Leadership and Change Management Concept
Discuss about the Linking Organizational Trust with Employee Engagement.
The different changes brought about by Gale Kelly in Westpac have helped the organization in bringing forth improvements in the situation of the business. Empowerment of the women in the processes of the organization and the manner in which the diversity in the organization based on gender is undertaken has helped the business in bringing forth changes in the systems of the organization in the market. The transformation that was planned by the CEO of the organization has helped the same in bringing forth changes in the strategic decision making systems of the business. Kelly confidently took steps to bring in changes in the organization, Westpac, through the global financial crisis and merge with St George. It has helped in the growth of the organization. On the other hand, the diversity management, the equal employment opportunities, and the provisions of including women in the management of the organization have helped the same in maintaining a balanced workplace.
The report aims at undertaking steps to bring in changes in the systems that are undertaken by Kelly in Westpac and the manner in which the change has helped the organization to make continuous innovation to sustain in the international markets. On the other hand, the report also identifies the issues in the change process and thereby recommends actions for bringing in sustenance and expansion in the business.
The CEO of the organization, Westpac, Gale Kelly took steps to bring in changes in the systems of the management based on the equal distribution of the workforce. The different strategies that are undertaken by the business is dependent on the proper functioning of the organization as per the objectives of the same to excel in the international markets (Ugwu, Onyishi. and Rodríguez-Sánchez 2014). Kelley took steps to initiate 40 % women in management by 2014, which has grown to 50 % by 2017 (Kumar 2013). The different key elements of the change in the systems of the organization are dependent on the functioning of the workforce. The balance in the workforce has helped the business to bring in changes in the situation of the organization.
The sustenance of the business is reflected through the increase in the net profit margins of the organization while operating in the international markets. On the other hand, the equal employment option of the organization has helped in maintaining he steady levels of innovations. The idea that was adopted by Kelly was to involve women in the upper management of the organization to bring in changes in the situation and its functioning as per the needs of the same in the market. The strategy has helped the CEO in ensuring the flexibility of the workforce and the systems and the performance of the business operations in the market. The key elements of the change in the systems of the organization are dependent on the introduction and prioritization of women in the management systems of the business. The vision was to bring in changes in the management through balancing the different factors of the gender based recruitments.
Steps taken by Gail Kelly for Women Empowerment
Schoemaker, Krupp and Howland (2013) revealed that change management indicates as a process, techniques and tools for managing the change within the organizations tools that can be used to facilitate people make successful personal transitions taking place in the adoptions and change realization. These researchers also stated that leadership development and change management tend to be the most vital priorities for several organizations. House et al. (2013) stated that one of the vital reason companies struggle is because of these companies struggle to follow both leadership development along with change management as separate and interlinked challenges. Change leadership can be understood as the capability to influence along with enthuse other people by means of personal advocacy, drive along with vision along with access resources to develop a strong platform for ensuring change.
Latham (2013) under the leadership of Gail Kelly, Westpac was positioned as a pioneer in launching effective leadership practices in order to attract and support women. These researchers also revealed that management along with women in management numbers has turned out to be sluggish at the time Gail Kerry became CEO in the year 2008. Westpac now intends to attain market leading target of more than 50% women in leadership by the end of 2017. This CEO analyzed that need of leadership in ensuing better change management on diversity that can support women prospers in the bank. Simsek et al. (2015) evidenced that Gail Kerry realized there should be a sustained investment within the programs along with that practices is required for attaining goals like target of attaining 50% women within the roles of leadership. The CEO developed innovative new programs targeted at women to encourage them in joining men dominated areas like IT and considered recruitment of women from outside the banking industry. Gail Kerry also encouraged women from outside the banking industry to join Westpac.
Ding, Li and George (2014) explained that change regarding women leadership encouragement in Westpac was introduced and implemented by Gail Kerry. It made sure that under her leadership can ensure strong heritage when in consideration to the women’s participation along with leadership within the organization. These researchers also stated that the bank appointed a number of women within the roles of senior leadership. Malewska and Sajdak (2014) indicated that the board of Westpac focused greatly on maintaining cultural diversity change and had been the pioneer in appointing female directors. Focusing on such change management through effective leadership Gail Kelly dealt with several barriers related with women empowerment and leadership. Westpac reputation for inclusive leadership practices that was well-founded. These researchers also indicated that Westpac had a strong culture of treating people sustainability and equally. Wahjudono, Ellitan and Otok (2013) revealed that Kerry Gail requires refocusing on the progress of Westpac and focused on the same the CEO announced a series of changes within the strategy practices along with the appointments along with a range of publically developed goals.
Importance of Diversity Leadership
According to Norzailan, Yusof and Othman (2016) stated the major steps taken by Gail Kelly in collaboration with the HR and Corporate Affairs Executive Manager for rebooting necessary actions on women empowerment within the bank. The role of the head of diversity management was changed and was channelized towards the maintaining increased diversity. The rationale for better diversity management was considered by the CEO to be a commercial need rather than maintaining a fairness agenda. Two major business reasons for improvement in the women’s position through diversity leadership were explained by Schweitzer (2014). Firstly, in Westpac diversity of experience along with appreciation of different ways of generating value was considered as better leadership strategies in attaining better results on women empowerment within the bank. The fact that the CEO set goals of empowering 40% women within the management they are increasingly getting renowned within professional circles (Klenke 2017). Moreover, such effective diversity leadership is observed to be highly distinctive in Westpac as this facilitates the bank in increasing their position as a preferred employer in Australia.
In contrast, Antonakis and Day (2017) presented a view from elaborating the above figure that there is a gender leadership gap within Westpac and diversity is deemed to have an increased priority. This is for the reason that it facilitates the bank’s management, the CEO Gail Kelly along with the bank to get behind as it is deemed as a major priority in better change management maintenance within Westpac. These researchers also evidenced that the need to refocus on women’s progress within Westpac facilitated the CEO in implementing a range of changes through her exceptional leadership in the areas of strategy, practices and appointments along with a range of publically explained goals.
Cook and Glass (2014) indicated that Gail Kelly implemented change management in Westpac through encouraging senior leaders. The CEO focused on reinforcing their commitment by means of casting a “leadership shadow” and utilizing their behavior to role model along with setting standards for the overall organization. In implementing such change on diversity and women empowerment within Westpac, Gail Kelly faced certain barriers as some of the leaders needed the discipline too consistently and proactively position mission of the company on gender. Hoyt and Murphy (2016) revealed that this was not that easy and for brining in such change on diversity culture, being “on message” was vital for generating and sustaining momentum all through the bank. These researchers also explained certain diversity leadership and change management strategies for bringing in major changes on women empowerment culture within Westpac:
- Recognizing as well as celebrating the female leadership within and external to the Westpac
- Ensuring sponsorship from senior executive of the diversity streams along with developing “employee action groups”
- Tracking as well as managing progression on diversity change management through maintaining regular “talent days” for all senior teams
- Gail Kelly also developed certain innovative programs focused on development, recruitment as well as women empowerment promotions in Westpac bank
Gender Leadership Gap within Westpac
Wells (2014) indicated that “Kotter’s change management model” is the best change management model which is considered for explaining change within the Westpac Bank. This theory can better explain Gail Kelly’s leadership management within the bank through and this is explained through eight change management steps in the model.
- Sense of Urgency: In bringing diversity change within Westpac it is considered necessary by Gail Kelly to identify the urge for change within the company’s culture. In response to same, the CEO has taken certain necessary steps in identifying the threats in not maintaining gender diversity along with anticipating the opportunities on resolve such issue on women empowerment. Based on the same, Westpac took necessary steps (Inauthentic 2015).
- Developing a Dominant Coalition: In order to encourage employees with relevance of change, Gail Kelly considered taking vital steps for unifying the major actors of the gender diversity project. It is also deemed to simplify the transformation process and facilitate in building emotional commitment that can support the change process.
- Generating Change Strategy: Several strategies and plan are developed by Gail Kelly in planning to dealing with the organizational issue of gender inequality issue. It is the efficiency of the organization to reveal the best solution strategy in ensuring the culture change in Westpac bank (Kinnear and Green 2017).
- Communicating Change Vision: Gail Kelly discussed the change strategy within a close meeting that did not serve to be highly beneficial for the organization. Instead daily communication along with open conversation resulted in implementing women empowerment change management advantage for the Westpac bank.
- Addressing Obstacles: The CEO of Westpac Bank considered it important to eliminate all the barriers associated with the change process. Through addressing the barriers it turned out to be advantageous for the management to execute their vision and mission on encouraging gender diversity.
- Developing Short Term Achievements: Gail Kelly realized that in practicing change management leadership for bringing in gender diversity within Westpac, it is better to attain short term target rather than the long term fixed goals. Along with that, the CEO also considered that attaining the short term change management goals that facilitated in motivating other leaders in the company (Hoyt and Murphy 2016). It also maintained moral boost up to attain the long term achievements in change management on women empowerment.
- Producing Change through Gains: Gail Kelly also focused on attaining successful leads towards attaining great changes in developing new targets on gender diversity on long term basis. Conversely, the CEO also took into neither consideration that successive gains are nor symbol of satisfaction and considering same, she encouraged the leaders and the company to support the change process.
- Ensuing New Changes in Culture: Kotter stated that transformation or change should be the most important strategy for any company (Hoyt and Murphy 2016). In consideration to that, Gail Kelly ensured change in all the aspect of the working environment in Westpac. Such process presented a change within practice that the employees are getting accustomed with and support more women employment in the bank.
Changes help in delineating the different improvements in situations of the businesses. The key elements of the change in the processes of the organization is recognized through the proper functioning of the businesses as peer the needs of the customers while operating in international markets (Gladysz and Kluczek 2017). The different changes in the systems of the businesses are dependent on the manner in which management of varied organizations plan to bring forth improvements in the organizations. The concerned organization, Westpac, took steps to bring in modifications in the processes of the business through the empowerment of women in the upper hierarchy of the organization. However, the organization faced different resistances while implementing the changes in the management systems of the business as the male dominated organizational management refused to give the required place to women.
Kelley, the CEO of the organization took steps to modify the management council of the organization which helped in maintaining the different levels of functions as per the needs of organization. Key elements of the change undertaken by Kelly in Westpac, as per Amoo and Hiddlestone-Mumford (2017), is dependent on convincing the different managerial pots of the importance of prioritizing the role of women in the placements of the management. It will be helping the organization to undertake innovative measures, which will be supporting the sustenance of the same in the competitive market situation. Ayob and Senik (2015) stated that the changes in the management structure of the organization helped in balancing varied changes in the systems of the business in the market. The key elements of the change in the systems of the organization are dependent on the proper functioning of the business through the involvement of the women in workforce. Alternatively, the involvement of the women in the different sections of the monumental hierarchy helps the organization to bring ion changes in the systems and the functioning of the business.
Sofat and Kiran (2014) stated that the changes that were undertaken by Kelly has helped Westpac to bring in multi-dimensional and flexible workforce which has helped the organization to bring in changes in the system and the functioning of the business as per the objectives. The implementation of the model of change in the structure of the organization has helped Kelly to bring in positive changes in the structure and the functioning of the business as per the objectives of the business in the market. The identification of the needs of the organization to include women has helped in the proper functioning of the management of the organization can be more effective.
The recommended actions that might be taken by the CEO of the organization to bring in changes in the functioning of the business are being discussed in this section of the analysis.
- The distribution of power and authority among the hierarchy of the organization will be helping to organization to bring in changes in the systems of the business. The equal distribution of power among the hierarchy will be helping the organization to manage the different levels of changes in the systems and thereby bring in modifications in the functional criteria of the organizations. On the other hand, the equal distribution of power among the management will be helping the organization to facilitate the role of women in the mangem4ent councils of the organization. The application of the changes will be helping the organization to bring forth changes in the systems of the business.
- Developing an organizational structure, which will be focused on the involvement of women in the management councils will be helping the organization to adhere to the different levels of changes relating to the flexible functioning of the workforce as per the norms of the market. on the other hand, the key elements of the change in the systems of the organization is dependent on the functioning of the organization in the market. Therefore, the organization must take their chances of including women in the hierarchy of the management to bring in changes in the productivity of the organization in the market.
- Negotiation with the existing employees and the management of the organization has helped in implementing the new model of the change as per the objectives of the organization. On the other hand, the negotiation with the management will be helping the CEO of the organization to convince the existing management to bring in the change and thereby help in the women empowerment and encouragement activities.
Conclusion
Therefore, from the above analysis and the research on the case study it may be concluded that the proper functioning of the organization is facilitated through the proper functioning of the workforce through the inclusion of women in the workforce. On the other hand, the inclusion of women in the management of the organization has helped in maintaining the different levels of changes in the systems and the performance of the business in the market. The key elements of the change in hierarchy model of the organization will be helping the organization to maximize the productivity of Westpac through the construction of a new model of management through the involvement of the women in the different managerial positions.
On the other hand, the issues that are faced by Kelly while implementing the new model of the change is often resisted by the different managerial posts. The research involves recommended actions through which the organization might bring in the change through negotiations and convincing the existing management of the organization of the benefits of the inclusion of the female management team. The flexibility of the workforce will be helping the organization to make its progression while performing as per the objectives of the organization to expand. Therefore, the new model of change that the organization will be adhering will be helping the same to bring in changes in the productivity through the inclusion of a more flexible working team.
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