Strategic Change Approaches To Change Management Commerce Essay

Strategic Change Approaches To Change Management Commerce Essay It is imperative that organisations maintain a greater reach, are present in various different places and constantly abreast of regional and cultural differences and ensure to integrate these into their strategies for the different market and communities they occupy. Due to the ever growing importance of change within organisations, it has become imperative that managerial staff posses the skill to successfully manage these changes when they occur (Senior, 2002; By, 2005). Merrel (2012) described change as a continuous reality for organisations that intend to survive and prosper in these volatile and unpredictable times. He went further to define change as simply doing things in a way different from what you are used to or doing completely different things. It is in the best interest that all stakeholders within an organisation work together to ensure that changes are managed effectively. Effective change management is generally described as execution of change programmes or initiatives that achieve the goals for which they were intended on time and within budget and also succeed in delivering sustainable benefits to the organisation (ibid). However, major changes within organisations require ample inputs in terms of time, energy and resources. Over time it has been found that majority of change programmes have failed to meet the desired goals of the organisation. Published sources estimate that the success levels of change in organisations may fall as low as 10% (Oakland and Tanner, 2007). Most changes that occur within organisations tend to be intermittent in nature. They usually start off at a particular point and are then followed by a number of steps that result in a final outcome. Every growing organisation experiences a continuous process of evolution. At certain intervals of this growth cycle, organisations have to evaluate, determine or reinstate their standards and processes. This evolution could at sometimes be a slight change or at other times a major overhaul. Where there is a change made in one aspect of the organisation, this usually triggers a chain of events that requires further changes t o be made to other areas within the organisation in order to achieve a new balance (Pandey, 2012). Following the constant evolution and the consequent changes that occur within organisations, effort has to be put in to reinstate and create a new balance to continue working towards the goals and objectives of the business. This new balance is created primarily by the workforce and is not an easy feat. Therefore, it is essential that an effective and reliable change management strategy is employed (Gans, 2011). As defined by Gans (2011) Change Management is a process whereby organisations support members of their workforce that have been affected by one way or another as a result of an organizational change. She went further to stress the importance of accounting for any member of staff affected by the change in the development of a change management strategy. Despite the importance of change management in the business world today and as highlighted previously, Balogun and Hope Hailey (2004) have reported that of all change programmes that have been initiated, there has been a 70% rate of failure. Burnes (2004) suggested that this poor success rate of change management programmes shows a basic absence of an adequate framework of how to carry out and manage changes in organisations. He went further to state that what is currently available to academics and practitioners is a wide range of contradictory and confusing theories and approaches. 2.0 EXISTING APPROACHES TO CHANGE MANAGEMENT There are a number of existing approaches to organizational change and there is continued debate as to which qualifies as the best. This difference in opinion amongst academics and practitioners is the reason that many managers within organisations may have reservations on the importance and validity of existing literature on change management. It is also a reason for confusion as to which approach to employ when considering change (Bamford and Forrester, 2003).These reservations are further fuelled by the existing critical management literature that highlights numerous incidents of change programmes that have gone wrong. Based on the literature, amongst a few others, there are two main approaches to change; emergent and planned (ibid). In this article, we would be looking into the two main approaches to change, highlighting their weakness and strengths, by critically analysing the already existing literature on the topic. 2.1 PLANNED CHANGE This approach to organisational change is described as a process that moves from one set state to another through a succession of pre arranged steps. This approach to change can be analysed using various frameworks, such as the Lewins (1951) action research model and Lewins (1958) three step model which describes the three stages of change as freezing- holding on to the familiar, unfreezing brainstorming, addressing issues and exploring other approaches and refreezing identifying, applying and consolidating values, culture and newly acquired skills to those pre existing and currently desired. This approach to change acknowledges that prior to new characteristics successfully adopted the previous set need to be eliminated, only then can the new set be fully established (Bamford and Forrester, 2003). 2.1a STRENGTHS OF PLANNED CHANGE Burnes (1996 as cited in Eldrod II and Tippet, 2002) identifies planned approach to organisational change as an attempt in explaining the process that initiates change. The planned approach is also thought to highlight the importance to organisations of fully comprehending the different stages that are involved in the process of going from and unsatisfactory state to an unknown desired new state (Eldrod II and Tippett, 2002). Planned change is also credited for considering changes that may not be in direct line with the organisations general transformational vision but are seen to be worth making. It is in tune with the organisational breakdown structure and by virtue of its nature being perceived to be a logical program by stakeholders, providing organisations with a variety of choices of initiatives. Because it is made up of a clear and solid directive, it tends to be easier to circulate to all areas of the organisation. Although this solid directive may in some cases work as a disadvantage as it may make it easier to attack and/or avoid (Weick, 2000; Beer and Nohria, 2000). 2.1b WEAKNESSES OF PLANNED CHANGE Planned change has received a lot of criticism from as early on as the 1980s despite its popularity, (Kanter et al., 1992; Burnes, 1996; By, 2005). It has been faulted for focusing on only small scale incremental change and ignores cases where there may be a need for quick and transformational changes (Burnes, 1996, 2004). Another shortcoming of this approach is the fact that it bases its design on the assumption that organisations operate under conditions that are static and they can move in a pre planned pattern from one stable state to another (Bamford and Forrester, 2003). This approach is also known to ignore situations where a more dictated approach is needed e.g. in a situation where there is a need for rapid change and no room for widespread consultation or involvement (Burnes, 1996, 2004; Kanter et al., 1992; By, 2005). Critics have also argued that this approach is based on the assumption that all the stakeholders involved in the change have a combined interest in carrying it out and that a uniform consensus can be reached with ease (Bamford and Forrester, 2003). This presumption does not take into consideration issues of politics and conflicts that are common place within organisations, but goes further to assume that these can be identified with ease (Burnes, 1996, 2004). Weick (2000; Beer and Nohria, 2000), also highlighted a number of disadvantages of applying the planned change approach. He states that with implementation of the planned change approach, there is a high chance of reversal of the effected change, following the changes; integration of the various parts of the organisation may not take place in a uniform manner, unpredictable results due to limited foresight, a high chance of individuals failing to act out their parts in the change process despite verbally agreeing to do so, adoption of practices that may have been suited elsewhere but may not necessarily yield positive results within the organisation due to a difference in context, failure of top management to have a full understanding of capabilities at the front line and contingencies and finally a delay in execution which would result in the change initiatives being obsolete even before they are implemented. 2.2 EMERGENT CHANGE This approach to change is relatively new and does not have the formal history of planned change. It is believed that this approach covers a wider area of understanding of the issues faced by organisations related to managing change within intricate environments. In this approach, change is perceived to be less reliant on detailed forecasts and plans and is more focused on arriving at an actual understanding of the intricacies of the underlying problems and deriving possible solutions (Bamford and Forrester, 2003). There is also the suggestion that the occurrence of change here is unpredictable that senior managers are unable to effectively select, propose and carry out suitable actions in response (Kanter et al., 1992). The emergent approach to organizational change adopts a bottom up process of initiating and implementation as opposed to a top down. Considering the complex and rapid nature of change, it is deemed impossible for senior management to identify and implement every action necessary to successfully carry out changes. This implies that the role played by senior management must undergo some changes in itself from controller to more of a facilitator of change, as the responsibility for change is seen to be more devolved (Bamford and Forrester, 2003). 2.2a STRENGTHS OF EMERGENT CHANGE It has been established that the business environment is one of uncertainty and the proponents of emergent change have argued that this uncertainty of both the internal and external environments makes the planned approach to change less appropriate. Assuming that organizations operated is an environment that is stable and predictable; there would be little or no need for change. This makes the emergent approach to change much more pertinent than the planned approach (Bamford and Forrester, 2003). Burnes (1996) is of the opinion that emergent change encourages management to pay close attention and gain understanding of strategy, culture, systems, structure and style, looking into how they can work as blockages or facilitators of an effective change process. He goes further to argue that a successful change process is more concerned with gaining an understanding of the complex issues within the organisation and developing a range of options for tackling these issues. It can then be deduced that the emergent change is focused more on the preparation for change and actual implementation as opposed to providing planned steps and objectives for each change programme or initiative (By, 2005). Weick (2000; Beer and Nohria, 2000), insists that change must be more emergent than planned. He is of the opinion that organisations are in a constant state of evolution and there are always change initiatives ongoing on various levels within the organisation. Main stakeholders are always in search of ideas to increase the performance of the organisation and this means that there is a constant flux. It is important that this flux is identified and maximised. Efforts should be made in identifying these little changes occurring in different areas of the organization and they should then be spread to other areas of the organisation. There are no rules that govern the way change is initiated; it simply involves creating a connection between the actions carried out by the individual areas within the business to create a working synergy (Pettigrew and Whipp, 1993). 2.2b WEAKNESSES OF EMERGENT CHANGE Weick (2000; Beer and Nohria, 2000), in his critical analysis also highlighted a number of weaknesses of the emergent approach to change. He noted that emergent changes are too slow to come together, tend to be too negligible to have a noticeable effect on results, are more suited for taking advantages of opportunities than responding to threats, crippled by already existing culture and technology, deficient when competitors are focused on transformation; more generic rather than focused; lack foresight; operates on the assumption that change is driven by intent, which in reality is not always that case and this implies that situations where change is evolutionary or is driven by life cycle would be over looked (Van de Ven and Pool 1995; Weick, 2000; Beer and Nohria, 2000) . One of the main challenges of the emergent change is the fact that is quite new compared to the planned approach and this has led to reservations concerning its consistency and the variety of techniques available (Bamford and Forrester, 2003; Wilson, 1992). Another criticism of the emergent approach is that it is generally made up of models and approaches that lack correlation and only tend to do so in their unified lack of faith for the planned approach to change than to and agreed alternative (Bamford and Forrester, 2003; Dawson, 1994). According to Burnes (1996), to validate the general theory and implementation of the emergent approach to change implies that one has to be of the opinion that all organisation function within a volatile and unpredictable environment to which they constantly have to adapt. This would then bring rise to the assumption that the emergent model is suitable for all organizations, all situations and at all times (ibid). In reality this is clearly not the case. Dunphy and Stace (1993) disagreed on that view arguing that agents of change require a model that is adaptable to different situations and clearly shows how one can adjust their change strategies to achieve the best fit for a particular situation taking into consideration the changing environment (Dunphy and Stace, 1993). 3.0 CONCLUSION Following a review of the existing literature on planned and emeregent approaches to change, it can be concluded that both approaches have fair shares of limitations and advantage. Generally, there seems to be more of a preference for the emergent change approach and this could be because this approach was more recently introduced in comparison to the planned approach and it its design, consideration was taken to address some of the shortcomings that were experience with the planned approach. However, in order to achieve a successful organisational change, it is important that an approach be developed that not only takes into consideration the constantly evolving environment, but also identifies that there are a number of approaches to change. This approach should be flexible to suit the different needs of various organisations as opposed to one that is tailored to be applicable to all organisations. Dunphy and Stace, (1993) clearly state that no two organisations are identical and most probably have varying situations and this would mean that their structure and strategies would also be different and this emphasis the need for a flexible approach to change.

Ancient Egypt vs. Mesopotamia Essay

The Egyptian and Mesopotamian societies are two of the oldest civilizations in the history of the world. The Egyptian and Mesopotamian political, social, and cultural parts of their lives developed differently, but there is a similar basis between the two. Although they had similar political systems in that they both were ruled by kings, the way they viewed their kings and the way that they both constructed their power differed. Both civilizations constructed their social classes similarly in that they had kings at the top, followed by other officials and merchants, and at the bottom the slaves and peasants. They both had their own form of writing; Mesopotamia had cuneiform, and Egypt had hieroglyphics and cursive script, respectively. While they are similar in many different political, social, and cultural activities and ideas, they have enough contrast to be viewed as different societies. Politically, because they were geographically open to envision, Mesopotamia culture created compact self-governing political units- the city-states. By the third millennium B.C.E. the concept of king (lugal) developed, quite possibly because of increased quarrels over resources. The power of religious leaders decreased as the power of kings increased. And although the kings took over control of temples, Mesopotamian kings did not claim divine power. Political changes occurred in Mesopotania because of the succession of people that followed the initial Sumerian people, like the Akkadians, the Kassites Medes and Persians who established their temporary political dominance. By 1750 B. C. E., the written law code of King Hammurabi, was used to maintain political authority and continuity.In sharp contrast is the continuity of political history in ancient Egypt. Legendary King Menes united Upper and Lower Egypt into one nation that lasted with continuity of culture from 3,100-1070 B. C. E. with thirty dynasties. Unlike Mesopotamian kings, the Egyptian king was represented as Horus and as the son of Re, and fit into the pattern of the dead returning to life and the climatic renewing life of the sun-god. As Egypt’s chief priest, he intervened with the gods on behalf of his people and land. No written law code was developed in Egypt. The pharaoh governed the country through a large efficient bureaucracy. In highly urbanized Mesopotamia, specialization of function, centralization of power, and use of written records enabled certain groups to amass unprecedented wealth. Women could own property, maintain control of their dowry, and even engage in trade but men monopolized political life. Some women worked outside the home in textile factories, breweries or as prostitutes, tavern keepers, bakers, or fortune tellers. Inside the home women grew wove baskets, had vegetable gardens, cooked, cleaned, and fetched water. For the most part, their writings reflect *elite male activities. Temple leaders and the kings controlled large agricultural estates, and the palace administration collected taxes from subjects. The lowest class of people tended the fields and used their strength in the off-season to build large public works like ziggarets. Women were subordination to men and had no property rights. In Mesopotamia by the second millennium B. C. E. merchants had gained in status and in power th rough gilds. In the Old Babylonian period, the class of people who were not dependent on the temple or palace grew, the amount of land and other property in private hands increased, and free laborers became more common. The Mesopotamian civilization had 3 social classes: 1. free landowning class- royalty, high-ranking officials, warriors, priests, merchants, and some artisans and shopkeepers; 2. the class of dependent farmers and artisans, whose legal attachment to royal or temple, or private estates made them the primary rural work force; and 3. the class of slaves, primarily used in domestic service. Egyptian class structure was less defined and more pyramid in shape. Compared to Mesopotamia, a far larger percentage of the Egyptian population lived in farming villages and Egypt’s wealth derived from a higher degree from cultivating the land. When not need for agriculture the peasants labored to build the tombs of the pharaoh. Slavery existed on a limited scale and was of limited economic significance. In contrast to Mesopotamia, Egyptian merchants had a low social status. For women subordination to men is evident but they are represented with dignity and affection in tomb paintings. Legal documents show that Egyptian women could own property, inherit from their parents, and will their property to whomever they wished. Marriage, usually monogamous, arose from a couple’s decision to establish a household together rather than for legal or religious ceremony. Both parties could dissolve the relationship, and women retained rights over her dowry in case of divorce. In ge neral, the limited evidence suggests that women in ancient Egypt enjoyed greater respect and more legal rights and social freedom than women in Mesopotamia and other ancient societies. Despite some initial inspiration, Egyptian culture separated itself from Mesopotamia in a number of ways beyond politics and monument building. The Egyptians did not take to the Sumerian cuneiform alphabet and developed a hieroglyphic alphabet instead. Hieroglyphics, though more pictorial than Sumerian cuneiform, were based on simplified pictures of objects abstracted to represent concepts or sounds. As in Mesopotamia the writing system was complex, and its use was, for the most part, monopolized by the powerful priestly caste. Heiroglyphics were written on papyrus paper while cuneiform was written on clay tablets with a blunt reed called a stylus. Like Egyptian hieroglyphs, cuneiform was written in both rows and columns although cuneiform was only written from left to right. The Egyptian and Mesopotamian societies were very similar in many aspects of their lives. They both developed two of the earliest forms of writing in hieroglyphics and cuneiform, with both forms differing greatly from each other. They also contained strikingly similar social classes and structures, as with many other civilizations. They were both ruled by â€Å"kings†, but many parts of their political system were drastically different due to the way that they were constructed and administered. Egyptian civilization and a fundamental Mesopotamian culture lasted far longer than the civilizations that came later, in part because of relative isolation within each respective region and because of the deliberate effort to maintain what had been achieved, rather than experiment widely.

Professional Regulation and Criminal Liability Paper Essay

The principle of the Hippocratic Oath is one of the oldest binding documents in history. The oath states: I will use those dietary regimens which will benefit my patients according to my greatest ability and judgment, and I will do no harm or injustice to them. I will not give a lethal drug to anyone if I am asked, nor will I advise such a plan; and similarly I will not give a woman a pessary to cause an abortion. In purity and according to divine law will I carry out my life and my art. I will not use the knife, even upon those suffering from stones, but I will leave this to those who are trained in this craft. Into whatever homes I go, I will enter them for the benefit of the sick, avoiding any voluntary act of impropriety or corruption, including the seduction of women or men, whether they are free men or slaves. Whatever I see or hear in the lives of my patients, whether in connection with my professional practice or not, which ought not to be spoken of outside, I will keep secret, as considering all such things to be private. So long as I maintain this Oath faithfully and without corruption, may it be granted to me to partake of life fully and the practice of my art, gaining the respect of all men for all time. However, should I transgress this Oath and violate it, may the opposite be my fate. (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2014) Medical Board of California The Medical Board of California is the agency responsible for regulating physicians, surgeons and other allied health professions. The members of the board are appointed by the Governor of the state and have a four year term legislature. It is the responsibility of the members of the board to meet as one deliberating body. In addition, the board members are required to learn about policies and statutes of both licensing and enforcement functions. California Licensure Physician Statute There is no single physician licensure statute in the state of California. Instead, physician licensure rules have been interspersed within the California code. Physicians wishing to practice medicine in California are required to obtain a full medical license issued by the state. Furthermore, there are no administrative regulations or state statue for granting a  special or limited license to practice in the state remotely via telemedicine. The California licensure does not allow for license reciprocity between any states but allows physicians for consultative services without having to receive a full medical licensure. Moreover, licensed physicians in the military in any of the states, either a military physician officer or a civilian contract employee, are allowed to care for fellow military members without having to receive additional licensure. In the event of an emergency situation, a physician is allowed to administer care regardless if the physician is licensed in that part icular state. A physical examination is required by the California Medical Board Licensure to allow administration or prescription of medication over the internet. Investigative Role The investigative team consists of physicians that are a critical component to the board as they base its disciplinary actions on the opinions of physicians and not board staff. Physicians play a distinct role in the investigations. The board receives and reviews incoming complaints in the Central Complaint Unit (CCU). The physicians determine if there is a need for formal investigation by board investigative staff or if the complaint is largely resolved by a preliminary review of the medical records and the accompanying physician narrative statement. Medical experts are asked to review case materials and must clearly articulate whether the physician’s care under review fell below the standard. They must give their opinion if there is a potential violation of the Medical Practice Act. Business and Professions Code Section 2050-2079 According to the Federation of State Medical Boards, the 10th Amendment police power grants states the right to regulate the practice of medicine. Section 2052 of the Business and Professions Code states that any person who practices or attempts to practice, or who advertises or holds himself or herself out as practicing, any system or mode of treating the sick or afflicted in this state, or who diagnoses, treats, operates for, or prescribes for any ailment, blemish, deformity, disease, disfigurement, disorder, injury, or other physical or mental condition of any person, without having at the time of so doing a valid, unrevoked, or unsuspended  certificate as provided in this chapter or without being authorized to perform the act pursuant to a certificate obtained in accordance with some other provision of law is guilty of a public offense, punishable by a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000), by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision of Section 1170 of the Penal Code, b y imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by both the fine and either imprisonment (California Business and Professions Code, 2014). Civil Complaint Process The two major categories of incoming complaints to the Medical Care Board of California by the consumers are quality of care and personal conduct. All complaints require physician review and all complaints which are not closed by CCU staff are referred to one of the board’s district offices for formal investigation. According to the Medical Board, each district office is staffed with a supervising investigator, five investigators, a deputy attorney general, an investigator assistant, clerical support staff and one or more medical consultants (The Medical Board of California, 2014). Risk Management & Quality Assurance It is important that physicians are credentialed and are given privileges in any health care organization prior to practicing medicine. Physicians must receive training and education in risk management and review of federal and state regulations mandates. A successful risk management strategy is to improve the quality of patient care and reduce the probability of an adverse outcome or a medical malpractice claim. Its objective is to reduce the risk to patients and liability to the physician. Furthermore, the foundation for risk management is the standard of care. Tracking the quality of care of physicians must include Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluations (OPPE) and a peer review committee within an organization. Criminal Prosecution for Malpractice Physicians are in a unique position in regard to the law by the nature of their work. A physician may face a charge of criminal negligence, manslaughter, or second-degree murder if a patient in his care suffers severe or lethal injuries. â€Å"Negligence law offers plaintiffs the legal framework upon which to build their civil suit. A plaintiff in a medical  malpractice action must satisfy four elements-duty, breach, causation and damage- in order to prevail. In a negligence case, the wrongdoer’s actions are compared to what would be expected of a reasonable and prudent person in the same or similar circumstance† (Monico, Kulkarni, & Calise, 2013). The practice of medicine is full of uncertainties. In some cases, bad outcome is the result of physician negligence. The patient and/or his family may institute a civil suit for malpractice if they believe that the bad outcome was a result of the physician’s actions. It is very rare that a prosecutor decides the fact s of a case warrant a charge of criminal malpractice. The prosecutors must see a repetitive negligent behavior that constitutes to a pattern that can be documented before criminal charges can be filed. Conclusion The medical profession has many dedicated people who give themselves and sacrifices for the sake of saving lives. Physicians practice their profession according to the Hippocratic Oath. Furthermore, the have learned the rules and regulations mandated by the Federal and State government in health care delivery. Quality of health care is an important objective of CMS. Physicians are required to adhere to the standards of quality care and the delivery of it. When physicians get in trouble with the law, they have to face various criminal and civil charges based on the severity of their case. In the current trend, doctors commit white-collar crimes when they take kickbacks, order questionable procedures, overbill patients and insurance companies, and bill for services they did not provide. The Medical Board of California ensures safety and protection of health care consumers through proper licensing and regulation of physicians by means of various objective enforcement of the Medical Practice Act. References California Business and Professions Code. (2014). Business and Professions Code Section 2050-2079. Retrieved from http://www.liginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=bpc&group Medical Board of California. (2013). Guide to the Laws Governing the Practice of Medicine by Physicians and Surgeons. Retrieved from http://www.mbc.ca.gov/about_laws/laws/_guide.pdf Monico, E., Kulkarni, R., & Calise, A. (2013). The Criminal Prosecution of Medical Negligence. Retrieved from http://www.ispub.com/IJLHE/5/1/5237 The Medical Board of California. (2014). Laws and Regulations. Retrieved from http://www.mbc.ca.gov/about_us/laws/ U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2014). The Hippocratic Oath. Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/greek/greek_oath.html

Descartes Second Meditation - 732 Words

Descartes Second Meditation In Descartes’ Second Meditation the key philosophical idea of â€Å"I think, therefore I am† is introduced and thus begins a new age in western philosophy. Some of the arguments Descartes provide in order to support his claims are that in order to doubt anything, you must be able to think and if you think, you exist. Descartes brings up the point that there may be no physical world, along with that thought comes the doubt of anything else being real, which again concludes that he is thinking which means he is real. Descartes’ argument in the second meditation is that in order to think at all, whether it is doubt of an existence or belief something to be true it requires thought. Descartes makes the†¦show more content†¦Descartes is dealt with the problem of skepticism and how to overcome it. In order to overcome skepticism, he decides he must enforce it strictly upon his experiment and therefore attempt to explain around skepticism. 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