Organisational Change, Development Theory, and Sustainability Issues in Professional Practice - Coursework Example

REFLECTION JOURNAL By Name Course Instructor Institution City/State Date Reflection Journal A. Individual Learning The change management task has helped me understand how organisational change takes place. For instance, I have noted that organisation change occurs when the overall strategy is changed for success or a major practice or section is added or removed. I have also noted that for an organisation to develop, it must experience some significant change at different points during the development. Through the change practitioner assessment, I have learned that change processes are steered by a number of strategic considerations, which includes the need for working ways that are more integrated and the need improved organisational performance. Such considerations according to Pieterse et al. (2012, p.799) normally lead to structured change programs rooted in the notion that change management involves a set of interventions. I have learned that organisational change takes place when a transition is made by the company from its present state to the sought after future state. Failure of organisational change can be attributed to employee resistance or the way the change has been implemented. According to Bovey and Hede (2001, p.535) large-scale corporate change programs failure are normally caused by employee resistance, whereby employees. I have learned from the tasks that proactive change management for optimising future adaptability is always a resourceful way of managing the industrial transformation dynamisms as compared to allowing them to occur unsystematically. I concur with Elving (2005, p.129) that communication is important to the successful implementation of organisational change. Basically, when the change communication is managed poorly it can lead to rumours as well as change resistance, embellishing the change negative aspects. B. EBL Learning When I used the EBL learning, I became more engaged with the subject (change management and development). Basically, EBL enabled me to develop an approach that is more flexible to my study and has enabled me to organise my study; consequently, this has improved my understanding to the subject. I believe EBL learning has enabled me to develop an important life skill needed for lifelong learning as well as employment. Without a doubt, EBL has enabled me to make my learning more relevant to my own needs as well as the future career path. Nowadays, employers search for graduates with a wide range of skills such as problem-solving skills, leadership, team working, creativity, information literacy as well as project management. Therefore, students with scores of such skills have improved their employability. Initially, I found some of the topics or subjects very difficult due to the incapacity to envisage what I was required to learn. However, EBL has enabled me to bridge the gap between change management practice and theory in a manner that facilitates the visualisation to happen. Furthermore, EBL offered me an approach to learning that is more holistic by facilitating the integration of interdisciplinary skills and knowledge. The EBL enabled me to understand change management (content) as well as the means of understanding and learning that content. I have noted that skills are crucial for understanding and learning the subject material, but still, the material offers a way of developing the skills. From the group written report, I am certain that I improved my own and the group’s EBL performance since the group discussion was beneficial encouraged me to search for understanding by reading more extensively. In order to ensure every group member was committed to the task at hand, we ensured that everyone was intrinsically motivated. According to Deignan (2009, p.22), EBL can improve the quality of learning. I was able to learn that assessment is an important factor that drives the learning behaviour; therefore, as a group, we ensured that we research and evaluate critically the discussion topic. The group report involved numerous assessed elements that were clearly defined and consisted of an informal presentation and summary sheet. Basically, this approach improved EBL performance through material engagement and enabled us to learn from our experience within the supportive environment. I was offered an opportunity to reflect on other members’ perceptions towards the group ideas on the group written report and was able to make the required improvements. Through the group written report, I am now able to apply subject knowledge to everyday situations and I was able to help the group members to analyse and decide about the presented information and data. I have been able to improve my EBL performance in terms of applying and developing efficient and effective problem-solving strategies. As opined by Inglis-Jassiem et al. (2014, p.193), students able to follow the EBL approach are normally satisfied with the outcomes since it results in better knowledge retention, enables one to understand the subject matter deeply and facilitates the ability to use skills in solving complex as well as new scenarios. From the group written report I have learned that in EBL, the collaborative nature of group learning allows for the development of leadership skills, communication and teamwork. C. MOC Theory I will definitely apply my understanding of organisational change and development theory as well as sustainability issues to my future professional practice in various ways. One way is through proper structuring of activities with the goal of ensuring that the people who will be affected by the organisational change are engaged. During the change process I will always ensure that before creating new environments and systems, the people involved are informed earlier so as to avert any possible resistance. Every time new things are imposed on the people, difficulties are always expected. Therefore, for sustainability, I will in the future ensure that involvement, participation, and communication are the main factors that will drive the change process. Besides that, workshops can be used to develop approaches, ideas, methods, systems and collective understanding. Presently, organisational leaders are experiencing an unprecedented change in terms of addressing expectations and changes for performance results (Pryor et al., 2008, p.3). Therefore, there is a need for long-term and short-term planning for contingencies. I have observed that how employees react to change is influenced by numerous factors. Still, the reaction is justified since the change process involves shifting from the known to the unknown; therefore, when employees react to the process, it is imperative for the change agent to differentiate between the reactions symptoms and the causes. The main factors that influence the reaction of the employees to change include communication, employees’ cognitions and emotions, as well as the involvement of employees in the decision-making process. As mentioned by Wittig (2012, p.23), the aforementioned factors explain why employees normally resist organisational change. In future, as a change agent, I will ensure that I take into consideration these factors since many change efforts fail because of disregarding these factors. In the future as a change agent, I will make sure that employee knows about the organisational change efforts before implementation. I believe that the success of the change effort relies more on the workability and quality of the existing connection between the key decision makers and the change agent in the organisation. In scores of companies according to Lunenburg (2010, p.1), employees together with managers are trained with the goal of developing the required skills so as to be able to manage change. As a change agent, I will ensure that I bring a different perspective to the situation that the organisation is facing with the objective of transforming the status quo. Ability to effectively execute change is one of the key competencies that every organisation will require in the future. The majority of organisations are performing poorly in this area; therefore, there is a need to improve such ability. References Bovey, W.H. & Hede, A., 2001. Resistance to organisational change: the role of defence mechanisms. Journal of Managerial Psychology, vol. 16, no. 7, pp.534-48. Deignan, T., 2009. Enquiry-Based Learning: perspectives on practice. Teaching in Higher Education, vol. 14, no. 1, pp.13-28. Elving, W.J.L., 2005. The role of communication in organisational change. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, vol. 10, no. 2, pp.129-38. Inglis-Jassiem, G., Statham, S.B. & Hanekom, S.D., 2014. What does an enquiry-based approach offer undergraduate physiotherapy students in their final year of study?. AJHPE, vol. 6, no. 2, pp.192-97. Lunenburg, F.C., 2010. Managing Change: The Role of the Change Agent. International Journal of Business Management and Administration , vol. 13, no. 1, pp.1-6. Pieterse, J.H., Caniëls, M.C.J. & Homan, T., 2012. Professional discourses and resistance to change. Journal of Organisational Change Management, vol. 25, no. 6, pp.798 - 818. Pryor, M.G. et al., 2008. Challenges facing change management theories and research. Delhi Business Review, vol. 9, no. 1, pp.1-20. Wittig, C., 2012. Employees’ Reactions to Organisational Change. OD PRACTITIONER, vol. 44, no. 2, pp.23-28. Read More