Organisational change could be referred as the adoption of a new idea or behaviour in organisational context that makes an organisation different from any of its past aspects. In broader aspect change in organisational context could be referred as change in strategic direction, leadership, operations, technology, structure, people, culture, products, services and other aspects related to an organisation (O’Donnell, 2016). On the other hand, organisational development could be referred as system wide application of behavioural science and knowledge for planned development and reinforcement of strategies, processes and structures in organisational context to enhance the effectiveness of the organisation (Waddell et al 2017). The below provided study is developed with an aim for discussing the practical application of the ideas of organisational change and development. However, it should be mentioned that the study is not based on any specific organisational context. The study is based on the perception and approaches of a modern generation director towards change and development. Taika Waititi has recently been awarded as the New Zealander of the Year 2017 for his film making efforts and achievement of this top honorary award in the New Zealand makes him comparable with another legendary New Zealander film director, Sir Peter Jackson (Waddell et al 2017). The main focus of this study is to analyse the change and development approaches of Taika Waititi with respect to different theories of organisational change management so that justification for his recognition as the New Zealander of the Year 2017 could be illustrated through the study. The study will also develop a better understanding of organisational change and development with respect to change and development approaches of Taika Waititi in film making industry.
May be some of us in present days would not recognise the name of Taika Waititi in a single instance but the name of some popular movies directed by him could represent his global popularity, such as What We Do in the Shadows, Hunt for the Wilder People, Boy, Green Lantern, Moana, Scarfies, Tama Tu, Poi E, etc (Wright, 2016). To make the identity of Taika Waititi more transparent to the Hollywood movie loves or Marvel movie lovers the most talked about upcoming movie in 2017, Thor Ragnarok, could be mentioned as a directed movie by him. To start the discussion in the study about the change and development approaches of Taika Waititi, it is important for shedding light on his innovative film making approaches and associated efforts and hard work (Smith, 2014).
Once upon a time movies from New Zealand were considered to be a foreign concept of movie making but in present days a movie belonging to the New Zealand Film Commission undoubtedly represents quality to the global audiences. Two greatest New Zealander directors who have greatest contributions for this kind of global recognition of New Zealand movies are Sir Peter Jackson and Taika Waititi (O’Donnell, 2016). Taika Waititi is not only globally popular for his efficient and distinctive ideas for film direction but he has a massive global recognition as a writer and actor as well. Film has a long history in New Zealand. The first public screening of a motion picture in New Zealand was happened in 1896 and since then the journey of New Zealand movie had started. Although the journey of New Zealand film industry started a long time before but the international success of New Zealand originated movies started from the beginning of 1990. Most of the internationally successful New Zealand movies are either locally funded or funded by Hollywood movie makers (Smith, 2014). Two New Zealander directors who are considered as the change agents for this evolution and international success of New Zealand movies are Taika Waititi and Sir Peter Jackson. The strategic approaches of Taika Waititi as a change agent for the New Zealand film industry have been analysed and illustrated in this study for developing a better understanding about the concept of organisational change and development (O’Donnell, 2016).
For making the discussion sin the study more linked with the concept of organisational change and development, the theoretical aspects related to organisational change management have to be included in the study. One of the most significant theoretical aspects which describe organisational change management with effective transparency is Lewin’s Change Model (Lozano et al 2015). The theory was introduced by Kurt Lewin representing the concept of change as movement towards newer idea, identification of the desired level of behaviour required for the implementation of that idea and final adaptation of the required new behaviour or idea as norm. Lewin’s Change Model recommends three basic steps for change implementation and management in organisational context and these three stages are unfreeze, change and refreeze (Cook, 2016). The significance of these three stages in the context of organisational change management are discussed below,
Unfreeze: This stage in the Lewin’s Change Model states that implementation of a change related to any organisational aspect could be initiated after breaking the monotony of previous convention and ideas associated with that organisational aspect (Benton, 2015). Resistance to change in organisational context is a common factor and this resistance generally comes from habituation of people with the conventional ideas and its monotonic effects. Hence, in the first stage of organisational change Lewin recommends change agents or organisations to break the previous convention and monotony of the ideas among the people (Quinney & Richardson, 2014).
Change: This stage of the Lewin’s Change Model recommends the determination and implementation of required changes in an organisational context after unfreezing the previous strategies associated with that particular organisational aspect (Benton, 2015). According to Lewin, this is the most significant stage in his change theory because it includes several of significant functions like – change needs determination, stakeholder involvement, change objective determination, allocation of required resources and assessment of the outcomes (Lozano et al 2015).
Refreeze: This stage in the Lewin’s Change Model guides changes in organisational context to be permanently adopted and maintained if the trial outcomes are proven to be successful and according to the desire. This stage in the Lewin’s Change Model refers to the complete adaptation and sustainable maintenance of a change in organisational context (Quinney & Richardson, 2014).
Now, if the evolution of the New Zealand film industry would be analysed with respect to Lewin’s Change Model the role of Taika Waititi as a change agent could be identified. After the first public screening of a motion picture in New Zealand in 1896 the initial phase of the film industry development sustained up to 1920. The classical era of New Zealand film industry lasts from 1920 to 1960 which is the most conventional period for the concerned industry. During this long period of more than 4 decades the film industry in New Zealand stays a small scale industry without any kind of foreign investment (Benton, 2015). It should be mentioned that apart from fewer exceptions most of the films made in New Zealand during this period were documentaries. The convention and monotony of documentary based film making approaches stays in the New Zealand film industry for more than four decades which significantly generate the need for changes to ensure development of the industry (Lozano et al 2015). The unfreezing period in the New Zealand film industry was initiated in 1978 when the New Zealand Film Commission was founded with a responsibility for funding New Zealand based movies. This was just the start when convention of documentary based film making in New Zealand film industry was unfreeze by funding assistance and subsequently the industry started to look forward for making higher budget movies. This unfreezing stage of the New Zealand film industry was proven to be effective for attracting larger number of local and international audiences towards innovative and higher budget movies made within the nation (Bosch et al 2016).
The change period in the New Zealand film industry begins in 1990 when it gets its first international break through. This period lasts from 1990 to 2005 during which massive changes have been introduced in the New Zealand film industry. Peter Jackson is one of the most significant change agents for New Zealand film industry during this change period. It should be mentioned that analysis of the role of Taika Waititi as a change agent in New Zealand film industry is massively compared to the contributions of Peter Jackson (Thomson & Jackson, 2016). Hence, it is important for the study to shed light on the contributions of Sir Peter Jackson for justifying the comparison between him and Taika Waititi. Some of the most significant globally successful and appraised movies produced in the New Zealand film industry during the change period are Jane Campion’s The Piano (1993), Peter Jackson’s Heavenly Creatures (1994) and Lee Tamahori’s Once Were Warriors (Bosch et al 2016). It should be mentioned that the provided examples of films also represent the change era in New Zealand film industry in which overseas funding started to be invested in the domestically produced films. The reason for consideration of Peter Jackson to be the main change agent in the change era of the New Zealand film industry is his gradually increased popularity in Hollywood (Wright, 2016). During this period, Sir Peter Jackson directed the globally successful Hollywood movie series, The Lord of the Rings. This success of Peter Jackson enabled New Zealand film industry during the change period to attract production projects of several bigger budget Hollywood movies (Cook, 2016).
The refreeze era in the New Zealand film industry started after 2005 when the industry tried to retain its popularity in Hollywood through producing big budget international movies to attract massive number of global audience. This is the period in which Taika Waititi acted as the main change agent for the New Zealand film industry (Thomson & Jackson, 2016). The first international film made by Taika Waititi in the refreeze era of New Zealand film industry was Eagle vs Shark starring Jemaine Clement and Loren Horsley. This film set a benchmark for the international success of New Zealand films by earning more than US $1 million at the box office (Wright, 2016). The next international hit by Waititi came in 2010 when he directed phenomenally popular movie Boy. The opening day earning of this movie of Waititi was the highest opening day earning ever made by a New Zealand. Boy became the highest grossing New Zealand movie on its own soul (Bosch et al 2016). This huge success over international film industry did not affect the focus of Waititi to contribute for the development of the New Zealand film industry. That is the reason one author explained Waititi’s efforts towards the development of New Zealand film industry as – “the film industry in the New Zealand was provided with essential maturity by Sir Peter Jackson but the future of this industry is walking by holding the hands of Taika Waititi.” – (Alharbi et al 2015)
Some other massively successful movies directed by Waititi in last few years are What We Do in the Shadows in 2014, Hunt for the Wilder People in 2016, etc. The upcoming Hollywood movie directed by Waititi which is going to release this year is Thor: Ragnarok. Thor is one of the most popular Marvel movie characters and services acquiring a significant place in the hearts of global audience (Thomson & Jackson, 2016). Waititi took the responsibility for developing the upcoming movie of this globally popular movie series and so far the trailer of the movie triggers that interest of the global viewer to see a new Waititi style elegance in this movie. That is the reason Waititi expressed this new movie as – “If someone asked, ‘What are your films like?’, the best I can come up with is that they’re, like, a fine balance between comedy and drama. And they deal mainly with the clumsiness of humanity.” – (Waddell et al 2017)
It could be observed from the above discussions that Waikiki is a true change agent for the New Zealand film industry who took the mature changes of Sir Peter Jackson to a whole new level of international success. To analyse the contribution of Waititi as a change agent for the New Zealand film industry and also to justify his comparison with Sir Peter Jackson, Waititi’s achievements and efforts of film making must be contrasted with their significance for the film industry of New Zealand (Ferrer-Roca, 2014).
First of all, it has to be analysed that do the changes brought by Waititi are motivational for the New Zealand film industry or not. In terms of making motivational changes and developments to the New Zealand film industry, Waititi’s contributions could not be considered lesser than Sir Peter Jackson. May be Sir Peter Jackson was the change agent who provided the New Zealand film industry with international break through but Waititi is responsible for making that position stronger and more valuable (Godemann et al 2014). Sir Peter Jackson popularised the New Zealand film industry to the global audiences of Hollywood through engaging his fine sense of film direction in Hollywood movie series like Lord of the Rings. Waititi is following the same path of Sir Peter Jackson by directing globally popular Hollywood movie services Thor. Moreover, recognition of movies like Boy, What We Do in the Shadows and Hunt for the Wilder People to the global audience is undoubtedly motivational for the development of the New Zealand film industry (Waddell et al 2017).
Change and development with bigger visions is the signature style of an efficient change agent and Waititi’s effort of film making significantly has it. From the classical period to the early modern era of the New Zealand film industry the development was stagnated by lack of funding and even after establishment of the New Zealand Film Commission the crisis of funding in the film industry remained almost same. The change which was required in the New Zealand film industry was overseas investment and efforts of Waititi provided the New Zealand film industry with justified global popularity for attracting overseas funding (Ferrer-Roca, 2014).
To evaluate a development its sustaining momentum has to be analysed. In case of Waititi’s film making efforts and subsequent development of the New Zealand film industry, it could be observed that huger amount of overseas funding is being invested and Hollywood is showing better interest and preference to the fine sense of film making of New Zealand originated directors like Waititi. Thus, the sustaining momentum of development provided by Waititi and Sir Peter Jackson to the New Zealand film industry justifies their recognition as the change leader (Alharbi et al 2015).
The most significant characteristic of a change leader in organisational context is to have proper control over the transition process. Hence, the efficiency of Waititi for managing this transition process of the New Zealand film industry like Sir Peter Jackson could also justify his comparison with such a legendary director (Cook, 2016). In that case it could be said that Waititi has shown his efficiency to manage the development and transition of the New Zealand film industry because the box office earnings and global audience response to his films were never been observed for any other New Zealand originated director (Godemann et al 2014).
Conclusion
It could be concluded from the above study that organisational change and development is a broader concept than being limited within the organisation oriented aspects. The study shows the change and development of a bigger aspect industry (New Zealand film industry) with respect to the theoretical perspectives related to organisation change and development (Ferrer-Roca, 2014). The film making efforts of New Zealander directors like Peter Jackson and Taika Waititi have been compared with the role of leaders to determine, analyse and establish ways for brining change and development in organisational context. The study effectively shed light on the film making efforts of Waititi for illustrating his contributions to the development of the film industry of New Zealand. Illustration of the contribution of Waititi for the change and development of the New Zealand film industry with respect to relevant theoretical perspectives enables this study to develop a better understanding of the aspects of organisational change and development (Cook, 2016). Moreover, another significant goal of this study is to justify the comparison of Waititi with legendary director, Sir Peter Jackson. The study is also expected to do it well due to extensive illustration of the achievements and contribution of both the directors to the film industry of New Zealand (Alharbi et al 2015).
References
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Smith, J. (2014). Shaking the frame: Taika Waititi’s anti-anthropological edge. MEDIANZ: Media Studies Journal of Aotearoa New Zealand, 13(1).
Cook, D. A. (2016). A history of narrative film. WW Norton & Company.
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Lozano, R., Ceulemans, K., & Seatter, C. S. (2015). Teaching organisational change management for sustainability: designing and delivering a course at the University of Leeds to better prepare future sustainability change agents. Journal of Cleaner Production, 106, 205-215.
Bosch, M., Tavender, E. J., Brennan, S. E., Knott, J., Gruen, R. L., & Green, S. E. (2016). The many organisational factors relevant to planning change in emergency care departments: a qualitative study to inform a cluster randomised controlled trial aiming to improve the management of patients with mild traumatic brain injuries. PloS one, 11(2), e0148091.
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