Change Management and Management Styles

QUESTION

Change Management and Management Styles

As economic times change, management styles have changed accordingly. New concepts and issues of management styles have been analyzed, synthesized, and evaluated to meet the changing needs of the marketplace. The concept of change management has gained great acceptance and/or disapproval by all sectors, including civilian and military.

Katzenbach (1995) wrote that “Real change leaders are the linchpins connecting three critical forces for organizational change and performance: top leadership aspirations (what are we trying to become?); workforce energy and productivity (how will we climb the mountain?); and the marketplace reality (what do our target customers truly seek, and what can and will our potential competitors really do?) (pp. 8-9).

Analyze the changes in your field to determine if there have been periods of time in which leaders in the field, as well as actual practitioners in the field, have had to address the issue of change management. Specifically, this analysis should be based on a synthesis of the current literature (and literature no older than 1995) to demonstrate how leaders in your field of study have addressed the issue of change management – as well as any changes in management style. Finally, the student should relate these specific changes to their own current, previous, and/or future career paths. This analysis should help to reveal how you have seen changes occur over the past decade or so in your field. Finally, what possible changes, suggestions and/or recommendations would you consider to be necessary in your field of study?

Instructions:

Write a well-researched, thorough response to the questions posed above in an APA formatted paper, to be reviewed by your faculty member in practice for your final comprehensive exam. Include 7 scholarly references in your paper. Upload your submission for review here.

Respond in 2100-2450 content words, not including title page, abstract, or references, to each question. This assignment is due at the end of Week 2 by midnight on Day 14.

ANSWER

Abstract

The paper has discussed various changes in management in the past decade. All the factors and developments that have enhanced these changes have been discussed.  There are current issues such as COVID-19 and technology that affect management that have been discussed.  There are several challenges associated with change management. The analysis of various articles offers a perspective on how to handles these issues.  While management has been revolutionized, there have also been negative impacts of the revolutions.  Nevertheless, my discussion has offered solution for managers to address any negative impacts associated with change. Moreover, I have discussed how these changes in management concepts and approaches are likely to affect the future of my management career and those of others in my field. Accordingly, I have provided suggestions that may help future management practitioners in survive in the ever-changing world.

Introduction

Change is a constant part of an organization or industry. Regardless of the nature of the industry, change is always inevitable. There are factors and situations which may necessitate change and change management. In my management field, there are often new changes regarding the management styles and concepts. What was suitable in the past 20 years may not be applicable to organizations now.  The management concept has been in existence for over a thousand years.  However, it has been changing over the years.  Changes in the market that may necessitate these changes include technological advancements, changing needs in the market, and other factors such as the current global crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic. Using various scholarly articles, I am going to analyze the multiple changes in the management field that have been executed over the past few years, including the adoption of big data,  change in management style, globalization, and artificial intelligence.

Literature Review

James Golson, in his article ” The impact of technological change in an organization management,” details how technology has impacted organization management. With technology, he claims there is a need for new management styles for making organizational decisions.  He adds that there are three aspects affected by technological advances, including the amount of competition and uncertainty, a requirement for more high-quality products and diversification, and an increase in complexity resulting from external politics and legislative reforms.  All these changes brought by technology necessitate the shift in how organizations make decisions, as there will an increased responsibility for leaders. According to Godson, there is an increased use of computer-based management techniques.

Kwok Angus’ ‘The Evolution of Management Theories’ focuses on the evolution of management theories over the years. It analyzes various articles to assess the changes that have occurred in the management field. Notably, Angus evaluates the management changes that have been brought by globalization and cultural awareness.  He explains the history of management and the various changes that have occurred since the beginning of leadership. However, the paper does not adequately articulate ways in which management has handled globalization and cross-culturalism.

George Santayana, “A brief history of management’ details the various changes that have occurred in the history of management. He uses real-life examples of organizations that have had to adopt change management. Santayana also explains various management theories in depth. Some of the management styles listed in the article include the adoption of Six Sigma and Total Quality Management. Julia Fournier’s ‘How COVID-19 impacted workforce management ‘ details the various management changes that the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated.  She postulates that the change in market circumstances and lifestyles has led to new ways of managing the workforce and the business models and strategies. Fournier explains that the pandemic has necessitated flexibility and adaptation, different recruitment methods, and more effectiveness in project management. She also adds that the pandemic has led to the shift to more remote work, more emphasis on employee well-being, and business resilience. Nonetheless, the article does not directly discuss the changes in management style.

Adel M. Aladwani ‘s,  ‘ Change management strategies for successful ERP implementation” explains how top management addresses any resistance when implementing ERP successfully. The journal describes the importance of the implementation of enterprise resource management in an organization. The challenges faced during this implementation are then discussed in detail, and the solutions to these challenges are addressed. The article lists all the change management strategies for the successful implementation of the ERP. Another article that details change management due to artificial intelligence is ‘’Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Management’’.  The article focuses on the next decade, where artificial intelligence is expected to take over the future of management (Aladwani, 2001).  The author Niilo Noponen argues that machine learning tools may have to complement decision-making by managers. He adds that this change may be applied mainly to the top managers and middle and operational managers. He forms two possible scenarios that illustrate how artificial intelligence will impact management in the future. According to Noponen, there is a possibility that machine learning may replace some management roles in an organization (Noponen, 2019). Nonetheless, the article does not detail the impact on the different levels of managers separately due to the disparate work roles of operative, middle, and senior managers.

The last article explains how leaders and managers have managed to lead change management in the competitive market. ” 10 principles of leading change management” by Deanne Aguirre and Micah Alpern discusses the organizational change management strategies that leaders and managers can adopt.  They explain that since the mid-2000s, there has been an increasing need for organizational change and management.  According to them, various factors, including new markets, better technology, and new labor pools, necessitate organizational change. Accordingly, the article provides a list of ten principles effective in engineering change management of an organization. The principles offered are those applicable to the current generation and conform to the changing market conditions.

Findings 

From the analysis of the various articles and journals, there have been several changes in human resource management. Many changes in the market have occurred and necessitated changes in management styles and strategies. These factors include globalization, technology, and COVID-19 pandemic, and cultural awareness.

With the increasing advancement in technology, there have been some changes in the decision-making process by managers. Managers have had it easy making decisions as there has been an increase in the availability of information. Different types of information, including those on competition, consumer needs, and how to improve processes, have been enhanced by technology.  Managing employees has become an easier task as the tasks accomplished can easily be monitored (Kwok, 2014). Nonetheless, the leaders have had to engage in the training of employees to adapt to the changing processes enabled by technology. These changes can also park resistance in an organization, depending on the nature of the organization.

I have also learned that COVID-19 has led to changes in leadership strategies and styles. With employees working from home, there are changes in what leaders’ roles are. They are required to train employees on how to work from home, and there is also a need to care for the needs of individual employees. All these changes result in a shift in leadership style. Leaders are expected to shift to an empathetic leadership style as most employees have been affected either indirectly or directly. COVID-19 has also necessitated the managers and leaders to be more flexible in their decision-making to meet the needs of consumers and remain competitive in the market. Leadership styles have proven to be suitable during the pandemic, including the laissez-faire, autocratic, and transactional leadership style. Those who have succeeded have adopted democratic, transformational, charismatic, and supportive leadership styles.

Cultural awareness and globalization are some other factors that have resulted in changes in organizations and management approaches. With an increasing demand for cultural respect and diversity in an organization, managers and leaders have had to make changes to accommodate them. In the past decade, there has been a need to accommodate people of all races and backgrounds in the workplace (Kwok, 2014). While the managers have attempted to make these changes, they have often faced resistance. I have learned that one should be ready for these circumstances where implementing change may prove challenging in my field.

I have learned that globalization has resulted in changes in leadership styles and approaches. Dealing with other partners or in branches in other nations may require managers to shift their business models and concepts. For instance, in a particular country, democratic leadership may be encouraged (Aguirre & Alpern, 2014).  Thus, to enter that market, I have learned that a company may have to change its leadership style and strategies to adjust to the specific country it is entering.

Another thing that I have learned is that artificial intelligence is likely to replace or complement humans in management in a matter of years. Some critical decisions may have to be undertaken by machines. The impact of this on our future is that there might be few jobs for management students.  Similarly, in the future, I have learned we may have to be ready for any changes that may occur and be flexible to any changes in the market. One needs to learn how to adapt to any situation.  The leadership style that should be used should depend on the situation (Santayana, 2017). From the research, I have learned that to be successful in my field of study now, and in the future, I will have to be well versed with technology and artificial intelligence.

Recommendations

Based on the findings above regarding my field of study, there are several solutions that can be implemented to avoid any challenges that may arise. One way to adapt to the change that may affect management is by being flexible and ready to change. Since situations and needs change over time, managers should not be rigid. Additionally, with the increasing adoption of technology and the more use of artificial intelligence in management, present and future managers need to be trained on technology (Golson, 1999). Having a degree in management alone may make it hard to be a successful manager in the future.  One needs to study other aspects of the organization and the external that may pose a risk to the organization. If, at some point, artificial intelligence replaces some management tasks, managers will be ready and not resentful.

Additionally, present and future managers should understand that human resource is a crucial aspect of change management. Thus, they should invest in the organization’s human resources and train them adequately regarding any changes that need to be made. Adequate and effective communication ensures that this goal is met. This way, any resistance may be thwarted. To cope with any changes that may occur in an organization and to be successful, leaders and managers should always be committed regardless of management level.  Commitment, in this case, implies the desire to develop the competencies and capabilities of those involved with the change (Aguirre & Alpern, 2014). They should also demonstrate commitment to the people affected by the change by supporting them and ensuring that they are well prepared and equipped in the change process. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, managers should demonstrate support to those who have been affected directly (Fournier, 2021). Counseling services can be offered to the employees to prevent any trauma that may have affected them.

Moreover, managers should try to adopt leadership styles according to situations. They must be intuitive and understand the changes happening in the market and their respective industries. They should study what the competitors are doing, and trends in the industry are and make the necessary changes.

Besides, managers should ensure that there is cultural diversity in an organization and that racism and discrimination are not tolerated. Leaders and managers must ensure fairness at the workplace to avoid any lawsuits and become a conducive work environment. With the increasing need for diversity and cultural appreciation, managers should ensure that their recruitment, motivation, and retention programs display equality and diversity. Moreover, to succeed in the ever-changing world, managers and leaders need to be creative and encourage innovations at their workplace. This way, they can remain competitive in the industry and are also ready if there are changes in the market. These innovations help in making processes easier and more effective.  Thus, leaders should always strive to think outside the box and try new things, even if they face resistance. Current and aspiring managers should also be willing to take responsibility for the changes that they make. If the change they are trying to implement fails, they should always be willing to take responsibility and accountability. Accountability increases trust and is likely to lead to resentment.

Conclusion

Conclusively, change is a part of an organization. There are several factors and developments that have necessitated the continual change in management concepts and approaches. What is applicable now may not have been relevant in the past two decades. Various scholarly articles indicate that there have been several changes in the management field in the past decade. There have been more technological developments and improvement of processes, which has revolutionized management.  There have also been changes in the management styles. The predominant techniques used in the past decade have ceased to be used predominantly in this decade. With more research on human behavior and how to handle employees, management approaches have changed. Additionally, COVID-19 has affected management approaches. It has necessitated flexibility and a more empathetic management approach to help employees who have been affected by the pandemic. Managers have also had to manage their employees from their homes, and physical interaction has become limited. In the future, artificial intelligence is also expected to replace some management tasks and help in decision-making. While it may make management easier, there are also possibilities that it may limit the number of management jobs available. Thus, there is a need to be flexible and ready for these changes.

References

Aguirre, D., & Alpern, M. (2014). Ten principles of leading change management. Strategy+ Business.

Aladwani, A. M. (2001). Change management strategies for successful ERP implementation. Business Process management journal.

Fournier, J. (2021). ‘How COVID-19 impacted workforce management https://www.hcmworks.com/blog/how-covid-19-impacted-workforce-management

Golson, J. P. (1999, April). The impact of technological change on organization management. In Proceedings of the 15th annual Southeast regional conference (pp. 293-299).

Kwok, A. C. (2014). The evolution of management theories: A literature review. Nang Yan Business Journal, 3(1), 28-40.

Noponen, N. (2019). Impact of artificial intelligence on management. Electronic Journal of Business Ethics and Organization Studies, 24(2).

Santayana, G. (2017). A Brief History of Management

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