Change

Essay by KelleyLZUniversity, Bachelor'sA+, February 2004

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Change for the Better

"Change" is the watchword of the day for many, if not most, organizations" (Schermerhorn et al. 59). Change can be planned as radical or incremental. Change can be a conscious choice. Change can be simultaneous with stability. As organizations strive to identify their market's culture and structure, survive mergers and alliances, and remain competitive, change is inevitable. Change is bound to occur, but how and why it takes place is the question.

Radical changes can be the result of a significant incident, for example, new management or new owners due to mergers or takeovers, or failure to meet overall standards. Changes can also be made slowly, in incremental changes. Incremental changes are a "... part of an organization's natural evolution, is frequent and less traumatic" (59) than the radical changes. Incremental changes can "... include the introduction of new products, new technologies and new systems and processes" (59).

Incremental changes add to the established operations to maximize and carry them into an innovative course, while radical changes, maybe unplanned and reactive, are "... intense and all-encompassing" (59).

Change is a conscious choice. "Consciousness is the key. There is no organizational transformation without a preceding transformation in the consciousness of the leadership" (Anderson et al.). According to Bob Anderson et al., Authors of Why change is a consciousness choice, there are "four quadrants of change" (Anderson et al.) that must be recognized in order for change to be successful.

Quadrant one is the 'individual/internal" (Anderson et al.) component of change which includes "...the area of cognitive, psychological, and spiritual development" (Anderson et al.). The quadrant recognizes the need for conscious change to begin from the inside. Quadrant two is the "individual/external aspect of change" (Anderson et al.). This is the area of "...technical and interpersonal skills as...