Change Has Become An Increasing Feature In Many Organizations

1.0Contents List

2.0Introduction

3.0Change versus stability

4.0PEST factors

5.0Forces For Change

5.1Workforce

5.1.2Leadership

5.2Technology

5.3Economic Change

5.4Competition

5.5Social Trends

5.6Politics

6.0Conclusion

7.0Bibliography

8.0References

“The future is not a result of choices among alternative paths offered by the present, but a place that is created- created first in the mind and will, created next in activity. The future is not some place we are going to but one we are creating. The paths are not to be found but made and the activity of making them changes both the marker and the destination.”

John Schaar, futurist

2.0 Introduction

Change is an everyday occurrence. An example of such everyday change is the people coming to richer countries seeking a better life. An organization’s base is its people. Each new person brings something new to an organization.

In a couple previous years were introduced four types of changes:

• “Introduction of major new office technologies

• Introduction of major new plant, machinery or equipment

• Major reorganization of workplace structure

• Major changes to how non-managerial employees do their work”

Source: Morgan, D. and Zeffane, R. (2003) �Employee involvement, organizational change and trust in management’. International Journal of Human Resource Management. Vol. 14, No. 1, p.64.

3.0Change versus stability

In a changing world the organization must change to survive and prosper. Moreover, while it is doing so it must still deploy people to produce goods and services as normal, even if extra effort is demanded from them as they experience change. So the dilemma is that of balancing change with stability.

A further issue is how poor countries and weak organizations manage change.

4.0 PEST factors

Influence most of organizations, their strategies, structures and means of operating, including their human resource practices.

ORGANIZATION

Political factors • Government legislation

• Government ideology

• International law

• Rights

• Wars

• Local law

• Taxation

• Trades union activities

Economic factors • Competitors

• Suppliers

• Currency exchange rates

• Wages rates

• Government economic policies

• Other countries’ economic policies

• Lending policies of financial institutions

• Changes from public to private ownership

Socio-cultural factors • Demographic trends

(customers and employees)

• Lifestyle changes

• Skills availability

• Attitudes to work and employment

• Attitudes to minority groups

• Sexual role issues

• Willingness and ability to move

• Concern for the environment

• Business ethics

Technological factors • Information technology

• New production processes

• Changes in transport technology

Source: Organizational Change (2006:17)

5.0Forces For Change

5.1Workforce

In recent years the United Kingdom workforce has become more heterogeneous in terms of sex, race and ethnicity. Progress in our century is much faster than in former times. The new generation embraces technology and in this way is smarter and better educated than the older generation. During the past ten years when wages and unemployment were low there were many changes in the UK workforce. Firstly, there was a wave of immigration. Secondly, there was an increase in the complexity of payroll. Thirdly, there were structural changes in the economy.

Legislation has been passed to protect workers’ safety and health, retirement security and equal access to jobs and promotions. There is more flexibility of working hours, in job sharing, with career breaks, sabbaticals, opportunities to work from home and the provision of child care facilities.

• Increased numbers of people traveling

• Increased numbers of employees working around the world, in and with other cultures

• A bigger variety