Seminar in Organization Theory & Behavior

University of La Verne

Graduate School of Business & Public Administration

BUS 551

Seminar in Organization Theory & Behavior

Spring Term 2014

Instructor: Loren R. Dyck

Student Name: Xi Wang(Violet)

Student ID: 11528322

Due date: 05/20/2014

In the modern world, the requirement for knowledge and skills about organizational has increased sharply due to the competitive and changing business environment. For company executives, changing management skill is particularly important, their thinking and behavior directly or indirectly influence the performance of the staff in their company and it is highly related to the future development of the company. However, many company executives doesn’t have the knowledge or skills to manage organizational change effectively, which hindered the normal development of the company. Innovation is the key to change which refers to the process of bringing any new, problem solving idea into use. (Kanter, R. 1983.)

Today I did the change management simulation to develop my changing management skills. In the simulation, I was the CEO and the founder of Spectrum Sunglass Company, I was satisfied with the current development condition of the company, but after I read many articles about the importance of sustain development for business, I realized that sustainability and innovation are also indispensable for my company’s growth. We should offer new products to customers who pay attention to the Spectrum’s environment impacts. However, not all the members in Spectrum support my suggestion, such as the CFO, Paul; VP of operations, Filer; the benefits administrator, Orysh. In their opinion, a dramatic shift to focus on sustain development may be premature. As a CEO, obtain my staff’s support is necessary to carry out the changing program. So my mission is to persuade the managers to adopt my initiatives.

RECORDING OF PROCESS

Week 1

During the first week, I conducted private interviews, I interviewed Michelle Barth, the executive assistant, Andrew Chen, the general counsel; Nancy Kerr, the director of product innovation; Yao Li, the director of process innovation. Barth and Chen are my assistant and the counsel, I think I can discuss with these two people first if I have a proposal, because besides me, they are located at the highest level of the company, obtain their consent is necessary for my proposal’s further development. The initial response of many corporations to the recognized need for change were programs driven from the top. (Beer, M. 1990.) And for the other two people, they are the director of innovation department, it’s easier for them to accept my new ideas than others, I think their consent is the prerequisite of my initiative’s implementation because their suggestion can test and verify my initiative’s rationality.

Week 3

Two weeks later, I held town hall meetings to ask for the opinion from all the crucial managers in my company. I need the suggestion from all the managers to judge the effectiveness of the new product and present my opinion about the new product’s advantage and the need for innovation. Participation is key if one assumes that most information is widely held in the organization. (Beer, M. & N. Nohria. 2000.)

After this meeting, five people was interested in my proposal and one people adopted my proposal, all of this made me feel pleased.

Week 11-12

In week 11, I clarified the organization values, to let all the managers know our company’s long-term goals, economic strength, social influence, and the weakness exist in our company recently. I want to make managers realize what we can keep and what we need to improve, to recognize current market situation and the future business tendency. I think this procedure is necessary to convince managers adopt my proposals because managers may further understand the significance of sustain development if they know well about our objective and the internal and external environment of my company. After that, 12 more people were interested in my proposal and one more people adopted it. In the following week, I issued email notice to all the managers in my company, to go on discussing with them about my proposal, come up with my suggestions and get feedback from them.

Week 14-15

In week 14, I got the consultant’s support, I think it’s important to persuade others because consultant plays an important role in my company, so his opinion may have more influence on others. In week 15, I told a “success story” to 3 managers, I found this lever had no impacts on the company, so I begin to change lever after that time.

Week 27

In week 27, I revised reward system, I think I can encourage the managers to think about my proposal and treat my proposal seriously through this way. This lever can be a motivation for me to persuade the managers. After that, 11 more person began to try my proposal, and 2 more people adopted my proposal. I saw this lever worked.