Business Transition Management Assignment Sample

• Subject Name : General Management

What Have You Learnt About Change Management that Can Assist an Organisation to Better Manage Transitions to Different Ways of Operating in Their Chosen Markets?

The evolution theory devised by Sir Charles Darwin leads us to take advantage of new challenges. We can only take advantage of these challenges if we possess the competency to manage the changes occurring in the organizational environment. Organizations these days undergo a lot of changes. Apparently, the world is full of changes. The changes occurring in the organizational structure of the company is unpredictable and unforeseen but they are present everywhere. Change is inevitable and hence unstoppable. Due to this, business organizations adapt to this change and consider it as significant part of their organization. By devising change management system in the organization, changes can be dealt with. This can be done with a technique of change management commonly known as managing transition. Transition from the existing environment to a new and changed one has become easy with change management. Different authors have defined change in their own words and according to their own interpretation. Armstrong (2009) definition of change includes, change in structure, management, employees, etc. Changes in the organization are an analysis of shape, quality or state of entities present in an organization and variations occurring in it (Van de Ven and Poole, 1995). Subsequently, to ensure success of the organization, efforts and initiatives undertaken to manage change should be in consonance with the aim and objectives of the organization (Lucey, 2008). Such change management has a significant impact both positive and negative on the outcomes of the organization and it can help an organization to manage its transition to different ways of operating in their chosen markets. This paper focuses upon the impact of change management on the organization and how transition management helps an organization to operate in their chosen market.

The most important question which every business needs to ask itself is how to implement the change in the organization or company. Implementation of change in the most careful manner is commonly known as Change Management or Change Control. It helps the organization in successful transition from the present status quo (which is not ideal) to a desired one. Every manager should master this skill of change management as it forms the significant part of business operations and also the concept of change that is generally constant in the environment. Change Management consist of various processes and techniques which if adopted will lead a business organization to the desired status quo in future. There are mainly two objectives of change management. Firstly, Change management helps the organization in achieving its objects and goals which cannot be obtained otherwise. Secondly, change management helps to decrease the adverse effects which come in the way while transition.

The process of change management includes a strategic approach in planning of process which proves helpful in creating a better future for the organization. However, these approaches can be influenced by decisions taken within the organization and willingness to adopt the approaches. A well-thought out planning is needed to implement change management. Also, involvement of key people of the organization as well as consultation with them is necessary to influence and manage the change. Imposing change within the environment of the organization can attract a negative reaction of employees. Due to this reason, it becomes important to make changes as clear as possible and also include within it the change that affects the employees. The change should be achievable, realistic and measurable. It does not matter at which stage or level the change is introduced, it is humans and their decisions that accept or reject it. Therefore, it depends on the people working in the organization to make the change successful or not (Cameron, E. and Green, M., 2011). For future changes, an organization needs the support of technology, civilization and creative thinking (Paton, R.A. and McCalman, J., 2010).

It is basic not to overlook changes since, at some point or another, an association should confront them. For an association or organization to endure and succeed procedures which practically mirror its capacity to execute different future situations must be embraced. The execution of changes must turn into a persistent cycle – with different causes and needs – in order to encourage the presentation of changes which can be arranged. Regardless of whether an organization is serious or not relies upon its capacity to change its key business measures into vital abilities used to persistently convey preferable client esteem over the opposition.

Any business organization wanting to execute the adjustment in a powerful way ought to consider the progress of the current framework or state into the ideal future state subsequently augmenting the assets and limiting expense simultaneously, making it useful to the association. (Hotho, 2008)

A perspective of change management is transition management that has to be considered within the organization as it offers a systematic concept and a systematic strategy for successful transformation into other operations of different markets (Loorbach, 2010). This transformation strategy also gets developed pro-actively if the business carefully manages transition and the change recurring in the environment of the organization. Additionally, by managing transition and being a lead player in transformative strategy, the business can simultaneously shift in the new market and operate. Not only this, they can also transform their own business operations easily and efficiently.

Where Change is defined as a fundamental shift of the business organization in the external environment, Transition is the key reorientation within the operations of the business in response to the fundamental change. Transition is a time taking process. For a business to become successful in its operations in different markets, the managers need to manage both change as well as the transition. A plan for transition management is the most significant element of change management plan and it is based on the presumption that the change is being managed efficiently and successfully. Due to the reason that transition helps an organization to operate in different markets, it is considered as a multi-level (Geels, 2002) and multi-phased process (Rotmans et al., 2001).

The methodology of managing transition gives an approach to eloquent and structure what leaders in this field are doing and gives a system to endeavor to make an interpretation of their methodology into a more broad and adaptable technique. The point of view of transition is being used on non-straight change in predominant systems to interpret and attempt to influence the speed and bearing of the transition. The system of transition management provides a proper framework to clarify the opportunities for having influence and the different parts of firms with regards to advances. This is only done by recognizing various sorts of administration through which changes in predominant culture, structures and practices which take place in the society. Moreover, managing transitions provide a set structure choosing accomplices, instruments and activities identified with the organization and people's own objectives and desire.

The main objective of transition is the paramount shift of business operation and its services from an internal environment to an external environment who is usually the service provider. Managing transition helps to manage this shift by providing organization a direction in which it is to head, the process to measure progress and how the destination will be reached. For executing the shift and this whole process effectively, a clear understanding of the objectives for change is necessary. The objectives for change should also be in consonance with the needs of business organization. Transition is not a one way process. There must be a well experienced transition team for implementing a strong and effective transition management (Tattersall, A., 2013). 

Business organizations adapt to change; they go through a series of phases of transition as transition is a multi-phased process. Due to the nature of transition which is non-linear and there is no set format of step by step process while managing transitions, organizations find themselves swaying in between phases. The manager has the responsibility to expect and allow employees and other people to go through the transition process in different speeds and in different ways. An ideal model of managing transition includes four most important components: (i) analyze and structure the problem, thereby organize the transition arena; (ii) develop an agenda with a vision of business development, simultaneously derive the path of transition; (iii) explore the new ways of transition by experimenting with it and mobilize the network; (iv) analyze and evaluate the lessons from those experiments and make the required changes in the vision or agenda.

This model can be used for: Predicting response of the people and their reaction to the change; appropriately responding to help the organization to move forward; and looking for new opportunities while the change is taking place (Ferguson, M).

Talking from the point of view of transition, the verifiable improvements as far as considering ecological and social issues for example the cutoff points to development, vitality efficiency, environmental change discusses, ecological approaches, etc. have co-advanced with business procedures that adjusted to this. Some transitions in the current world that are regarded likely and conceivable in various sectors, for example, food arrangement, vitality, constructed condition, and versatility will ostensibly likewise essentially impact business. This viewpoint can be deciphered in different manners. Transitions having potential to impact the external environment of business may also compromise existing strategies of business and needs versatile strategies for managing crisis or, at times, organizations might be a factor in hindering advances, or business may proactively attempt to envision potential advances and assume a function in directing these towards more beneficial circumstances (Cherp et al., 2011; Clark et al., 2005; Ernstson et el., 2010; Grin et al., 2010; Nobel Laureate Symposium, 2011). This involves firms are beginning from a cultural test to which they relate and afterward try to characterize in which ways they may add to tending to this issue through their business.

Over the previous decade, a lot of pragmatic trials have begun that utilization the comprehension of the elements of transition to influence their speed and course. A large portion of the activities in the beginning stage were taken by governments, yet a move is occurring in which organizations are investigating the opportunities for extraordinary change in their own business sectors. We use the theoretical thought of transitions as heuristic to investigate conceivable change and opportunities for influencing these changes. The beginning stage is consequently not exclusively an ideal objective of the firm itself, however the cycle to all the more likely bode well all things considered of the unpredictable changes the business is important for. As it were, the progress system offers an approach to structure considering continuous transformative changes and in doing so make facilitated activities to manage these progressions conceivable. In the writing examining the change approach, this subtlety if regularly ignored and the methodology of progress the executives simplified to a straightforward vision-drove arranging while it has really been created as a system for manage transition, looking to adjust rising changes, base up development, controlling dreams and aggregate plan building measures (Loorbach, D and Wijsman, K. 2013).

In today’s world, where sustainable development has become the need of hour, new business models can be developed by that work for both economic and social benefit. These new models can only be developed when a business undergoes societal transitions and then redefines the business all over again. There are majorly four types of activities undertaken by business organizations which help them guide, accelerate and structure the change process of business. These four activities are: (i) Strategic Envisioning which brings the leaders together to discuss about the change (Margolis and Walsh, 2003); (ii) Tactical Networking which helps in developing strategies to overcome challenge (Porter and Kramer, 2006); (iii) Operational innovation which help in experimenting and creating pilots and icons for transforming the market; and (iv) Reflexive monitoring and evaluation which helps the business in developing flexible and cross business debate about changes in the society.

It was demonstrated that various indicators and boundaries exist which influence one another and are interconnected. It is difficult to set the attention just on territory in the organization, seek after the objective just around there and afterward hope to make all-encompassing progress. The achievement or disappointment of an organization relies upon synchronized exercises inside the organization which respond to showcase requests. The usage of a change must be estimated in every aspect of the organization.

References for Business Transition Management

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Cameron, E & Green, M. (2011). Making Sense of Change Management: A complete guide to the models, Tools and Techniques of Organizational Change Management (2^nd ed.), Kogan Page, London.

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Paton, R.A. & McCalman, J. (2010). Change Management: A Guide to Effective Implementation (3^rd ed.), Sage, London.

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Rotmans, J., Kemp, R., van Asselt, M., (2001). More evolution than revolution: transition management in public policy. Foresight, 1, 15-31.

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Tattersall, A., (2013). Business Process Transition: Managing a Successful Business Process Transition in a Multinational Organization. ISG White Paper, 6-9.

Van de Ven, A.H. & Poole, M.S. (1995). Explaining development and change in organizations. Academy of Management Review, 20 (3): 510-540.

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