Integrated Engineering Change Management Process

Question: Discuss about the Integrated Engineering Change Management Process. Answer: Introduction Understanding theory of change should raise a great concern to every administrator in an organization; management should, therefore, be perceptive of every change that comes amidst the day to day running of the firm. Schneider, Ehrhart and Macey (2013) points out that such alteration might involve any phase of the company from the organizational, administrative structure to technological advancement. Severe consequences may occur for instance if measures are not taken by the administrators before the introduction of various changes within a company, for example, the rationale behind departmentalization or the duty roster compilation and execution. Therefore if these kinds of changes are not well managed, tussles could arise between the employees and the top management. It is because of such activities within organizations that Walter, Cole, and Humphrey (2017) define change management theory as any transition used by teams or organizations to redirect the modes of operation like budget allocation and business processes in a bid to reshape the company significantly. According to this author, change management theory involves crystallizing current ideas, behavior patterns, and methodologies as per what is workable in the organization. The approaches help members and administration of the firm to understand the course of change processes and the measures that can be taken to ensure the implementation of such changes. Various scholars have coined different change management theory models to try to explain why and how change can be implemented both in the public and the private sector organizations. Contrary to strategies of change, these models, act as guides to the fundamental alterations that are necessary for a company. According to Parke (2017), th e term model is just but a pack of assumptions that when put together may turn into reality. He goes ahead to discuss some of the current change management theory approaches which include: The contingency model of change is also known as the Dunphy and Staces model of change. The two studied change from the perspective of a transformation of an organization. Their model was not only situational but also changed strategies to achieve maximal fitness within the environment which meant for its operation. According to Dunphy and Stace, the most appropriate change to be implemented depended entirely on the situational analysis. The theory puts change into four categories namely the modular transformation, corporate transformation, fine tuning, and incremental adjustment. They went further to describe different styles of leadership which included: Consultative style whereby leaders consult employees in making decisions on critical matters affecting the normal running and growth of the company. Coercive style in which change is imposed on employees by their leaders thereby accepting the new strategies unwillingly. The collaborative mode in which the administrative system is supported by the employees, therefore, making the transformation smooth. A transformational model whereby the managers may make impromptu decisions just to ensure the firm survives. Dunphy and Staces model has got five different types of change. Moreover, the models emphasize on the interaction between the scale of change and the administrative styles. These steps of change include: Taylorism, a type of change that involves avoidance of change yet minor adjustments only leads to poor performance by the company. Charismatic transitions in which the influence of a familiar figure most probably a leader is used to make employees accept a particular change. Turnarounds- a type of transition that involves the use of authority to impose changes that are considered beneficial to the company on employees. A developmental change in which the administration of a company puts a major focus on team building, employee development and of course the subsequent improvement of service quality. The final type of change according to these two scholars is the task-focused transition which puts a lot of emphasis on constant reorganizations to come up with new products, procedures and improve the quality of service. Despite their model on change management theory being one of the most popular, Walter (2012) argues that it is non-empirical. In addition to this, it is also over-dependant on the leadership styles and the change drivers but not the analysis of organizational factors. Nudge theory As demonstrated by Ostroff (2013), this model uses behavioral science, political theory, and economics to strategize management change in organizations. The pioneers include Cass R. Sunstein and Richard H. There whose a whole idea of leadership revolves around exploring, understanding the situation at hand and trying to find a way of either eliminating them or making necessary adjustments to a point which the positive outcome outweigh the adverse outcome. They emphasize on the fact that choices should be in such a manner that they can go hand in hand with the way in which people think and make decisions. The model is said to be radical in nature because of its sophistication in its approach. Nyamsuren (2015) denotes that the model eliminates traditional transition methods like direct instructions and punishment as reinforcements. However, one of the advantages of this theory that makes it stand out is that acknowledges the difference in feelings and opinions of people about the reality of the perceived situation not forgetting the human behavior, nature and characteristics. Dhingra and Punia (2017) denote that the model, therefore, minimizes to greater percentage resistance from the employees in organizations but only if well applied. Nudge theory foregrounds behavioral science as an epitome of encouraging people to make good decisions not only for personal good but the overall excellence of the society as well. Although there has been a little concern about the demarcations between outright manipulation and nudging for good, the medical field mainly has fully embraced the idea and s o has the human resource management. ADKAR model According to Grandey, Diefendorff, and Rupp (2013), this is a goal oriented tool which emphasizes the need for heads of organizations to focus on those factors that would enable the company to achieve its objectives. Its also important noting that the results obtained by use of this model are both cumulative and sequential and therefore each result obtained has to arranged in an orderly manner so that to sustain the changes and subsequently implement them. The model can, therefore, be used by managers to exhume the gaps in their administrative structure so that employees have a conducive working environment. ADKAR is an acronym which stands for Awareness, Knowledge, and Reinforcement which involves keeping the changes implemented not just today but in future as well Walter, Cole and Humphrey (2011). Considering the structure of this model, some scholars have credited it for its benefits, for instance. Huy (2012) argues that model is capable of identifying and evaluating the reasons why the changes already made dont work and why the desired result are hard to obtain. Moreover, this model also allows the administrators of organizations to break down the changes implemented into different parts and try to find out the points at which the changes are not as effective as expected. In other words, this model focuses on both personal and business dimensions of change. Bridges Transition Model The approach was pioneered by William Bridges as a change consultant a design that makes a deeper analysis of how changes come in organizations. It drew a distinction between change and transition. Parke (2017) says that transition is intrapersonal whereas change is just an experience and times, happens even without the knowledge of him or her who experiences it. He goes ahead to say that change may be instant while transition on the other hand takes time; transition happens to people as they go through change. The model focuses on three main stages which include: Ending, Losing, and Letting go- the fact that when people propose a change, they may resist or even face emotional discomfort thereby causing fear, anger denial, and resentment (Major, 2014). Therefore it is important for individuals to be ready for changes when marking new beginnings. The neutral zone- This is a stage of impatience, uncertainty, and confusion; a wall between the old and the new when people are still engulfed by the old but wish to adapt to the new. This stage is hence showing signs of low morale, skepticism, and low productivity; however, this phase may also include innovation and burst of creativity. New beginning- Upon passing the neutral zone stage with support and enthusiasm, this final stage enters where people begin to understand and appreciate the idea of change (Major, 2014). Therefore individuals start pursuing the skills required to obtain the goals set by the organization. In this stage, people show a lot of commitment and zest to seek new knowledge Recommendations Just as noted by Rothman and Melwani (2017), an organization is like an organism which inhabits a very vibrant ecosystem and therefore requires a continuous practical focus to propagate and avoid elimination. Thus, for an organization to thrive in the contemporary tight corporate competition, change management is one of the areas in which if well dealt with, solutions can be found to carve out transformational plans in the organizations. Change management is not only meant to maximize profit for those who have actively involved in the change process buts also the holistic sustainability of the company. Therefore, organizations should try implementing different models of management change in their organizations for purposes of elevating the profitability of these enterprises and individual development of their employees. Effective organizational change hence requires the stakeholders of the organization to ensure the culture and structure of its operations are in line with the set objectives. As pointed out by Cole and Humphrey (2011), the organizational change can effectively be managed by recommending an effective determination process so as to evaluate the readiness of the organization towards the possible changes. The step will assist in understanding whether the management strongly supports the change as well as the involvement of the subordinate in effecting the change. Through a better communication plan and strategy, the evaluation process will also help the stakeholders of the organization to ensure all the required information and resources are as well as the priority alternatives are on board. As a result, the stakeholders will be very confident in commencing strategies towards change and sustaining the change achieved. Conclusion Change management is a term used to describe the transition made by organizations from one state to the other. From the business perspective, it refers to the adjustments made by administrators of institutions so that to meet changing market trends and objectives of the company. It entails the application of structured methodologies to steer business from its current status to the desired levels. The major advantage of applying the change management theory, therefore, is that it helps businesses to operate as per their budgets and eventually realize their potentials. Thus, for a company to boost its benefits, improve the working conditions of employees and adopt new technology to meet customer demands, management change theory should be applied. References Dhingra, R., Punia, B. K. (2016). Relational Analysis of Emotional Intelligence and Change Management: A Suggestive Model for Enriching Change Management Skills.Vision (09722629),20(4), 312-322. doi:10.1177/0972262916668726 Grandey, A. A., Diefendorff, J. M., Rupp, D. E. (2013). Emotional labor in the 21st century: Diverse perspectives on emotion regulation at work. New York: Routledge. Huy, Q. N. 2012. Emotions and strategic organization: Opportunities for impactful research. Strategic Organization, 10: 240247 Major, M. J. (2014). Quality management and a balanced scorecard as supporting frameworks for a new management model and organisational change.Total Quality Management Business Excellence,25(7/8), 763-775. doi:10.1080/14783363.2014.904568 Nyamsuren, P. (2015). An integrated engineering change management process model for a project-based manufacturing.International Journal Of Computer Integrated Manufacturing,28(7), 745-752. doi:10.1080/0951192X.2014.924342 Ostroff, C. (2013). Organizational culture and climate. In I. B. Weiner, N. W. Schmitt, S. Highhouse (Eds.), Handbook of psychology. Volume 12: Industrial and organizational psychology (2nd ed.): 643676. New York: Wiley Parke, M. R. (2017). The role of affect climate in organizational effectiveness. Academy of Management Review, 42: 334360. Rothman, N. B., Melwani, S. (2017). Feeling mixed, ambivalent, and in flux: The social functions of emotional complexity for leaders. Academy of Management Review, 42: 259282 Schneider, B., Ehrhart, M. G., Macey, W. (2013). Organizational climate and culture. Review of Psychology, 64: 361388. Walter, F., Cole, M. S., Humphrey, R. (2011). Emotional intelligence: Sine qua non of leadership or folderol? Academy of Management Perspectives, 25(1): 4559.