Analysis of Change Implementation in Semco

Analysis of Change Implementation in Semco
Introduction
It is quite difficult for an organization to succeed in a competitive environment without implementing its operations and tasks in a useful way. As such, organizational development practitioners must organize all tasks and procedures to ensure the organization's desired objectives (1). Again, employee development is a crucial aspect of human resource management as it increases employee performance and contributes to the organization's overall growth.
The primary emphasis of organizational development is on the mutuality and cooperation between groups and individuals, which ensures harmony in the progression of the organization. Moreover, the overall effectiveness of an organization is achieved through the improvement of all its dimensions, including strategies, culture, and structure (2). This report aims to examine the aforementioned organizational aspects using a case study to identify problems and transformative solutions. The report shall include recommendations on specific approaches that may be adopted to ensure optimal organizational effectiveness in the case study context.
Problem Identification
Founded in an era where companies ran like an oligarchy, Semco adopted a hierarchical and patriarchal model characterized by rigidity with rules and policies drafted for nearly everything. The organization focused on a single market, and based on Semler's father's disregard of Semler's ideas; the top leadership was probably contemptuous towards subordinate input. As a result, the organization stagnated until the recession nearly brought it to its knees. In contrast, a similar recession hit again under Semler's leadership, and though they felt the pinch, Semler could navigate the storm and come out ahead. To this end, we can identify several issues with the organization under Antonio Curt Semler.
Firstly, Semco suffered from poor process management under Antonio's leadership because top leadership was not flexible, and they held no regard for employee feedback. An organizational culture that values employee contributions in decision-making encourages more employee participation, which leads to employee development and better performance (3). Moreover, the lack of competitive advantages or promotion opportunities gives employees no incentive to strive toward individual development, resulting in poor performance.
Secondly, the organization had no vision for expansion and did not engage innovation in production and organizational structure. Organizations unlock opportunities and growth when innovation is encouraged and employed (4). Semco, however, stifled employee creativity and stubbornly employed an outdated business model that relied on stringent policies without good communication avenues.
The overall effectiveness of an organization is achieved through the improvement of all its dimensions, including strategies, culture, and structure (2). The development of an organization is usually long-term, and it needs long-term strategies that effect change within the structure and its interdependent parts. In retrospect, organizational culture and leadership attitudes affect employee development. Under Antonio's leadership, Semco failed both in organizational development and employee development, but its greatest detriment was the management's refusal to acknowledge the need for change.
Change
Change can either be planned or unplanned. When planned change, the management consciously makes moves and puts diligent effort into transforming the organization (5). Nonetheless, change can only happen when there is a critical need for it because it is discomforting and thus resisted by individuals and the organization. To this end, change mostly occurs when an organization's problems cause more suffering than the pain incurred from the discomfort of assimilating the change (6). As such, drivers of change cannot rely solely on the perceived benefits of assimilating change (7). Rather, they should convince all stakeholders of the absolute need for change. Semler, for instance, failed in convincing his father because he focused on the perceived benefits of affecting change. His threat to quit, however, was effective because Antonio couldn't afford to lose Semler's input in the organization.
Analysis of Change Implementation in Semco
When Semler took over Semco, he had identified the issues of rigidity, lack of diversification, ineffective leadership, and poor organizational structure. As such, his first move was to eliminate the outdated management model by firing most top management. Semler partially employed Kurt Force Field analysis when considering the cultural and regulation change in contrast to the cost and fear of distru...