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Only need 250-300wds. I provided two references but only need one in the discussion post... ---How do you get employees engaged in a change management initiative? What role does HR, managers, and the C-Suite (executive-level managers) play? What is the best way to roll out a change management initiative? ---References:APUS, (n.d.) HRMT605 | LESSON 6: HRM AS CHANGE AGENTS Raab, T. L. (2013). Developing integrated change processes: Increasing efficiency in change management initiatives (Order No. 1538634). Available from ProQuest Central; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (1400269307). Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy2.apus.edu/docv... dev_integrated_change.pdf hrmt605_change_management.pdf Unformatted Attachment Preview Running head: DEVELOPING INTEGRATED CHANGE PROCESS Developing Integrated Change Processes: Increasing Efficiency in Change Management Initiatives By Theresa L. Raab Project Committee: Brandon Olson, Sponsor David X. Swenson, Reader Approved: May 12, 2013 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Management, The College of St. Scholastica, Duluth, MN. 1 UMI Number: 1538634 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI 1538634 Published by ProQuest LLC (2013). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, MI 48106 - 1346 DEVELOPING INTEGRATED CHANGE PROCESS 2 Acknowledgements In undertaking this project I have learned a significant amount both professionally and personally. I am constantly grateful for my family, my partner Jake, and my friends for always believing in me even when I couldn’t. I am also thankful to my advisor Brandon Olson who has guided me and supported me throughout this project. DEVELOPING INTEGRATED CHANGE PROCESS Abstract Change management and project management are becoming a vital and integrated part of organizations in order to stay viable and maintain a competitive advantage. However, there are still organizations that do not use a change management process or have a process that does not allow the organization to operate at a high efficiency. In this study, project management and organization development practices were examined to determine if current theories can be integrated and adapted for small, public, information technology (IT) organizations. The paper began with a review of literature that examined the foundations of project management and organization development, specific models of project management and organization development, empirical data, and different philosophies on how to increase the success of changes in terms of implementation and adoption. Based on the information that was reviewed, a model was developed that can be utilized by organizations to instigate change with a holistic view, incorporating procedural project management processes with psychological organization development processes. 3 DEVELOPING INTEGRATED CHANGE PROCESS Table of Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................6 Problem Statement .....................................................................................................8 Purpose of the Study ..................................................................................................9 Deliverables ...............................................................................................................10 Statement of Research Question ................................................................................11 Definition of Terms....................................................................................................12 Importance of the Study .............................................................................................12 Scope of the Study .....................................................................................................14 Literature Review...................................................................................................................16 Influences on Change Management ...........................................................................18 Change Management Processes .................................................................................21 Change Management Processes: Large Organizations ..............................................27 Change Management Processes: Small Organizations ..............................................30 Change Management Processes: Private Sector Organizations .................................33 Change Management Processes: Public Sector Organizations ..................................34 Change Management Processes: IT Organizations....................................................36 Challenges of Implementing Change Management ...................................................38 Benefits of Implementing Change Management .......................................................44 Effective Implementation of Change Management ...................................................45 Continuous Improvement Process .............................................................................47 Literature Review Findings........................................................................................48 Summary ....................................................................................................................58 4 DEVELOPING INTEGRATED CHANGE PROCESS Solution ..................................................................................................................................61 Current Problem .........................................................................................................61 Integrated Change Management Framework .............................................................62 Summary ....................................................................................................................67 Implementation ......................................................................................................................69 Adapting Base Change Management Processes to Different Organizations .............69 Adopting Change Management in Organizations ......................................................70 Pre-Implementation Considerations...........................................................................71 Construct and Implementation Strategy.....................................................................74 Implement the Plan ....................................................................................................81 Limitations .................................................................................................................83 Future Research .........................................................................................................84 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................85 References ..............................................................................................................................88 5 DEVELOPING INTEGRATED CHANGE PROCESS 6 Developing Integrated Change Processes: Increasing Efficiency in Change Management Initiatives Change is an inevitable component to any business. In order to be prepared for changes both planned and unseen, organizations utilize a change management process. Lientz and Rea (2004) stated that change management is a system that assists organizations in identifying problems, establishing a process to correct the issue, methods to plan and implement the change, plan, and assist to maintain a successful transition. A change management process can assist in many parts of an organization from productivity to customer service to employee morale. If a change management process is successful, it will become an integrated part of the organization and ultimately vital to its success internally and externally. A change management process may have great benefits to an organization, but change management processes are not universal. Change management processes must be developed for each organization’s unique environment and to the external and internal drivers that influence the organization as a whole. However, by compiling a change management process that caters specifically to an organization, it can instigate change as needed in an efficient and timely manner to overcome the difficulties of organized change. The purpose of this study is to identify current change management theories and practices that assist organizations with the proper adoption and utilization of change processes. These practices can then be modified to the specific environment and needs of each organization. Gardner (2009) noted that organizational change is considered the largest obstacle for organizations. The author stated that this is due to having to deal with normal changes, new changes within the capability of the organization to handle in its current state, and major changes, when an organization must adapt new behaviors and skills they previously did not need DEVELOPING INTEGRATED CHANGE PROCESS 7 to have, simultaneously. Gardner also indicated that, due to the constant evolution of technology, information technology (IT)-centric departments and organizations struggle to conduct and finish change initiatives. Change initiatives often take the form of a change project which is a process that assists with a planned change to a section or aspect of the organization. Due to the rapidly changing nature of information technology (IT), the equipment utilized in the change may be out dated by the time it is implemented. This in turn means that an organization would have to conduct another change project just for the upgrade of the equipment. So what leads to the failure of change management in any type of organization? Sirkin, Keenan, and Jackson (2005), asserted there is often a lack of agreement on the most influential factors when transforming organizational initiatives. The authors stated there is an emphasis on soft factors for change management, such as attitudes, culture, and motivation. The authors also determined a component that appears to be missing in change management today is the focus on hard factors such as metrics, communication within and outside the organization, and influencing change elements in an efficient manner. A change management process that is constructed and utilized correctly can assist in properly planning and implementing projects throughout an organization. However, without the motivation, time commitment, and employee support to create a process and follow through on it with each project, the process does not allow for the optimum efficiency from which the information technology IT department can benefit. Shaw (2005) suggested that employee engagement and incentives are important factors for the success of a change initiative. Incentives create employee buy in as does employee engagement. By including employees of all levels in the change management process, the ultimate success of the change is significantly DEVELOPING INTEGRATED CHANGE PROCESS 8 boosted. The author indicated that the change is more likely to be integrated as a standard practice or norm within the organization. Problem Statement Many organizations cling to older systems to conduct change and do not believe in improving the current system. In addition, Arussy (2005) stated there are many organizations that believe a change management process is not needed. Many of the projects proposed and implemented by these companies fall short and end up failing in the end. Without a defined change management process, unannounced changes can cause disruptions to daily operations within an organization. Disruptions include but are not limited to decreased efficiency, decreased productivity, lack of support on current systems, and decreased time allotted to maintenance and repair (Kotter, 1996; Lientz & Rea, 2004; The Project Management Institute, 2008). When time is taken away from daily maintenance and operations, the organization as a whole suffers, causing the original deterrent of the unplanned change to fail or be abandoned. As noted by Watson and Hassett (2003), one specific type of organization that continues to struggle with implementing change management initiatives is the small, public sector. This is often due to the type and limit of their budget, the complex, timely decision making process that has to occur for any type of change, and the stipulations and regulations a public industry must abide by. As noted by Schwalbe (2010), failed change management initiatives are a pattern that is also often seen in IT when dealing with project management as well as change management. Due to the initial lack of guidance regarding change management for these types of organizations, it would be increasingly difficult for a small, public, IT organization to implement change initiatives successfully. This particular type of organization is starting to become more prominent on a global scale. Without proper research and theories on this organizational sector DEVELOPING INTEGRATED CHANGE PROCESS 9 for change management, these types of organizations will struggle to remain viable in the business or service environment. This detriment would cause citizens to not receive the highest potential of service from their public institutions. A neatly tailored, accurate change process for an organization can be difficult to achieve. Successful change management processes have been seen at a large corporate level, but this successful change has been influenced by research performed with large corporations in mind (Kotter, 1995). Kotter also indicated that other types of institutions, such as the small, public sector setting still struggle with success more than larger corporations. This is due to a lack of emphasis on finding the key factors that are needed and can be adapted to have an efficient change management process at any organization. In addition, there is a lack of time and resources spent to tailor a change process to a specific organization or department. One example is the need of a uniquely tailored change process for small, public, IT organizations. To date, numerous organizations still struggle to implement change management successfully (Bridgeforth, 2009; Candido & Santos, 2008; Wolf, 2006). Research has continued but no definitive methodology or basis has been developed to address change management factors that lead to failure (Higgs & Rowland, 2000). Many organizations are left to their own devices to develop a change management process. As decades have passed the key base factors for a successful change management process remain lost, stunting the success of change management for many organizations. Purpose of the Study The purpose of this study is to adapt existing change management models to fit the needs of small, public sector, IT organizations through a literature review process. The process DEVELOPING INTEGRATED CHANGE PROCESS 10 consists of collecting information from past and current scholarly articles and utilizing theories or models from these sources to construct a change management model. In order to construct a change management model that is effective, several variables must be defined. One variable is the size that determines if an organization is small. Defining these parameters has been under controversy for many years by multiple researchers. DAmboise and Muldowney (1988) defined a small organization as an employer that has no more than 500 employees and have total sales that accumulate to less than $20 million. The most widely used definition by Peterson, Albaum, and Kozmetsky (1986), is a small organization is one in which the enterprise is independently owned and operated; it is often not the dominant force in its target market. For the purpose of this study, literature in which an author claims to have researched small organizations will be included. Any literature sources regarding the public sector, regardless of size, will be utilized in this study. This is due to the limited information and research on small public sector institutions. Information technology (IT) organization literature focuses on small IT organizations or an IT department within an organization. Deliverables After a literature review is conducted, deliverables for the study are constructed with support from current and previous models, methods, and theories. The specific deliverable for the study is a theoretical model of a change management process that can be utilized in small, public sector, IT organizations. The central objective of the study is to identify key factors that are needed in the creation of an efficient, successful change management process at any organization. The base design of a change management process --key change factors with internal and external organizational drivers-- is documented in detail in chapter three. In DEVELOPING INTEGRATED CHANGE PROCESS 11 addition, the paper includes challenges, requirements, and differences that exist between types of organizations and how this affects the implementation process. Statement of Research Question There is a limited focus on change management within the information systems field. Glass, Ramesh, and Vessey (2004), stated about 1.6\% of scholarly research is dedicated to change management. The authors indicated that this research encompasses all types of organizations with special emphasis on larger, corporate organizations. Considering this fact, the following question emerges: how can current corporate change management processes be adapted to fit small, public sector, IT organizations? The above research question assists in determining similarities and differences between small, large, government, non-government, and IT organizations. It will then in turn allow for the determination of key factors to create a base change management process. The base process can be adapted to small, public sector, IT organizations by incorporating the specific external and internal drivers that affect this type of institution. Developing the change management process model can potentially bridge the gap between the evolution of technology and efficient ways to implement it. This study can boost the limited knowledge base on the change management process in the information systems field. Ultimately, the study can assist organizations that fall into the small, public sector, IT category with improving their current change management process or implementing a new one. By providing key factors and identifying risks, an organization can learn to prevent issues throughout the change process and boost their ability to be successful. Organizations are able to increase their efficiency and productivity organization-wide. DEVELOPING INTEGRATED CHANGE PROCESS 12 Definition of Terms In this study, a number of terms are used that are meant to convey specific meanings. These include the following terms, whose definitions are provided. Change management: Change management as defined by Laudon and Laudon (2012) is the process of controlling the impact organizational change has when associated with an innovation. Often, change management is a method utilized to plan, develop, implement, measure, and maintain changes in business, strategic, and operational processes within an organization (Lientz & Rea, 2004). Change management process: The workflow associated with change management. Baca (2005) defined the process of change management as a sequence of steps that are taken in order to properly handle every change that is requested. Schwalbe (2011) indicated that these steps should be included in every change project regardless of its size or impact. Implementation: In terms of change management this refers to the physical process of introducing the change to the organization. Lientz and Rea (2004) noted that implementation comes in many different forms ranging from procedure change to policy change to organization change. Importance of the Study A change management system can provide n ... Purchase answer to see full attachment