Organizational Structure

What challenges might you expect if an organization felt it necessary to change its organizational structure? 

Inadequate executive support and active sponsorship

According to Change Management studies, many CEOs are unaware of their position in change management, the resources required, or the objective of the change. This miscommunication leads to inconsistencies in communication, visibility, and transparency inside the company. Dwindling support after go-live, a general lack of buy-in for the change, and occasional involvement are other challenges resulting from executive sponsorship. This is the most common barrier mentioned by participants. It demonstrates, as in prior studies, the tremendous influence sponsorship can have on change management efforts. Poor sponsorship can stifle and postpone progress, like excellent sponsorship can energize and activate an organization. Employees take a sponsor’s absence or inactivity as an indicator of how important or unimportant the sponsor is.

Misalignment resulted from a lack of efficient communication.

Confusion and misalignment become issues for groups touched by the shift without clear communication that raises awareness and aligns with business goals. As a result, participants devote more time and effort to clarifying roles, communicating expectations, and encouraging buy-in. Using preferred senders is the first step toward effective communication during the transition. Employees like to hear about the change at the business level from executives at the top of the firm. Employees want their immediate supervisor to communicate with them about personal messages about the change, such as responses to the question “What’s in it for me?”

Lack of buy-in for change and solution support resulted in resistance.

Individuals who show little participation and are unwilling to accept new processes because they do not understand the change and fear the “unknown” are the most likely to oppose change. Such employees are content with their current systems and have little desire to change. Resistance is directly linked to impacted individuals and groups failing to comprehend the commercial reasons for a change. Creating buy-in begins with giving a compelling “why” for the change up front, covering both the business reasons for the change and answering each employee’s “What’s in it for me?” (WIIFM).

Inadequate knowledge and resources for change management

Participants at all levels of the business indicated a lack of understanding of change management and its value to the organization. This makes getting the necessary resources and budget more challenging. In many circumstances, leadership and front-line managers are unwilling to allocate funding or manpower to a change management project because they do not see its benefit.

A culture and mentality that is resistant to change

A history of failed reforms, silos, and resistant behaviours decreases organizational performance, trust, and engagement. Individual objectives, disruptive thinking, and resistance to change are encouraged in a culture filled with negative attitudes and internal politics. A shift in employee perspectives would be critical to changing the organization’s culture and environment. An organization’s culture may generate resistance to change and change management due to the complexity of the change or a history of failed changes. Internal politics, inadequate behaviour control, and personal ambitions can lead to a change-resistant culture.

How would you address these challenges?

1. Prioritize people.
People are prioritized in successful change management. People drive change and keep it going. The endeavour fails when the people involved do not comprehend, believe in, or participate in the change. Leaders facilitate change by including employees in the process. Leaders achieve this through proactive change management communication, which fosters a desire for change throughout the workforce.

2. Use a change management model.
Leaders must contend with company culture, organizational momentum, and human psychology when implementing change. They need the correct tools to guide them to effect change. Change management models assist leaders in linking corporate strategy to action, increasing the likelihood of success.

3. Communicate with employees to empower them.
Communication is a critical component of successfully managing organizational transformation. A vision for change is only as compelling as the communication that backs it up. Effective change management communication clarifies why the change is required and mobilizes people with a sense of urgency to implement the change. When businesses fail to communicate, they fail to drive significant change.

4. Make change enticing and thrilling.
When firms prioritize meaningful, transparent, and consistent communication, employees can better comprehend the rationale behind a change. This targeted communication method provides context for understanding the change’s why, what, and so what. Effective communication answers individuals’ most crucial questions: “What does this mean to me?” and “How will it affect my work?” Employees with a better knowledge of the change are significantly more inclined to ask, “How can I help?” and many more.

References

Kang, S. P., Chen, Y., Svihla, V., Gallup, A., Ferris, K., & Datye, A. K. (2022). Guiding change in higher education: An emergent, iterative application of Kotter’s change model. Studies in Higher Education, 47(2), 270-289.

Kalenda, M., Hyna, P., & Rossi, B. (2018). Scaling agile in large organizations: Practices, challenges, and success factors. Journal of Software: Evolution and Process, 30(10), e1954.

Schwarzmüller, T., Brosi, P., Duman, D., & Welpe, I. M. (2018). How does digital transformation affect organizations? Key themes of change in work design and leadership. Management Revue, 29(2), 114-138.

Tourish, D. (2020). The Triumph of Nonsense in management studies. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 19(1), 99-109.

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

We’ll write everything from scratch

Organizational Structure

What challenges might you expect if an organization felt it necessary to change its organizational structure? How would you address these challenges?