Leading Change

Running head: Leading Change

Leading Change

Courtney L. Washington

University of Phoenix

March 24, 2008

This paper will briefly describe Good Sport. In addition this paper will describe the power structure and politics surrounding Good Sport. To what extent is this result of the organizational structure and culture? To what extent do they determine the culture? What specific strategies would need to be developed to manage resistance to change? What leadership style would be most effective? What strategies would be developed to manage different groups? What conflict management methods would enhance performance?

Good Sport is a manufacturing company that is based in Coral Springs, Florida. Good Sports manufactures sports equipment for hotels, hospitals and residential housing. Ex-basketball player Jason Poole founded Good Sport 15 years ago. Good Sport is doing rather well, but like any other company they want to do better. Good Sport has just appointed a new designer; this designer will try and develop a product that will send them into the new millennium. Newly appointed designer Frazier O’Donnell has developed a prototype of interactive exercise equipment called XtendSport. XtendSport is a lightweight piece of exercise equipment that will allow a people on a business trip or carry this interactive equipment into the office. However, there may be several problems with this new prototype.

Research and Development (R&D) is sold on the new prototype. R and D believes that this new equipment will help Good Sport become a leader in the industry. Senior management also likes the new prototype. Senior management believes that this new product will make them become an international company and help increase sales and profits. Good Sports Sales team does not have the same enthusiasm as the R and D or Senior Management. The Sales team believes that this new prototype will require a great deal of concept selling and training of the sales team. Good Sports Sales Team do not believe that this new product will be successful without more extensive testing and research.

The power structure and politics in Good Sports appears to be all over the organization. The CEO, Board members and senior management and their staffs all appear to have a power struggle going on. Power is the capacity of a person, team or organization to influence others. Power is not the act of changing attitudes or behavior; it is only the potential to do so. Although power requires dependence, it is really more accurate to say that the parties are interdependent. (McShane & Glinow pg.3) All three levels of the organization of Good Sport are acting interdependent of one another.

For example, Matt Fernandez the senior manager of productions wanted to be promoted to vice president. Unfortunately, he did not receive the promotion and someone else did. An employee from Research and Development received the promotion. Matt Fernandez’s peers and subordinates who are loyal to him are not encouraged by the new vice-president and are reluctant to follow the new vice presidents direction and plans. They do not believe that someone out side of the department can successful manage the department. Matt Fernandez himself is having issues with one of his former subordinates, now becoming his manager.

The politics and issue in Good Sport result mainly from their organizational structure. Good Sport clearly uses the Tall Structure. A tall organization structure has many levels of management and supervision. There will be a long chain of command running from the top of the organization, which would be the Chief Executive, down to the bottom of the organization, the custodial worker. In tall structures there will be a narrow span of control. Each manager has a small number of employees under his or her control. This means that employees can be closely supervised. Organizational culture is very important to the success of any company. Organizational culture can affect the productivity and organizational effectiveness of the company. Organizational culture is the personality of the organization. Culture is comprised of the assumptions, values, norms and tangible signs of organization members and their behaviors. Members of an organization soon come to sense the particular culture of an organization. Organizational culture is the basic pattern of shared assumptions, values and beliefs considered to be the correct way of thinking about and acting on problems and opportunities facing the organization. It defines what is important and unimportant in a company. (McShane & Glinow pg.2)

Organizational cultures form for a reason. Perhaps the current organizational culture matches the style and comfort zone of the company founder. Culture frequently echoes the prevailing management style. Since managers tend to hire people just like themselves, the established organizational culture is reinforced by new hires. Organizational culture grows over time. People are comfortable with the current organizational culture. For people to consider culture change, usually a significant event must occur. For example, in the Good Sports scenario the significant event is the launching of the new exercise prototype. Deliberative/Traditional culture is the best way to describe Goods Sports organizational culture. “People in this type of organization often consider issues carefully prior to making a change” (2006) Organizational culture and the decision making process within deliberative culture seems to be duplicated within the Good Sport scenario. The Sales team needs more carefully consideration and major convincing from Resource and Development (R&D) and Senior Management before their department agrees with the new exercise prototype.

The culture of an organization can sometimes be related the structure of the organizational. For example, in government there will be a checks and balance system so that the judiciary branch does not have power over the executive branch and the executive branch does not have power over the legislative branch. No one branch has absolute power. John Dalberg вЂ"Acton famous quoted is applicable here, “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Just like the government checks and balances in any organization is very important. No department should