Change Model Assignment Assume You Are The Sales And Marketi

Change Model Assignmentassume You Are The Sales And Marketing Director

Assume you are the Sales and Marketing Director for Sea Treasures, a small group of well-known retail stores specializing in exotic sea life and high-end accessories for aquariums. The company has been in business for over 50 years, but the customer base is shrinking, sales are slow, and you are faced with reducing staff and closing stores. Sea Treasures will be out of business within a year if innovative and creative changes are not made quickly. After many months, you have finally been able to convince the owner that the only way to sustain the business and increase revenue is to create an Internet website to sell the large inventory of aquarium decorator items currently gathering dust in a costly warehouse.

This will be a short-term, small-scale change. Six months later, you will expand the website to sell live sea creatures such as tropical fish and small sea turtles online, representing a long-term, large-scale change. You face many challenges in this transformational change initiative, including employee resistance, new technology implementation, and shipping logistics. Many small businesses have faced similar issues and have transitioned successfully; consider the humble beginnings of Amazon and its growth to today’s e-commerce giant.

Selecting the most suitable change model for both the short-term and long-term phases is critical for guiding this transformation. This paper will explore the change models appropriate for each phase, providing rationale for these choices and discussing their potential effects on employees, managers, and executives within Sea Treasures. The discussion will include references to scholarly sources to support the proposed strategies and expected outcomes.

Paper For Above instruction

Implementing change within an organization, particularly one facing imminent closure, requires a strategic approach grounded in established change management frameworks. For Sea Treasures, a small retail business specializing in exotic sea life, the short-term goal is to establish an online sales platform for aquarium decor, followed by a long-term expansion into selling live sea creatures. To navigate this complex transformation, selecting appropriate change models—Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model for short-term, achievable goals and Lewin’s Change Management Model for extensive future changes—is essential.

Short-term Change: Applying Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model

Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model (Kotter, 1998) provides a comprehensive framework suitable for initiating the immediate transformation of Sea Treasures into an online retail presence. The model emphasizes creating urgency, forming a guiding coalition, developing a vision, communicating the vision, removing obstacles, generating short-term wins, consolidating gains, and anchoring changes in the corporate culture.

Given the urgency of preventing closure, steps such as establishing a sense of urgency and creating a guiding coalition with key leadership and motivated employees are vital first actions. Developing a clear vision—transitioning from a brick-and-mortar retail store to a digital seller of aquarium accessories—is crucial. Effective communication of this vision will help address employee resistance and foster buy-in. Removing obstacles, such as retraining staff on new technology and streamlining logistics, aligns with this step.

The focus on achievable short-term wins, such as successfully launching the website and making initial sales, will build momentum. Recognizing employee efforts publicly reinforces the change process and encourages continued engagement. The final steps—consolidating gains and embedding the change—ensure that the new online platform remains integral to the company’s operations, laying a foundation for the subsequent expansion into selling live animals.

Long-term Change: Utilizing Lewin’s Change Management Model

For expansive, long-term change such as adding live sea creatures to the online offerings, Lewin’s three-stage model (Unfreeze-Change-Refreeze) offers a straightforward, yet effective, approach. This model emphasizes preparing the organization for change, implementing the change, and solidifying it to ensure stability (Lewin, 1951).

The unfreezing phase involves challenging existing mindsets—particularly employee resistance to selling live animals online—and preparing stakeholders for significant operational shifts. Education about the potential growth and sustainability benefits of diversifying product lines helps ease resistance. The Change stage involves the actual implementation of new logistics for transporting live animals, staffing adjustments, and updating policies and procedures. Management must actively support staff through training and adaptive learning during this phase.

Refreezing consolidates the change by embedding new practices into organizational culture, establishing standards, and continuously monitoring performance. This phase ensures the long-term viability of expanding online sales to encompass live sea creatures, fostering sustainable growth. Lewin’s model’s simplicity allows for clear communication and a phased adjustment, minimizing disruption during this major transition.

Impacts on Employees, Managers, and Executives

The adoption of these change models will inevitably impact all levels within Sea Treasures. Employees, particularly retail staff resistant to technological changes, will require training and reassurance throughout the short-term and long-term phases. Transparent communication and involvement in the change process will help mitigate resistance and build ownership (Armenakis & Bedeian, 1999).

Managers will need to develop leadership skills to motivate teams, manage resistance, and foster a culture of adaptability. For instance, applying Kotter’s model emphasizes the importance of guiding coalitions and short-term wins that can bolster managerial credibility and team cohesion. Long-term, managers must oversee logistical operations for live animal sales, ensure compliance with regulations, and adapt policies accordingly.

Executives will play a critical role in providing strategic vision, securing resources for technological investments, and championing change initiatives (Cameron & Green, 2015). Their support will influence organizational commitment and the successful embedding of new practices into company culture. Regular updates, visibility of progress, and recognition of efforts will be crucial in maintaining momentum and ensuring long-term sustainability.

Conclusion

Strategic application of Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model for the short-term online store launch and Lewin’s Change Management Model for the long-term expansion into live aquatic animals creates a phased, manageable approach to transformation. These models help address organizational resistance, ensure stakeholder buy-in, and embed lasting change, ultimately guiding Sea Treasures toward sustained growth and competitiveness amidst an evolving marketplace.

References

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• Kotter, J. P. (1998). Leading Change. Harvard Business Review Press.
• Lewin, K. (1951). Field theory in social science. Harper & Brothers.
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