Free Custom «The Leadership Strategy» Essay Paper

This research seeks to establish how the management applies different strategies to implement discontinuous change in an organization. The research will shade light on steps necessary for implementation of organizational change. The research will seek to address various challenges predominantly in organizational change. The research will also point some of the challenges inherent in a shift of organizational operation. This study mainly critical because organization change in its operation in inevitable in the current business environment. Scholars have shade divergent views on this topical issue; thus, this research argues for better interpretation of the subject matter.

Methodology

The study will relay on the comparative case study, because of availability of literature on the topical issue. However, only literature that offers a solution towards the realization of sound organization strategies for the achievement of the transitional change.

Researchfindings

Business environment is surrounded by the uncertainties, which seem to affect each industry in the economy. Several factors are responsible for the uncertainties such as technological changes, globalization, market enlargement, and changes of business regulation among others (Andriopoulos & Dawson, 2004). These changes in business conditions have put pressure on the mangers to consider strategies that will give them an upper hand in staging completion, in the industry. However, instituting change in an organization is not a very easy thing. Changing of organization operation, processes, and market channels may be costly (Cummings & Worley, 2008).

Discontinuous change is a process that involves reinventing the company’s operation in relatively short time without affecting its operation in the existing market place. For example, if managers impose discontinuous change strategies on company ABC, then the company should not seize from its normal activities. Instead, it should improve in its operation, to claim a larger market share, or enhance its profitability (Davenport, Leibold, & Voelpel, 2007).

Implementation of successful discontinuous change is very challenging. The process differs from the routine organizational change in many respects. It is a fundamental change in the ways the organization does its things (University Microfilms, University Microfilms International, 2008). The strategy has a long term effect on the organizational performance. In addition, discontinuous focuses on various aspects of the firm such as staffing, marketing, and competitive strategies among others (Kodama, 2010).

As pointed out earlier, implementation of discontinuous change is very challenging. This is because of the breadth of the matter, which puts managers in tough situations of making the decision on where to start. However, managers utilize various steps or strategy in implantation of successive discontinuous change plan. The discontinuous change cycle embodies the change plan, which involves several steps (Stahl, 2004).

Firstly, managers should identify the change imperative that to be instituted. The change to be addressed is identified from the problem that the organization faces in their daily operation. However, a change component might be identified by forecasting of the possible occurrence of event in the future and the likely effect on the performance of the organization. For example, projection in the rise of the overall demand of the company’s products in the coming years may call for change in production technology, marketing strategy, and staffing. This will constitute the imperative to be addressed in the company’s discontinuous change plans (Swayne, Duncan, & Ginter, 2006).

Secondly, building of the clear direction of the cause of the change is vital. For the planned change to have an impact in the performance of the company, then management should put in place proper direction, to guide the staff in achieving the required goal (Swayne, Duncan, & Ginter, 2006).

Thirdly, once clear procedure and mechanism are in place, the mangers should go ahead and implement the set plans. This involves putting the required changes in the organizational systems, employing requires staff in the right department, and ensuring all changes required in different processes or production are in line with the objectives. As a result, the discontinuous change strategy will be accommodated by the enabling changes initiated different level of the organizational culture (Taylor & Terhune, 2001). 

Fourthly, evaluation of the changes already implemented in the organization is paramount to the success of the organizational objectives. The managers should seek to analyze the results of different changes instituted in the organization. This will enable the organization to establish the changes that did not yield intended results to allow for corrective mechanism. At this point, the manager should implement corrective measures for those strategies that failed in the realization of the objectives. As a result, evaluation will consolidate the impact of the different strategies applied in shaping the future performance of the organization without influencing the continuity of the operation (University Microfilms, University Microfilms International, 2008).

Finally, successive implementation of the discontinuous change shifts the burden to sustenance of the changes. Maintenance of the new process is sometimes very challenging. Companies in their wake of embracing changes have failed due to lack of consistence and firmness to maintain the new operation (Williams, Management, 2006). However, it is up to the managers to coordinate the business activities in such away that will protect the collapse of already existing system. Since the economy is dynamic, successive implementation of discontinuous change should not stop. It is because the procedure of putting in place measures of enabling company takes advantage of future opportunity should be on going (Williams, Management, 2006).

In conclusion, discontinuous change in companies operation is a process that wants proper planning and reviewing. The process success depends on the credibility of the members of management and their commitment in meeting the organizational objectives. Discontinuous change incorporates a combination of strategies that need to be well thought and applied and the right time. In addition, monitoring and evaluation is a vital component of selecting and disposing strategies deemed not fit for the project.