HR Role in Managing Organizational Change

Organizational change refers to how organizations learn to respond to internal and external pressures to survive and be relevant in the future. The contemporary business environment issues, such as the increased rate of technological progress, increased global competition, fluctuating consumer demand, and an unstable economy, pose a challenge to the static view of organizations. The rapid pace of change has evolved from a static model to a steady flow of transition that needs framework and planning: HR Role in Managing Organizational Change.

Sustained change raises questions that threaten to disrupt conventional operation modes (Kirby, 2019). Exogenous factors like technology challenges, law changes, and competition pressure organizations to review their strategies and practices. Internally, change agent expectations, leadership, and culture changes are key in determining organisational change. Under such conditions, organizational agility is necessary to help companies manage newly identified trends and threats.

Applying change in a complex environment requires the organization to adapt, build resistance, and engage in learning processes. According to Andia (2019), organizations need to run fundamental processes while trying to find new ways to adapt, using concepts of stability and flexibility. Incorporating change management covers awareness, communications, and engagement of all professionals, as well as compatibility with the organization’s objectives. Specifically, organisational change is not just about managing change but also about gaining from it.

Therefore, companies can develop adaptability into their strategic structures, thus developing sustainable growth strategies and being more competitive despite the dynamic world. Such a view establishes the basis of how the Total Rewards Strategy can bring about such change in a positive manner by integrating employee remunerations as well as incentives in line with organization goals.

Recommendation of a Change Management Process for this Initiative

Regarding the total rewards strategy, a practical, theoretical concept that can be followed in a changing organizational context is the ADKAR model, which depicts awareness, desire, knowledge, ability, and reinforcement. Even more important, the above approach guarantees change permanence by simultaneously addressing two levels of change: organizational and individual.

Rationale for ADKAR

ADKAR is valuable when implementing an intricate process such as a Total Rewards Strategy. Employees need to appreciate not only the advantages of the organization but also the advantages of the changes in compensation, benefits, and recognition programs. Since the ADKAR model focuses on certain limits of adoption, it reduces the level of resistance, increases the level of involvement and guarantees long-term effectiveness.

As for awareness, one must emphasize the necessity of change and clarify the relation of the total rewards strategy to the organization’s objectives, such as employee turnover, engagement, and corporate social responsibility. Leadership messaging should be relied on to build awareness.

Second, there is a need to increase demand by creating motivation and support. Notably, this will be accomplished by emphasizing the ways in which the new approach will benefit the organization’s workers in the short term, such as through more pay structure transparency, the supply of extremely competitive perks, and recognition of internal contributions. Furthermore, employee support should be encouraged through focus groups, surveys, and testimonies. Third, knowledge can be strengthened through training the employees and managers on the new strategy and providing tools that will enable them to familiarize themselves with the components of the new strategy.

Fourth, managers are prepared to implement the given strategy with protocols and tools that will update their ability and give clear guidelines. Pilot processes can run through some procedures to identify shortcomings in this area. Thus, the question is, in what way does the specified model need further support? Use success stories and even identify certain visionary early adopters of the strategy to focus on the positive impacts that the strategy delivers.

Role of the HR Director as a Change Agent

As an HR Director at Global ProTech and the change agent tasked with implementing the Total Rewards Strategy, my major responsibilities would entail organizational alignment of goals and employees, not forgetting the change management process. To add optimal HR value, the first step I would take is to determine the vision. Based on the recommendations, I would clearly state the strategic goals of the Total Rewards Strategy.

The Rewards Strategy aligns with Global ProTech’s mission, which envisions enhancing innovation, attracting talent and promoting corporate social responsibility. I would explain how this strategy will enhance the firm’s competitive positioning as leaders in their respective markets and an employer of choice to support my call for change.

All the stakeholders would be involved. With the executive managers, I would engage them to be part and parcel of the process, hence getting their support. Notably, this would bolster the effort at the visible level so that significant points related to the messages would be disseminated to interested stakeholders. Also, I would regularly liaise with my subordinates’ department heads and managers to address their worries and incorporate them into the speciality to accommodate the various teams.

I will endeavour to provide transparency in the organization. Since I would be open with everyone, I would ensure that I build trust in employees. Another issue is that meetings and feedback sessions will maintain transparency and establish employment with a democratic appearance. For this reason, I will provide training as well as support. Importantly, this will be done to enhance manager and employee autonomy.

Anticipating Reactions and Overcoming Obstacles to Change

When operating a total reward system, common responses and challenges must be considered during implementation to allow for an effective change management strategy. Some typical counter-organizational behaviours are resistance, scepticism, and passive low-involvement responses frequently based on perceptions of unfairness, losses, and current benefit reduction or misinterpretation of the strategic renewal (Baran et al., 2019). Managers may also be under pressure when making the change, and effective communication is needed to implement the change in the process.

Organizational inertia is the final challenge since earlier practices and dispositions affect the organization’s adoption choice. Some workers do not like change and may refuse to change established organizational pay systems or implement new benefits programs. Further, lack of communication or poor training can cause confusion and mistrust, worsening resistance.

To counteract these problems, the implementation of a change management plan would focus on the consistent communication of the official explanation of the new action plan, its advantages, and its schedule. In addition, I will include the employees from the employee’s side through questionnaires and focus group discussions, with a view to allaying their fears and cultivating the culture of ownership. Furthermore, I will provide managers with tools and samples so they feel they can explain and enforce the changes.

There will be different forms of support to be delivered. For example, when clients have unique issues to discuss, I can take them through one-on-one counselling. Finally, I will develop a reinforcement kind of environment in line with victory celebrations where we note down all victories and early accomplishments to build trust and speed.

References

Kirby, D. (2019). Changing the nature of organizational change. Links to an external site.

Strategic HR Review,18(4), 155–160. https://doi.org/10.1108/SHR-05-2019-0036

Baran, B. E., Filipkowski, J. N., & Stockwell, R. A. (2019). Organizational change: Perspectives

From human resource management. Journal of Change

Management, 19(3), 201–219. https://doi.org/10.1080/14697017.2018.1502800

Andia, L. (2019). Why partnering with HR during organisational change matters: It is not just

about moving boxes. Performance Improvement, 58(1), 6–9.

https://doi.org/10.1002/pfi.21834

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Question

Consider the following scenario, which involves a change initiative at Global ProTech.

Executive leadership at Global ProTech is holding a series of meetings focused on changing the organization’s mission from one of business and technology to one of technology and innovation. Along with this change, there will also be a new organizational structure geared to promoting creativity and innovation.

As the corporate HR executive, you have been asked to take a key role in these meetings, i.e., planning and guiding the initiative. In particular, you have been brought in to develop the structure of the change and anticipate the resistance to change related to moving from a low-risk technology focus to a high-risk innovation environment.

You agree with recent HR literature that change is better received and often more successful if it is “reimagined as natural and ongoing rather than episodic” (Kirby, 2019). You recognize the current situation as an opportunity to lend strategic HR value to the change process.

Drawing upon Kirby’s article, “Changing the Nature of Organizational Change,”and at least one additional assigned reading, develop a proposal for corporate leadership to utilize in this corporate initiative, positioning it to be a sustainable, thus successful long-term, system-wide change.

HR Role in Managing Organizational Change

To complete this Assignment, review the Learning Resources for this week and respond to the following key points in a 3- to 5-page academic paper.

Introduce and briefly review the concept of organizational change in a dynamic environment.
Recommend a change management process or approach for this initiative. Provide a rationale and key steps, explaining how they support the recommendation.
As the HR director at Global ProTech, explain what you would do as the change agent to lend strategic HR value to this change process.
Address typical reactions and/or obstacles to change that might be expected and, thus, anticipated as part of planning your change management recommendation.

Required Readings:

HR Role in Managing Organizational Change

HR Role in Managing Organizational Change

References

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