Answer 1: The case analysis indicates that Shyam was in a problematic situation with respect to the changes in the form of job rotation as considered by the management, and the problem was mainly in terms of his subordinate employees not readily available to accept the change process. As a result, there were four alternative approaches that have been recommended by Shyam in order to deal with the situation. This section of analysis is now focused towards assessing the pros and cons associated with the four different approaches as considered by Shyam and it also assesses the level of conflict associated with each of them.
1st Alternative: Forget about job rotation: This alternative in the form of forgetting about the job rotation in the unit is likely to have certain major pros and cons associated with it. As for instance, the pros associated with this decision is mainly that it will not create any kinds of changes and the ways in which the employees were currently working, will continue to work in the same way. However, the cons associated with it are that it will not account for any major development in the performance of employees within this subunit. This particular alternative does not result into any conflict within the one member in the subunit that is not willing to change, whereas there might be certain level of conflict within other two members that are ready to accept to job rotation as desired by management (Griffin and Moorhead, 2009).
2nd Alternative: Issuing Orders that Job Rotation is Mandatory: This alternative will result into the benefit in the form of better learning opportunities to the members that are readily acceptable to change in the form of job rotation as desired by the management. But the cons as associated with it are that there might be issues in respect to the employee that is resisting to changes in terms of job rotation of his/her position. The implementation of this particular alternative will result into conflicts within existing members in the subunit, as the member that is not readily acceptable to job rotation is likely to pose threats to the successful performance of other members. Thus, the chances of conflict would increase significantly from considering this alternative of making the job rotation mandatory.
3rd Alternative: Respecting the Feelings of other and implementing job rotation by stopping it for a while and again starting it for sometime: In performing change management, it is highly essential that the employees should be adequately supported and in this respect of implementing job rotation, it is essential that the employees should be adequately supported. As a result, this particular alternative in the form of respecting the feelings of other will result into positive development of acceptance within the employees for such change in the form of job rotation as considered by management. However, the cons associated with it are that it will be a time consuming process in implementing job rotation, as stopping it for a while and again starting it would cause the consumption of time to a greater level. The chances of conflict would be lesser because a cooperative and coordinating style of management by employees would result into better acceptability within them (Griffin and Moorhead, 2009).
4th Alternative: Conducting meeting again and discussing pros and cons: This is an important way of carrying out the proposed change in the form of job rotation within organisation because this particular alternative would result into positive level of feedback from each and every employee within organisation, and the resulting impact would therefore be better overall development of employees. However, the cons associated with it may be in terms of negative feedbacks from employees during meeting and there would be difficulties to management in successfully implementing the change process. The chances of conflict occurrence in the process would be higher because one employee has not at all accepted such job rotation process.
Selection of an Approach from Four Available Approaches
There are four important approaches to solving the current conflicting situation being identified by Shyam so that the problem can be resolved in a highly efficient manner. However, within the four alternative approaches as selected, the most effective situation in this context is mainly the consideration of third approach which has been to respect the feelings of each one and work out an arrangement where job rotation occurs for a while, is stopped for a while and so on. This will allow each and every person to have his or her way for some time. This particular approach is considered as highly effective in this situation and this is mainly because of the fact that there is one member in the subunit that has not accepted the change in the form of job rotation. As a result, in order to ensure the achievement of positive acceptability on the part of this member, it is essential that a coordinating and cooperative approach should be followed so that all the three members could accept such changes in the form of job rotation (Sweeney, 2007).
This particular approach has the necessary elements in ensuring that there has been the positive acceptability of change within all the members in the group. This is mainly because the process of job rotation will start for sometime and it will then stop, and will continue again. This process will allow for the identification of actual performance level of each employee and since the process continues for a short period of time, it will result into the better identification of management regarding the effectiveness of the process. As a result, better decision making could be possible on the part of management in ensuring that there is positive level of participation in respect to all the employees to such job rotation that has been envisaged by the management. There is no such need for an alternative approach because this particular approach is likely to ensure the positive developments and better acceptability within the employees with regard to the job rotation. This approach is also beneficial as it results into positive level of learning within its employees and better overall contribution in achieving higher level of success over the organisation’s performance level (Griffin and Moorhead, 2009).
Change Management Phases
The decision to implement the job rotation within the organisation is mainly a change management process that needs to be implemented in a highly efficient manner. Change management require efficient process to be carried out, and there should be the adaptation of important phases to performing change in a successful manner. In this respect to implementing job rotation, the change management can be carried out through applying the Kurt Lewin model to performing change. This model states that the change should be carried out in phases which involve the steps such as unfreezing, transitioning and refreezing. These stages are crucial from the point of view of positively accepting change management within organisation. The order of phases as applicable to this change management process is analysed below:
Unfreezing: This phase is the actual identification of change management need and once the need is identified, appropriate measures could be considered for bringing change within organisation. As for instance, the need for job rotation is essential as identified in the given case of Fortune India Ltd and as a result, during this unfreeze stage, it is essential that there should be efficient strategies that should be developed in introducing change within organisation (Burke, Lake and Paine, 2008).
Transitioning: This is the actual phase of implementing the change process, and in respect to the given process of implementing job rotation, the focus has been towards the actual implementation of job rotation within organisation. The employees should be transferred to different job titles in this phase and their actual performance should be monitored so that it can be assessed as to whether there is suitability of the personnel across different job locations within organisation.
Refreezing: This is the final stage to performing the actual implementation of change within organisation and it requires the making the changes permanent within the organisation. This suggests that the changes to the processes in the form of rotating the employees to different job titles as performed above, should be refreeze if they are proved to be excellent to the organisation in achieving higher efficiency in its performance (Burke, Lake and Paine, 2008).
In these ways, different phases to change management can be carried out with a view to implement the job rotation as envisaged by the management in a positive manner. This order of phases would be carried out in actually implementing change within organisation.
Communication Plan in Implementing the Proposed Changes
The changes as envisaged in the form of implementing job rotation within organisation can be efficiently addressed by way of having an appropriate communication plan. Communication plan is essential because it will likely to make it sure that each and every employee in the organisation is clear about the changes and the likely impact they have to face in their job role within organisation. In ensuring the attainment of awareness in respect to each and every employee in organisation, it is essential to have a definite communication plan which is indicated as follows:
Identifying Parties in Communicating Change- The first stage in the communication process is the identification of parties to whom the change process needs to be communicated. In respect to the given case of Fortune India Ltd, the change process in the form of job rotation of employees need to be communicated to the employees whose position will change in the organisation and also to the senior level management for their efficient approval.
Communication of Change: Once the parties to the communication process are identified, the next step in the process is the actual communication of change. As in the given case of Fortune India Ltd, it has been analysed that there are hierarchical structures whereby team leaders have subordinates working under them. As in the given case example, it has been noted that Shyam as three subordinates working under him, and as a result, the communication of change can be possible in the form supervisor directly communicating with their subordinates in the form of one to one meeting or it can be in the form of group communication with them. In this way, there can be the direct level of communication being established with the employees and they can be encouraged to positively support the growth of the firm. In addition to this, the communication with the senior level management can be established in the form of reporting them directly about the performance of subordinates over the change process, and this can be ensured through documenting the performance of each and every employee by the supervisor after the change process has been given due effect (Nilakant and Ramnarayan, 2006).
Feedbacks from Employees: Feedback from employee is essential because it allows for better judgment of the employee performance over the new positions as a result of job rotation being performed. The feedback from employee is crucial in evaluating the overall effectiveness level with regard to overall organisational performance over the change as initiated by the organisation. In these ways, the efficient implementation of change through appropriate communication with employees can be ensured, and the positive feedback mechanism could also ensure the identification of employee acceptance to the change process as initiated by the management (Cummings and Worley, 2014).
Importance of Communication Plan: This communication plan is likely to ensure the enhancement of the engagement and success of experience in the sense that it will allow each and every member in identifying the change process as needed to be carried out, the likelihood of acceptance of such change within them, and also the overall effectiveness of the employee acceptance to such change. This indicates that the communication plan is highly crucial from the point of view of creating awareness within the target audience and also from the point of view of achieving success with regard to the performance of change process in a highly efficient manner. Thus, this communication process needs to be implemented in a highly efficient manner with a view to accomplish higher level of success and effectiveness throughout the entire change management process.
References
Burke, W.W., Lake, D.G. and Paine, J.W. (2008), ‘Organization Change: A Comprehensive Reader’, John Wiley & Sons.
Cummings, T. and Worley, C. (2014), ‘Organization Development and Change’, 10th ed., Cengage Learning.
Griffin, R. and Moorhead, G. (2009), ‘Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations’, 9th ed., Cengage Learning.
Nilakant, V. and Ramnarayan, S. (2006), ‘Change Management: Altering Mindsets in A Global Context’, SAGE Publications India.
Sweeney, D.L. (2007), ‘The Effects of Job Rotation Patterns on Organizational Outcome Indicants of Inter-organizational Boundary Spanner Performance’, ProQuest.
