Analyse the effective management and leadership of change in organisations: CIPD Level 7 Strategic People Management Assignment, UK

Question 9
AC 3.1 Analyse the effective management and leadership of change in organizations from a people management perspective.

Analyze the effective management and leadership of change in organizations concerning TWO change management models. Illustrate your answer with examples of how and when the models might help contemporary organizations to manage and lead change effectively and when the models are less relevant.

Pointers for students :
Drawing on academic research, discuss the definition and issues surrounding the concept of organizational change. What is meant by ‘effective’ management and leadership of change? How has this effectiveness been defined and measured in the research literature?

Models provide a step-by-step approach to managing change, they do not offer comprehensive explanations or theories about the underlying mechanisms or drivers of organizational change. One might briefly contrast them with theories of change which provide broader conceptual frameworks and explanatory models that seek to understand the dynamics, processes, and factors that influence organizational change.

Ensure TWO change models are chosen to critically analyze, from theorists such as Lewin (Change Management Model), Kotter (8-Step Change Model), Rogers (Change theory), and KublerRoss (Change Curve), ensuring that you examine potential strengths as well as consider the limitations, e.g., over-simplicity, contextual limitations where models do not adequately account for the specific industry, organizational, or cultural context in which the change is taking place.

Again, relate the two models to your organizational context in discussing strengths and limitations. Note that over-reliance on change models without considering the unique context of an organization’s culture and industry will limit their effectiveness, so be specific about how and when the models might be useful (or have been useful if applying to a change process that you have experienced) in line with your organization or one known to you.

Your argument may assess the credibility of these models in the modern day, especially with the speed of change that is now experienced. Organizations promote agility to meet the more ‘emergent’ and less planned change that is more in line with the VUCA climate experienced in business today.

Covid-19 has progressed change in several ways, from technology to influencing work patterns to remote/hybrid working.