Introduction
Red Carpet is facing certain issues as its performance is low due to some organizational flaws. The need for change is urgent due to the competitive environment the company has to operate in. It is possible to employ one of the change management models that are commonly used. These can be the Appreciative Inquiry Model, OD Action Research Model, and Kotter’s Eight-Step Model. This presentation outlines the major problems the company has to address, describes the models, their advantages, and disadvantages. Recommendations are also provided regarding the most appropriate model to be utilized.
Major Problems to Be Addressed
Red Carpet is now facing a set of problems that are deeply rooted in the lack of culture and ineffective communication. The establishment of culture can be a key to the organization’s success. It will result in enhanced collaboration, improved performance, and high-quality services and products. Many employees are still reluctant to see the need for change and can be resistant to any innovations.
Appreciative Inquiry
The Appreciative Inquiry Model is associated with such concepts as democracy, individual development, collaboration, and the focus on existing solutions that work well (Stavros, Godwin, & Cooperrider, 2015). These aspects can also be regarded as the strengths of the framework. The involvement of all stakeholders is another advantage as employees feel their responsibility and are more eager to implement the change than resist it. One of the weaknesses of the model is its ambiguity and the focus on people’s preferences rather than specific solutions that can be described and applied easily. It also needs a strong culture, which is not always in place.
Kotter’s Eight-Step Model
One of the major strengths of the model is the detailed description of key steps that lead to change (Rothwell, 2015). The change agent first creates urgency, searches for the team to develop a plan and implement it, shares vision, and communicates the urgency of the change. The following set of steps helps in the implementation of the change as the leader empowers employees, creates short-term goals, remains persistent, and ensures that the change is permanent. These steps are instrumental in the process of transition. The disadvantage of the framework is it’s being time-consuming and prone to résistance.
OD Action Research Model
OD Action Research Model facilitates change through the focus on research, collaboration, learning, and problem-solving. Burke’s 7-Step Model is one of the most common frameworks based on these principles. The primary advantage of the model is its potential to create a learning culture and facilitate collaboration (Rothwell, Sullivan, Kim, Park, & Donahue, 2015). All key stakeholders are involved in searching for existing problems and solutions that could be appropriate for all the employees. The disadvantages of the model include its being time-consuming, quite expensive, and relying on the existing culture, which is a problem for a company with no well-established culture.
Recommendations
Red Carpet will benefit from the use of Burke’s 7-step model as this framework fosters a learning culture the company is lacking. The model implies the collaboration between employees and the creation of specific communication channels that will help the organization enhance its performance. Employees will have an opportunity to improve certain processes. Since Red Carpet does not have an effective culture, it can utilize the organizational culture of Sparkstar where employees share values and vision. Due to the employee relations issues existing in Red Carpet, any changes are likely to evoke resistance that has to be addressed.
Overcoming Resistance
In order to overcome resistance, it is essential to introduce employee training that will involve team building and communication skills improvement. Training, as well as the implementation of projects, should imply the development of teams consisting of employees of different departments and divisions. The teams cannot be permanent since working in different teams facilitates communication. The use of technology is crucial as it improves knowledge sharing. It is necessary to utilize such means as for corporate instant messengers, shared knowledge base, and computer-based conferences and workshops. The most effective employees or teams can be rewarded in different ways, which will enhance motivation. The focus should be on collaboration and team performance rather than individual achievements. Finally, the empowerment of employees will also have a positive impact on their motivation, performance, and acceptance of the change.
Conclusion
Red Carpet will benefit from the use of Burke’s 7-step model due to its focus on collaboration and learning that are needed for the company. Employee relations will be improved by fostering a learning culture and the development of various communication channels. Since Sparkstar’s organizational culture has proved to be effective, it is possible to adopt it. The close collaboration between the employees of Red Carpet and Sparkstar is instrumental in reaching this goal.
References
Rothwell, W. J. (2015). Organization development fundamentals: Managing strategic change. Alexandria, VA: ATD Press.
Rothwell, W. J., Sullivan, R. L., Kim, T., Park, J. G., & Donahue, W. E. (2015). Organization development and transformation: What it takes. In W. J. Rothwell, J. M. Stavros, & R. L. Sullivan (Eds.), Practicing organization development: Leading transformation and change (pp. 42-60). Hoboken, NJ: Springer.
Stavros, J. M., Godwin, L. N., & Cooperrider, D. L. (2015). Appreciative inquiry: Organization development and the strengths revolution. In W. J. Rothwell, J. M. Stavros, & R. L. Sullivan (Eds.), Practicing organization development: Leading transformation and change (pp. 96-116). Hoboken, NJ: Springer.