External Environmental Changes and Systems, Leadership and Structural Changes in an Organization
External Environmental Changes and Systems, Leadership and Structural Changes in an Organization
Burke–Litwin believes that environmental factors in the organization cause change. Most of the change in the organization can be linked with external factors. The external factors cause change that affects the organization’s mission, strategy, leadership and culture. Burke–Litwin identified 12 dimensions that help in understanding change in the organization. The 12 dimensions of change are vital in bringing change in Wal-Mart. The organization experiences changes from external factors such as policy change.
The change in employment policies has impacted the organization negatively. The organization has not encouraged equality as it has hired male employees for the past years. As a result, the organization has faced gender issues due to lack of equality. This has forced the organization to comply with the equal employment opportunity laws. Also, the organization has changed its mission, strategy and culture in order to bring change (Smith, 2007).
However, there are other factors that the organization needs to change to bring permanent change by solving the current problems. The organization should change the leadership to bring change. The attitude and behaviors of the leaders impact the operation of the organization. The top leadership in the organization has encouraged employment of male employees instead of gender equality. The top leadership has given make employees priority and male workers hold senior positions in the organization.
Women held top positions during Walton time, but this changed significantly after his death. The leaders did not support the election of a female leader in the company board dominated by male. The leaders have to change their attitude and behaviors towards female workers in order to bring change. The acceptance of change in the organization will depend with the senior management. The top leadership should show commitment and devotion to the change effort (Smith, 2007).
Further, the organizational structures have influenced the operation of the organization and employees. The organizational structures have impacted employee motivation as leaders do not recognize their presence in the organization. Changing the structures will facilitate the implementation of the change process. The responsibilities and authority should be changed. Leaders should ensure men and women hold leadership positions in the country instead of men dominating the top positions. Also, men and women should have similar responsibilities.
Additionally, the working environment is crucial in bring change in the organization. The perception of employees towards the work environment and colleagues affects the operation of the organization. The immediate work environment shapes the employees views of the organization and influences their job satisfaction. Currently, employees in Wal-Mart are not satisfied with their jobs and have different perceptions of the organization. The employees do not worthy as leaders do not recognize them.
The leaders have focused on profit and reduction of cost and forgot the employees and their needs. Also, the workers have a different view of the company due to gender issues, unequal pay. Wal-Mart has discriminated female workers for long. Female employees are not elected to top positions and do not get equal salaries with men. Women get lower wages compared to men and this has affected the perception of the female employees. The enumeration policy and other policies should be changed to meet employee needs. The change to the working environment should be managed sensitively as it results to different emotional and political reactions from the workers. Drastic change had a negative effect on the company after Walton death. The senior management found it difficult to adjust to the new environment (Smith, 2001).
In addition, the task requirement and individual skills dimension is central in bringing change in the organization. Changing the organization will require a change in the tasks carried out. It will also require changing the skills available. Appointing more women to managerial positions and other positions requires changing the tasks of managers. Leaders should determine whether women have appropriate skills to hold managerial positions and other positions. They should assess whether the skills available can be developed. The individual needs and values dimension determines the opinion of the workers regarding their job to identify factors that lead to job satisfaction and enrichment. Job satisfaction in Wal-Mart is an issue and leaders should determine factors that lead to job satisfaction (Smith, 2001).
Employee motivation has also influenced the organization’s performance. The gender and wage discriminations have affected employee motivation especially female workers as they are not treated equally with men. Also, failure to recognize workers and their efforts in attaining organizational goals has affected employee motivation. Leaders should identify the motivation level of the workers and their willingness to put in an effort to attain the company goals. They should identify motivation triggers.
Changing the remuneration, hiring practices and work environment will motivate the workers. Lastly, the individual and overall performance dimension will help determine the performance level on personal and company level. It will determine the company performance in productivity, efficiency, customer satisfaction, quality among others. This in turn will enable the organization to bring change (Roy, n.d.).
The Congruence model by Tushman and O’Relly can be used to bring change in the organization. The managers should determine how the external environment is changing and modify the organization based on the change. They should determine the congruency between the external environment change and systems, leadership and structural changes (Tushman & O’Reilly, 1997).
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