Read The Article Titled “Sustaining Change In Manufacturing ✓ Solved

Read the article titled “Sustaining Change in Manufacturing Comp

Please respond to one (1) of the following: Read the article titled “Sustaining Change in Manufacturing Companies.” Next, review the list of eleven (11) factors which impact the sustainability of change. Reflect on a change that you implemented or was implemented at an organization with which you are familiar that was not sustainable. Comment on the factors of sustaining change that were not included in the change process. How would you address the key factors that the organization missed and ultimately led to the change being reversed? Support your responses with examples as well as in-text citation of sources.

Paper For Above Instructions

Sustaining change in organizations is a key concern for managers today. While change initiatives are often accompanied by significant investment in resources and time, many do not achieve long-term sustainability. According to studies, between 70% and 90% of change initiatives fail in the long run (Buchanan et al., 2005). In this paper, I will reflect on a case from my experience where a change initiative aimed at improving employee engagement within a mid-sized technology firm failed to sustain and eventually regressed to previous practices. I will analyze the missed factors that contributed to this failure, referencing the eleven factors identified by Buchanan et al. (2005) that influence the sustainability of change initiatives.

Understanding the Change Initiative

In the mid-2010s, the technology firm where I was employed decided to implement a new employee engagement initiative. This initiative aimed to foster a culture of open communication, significantly enhance job satisfaction, and ultimately improve productivity. The leadership team conducted workshops and invited feedback suggestions from employees to enhance the engagement strategy. However, within a few years, employee engagement levels regressed to their previous state, highlighting a drop in morale and communication. It was a disappointing turnaround, prompting a review of the factors that could have better supported the sustainability of the change.

Factors Impacting Sustainability of Change

Buchanan et al. (2005) identified eleven factors essential for sustaining change in organizations. These factors include leadership, individual commitment, managerial style, financial considerations, the substantiality of the change, organizational systems, cultural elements, political influences, processual methods, contextual factors, and temporal aspects of the initiative.

Missed Leadership Engagement

One of the most significant factors that contributed to the failure of the engagement initiative was inadequate ongoing leadership engagement. During the initial implementation phase, there was strong direction from the senior leadership team, setting a clear vision and goals for the engagement initiative. Nevertheless, as the program progressed, leadership involvement waned, leading to a lack of continued motivation among employees (Buchanan et al., 2005). Leadership must remain actively involved throughout the entirety of a change initiative, reinforcing its importance and providing guidance.

Employee Commitment

Another critical factor that was neglected was the individual employees' commitment to the change. While the firm adequately rolled out workshops to solicit employee feedback, the focus on securing employee buy-in post-implementation was lacking. As suggested by research, employee commitment is paramount for sustaining change; if individuals do not feel engaged or aligned with the change, the initiative is bound to regress (Buchanan et al., 2005).

Management’s Role

Furthermore, the managerial aspect of the change process was overlooked. Managers often play a crucial role in bridging the gap between leadership decisions and employee experiences. After the initial change implementation, managers did not consistently encourage the new engagement practices, which led to a gradual reversion to old habits. Effective managerial styles that align with the organizational culture help reinforce new practices, which were insufficiently applied in this instance (Buchanan et al., 2005).

Cultural Considerations

A cultural assessment was also lacking during this change initiative. The existing culture within the organization may not have aligned well with the new engagement strategies. Since changes reflect not only structural aspects but also the underlying values and behaviors, it is pertinent to ensure that changes resonate with employees' cultural expectations (Buchanan et al., 2005). As a result, the organization confronted resistance to adopting the new engagement methods.

Addressing the Key Factors

To address the key factors that were omitted, several strategies can be employed:

• Enhancing Leadership Involvement: Initiating mandatory check-in meetings with leadership throughout the process to reinforce commitment and motivation.
• Securing Employee Buy-In: Create continuous opportunities for employees to provide feedback, with transparent communication about how their input influences ongoing strategies.
• Ensuring Managerial Support: Empower managers with the resources and training to effectively communicate the benefits of the change and support employees through the transition.
• Aligning Culture with Change: Conducting a cultural assessment to ensure that changes in organizational practices align with employees' values and beliefs.

Conclusion

Sustaining change within organizations is a nuanced process that requires an understanding of multiple contributing factors. In the examined technology firm, shortcomings in leadership engagement, employee commitment, managerial influence, and cultural alignment hindered the sustainability of the new employee engagement initiative. By addressing these key factors through deliberate strategies, organizations can better navigate the complexities of sustaining change initiatives, ensuring that improvements are ingrained in the company's operating fabric. It is the responsibility of leaders to remain vigilant and engaged throughout the process, support their teams effectively, and foster a culture that embraces and maintains change over the long term.

References

• Buchanan, D., Fitzgerald, L., Ketley, D., Gollop, R., Jones, J. L., Saint, L. S., Neath, A., & Whitby, E. (2005). No going back: A review of the literature on sustaining organizational change. International Journal of Management Reviews, 7(3), 189-205.
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