Change Management in a Divergent World of Work

Introduction

Humanistic Values, Training and Development, Employee Feedback system, systems thinking and action research are the five roots of an organizational development which were highlighted in the two early definitions of OD as: Beckhard (1969) defined it as “A planned effort, organisation‐wide, managed from the top, to increase organisation effectiveness and health, through planned interventions in the organisation’s processes using behavioural science knowledge.” Bennis (1969) defined organization development as a “A response to change, a complex educational strategy intended to change the beliefs, attitudes, values and structure of organisations so that they can better adapt to new technologies, markets and challenges and the dizzying rate of change itself.”

The continuous process that revitalizes an organization structure and at the same time overlooks the demand of stakeholders at internal as well as external level making it more apt for the global market and rebuilds an organization’s direction and ability is change management. (Moran and Brightman, 2001: 111). Burnes (2004) looked at change being an inevitable part of the organization that occurs at operational as well as Strategic level. Consequently, the criticality for any organization to identify its future trajectory and effectively handle the necessary changes to reach that point cannot be overstated. Despite the acknowledged necessity of successful change management for survival and competitiveness in today's rapidly evolving landscape. A study conducted in the year 2004 by Balogun and Hope Hailey emphasized 70 percent failure in the programs of change management. This high rate of failure was due to the absence of a concrete framework that would have overlooked the change implemented in organization. The existing array of theories and methodologies available to academics and practitioners appears disparate, contradictory, and bewildering. Rune Todnem By (2005) proposed the need for additional research in response to the commonly observed low success rates of change programs, the limited empirical studies in change management within organizations, and a perceived absence of a robust framework for managing organizational change. Further investigating the change management intricacies were recommended by the research. The initial step suggested involves conducting exploratory studies aimed at enhancing the understanding of organizational change management, with the aim of identifying pivotal success factors crucial for effective change management. In addition, it was proposed that the change initiatives should be measured objectively so as to establish a consistent change management framework.

Kumkum Mukherjee (2015) emphasized the need for the change management due to globalization and its direct impact on organization. She highlighted the need for organizations to continuously redefining themselves so as to withstand the widespread element of change so as to sustain themselves in the realm of business culture. Either the organizations notice the environmental pressure which forces them to change or the organization themselves proactively seek this change. The most successful organizations also need to put continuous and conscious efforts as to maintain or regain their position in the market. The need to be constantly at the top position also motivates change. The development of an organization needs to be aligned with the environmental demands and thus change their functioning for the purpose of improved effectiveness. Mukherjee further emphasized the importance of contextual understanding for implementing change successfully and thus accentuated the significance of impact of prevailing forces that has a direct impact on organization productivity.