Planning and Implementing Change in Organisation

Question: Discuss about the Planning and Implementing Change in Organisation. Answer: Introduction Organisational Change management is a term used for managing the changes which keep occurring in an organisations working conditions pertaining to its people and projects(Graetz Rimmer, 2012). Emergent changes are the changes which may occur in near or far future. For example changes in the structure and the culture of an organisation. Change agents are actors inside or outside of an organisation who initiate or execute the change.(Goksoy, 2015). Change is a constant process occurring due to transformation in knowledge, technology and systems. There are various theories which assess and formulate methods for handling change in an organisation. Use of complexity theory by change agents to understand emergent change Complexity theory considers organisation as a formation of complex systems which emphasises on interactions and feedback loops to manage change(Lanning, 2014). Complexity theory helps in understanding how firms adapt to a particular change in the environment. According to this theory, organisations are complex and dynamic network of interactions. There are three different theories or models in complexity theory(Devlin, et al., 2012). In the chaos theory, organisational systems are considered to be sensitive to small changes. The emergent changes percolate into these systems very fast can create chaos and confusion.(Bridges, 2017). Learning, innovation and adaptability can remove chaos and bring order under such systems. Another form of complexity theory is complex adaptive systems theory. This theory stipulates that systems in an organisation are diverse but adaptive to emergent change by nature. According to this theory emergent change is dynamic and unpredictable. Consequently, the need to learn is essential for a system to survive the change. Example of diverse adaptive system is the stock exchange,(Agboro, 2015). Change agents must balance the need for stability with the need to adapt to the emergent change. Third major theory of complexity theory is nonlinear theory. Agents with in a system have diverse behaviour and the sum total of the behaviour of the system may not be the sum total of all the parts of the system(Hensmans, et al., 2012). According to complexity theory systems in an organisation constantly interact and adapt to each other(Pycroft Bartollas, 2014) Therefore, adaption to emergent change does not happen because of any planned activity but as a result of adaptive systems. An important concept propagated by complexity theory is that no controller can actually manage these systems in an event of organisational change(Verity, 2012). This theory also propounds that reaction to emergent change is a result of collective adaptability rather than individual action(Devlin, et al., 2012). Theorists give an example of an ant colony which may shift to a certain food source as a result of collective action and not due to an individual decision. The concept of self-organisation and real time response is another major concept of complexity theory According to this theory organisations need to self-organise themselves in the event of emergent change without internal or external control mechanism. For self-organisation to take place there should be open communication and connectivity among all parts of the organisation. Entire organisation should be open to new ideas and diversity of views regarding adaptability to change. Another concept in complexity theory is the edge of chaos. This phrase is used to define the thin line between order and chaos in an organisation or any system(Bridges, 2017). It can also be understood as the transition space between ongoing order in a system and the chaos which may follow if an emergent change occurs. Organisations can handle change and avoid falling into chaos by continuous innovation and improvements in their operations The most important point propagated by complexity theory is that organisations are formed of complex systems and emergent change cannot be manged through control(Agboro, 2015). This is because change is dynamic and can reach an organisations system at any time in any manner. Therefore, it is important to keep information flow and feedback loops open in order to prevent chaos and failure of the organisation in the wake of emergent change(Hensmans, et al., 2012). A feedback loop is a structure in which output comes from one node which leads to eventually input going into the same node(Agboro, 2015). In business terms the leader should provide information to the team of employees regarding an emergent change and must get ideas from the subordinate towards adapting to this change; hence, creating a feedback loop. For example, if another firm is acquiring a firm, this situation can be termed as an emergent change. In accordance with complexity theory this change cannot be managed through rigid control, as the systems within the organisation have no idea about the policies of this new firms and how they will manage the organisation once they acquire it. Hence, leader needs to keep the information flow active and adapt to the emergent change when it arrives through interaction and communication. Complexity theory takes a naturalist approach to change management and propagates learning, knowledge management and innovation to evolve with the change and adapt to it(Hensmans, et al., 2012). Complexity theory also advocates that organisations should become learning organisation and incorporate knowledge management in order to adapt to change. According to this theory change cannot be managed through control but agents of change can understand change by continuously interacting and learning new and innovative things. Conclusion Complexity theory helps organisational leaders in viewing organisations as systems which are in content interaction with each other and are inherently adaptive. Complexity theory promotes learning, knowledge management and diversity of thinking and idea generation to manage change in an organisational system. This theory encourages the change agent to experiment rather than go with rigid control mechanism. Complexity theory is criticised on the grounds that it is difficult to apply in real situation as self-organisation and adaptability may not take place quickly leading to failure of the organisation. Certain theorists believe that the way forward is to create directives for the change agents and let them adapt to emergent changes with the help of self-organisation under these directive. References Agboro, A. J., (2015) Change Management and its Implications for HR Activities. Norderstedt: GRIN Verlag. Bridges, W., (2017) Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change. Boston: Da Capo Press. Devlin, A., Elvira, M., Ramire, J. Zapata-Cantu, L., (2012) Understanding Organizations in Complex, Emergent and Uncertain Environments. Humburg: Springer. Goksoy, A., (2015) Organizational Change Management Strategies in Modern Business. Harshey: IGI. Graetz, F. Rimmer, M., (2012) Managing Organisational Change. New Jersey: John Wiley Sons. Hensmans, M., Johnson, G. Yip, G., (2012) Strategic Transformation: Changing While Winning. Hamburg: Springer. Lanning, H., (2014) Planning and implementing change in organisations. Norderstedt: GRIN Verlag. Pycroft, A. Bartollas, C., (2014) Applying Complexity Theory: Whole Systems Approaches to Criminal Justice and Social Work. Bristol: Policy Press. Verity, J., (2012) The New Strategic Landscape: Innovative Perspectives on Strategy. 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