Analysis
Change is an aspect that allows management to cope with future competitive changes and changes (Hamel, 2008). CEO Cheryl Hailstorm in her company Lakeland Wonders wants to bring about two significant changes. The first change relates to entering mid-market retail segment and the second being in establishment of manufacturing capabilities offshore. The current scope of analysis relates to Mark Dawson resisting to change and Cheryl Hailstorm response towards Mark Dawson. There are recommendations provided which can be adopted by Cheryl in order to manage the resistance faced in terms of ethical change management model (Cameron & Green, 2015).
Mark Dawson was the senior Vice President of the Company and was resisting to the change that was brought about by Cheryl Hailstorm. Cheryl’s clear vision and progress planned for the Company for the future was not adequately shared with other senior members of the Company (Frankland, Mitchell, Ferguson, Sziklai, Verma, Popowski & Sturgeon, 2008). She did not share her vision with the Swensen family not with the senior management. The Company’s board had planned to foray into middle of the non-electronic toy market segment, in its board’s annual target. In order to achieve that Hailstorm decided that Lakeland had to considerably reduce its levels of costs at which it was operational so that it could achieve significant cost competitiveness (Ford, Ford & D’Amelio, 2008). Therefore, she decided that the production line had to be set up offshore, but she did not provide evidence that could allow the senior management being convinced of her plan. This provided adequate opportunity for Mark Dawson to resists changing, as according to change management models employees need to be stated clear vision regarding the change before initiating the process or making them participate in the process. Another major reason which led to resistance was the branding issue (Paton & McCalman, 2008). Hailstorm wanted the packaging be emblazoned by a famous packaging company Sampsen Design from the current local Company. Changing the packaging Company all of a sudden was not clear to t eh senior management which led them to resists to the change.
In order to implement the process of change, a well-planned process was needed and Hailstorm devised certain processes in order that the company’s annual target can be achieved (Blin & Munro, 2008). The Company’s senior managers did not at all participate with Hailstorm in the change process. Rather, the senior vice president and union were posing questions related to the offshore manufacturing lines, new person and new packaging company, who were taking over new product development. Hailstorm’s plan caused conflicts with the traditional organizational culture that was existing at the Company (Hayes, 2018).
Mark Dawson resistance to change
Cheryl Hailstorm facing resistance form Mark Dawson was rather critical and apprehensive (Starr, 2011). She replied that all employees within the organization were very used to the culture that they had been following since 94 years. The traditional organizational culture suited them immensely hence the Company failed to meet its target. She felt that there needs to be some new employees brought into the Company, who might be able to bring about a positive change (Anderson & Anderson, 2010). She critically said that all employees in the current Company was rather slow and acting in a traditional old fashioned manner, which did not allow the Company to attain its target. All her actions and step was undertaken so that a new course of action could be charted for the Company. She called meeting a day later so that she could share her vision with the managers. In short her critical response to Mark Dawson was rather aggressive in nature and was imposing. As against change management models which aims at communicating and convincing employees to participate in the course of changed action, her procedure was totally different (Kotter & Schlesinger, 2008). She wanted to bring about a dramatic change process by overnight changing the organization culture at the organization.
Recommendations Conclusion
The case analysis of the Company reveals resistance to change. Cheryl can manage the evident resistance to change faced within the Company in accordance to principles of ethical change management processes. Some of the recommendations that Cheryl can undertake are as below;
- A change agent who is hybrid of being internal as well as eternal to the Company can be appointed. Change is inevitable at any organization and can arise from the need to improve the business targets. External change agents can be consultants or from third party organizations, who can effectively initiate the process of change. Internal change agents can be from department of the Company which feels that change being most integral to the Company’s processes. The change agents need to establish an ethical behaviour such that a culture of ethical behavior can be initiated.
- An ethical change can start by communicating the vision for change to all members of the Company such that they can participate in the same. Once all members at the organization are aware regarding the changes to be adopted then initiatives can be developed by initiating appropriate organizational culture. Ethical change can only progress through imposing of ethical behaviour within the organization.
- Ethical change can further be implemented by managers acting as examples themselves. Ethical behaviour in managers includes constructive criticism, conformity, clear communication and workplace respect. Implementing an organization wide code of ethical policy statement will bind employees and hold them accountable so that they can act in an ethical manner.
Implementing the above recommendations will allow Cheryl adopt an ethical change process within the organization.
Reference Lists
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Blin, F., & Munro, M. (2008). Why hasn’t technology disrupted academics’ teaching practices? Understanding resistance to change through the lens of activity theory. Computers & Education, 50(2), 475-490. Retrieved on 5th October 2018, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360131507001194
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Starr, K. (2011). Principals and the politics of resistance to change. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 39(6), 646-660. Retrieved on 3rd October 2018, from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1741143211416390
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