“If you always do - What you always did - You will always get - What you always got." (Lincoln)
Most of the change management processes break down while only thirty percent of the change management processes are successful.
This quotation defines the current problem or better to say the difficulties of organizations in realizing a successful change management nowadays. Thus, it is very important that the organizations create “change (they) can believe in” like Barack Obama carried out with his numerous successful changes, such as the rapid end to war in Iraq, the decrease in energy dependence and the setting up of universal health care.
Seen from a business context, the critical factors and success factors in a change management process will be analyzed on the basis of a fictitious example, the Paradise Hotel in London which is a luxurious five star hotel and a member of SLH (Small Luxury Hotels of the World). It is a small hotel, organized as a multi-line system, with thirty-five double rooms and forty suites available in different categories as, e.g. junior suite, premium suite and honeymoon suite. Around thirty employees work in this hotel at an average of four to five years.
By identifying the critical factors and the success factors of the Paradise Hotel, measures can be taken by the management to implement the single steps of the change management process successfully in the company and thus to achieve the company´s goal.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction of Change Management
1.1 Target
1.2 Structure
2. Theoretical Aspects of Change Management
2.1 Definition
2.2 Causes
3. Change Management Process in Practice
3.1 Preparation Phase
3.2 Planning Phase
3.3 Execution Phase
3.4 Supporting Measures
4. Critical Review of Change Management
4.1 Critical Factors
4.2 Success Factors
5. Conclusion
Objectives and Thematic Focus
The primary objective of this essay is to analyze the critical and success factors of change management processes within a business environment. By utilizing the Paradise Hotel as a fictitious case study, the author examines how organizational structures and employee engagement influence the transition from a current operational state to a desired future goal.
- Analysis of the three phases of the change management process (Preparation, Planning, Execution).
- Evaluation of internal and external drivers that necessitate organizational change.
- Examination of the human factor and the psychological impact of change on staff.
- Application of learning theories, including single-loop, double-loop, and deutero learning, in organizational development.
Excerpt from the Book
3.3 Execution Phase
The execution phase can be subdivided into two phases: the execution of measures and maintaining of learning transfers.
“After performing a precise diagnosis and designing a transparent architecture, after selecting the appropriate change measures and running a successful pilot (project), the (change measures) must now be implemented” in the company.29 In this phase the company realizes the, in the second phase created and in a pilot project tested, change measures. The Paradise Hotel, for instance monitors from now on two times a week the service quality of the front desk employees.
The results of the implemented change measures in the company must be regularly controlled and perhaps modified for the company´s daily routine by modifying the tasks and the desired change state.
A “change cockpit” is needed for the identification of critical factors and for the control of “hard and soft facts” in the change process.30 These critical factors should regularly be measured, because they can cause deviation from the intended path of change. Examples of “hard facts”, which can be quantified easily and precisely, are the rate of errors, the process costs, the company´s productivity and so on. In contrast, “soft facts” cannot be specified as precisely as “hard facts”, but for example customer and staff satisfaction are two indicators for “soft facts” in an organization.31
The second step in the third phase is the maintaining of learning transfers, a learning transfer describes how the organization learns and adapts changes and can be distinguished in three types: the single and double loop learning process and the deutero learning process.32 These are different types of learning transfers which a company can utilize to manage occurring problems in their organisation.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction of Change Management: Outlines the target of the essay and presents the Paradise Hotel as a fictitious case study for organizational change.
2. Theoretical Aspects of Change Management: Defines change management as a tool for adaptation and identifies internal and external drivers that trigger the need for organizational change.
3. Change Management Process in Practice: Details the three core phases—preparation, planning, and execution—and explains how communication and learning processes support these transitions.
4. Critical Review of Change Management: Analyzes the primary obstacles to change, such as staff fear and resistance, and highlights success factors like leadership and integration of the human aspect.
5. Conclusion: Summarizes that successful change management requires an integrated approach where leadership, vision, and a culture of confidence facilitate long-term organizational success.
Keywords
Change Management, Paradise Hotel, Organizational Culture, Preparation Phase, Planning Phase, Execution Phase, Staff Resistance, Critical Factors, Success Factors, Human Factor, Single Loop Learning, Double Loop Learning, Deutero Learning, Communication Measures, Vision Creation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
This essay explores the mechanics of change management processes within an organization, specifically demonstrating how companies can successfully implement transitions.
What is the central case study used?
The author uses the Paradise Hotel, a fictitious luxury five-star hotel, to illustrate theoretical concepts in a practical business context.
What is the primary objective of this work?
The aim is to identify the critical success factors that ensure a change process is effectively realized while minimizing resistance from employees.
Which methodology is applied in the research?
The research is based on a descriptive analysis of organizational change theories and their practical application through a business case study.
What does the main part of the paper cover?
The main body covers the three distinct phases of change management (preparation, planning, and execution) as well as the supporting measures and an evaluation of critical versus success factors.
What are the characterizing keywords?
Key terms include Change Management, Organizational Culture, Staff Resistance, Human Factor, and various learning loops.
How is the "human factor" addressed in the context of change?
The paper highlights that ignoring the feelings and behaviors of staff is a primary cause for the failure of change processes, emphasizing that management must integrate human needs to secure commitment.
What role do "learning transfers" play?
Learning transfers, such as single-loop and double-loop learning, are described as essential methods for organizations to adapt, evaluate failures, and improve their internal processes.
- Citation du texte
- Saskia Felicitas Werner (Auteur), 2013, The Three Phases of the Change Management Process, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/211823
