Retaining employees for the long term within the framework of change management processes is a challenging management task. In change management processes, a fundamental distinction must be made between incremental change management and radical change management.
While incremental change happens continuously and is integrated into everyday work, radical change represents a strategic realignment of the company, which is predominantly associated with staff reductions and is intended to change the corporate culture. This is particularly true in the case of turnarounds, where cost-cutting programs play a crucial role in ensuring the long-term survival of the company.
Employees are more willing to go along with incremental change, also known as continuous improvement, than with radical change, as these could also be affected by staff reductions. This stirs up fears among employees and therefore often leads to high turnover. Therefore, it is important for management to actively involve employees in the changes to empower them to act as change agents so that they can actively shape the change. To do this, it is crucial to identify the key personnel that a company cannot do without. The management and key personnel are given the task of actively accompanying the company's employees on the journey of change so that the company can grow sustainably again from a lower level after the strategic realignment so that the remaining employees have a prosperous future.
Open communication and excellent transparency on the part of the management, which should also act as a unit, help to bring the employees along on the change journey in a targeted manner. However, experience has shown that 50% of all change management projects in the industry fail and 20% are implemented inadequately due to two crucial reasons, namely power struggles within management and resistance from employees. For this reason, it is imperative that a company's management team select a leadership coalition of similarly rational members who also have sufficient empathy to successfully manage the change management process, which must be done together with employees and should not be directed against them.
The guiding coalition should develop a common strategic vision and practice a participative way of working involving everyone, since the goal of transformation is to change the thinking of employees, and transformation can only be brought about together with employees.
Table of Contents
1 INTRODUCTION
2 THEORY
2.1 EMPLOYEE RETENTION MANAGEMENT
2.2 CHANGE MANAGEMENT APPROACHES TO RESTRUCTURING
2.3 CORPORATE CULTURE AND CHANGE MANAGEMENT
2.4 THEORIES TO GUIDE ACTION FOR RESTRUCTURING (RADICAL CHANGE)
2.4.1 LEWINS 3-PHASE MODEL
2.4.2 KOTTER’S 8-STEP MODEL
2.4.3 KRÜGER’S FIVE-PHASE MODEL
2.4.4 SCHMIDT-TANGER’S SIX-PHASE MODEL OF CHANGE
2.5 LEAN SIX SIGMA AS A SYSTEM OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT (INCREMENTAL CHANGE)
2.5.1 SIX SIGMA
2.5.2 LEAN
2.6 COMPOSITION OF TEAMS IN CHANGE PROCESSES
2.6.1 BELBIN TEAM ROLES
2.6.2 FIVE COLORS MODEL OF CALUWÉ AND VERMAAK
2.6.3 CREATIVITY THEORY BY WALT DISNEY
2.6.4 TEAM COMPOSITION BY DIVERSITY
2.6.5 TEAM COMPOSITION IN THE GENERATION MIX
2.6.6 TEAM COMPOSITION ACCORDING TO THE DISG MODEL
2.6.7 TEAM COMPOSITION ACCORDING TO THE EIGHT INSIGHTS TYPES
2.6.8 TEAM COMPOSITION ACCORDING TO MYERS BRIGGS' CHARACTER TYPES
2.7 TEAM PHASES OF TEAM DEVELOPMENT
2.8 LEADERSHIP
2.8.1 DEFINITION OF LEADERSHIP
2.8.2 COMPETENCIES OF A LEADER
2.8.3 MANAGEMENT AND ITS DISTINCTION FROM LEADERSHIP
2.8.4 LEADERSHIP STYLES
2.9 ORGANIZATION AND ITS DIFFERENT FORMS
2.9.1 FUNCTIONAL ORGANIZATIONAL LOGISTICS
2.9.2 THE BUSINESS UNIT SEGMENTATION
2.9.3 PROJECT ORGANIZATION
2.9.4 PROCESS ORGANIZATION
2.9.5 MATRIX ORGANIZATION
2.9.6 THE SECONDARY ORGANIZATION
2.10 INNOVATION
2.10.1 DEFINITION OF THE TERM INNOVATION
2.10.2 PULL- AND PUSH-INNOVATIONS
2.11 SUSTAINABILITY AND SUSTAINABLE CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
2.12 RESISTANCE
3 PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION OF CHANGE MANAGEMENT
3.1 IMPROVEMENT PLAN
3.2 INVESTIGATIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE IMPROVEMENT PLAN
3.3 SELECTION OF THE ADEQUATE CHANGE MANAGEMENT MODELS
3.4 STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS
3.5 PRESENTATION OF THE IMPROVEMENT PLAN
3.6 ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE IMPROVEMENT PLAN TO THE WORKS COUNCIL AND THE WORKFORCE
3.7 COMMUNICATION TOWARDS THE STAKEHOLDERS
3.8 NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN THE MANAGEMENT COALITION AND THE WORKS COUNCIL
3.9 NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE EMPLOYEES
3.10 EMPLOYEE RETENTION PROGRAM
3.10.1 SAFETY, HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT
3.10.2 LEADERSHIP STYLE
3.10.3 LEADERSHIP STYLE
3.10.4 FURTHER EDUCATION PACT
3.10.5 WORK PROCESSES
3.10.6 FLEXIBILIZATION OF WORKING TIME
3.10.7 SOCIAL PROGRAMS TO PROMOTE TEAM SPIRIT
4 CONCLUSION
Objectives and Topics
The primary aim of this work is to provide practical guidance on retaining key employees during complex change management processes. It explores how management can transform resistance into productive participation by integrating human-centric leadership with strategic organizational restructuring.
- Strategic approaches to incremental and radical change management.
- Methods for effective employee retention and talent management.
- Psychological aspects of employee motivation and team dynamics.
- Practical implementation of Lean and Six Sigma in operational processes.
- The role of leadership styles and organizational structures in facilitating transformation.
Excerpt from the Book
1 Introduction
More than 2,500 years ago, the Greek philosopher Heraclitus made the statement that nothing is as constant as change. This statement is confirmed by Werner Seidenschwarz, since for him the only constant of change lies in the process. Although, according to Heraclitus, on the one hand nothing is as constant as change, on the other hand man is a creature of habit. This means that man uses well-worn systems because they are familiar to him as routine. He often does not think about his actions at all, but simply reels off his program as he is used to it and holds on to the tried and tested, because it is comfortable for him. Consequently, it is difficult for people to change themselves or to make changes to systems, so that they often offer resistance and reveal rejection in the event that a change is imminent, especially if they are directly affected by it. This concerns both the social, private and professional sphere.
Thus, when new situations arise, his behavior is often not purposeful, because he moves in a wrong direction. Only when he finds himself in a dead-end situation or is confronted with crises, so that no further way out is in sight for him, he will have to leave the comfort zone and make efforts to tread a new path, i.e. the path of change, which should lead him to the goal.
Summary of Chapters
1 INTRODUCTION: This chapter introduces the inevitability of change and the resistance humans naturally exhibit, establishing the importance of managing change through conscious effort.
2 THEORY: This section provides the theoretical foundation, detailing various models for change management, employee retention, leadership, and organizational structure.
3 PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION OF CHANGE MANAGEMENT: This chapter guides the reader through the actual application of change management in a company, from planning to negotiation and employee retention.
4 CONCLUSION: This chapter reiterates that change is the only constant and that successful management requires both continuous improvement and radical realignment together with the workforce.
Keywords
Change Management, Employee Retention, Radical Change, Incremental Change, Lean Management, Six Sigma, Leadership Styles, Corporate Culture, Organizational Design, Talent Management, Employee Motivation, Sustainability, Resistance Management, Team Development, Human Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this book?
The book focuses on how to retain employees during strategic change processes, emphasizing the necessity of integrating human-centric management with operational restructuring.
What are the central themes discussed?
Key themes include radical vs. incremental change, the psychology of resistance, organizational structure, leadership competencies, and the practical application of tools like Lean Six Sigma.
What is the primary target of this research?
The primary target is the long-term retention of key personnel during corporate turnarounds, ensuring the company's survival and future growth.
Which methodologies are presented for practitioners?
The book presents several models, including Kotter’s 8-step model, Lewin’s 3-phase model, and the Six Sigma DMAIC cycle for process improvement.
What does the practical implementation section cover?
It provides a roadmap for restructuring, starting with development of an improvement plan, stakeholder analysis, and negotiations, culminating in specific employee retention programs.
Which keywords classify this work for search purposes?
Important keywords include Change Management, Employee Retention, Corporate Culture, Lean Management, and Leadership.
How does the author categorize the differences between 'Management' and 'Leadership'?
The author identifies management as dealing with complexity, planning, and control, whereas leadership is focused on steering change, providing orientation, and motivating the workforce.
What is the significance of the generation mix in this context?
It highlights how different generational cohorts (Baby Boomers to Generation Alpha) have distinct values and needs, requiring managers to adapt their communication and retention strategies accordingly.
How is the "Great Place to Work" model used here?
It is used to define dimensions like credibility, respect, and fairness that are essential for building trust and fundamental for increasing employees' intrinsic motivation.
- Citar trabajo
- Prof. Dr. Michael Kurwan (Autor), 2023, Employee Retention in Change Management Processes. Practical Experience, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1348437
