Organizational Behavior

Organizational Behavior- Spring Semester 2013/2014

5th Case Study

Helder Sá- nº11025

Organizational change is a delicate aspect to discuss in order to find out if it will help or not the company. According to Dr. John Kotter’s research, “70% of all major change efforts in organizations fail. Why do they fail? Because organizations often do not take the holistic approach required to see the change through”.

In this case study, it is presented the opportunity to take a company to a new level, through the chance of betting in innovation and usage of new technologies. However, it is useful to have a good plan in order to implement the new way of working inside The New England Arts Project.

Relating this case to Kotter’s theory (8-Step Process for Leading Change), we should find the best way to command this innovation and change process.

1st step- “Establishing a Sense of Urgency”, it is necessary to make employees understand the importance of adapting to a new era and that is urgent to change in order to fight with competitors that fit better with the market, making this a competitive advantage over others. Also, Suzanne Clammer should guarantee to their workers that it will be a success if they follow her ideas.

2nd step- “Creating the Guiding Coalition”, the team is really important throughout the process. The initiative will not be successful if employees feel that it will prejudice the company. For that, Suzanne should avoid or try to manipulate negative feelings such as those workers that have problems or with “English grammar” or with learning computer language. These employees won’t be open to a change since they think that they already are efficient in this type of job without using a computer. So, the team as a whole should have the “Four Qualities” presented: Position Power (key players are necessary to impede block barriers); Expertise (it is essential to have different points of view from experts so that intelligent decisions can be made); Credibility (the team should be respected inside the firm); Leadership (strong leader with clear ideas to better driven all the obstacles).

3rd step- “Developing a Change Vision”, an effective vision provides a clear trend to the purposed objectives. In this case, maybe some formation should be given to older employees, giving incentives to get them excited with the new initiatives.

4th step- “Communicating the Vision for Buy-in”, be sure that all the workers accept the vision and understand it as better as possible, giving strong arguments about how well the company will work with the computer, the bureaucracies and time they could save by the implementation, increasing performance.