The Management of change

SUBMITTED BY
JYOTI UPADHYAY (W9565002)
MSc. Project Management
Table of Contents
PART 1.....................................................................................................................................2
1.1 Change Management.....................................................................................................2
1.2 COMPANY OVERVIEW.................................................................................................3
1.3 Triggers of the change....................................................................................................3
1.4 Resistance to Change....................................................................................................4
1.5 Overcoming Resistance to Change................................................................................5
1.6 Change Management Perspectives and Theories.........................................................5
1.6.1 Individual Perspective..............................................................................................5
1.6.2 Team Perspective....................................................................................................7
1.6.3 Organizational Perspective......................................................................................8
PART 2...................................................................................................................................10
2.1 Reflecting Writing.........................................................................................................10
2.1.1 Concrete Experience.............................................................................................10
2.1.2 Reflective Observations.........................................................................................11
2.1.3 Abstract Conceptualization....................................................................................11
2.1.4 Active Experimentation..........................................................................................12
References.............................................................................................................................13

List of Figures
Figure 1: Bridges Transitional Model...............................................................................................9
Figure 2: John Kotter's 8 steps Change Model...............................................................................9

1
PART 1

1.1 Change Management

A methodical process of considering both the particular circumstances within the

organization and the external conditions that have an impact on it. With regard to
organizational culture, communication, organization structure, job design, infrastructures,
people, knowledge and skills, folks interfaces, and incentive systems, the change
management methodology assesses the current environment. (Brandenburg & Binder, 1992,
p. 667)

Most start-ups put their main effort towards altering the cultures within their organizations.
Being adaptable and change-ready are essential traits for any business because every
organization needs to run smoothly and efficiently, take advantage of technological
advancements, bring cooperation among personnel, and create groups of teams to carry out
duties.

Change management is a modern occurrence. The majority of businesses are presently

changing their operations and organizational cultures as a result of the most recent technical
breakthroughs, shifting manufacturing techniques, changing customer behaviour, shifting
economic situations, and change business world activities. We can define management of
change as the decision taken by the corporation to alter the current style of company
operations into the fresh one when taking into consideration the profit maximization factor in
order to deal with the quick shifts in the company's environment. Change management has
demonstrated that heterogeneous companies may prosper when they adapt. Changes can
occur in an organization's structure, staff, technology, manufacturing processes,
management, or administrative practices. Change management can also be described as
follows:

Change management often consists of several elements, including governing changes,

adapting change, and enacting change to alter the environment of the business or
organization and to significantly profit from that change. To achieve the organization's
intended goal, management of change is the practice of changing the organization's daily
operations in addition to putting new procedures and technology in place. The ultimate goal
of change management is to ensure the company's long-term existence.

2
1.2 COMPANY OVERVIEW

The American multinational telecommunications corporation Verizon Communications Inc.,

also known as Verizon, is a corporate member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Verizon
Data is one of the teams and LOBs that it has, and it is responsible for all IT operations and
advancements. It is in charge of creating and maintaining the software needed to support its
Verizon application, which serves as a one-stop shop for all client needs they have started
various major campaigns, including: “Can you hear me now?”, “Inspire Her Mind”, “Flipside
Stories (#NeverSettle)”.

The project is introduced for GTA: Global Tech Association stream. It is targeted to bring in a
new revolution in the technology and process architecture for all customer journeys. The
GTA group focuses on creating robust and feasible technology solutions for every domain of
the firm.

Deloitte Touché Tohmatsu Limited, also known as Deloitte, is indeed a global professional
services network with its headquarters in London, England. Verizon had outsourced a
portion of the project to Deloitte. Alongside EY, KPMG, and PricewaterhouseCoopers,
Deloitte is regarded as a member of the Big Four accounting firms and has the biggest
professional services network in the world by revenue. Deloitte offers services in auditing,
consulting, financial advice risk management, risk advisory, tax preparation, and law.

1.3 Triggers of the change

With the increasing competition and the need to constantly innovate and improve customer
experience, there was a need to introduce a new process that would result in robust and
more efficient processing and at the same time ensure that high standards of technology are
maintained. The following are the triggers of change:

1. Increasing traffic on one system.

2. Increasing workload on one team resulting in delayed delivery and defect
resolution.
3. Increased complexity and risk due to all data and logic being concentrated in one
place.
4. Shortage of workforce due to workload concentration on one team, hence
increasing employee dissatisfaction.

The project aims to design the customer experience for upgrading or downgrading toward a
different plan or subscribing to a new plan, which has to be changed. This will include the
development of a new system that will serve as a link between the front-end & any back-end

3
system that provides data or has the logical code for figuring out various factors to provide
clients with the necessary answers. This initiative aims to improve the customer experience
while lowering the firm's software development costs.

1.4 Resistance to Change

Every organization will eventually face resistance to change. This is the response of the
more experienced workers. When a corporation decides to implement change tactics, the
workers quickly respond by airing their complaints, slacking off at work, threatening to go on
strike, and other similar actions. On the other hand, change management has to proceed
with prudence to prevail over resistance ( Del Val and Fuentes, 2003). A significant amount of
resistance to change may originate from both individual and organizational issues. The
company sort to create an online platform with futures that automatically create offers to
customers based on their usage. This would be achieved using PEGA technology, which
would be used to develop the activities, which will automatically tell the best next offer for the
existing or new customers. Before this change, this was done manually and the variety of
offers was general not customer specific. The change was to be implemented by a manager
who was to develop and deploy the application. The deployment of this application led to a
creation of redundancy among the workforce as the job roles of some of the staff would be
carried out by this application. The introduction of this application faces resistance from the
workforce, leading to the development and adoption of effective strategies and models that
aid change management. This will be discussed and reviewed.

With every change big or small, there are multiple doubts and questions to be answered.
Certainly, this was nothing different. Following are the few resistances that occurred in the
organization:

1. Fear Of Failure – The biggest reason for the resistance was the fear of failure.
Introducing Pega at such a big scale was a risk, that not everyone in the organization
was open to taking. Since there was a completely new system and a new path to be
introduced, there was a fear that if this might fail it could result in the loss of huge
business and can pull back Verizon in the race of being the best in a big way.

2. Unwillingness To Accept Less Dependency – The introduction of the new system

meant reduced dependency on overloaded systems. This was perceived by many as
an in decrease importance in the complete systematic process. With good
communication and several design presentations, the team successfully overcame
this issue.

4
1.5 Overcoming Resistance to Change

Implementing tactics that, when put together, result in a decrease in the intensity of change
resistance is the process of eliminating resistance to change. These are some of the tactics
that agents of change might use. They may be broken down into the following categories:

i. Carrying out the change in an equitable manner

ii. Selecting individuals who are open to the change
iii. Providing information and education
iv. Encouraging participation
v. Strengthening support and dedication
vi. The art of manipulation and working together

1.6 Change Management Perspectives and Theories

It is vital to break the change management techniques into various categories to

comprehend the change management process and theories behind the management
processes used in Verizon. Individual, team and organizational views are the three
categories under which the viewpoints are categorized. Each viewpoint has its management
theories or models that helped the organization finish the process of change management.
As mentioned below, theories developed for individuals are applied to teams and
organizations to bring about change that directly affects both (Satyanarayana et al., 2017).

1.6.1 Individual Perspective

There are two categories of employees in the organization, according to McGregor's 1960
theories X and Y. Conversely, in theory, Y individuals will always feel driven, see change as
a great thing, and worry about their obligations. Theory X people would be lethargic, less
motivated, constantly reject change, and despise responsibility (Schein, 2011). The
introduction of the change by the management in Verizon was done using a planned
approach to change (Lewin, 1951). This change model uses three stages to effect a change
in an organization. Unfreezing indicates that outmoded assumptions and approaches must
be given up to comprehend new ideas. It suggests being flexible and keeping an open mind
to fresh ideas. It entails giving up outmoded behaviours and accepting novel challenges. It
basically entails moving outside of your current comfort zone and becoming ready for
change. A manager helped the workforce let go of archaic roles and procedures as a result.
The Manager provided information and training sessions on the new technology to be used.
This was to enable them to accept new concepts. The individuals at first resisted the change
by:

5
  Increased absenteeism from work
 They were angry and feared they would lose their jobs; this made them anxious
about not understanding the new technology
 Reduced productivity and low performance as they refused to perform the task
assigned to them as change agents.

The Management reacted by engaging the individuals in training and having dialogues with
people who were identified to be resisting the change and motivating them using cognitive
approaches. Modifying one's behaviour is a crucial step in learning new ideas and
behaviours. An employee is helped in this process to come up with fresh justifications for
their actions and ideas. There could be confusion, astonishment, overwhelm, and
helplessness. Patience is essential during this time. There must be hope, discovery, and
enthusiasm to overcome all turmoil and change into a new mode of growth. Undoubtedly,
the unfreezing stage is one of the most important to know.

Refreezing is the process of applying what was taught to the individuals. As they are taught
and motivated by the management, the new behaviours are eventually accepted and
embedded into the employee's everyday behaviour. The effective completion of on-the-job
training must be the ultimate goal of the refreezing stage. After a quick shift change, the
purpose of this phase was to stabilize the work process. When there is a mix of X and Y
kinds of individuals, the change manager has selected the cognitive technique to enact
change in each person. Utilizing the cognitive method altered an individual's way of thinking
inside an organization, aiding in their long-term growth (Parker, Atkins, and Axtell, 2008)

Leading members of a group or organization toward the group's objective is an act of

leadership (Winston and Patterson, 2006). During this cognitive approach process,
leadership is equally crucial (Fiman, 1973). The change manager employed two leadership
styles. The first was democratic leadership, where a person at any level can participate and
assist make choices. This made it easier for the manager to see the employees' potential
and motivated them to put in a hard effort for the business. The team leader worked with the
team as an equal team member and understand better the culture within the organization as
part of the second type of leadership he employed during the transition process. He inspired
employees to pursue rewards through his leadership to motivate them externally. When the
X-theory group needs outside motivation, this type of leadership is used.

Motivation is a type of driving force behind human behaviour that inspires individuals to
achieve their objectives (Ryan and Deci, 2000). It is also important from the viewpoint of
each person involved in the project since the project manager inspired everyone to work

6
hard while also preventing any instances of negative motivational enforcement. By providing
incentives like bonus pay and taking into account each person's significance in the
transformation process, he encouraged employees to attain the objective. Implementing
positive motivation enhances the culture of the organization and fosters positivism since
there will be genuine competition from inside the organization (Sarach, 2010).

1.6.2 Team Perspective

The team was made up of individuals with a variety of talents who collaborate to accomplish
a shared objective. One team member was made the team's leader to act as a change agent
and guide the team (Abramson, 1990). Working as a team speeds up an organization's goal
achieving process, but it is also crucial to effectively manage that team using good
management strategies when implementing a change. Three new teams were introduced to
the team to complete the project, which were:

1. Offer Management Team: This group unquestionably prioritised providing unique options
for each consumer.

2. Customer Journey Team: One team, in particular, was tasked with managing the
backend infrastructure for live client journeys.

3. Real-time Decisioning Team: This group's responsibility was to write the smart code that
would generate the software's "Next best action" and "Next best offer" features.

The introduction of these teams was faced with resistance such as conflicts between the
team in the early stages after the team was formed. The Members of a team may show their
displeasure with a new direction in various ways, such as via strikes, public confrontations
with management staff, and undercover in more subtle ways. Employees' resistance to
change may manifest in several, depending on the nature of the workplace and the nature of
the change itself. Some people on the team tried to dodge the transition by acting like
nothing is different. They choose as a team to keep doing things the old way rather than
adopt the new processes (Schroeder, 2010). The leader overcomes this opposition by
setting clear expectations from the start. That way, they'll have time to adjust, and the leader
was able to enforce the new policies more effectively. The leader adapted both behavioural
and cognitive approaches to members who don't adapt to the changes, and then followed up
with them in a consistent and fair manner. The separation between teams and departments
was another manifestation of resistance to change in an organization. These fragmentations
made it harder to work together productively and lead to conflicts and unprofessional
behaviour within the group. As the teams bonded and learned to work together, the teams
began to perform to meet the set objectives. This led to the successful development,

7
implementation, and adoption of the new platform. The technology was successfully
developed and has since been updated to newer versions and applied to new projects in the
company.

The five stages of team growth are Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and
Adjourning, according to Bruce Tuckman's 1965 model. The teams can be said to have gone
through the 5 stages described in this model (Tuckman, and Jensen, 1977).

1.6.3 Organizational Perspective

Any organization's transformation begins with the individual and progresses to the
organizational level (Zutphen, 2008). Organizational viewpoint is crucial to take into account
since managing change at the organizational level may be challenging. Understanding the
appropriate model for dealing with the seamless operation of the organizational change
process is crucial. Numerous organizations have struggled to adapt to change as a result of
poor initial execution, management, and understanding of the necessity for change. Because
of these two factors, 70% of change attempts fail, making organizational change
management critical (Kotter and Schlesinger, 2013). Verizon organization successfully
managed change by basing the shift on two key models or concepts of change
management.

The Bridges Transitional Model, which contends that individuals become more resistant to
change because of the transition associated with change, was the initial hypothesis used for
this project (Janse, 2019). The three phases of the transformation phase assisted the
organization in reducing change-related resistance. The company was able to explain the
change is taking place and that it is undergoing administrative and technical changes thanks
to the first stage, End. People's thoughts regarding the shift were expressed throughout this
phase, which aided the organization in maintaining cultural ethics and raising awareness of
opposition. The second phase was the Neutral Zone, during which the organization
explained the new policies and employee identities and served as a central hub for
administrative adjustments. The New Beginning phase of the Bridge model is when the
organization's modifications are completely accepted and may now operate according to a
newly modified pattern. This strategy was only appropriate for tiny, early modifications, thus
Verizon adopted the second change management model after its successful deployment
(Hearn,1996).

8
 Figure 1: Bridges Transitional Model
Walker, 2016
John Kotter's 8-Step change model was the organization's second model (Appelbaum et al.,
2012). Internet or telecom service was the initial step for the organization. The model's
second and third steps are vision and functional team development to become a market
leader. After that, the organization conveyed the shift via the person who would be part of it
and reduced market rivalry by giving free data and services, which helped them reach their
first minor objectives. Verizon is continuing the transition by offering additional seasonal
offers, which represents the seventh stage in the model. The final and most essential phase
is integrating the transition into the company's culture to allow future changes. Verizon uses

John Kotter's methodology to make change easy and least resistant.

Figure 2: John Kotter's 8 steps Change Model

How to successfully implement Kotter's 8 step change model (2023)

9
PART 2
At Teesside University, I am currently enrolled in a postgraduate master's program in project
management. I have studied a module on the management of change as part of this
curriculum. Our module's supervisor, Dr. Thomas J. McDonagh, was in charge of educating
us on a range of change management theories and concepts. This reflection on the module
uses Kolb's Learning Cycle as its foundation. Within it, I discuss the things that I noticed
throughout the module and that have had an effect on both my knowledge and my working
approach (Kolb, 1984).

2.1 Reflecting Writing

Kolb’s Learning Cycle

2.1.1 Concrete Experience

The lectures taught me new methods since I was in the classroom. In class, we learned how
the theories of motivations are used to implement a change in an organization using
strategies and models that minimize the resistance to change. In groups, people discuss
their experiences and approach to problems involving change management and how these
theories related to them. I observed that change management occurs at the individual level,
team level, and organizational level. Change management involving cultural change is the
most difficult to implement. We also discussed case studies in these groups that increased
my understanding of McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y, Two Factor Theory, Tuckman's
phases of group formation, used for team building, and leadership styles using study articles
and videos of high-ranking persons who talk about their real-life experiences in lectures to

10
improve one's mental health. The seminar session was engaging since students were
divided into teams to debate the different topics and case studies. It was intriguing to see
how other students tackled the topic because each student had a distinct viewpoint. I was
able to make meaningful contributions to the discussions and was surprised by my own
ability to understand that motivation theories could be combined and used based on the
uniqueness of the change management project being handled. Culture, religion, knowledge,
economy, behavior, social structures, organizational structures, organizational cultures, and
geographical location also limits the implementation of these theories. As a leader, it is better
to motivate your sub-ordinate to work using your charisma and develop social relationships
among the team (Cognitive Approach). As a manager, you should only be using your power
and authority when required to enforce discipline amongst the team (Behaviouristic
Approach).

2.1.2 Reflective Observations

I had never worked as a project manager nor had I attended a project management course,
so I was hesitant to sign up for the program since I was afraid of learning management. My
previous employment educated me on how to function in a setting that was fully focused on
the book industry, and it would seem that I am not familiar with management techniques.
While conducting research for the present evaluation, the understanding of theories was
helpful and clarified. According to the theories, organizational culture is essential for people
to develop & adapt to changing circumstances. My lack of experience did not make me feel
confident at first during the group discussions, and I made very little contributions to the
discussions. I learned the use of behaviouristic methods in motivating people and have little
effect as I used to implement rewards and punishments in organizations. The cognitive
approach appeared to be more effective as it involves the use of leadership skills in
motivating people to achieve organizational goals. The culture of an organization is a result
of the management style practice within the organization, as the management determines its
culture.

2.1.3 Abstract Conceptualization

Making adjustments or advancement in any kind of firm is not an easy undertaking,

according to Kolb's Learning Cycle, which is the first and most important lesson I have
learned from this course. People may change if the efficacy of a situation is
emphasized deeply in their imaginations or if there is a significant organizational change in
the possibilities of culture and systems. Both of these factors have the potential to bring
about change. Every change management effort is faced with some level of resistance to
change irrespective of the planning and strategies that are put in place for implementing the

11
change. When an organization has a people culture, it is challenging to modify that culture.
In an organization, change in the workforce may be required to achieve the desired change,
even if it affects the operations of the organization, as it may have to suspend its operations
temporarily while it sources new hires to replace the workforce that existed. From my
interaction with my course mates during the group sessions, a transformation in my mindset
made me realize the need for a change leader to employ effective communication channels
between all parties involved in the change event to drive a sustainable change. To become a
good change leader an iterative process would need to be adopted whereby you make
mistakes, learn from your mistakes and modify your style and strategy in managing people
and teams.

2.1.4 Active Experimentation

The information that I have learned and the experience that I have gained from participating
in this specific module will assist me in identifying the sort of change, employing the
appropriate strategy to oversee the change, applying the knowledge of change management
models to lessen resistance to change by visualizing the reality and giving the staff a vision
of the change will bring in. This can be achieved by developing appropriate policies, skill
sets, and procedures required to complete the process of change successfully. In the future,
I will learn how to be a good manager who will engage with people using emotional
intelligence, show empathy, and learn to use good communication skills.

I would integrate the new approaches that I acquired from this module with the ideas that I
am already familiar with in order to make additional improvements in the flow of the process
of change management. Because of the fact that 70 percent of organizations are unable to
change due to a lack of management or inadequate management, it is vital for me to
complete this module so that I could reduce that proportion by using a suitable work
methodology. I will keep learning updated theories and approaches and keep myself
updated every time to be able to use the knowledge in managing a team and implement all
the models to fulfill the change requirement.

12
References
 Abramson, J. (1990). Making Teams Work. Social Work With Groups, 12(4), pp.45-63.
 Appelbaum, S., Habashy, S., Malo, J. and Shafiq, H. (2012). Back to the future: revisiting
Kotter's 1996 change model. Journal of Management Development, 31(8), pp.764-782.
 Barker, D.J., Lencucha, J. and Anderson, R., 2016. Kolb’s learning cycle as a framework
for early fieldwork learning. World Federation of Occupational Therapists Bulletin, 72(1),
pp.28-34.
 Del Val, M.P. and Fuentes, C.M., 2003. Resistance to change: a literature review and empirical
study. Management decision.
 Fiman, B.G. (1973), “An investigation of the relationships among supervisory attitudes,
behaviors, and outputs: an examination of McGregor's theory Y”, Personnel Psychology,
Vol. 26, pp. 95‐105
 Hashim, M., 2013. Change management. International Journal of Academic Research in
Business and Social Sciences, 3(7), p.685.
 Hearn, J.C., 1996. Transforming US higher education: An organizational
perspective. Innovative higher education, 21(2).
 How to successfully implement Kotter's 8 step change model (2023) Lucidity. Available
at: https://getlucidity.com/strategy-resources/guide-to-kotters-8-step-change-model/
(Accessed: January 12, 2023).
 Janse, B. (2019). Bridges Transition Model, a powerful change management tool |
toolshero. toolshero. Available at:
https://www.toolshero.com/change-management/bridges-transition-model/
 Kolb, D. (1984). Experimental learning. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall.
 McCarthy, P.R. and McCarthy, H.M., 2006. When case studies are not enough:
Integrating experiential learning into business curricula. Journal of Education for
business, 81(4), pp.201-204.
 Kotter, J. and Schlesinger, L. (2013). Choosing Strategies for Change. Harvard Business
Review.
 Parker, S.K., Atkins, P.W. and Axtell, C.M., 2008. 5 Building better workplaces through
individual perspective taking: a fresh look at a fundamental human process. International
review of industrial and organizational psychology, 23
 Ryan, R. and Deci, E. (2000). Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivations: Classic Definitions and
New Directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25(1), pp.54-67.

13
 Sarach, T. (2010). Seven Ways to Motivate Employees. Reliance Staffing, A
PeopleShare Company. Available at: https://www.reliancestaffing.com/2010/07/seven-
ways-to-motivate-employees/
 Satyanarayana, D., Rao, D. and Naidu, D. (2017). The impact of Reliance Jio on Indian
mobile industry a case study on mergers and acquisitions of idea – Vodafone and Airtel
– Telenor. International Journal of Applied Research, 209(212).
 Schein, E. (2011). Douglas McGregor: theoretician, moral philosopher or behaviourist?,
Journal of Management History, 17(2)
 Schroeder, P.J., 2010. Changing Team Culture: The Perspectives of Ten Successful
Head Coaches. Journal of Sport Behavior

 Tuckman, B.W. and Jensen, M.A.C., 1977. Stages of small-group development

revisited. Group & organization studies, 2(4).
 Walker, M. (2016) William Bridges, "Transitions: Making sense of life's changes"-a
review, Heyday Coaching. Heyday Coaching. Available at:
https://www.heydaycoaching.com/blog/2016/7/11/william-bridges-transitions-making-
sense-of-lifes-changesa-review (Accessed: January 12, 2023).
 Williams, K., Woolliams, M. and Spiro, J. (2020). Reflective Writing. [online] Google
Books. Bloomsbury Publishing. Available at: https://books.google.com.om/books?
id=2fNGEAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=importance+of+reflective+writing&hl=en&s
a=X&ved=2ahUKEwiktMiNp6v1AhURFRQKHc4XDYIQ6AF6BAgDEAM#v=onepage&q=i
mportance%20of%20reflective%20writing&f=false (2022)
 Winston, B. and Patterson, K. (2006). An Integrative Definition of
Leadership. International Journal of Leadership Studies, 1(2), pp.6-66.
 Zutphen, G. (2008). Changing individuals changes organisations. INSEAD Knowledge.
Available at: https://knowledge.insead.edu/operations-management/changing-
individuals-changes-organisations-2086

14