure that they put safety measures in their operation right from cutting trees, transportation, and processing to manage accidents and death.

Employees are essential elements of a corporation. When the management and the workers share the same values goals and attitudes, it becomes easy for an organization to meet its objectives (Bjerregaard&Lauring, 2013). Maintaining mutual relation between managers and workers boosts morale improving performance (Benrazavi & Silong, 2013). Employees ought to feel they are in charge of their work and can perform their duties at their convenience. Some workers at Richardson Timber tend to be unhappy. Employees overwork and have no enough time for their families and leisure which causes unrest at work. They have a softball team, but some are frustrated because they cannot always play for they work into the late evening. Additionally, the management does not care about the worker's conditions and welfare. The employees are expected to work regardless of the prevailing circumstances. For instance, one worker was hurt and died, but the other employees were supposed to work with their colleague dead.

Workforce diversification dimensions mainly consist of age and gender. It affects an organization in several ways. It can be a source of creativity, cost advantage, marketing, conflict resolution, resource acquisition, and system flexibility (Engelen, 2011). Most of the workers at Richardson Timer Product Corporation are youngsters. They do not take their work seriously and are not very responsible. They take off whenever they feel it leading to an increase in employee turnover in the organization. Eventually, the company’s performance is altered and its reputation diminished. Richardson Timber should balance its employees regarding age to bring in some more experienced workers. Their experience will not only be vital to the company's performance but also a role model to the youngsters (Diab & Ajlouni, 2015). Incorporating employees of diversified ages and gender will help the organization in innovation and conflict resolution management among employees.

Models of Organizational Change Management

Richardson Timber Product Corporation needs change for the organization to stabilize and cope with the challenges discussed above. The following models of organizational change management can be applied.

Corporations are made up of systems which consist of four critical variables. These are structure, goal, technology, and players.

In this model, structure involves communication, authority, responsibility, and work relations. Technology includes the total techniques and instruments used in striving towards the organization’s objectives. Goals are considered as the rationale which supports the corporation’s existence and function. Players are the employees. These variables are inter-related such that when one is modified, change is realized on the others (Danish, Ramzan& Ahmad, 2013). Richardson Timber Product Corporation ought to look into its structure, technology, goals, and players. Basing on the issues in the organization, a modification is needed in all the variables to realize the required change. The management needs to reevaluate its structure, that is, responsibility, communication, authority and their work relations (Ghorbanhosseini, 2012). Employees who are the players in this model should be provided with better and safe working conditions.

Kurt Lewin argues that change occur when the forces which support the stability behavior of a system are modified. The situation of a given scheme at a given time is a result of interactive forces - those that maintain the status quo and those that try to modify it (Hafeez& Akbar, 2015). When the two balances, then the organization is in a state of quasi-stationary equilibrium. This analytical model consists of three stages: unfreeze, transition and refreeze.

This phase involves minimizing the forces which sustain the behavior of an organization at a particular level. This step can be realized by introduction of information which depicts the presence of an absolute distinction between the conditions expected by the workers and the current behavior.

This phase is about modifying corporation’s behavior with the aim of progressing to another level of its plans. New attitudes and values are developed by changing the organizational processes and structures. The corporation’s management implements the changes required to meet the set goals in the system (Mhaskar, 2010). The employees are given time to adjust and accept the new values and attitudes introduced in the organization.

At this stage, the implemented changes are reinforced to bring about stability in the organization. The reinforcement can be accomplished by converting the new behaviors into policies to bar introduction of more alternatives. Organizational norms, policies, culture, and structures are the main pillars which aid in supporting the implementation of refreezing phase.

Conclusion

This model was suggested by American authors; Jeanne Watson, Bruce Westley and Ronald Lippitt and it is a development of Kurt Lewin’s theory. The seven stages of this model are as follows:

Existence and increasing of a need for change – this step corresponds to the Lewin's unfreezing phase. This is the point when an organization identifies the challenges it is facing and develops a necessity to solve them.

Setting an outline of relations attached to change – in this phase, the relationship between the organization and the agents of change is established. The management initiates a scheme to try solving the issues identified.

Analyzing the corporations concerns – the issues in the organization are diagnosed to device appropriate measures in coping with them.

Probing the alternative methods and goals – targets and intentions for actions of change of the system are set.

Converting aims into real efforts to change – at this stage, the set measures are put into action steered towards the realization of needed change.

Stabilizing change – this stage corresponds to the refreezing phase in Lewin’s model. Modifications are implemented and reinforced to bring the change required.

Defining the final relationship between the corporation and the change agents – the organization assesses the progress of change.

Conclusion

Before modification is introduced, an organization is supposed to evaluate whether there is a need for change. The conditions in the corporation should be analyzed and a credible scheme that suits its needs developed. Also, it is vital to ensure that all the stakeholders are considered for significant modification to be successfully implemented. It is clear that there are a variety of factors which may trigger a change in a company. Various theories on organizational change management ought to be applied to corporations that need change. These models can be employed by the Richardson Timber Product Corporation to stabilize.

Planning is crucial in implementing change process in an organization. Therefore, a corporation has to adopt the best model to modify its structure by creating an outline that is essential to the company. This framework provides guidelines which steer the company towards meeting the set objectives and intentions.

Various recommendations can be made based on the study. First and foremost, Richardson Timber Corporation should embrace modern information technology. The management must keep pace with the growing technology to maximize the opportunities for success. Computers can be used in the organization to serve various purposes such as financial analysis, documentations, and communication.

Additionally, employees working conditions should be improved. The safety of workers ought to be given priority since they are the leading players in the production process. They have to be provided with quality helmets and ensure that equipment such as band saws have guards to avoid injuries.

Also, Richardson Timber should empower its employees to make them feel to be part of the organization. Empowerment can be achieved through the provision of non-monetary benefits such as taking them to educational workshops, providing lunch at work and pension.

Furthermore, more employees should be employed to reduce workload and minimize unrest at work. With enough workers, they can work in shifts to avoid overworking – which is leads to accidents.

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