The report aims at explaining how uncertainty, volatility and chaos lead to organizational change. Organizational change is hard to achieve since changes in large-scale organization can be irrational and unpredictable (Benn, Dunphy and Griffiths 2014). However, for ensuring any organizational change it is vital for the leaders in understanding the context, receptivity, sequencing, pace and motivation. It is also pertinent for the leaders for ensuring effective communication and thereby pulling the right kind of levers at the right time in any situation. In business, change refers to constant phenomenon so organizations must adopt means for meeting market demand. Change in an organization might occur due to various causes that might be either internal or external. Possessing knowledge about the causes defines an integral part of business management. Employees must also have knowledge about the organizational changes since it also affects them. However, with the continuous evolution of the society there is change in demand for newer products and services. Thus, business in order to stay competitive ensures such changes. Therefore, businesses that can readily adapt to the change continueto thrive and survive. Various factors ensure businesses in reevaluating the methods of operation. Most organizations go through a period of transformation that causes uncertainty and stress. The report thus discusses about various theories of organizational change and innovation.
In the organizational context, postmodern view implies the challenges that organization throws towards its traditions that includes culture, legends and its way of creating meaning (Hatchand Cunliffe2013). In other words, it represents how organizations challenge its meta- narratives. Thus, Postmodernism refers to the natural consequences of the shortcoming because of the modernism. Therefore, Postmodernism is a critical theory that consist of loose group of theories or ideas brought together by their influence on the society and interest of quality communication. Postmodernism however describes an era depleted of suggested worldview or dominant ideology and has its satiation reached with juxtaposed assumptions, paradoxes and diversity of views and styles.
According to Turner (2014), postmodern architecture refers to a combination of the modern techniques with something that helps the architecture to initiate communication with the concerned minority and the public. This particular definition is well adapted to the postmodern organizational theory in the manner that it consisted of a detailed knowledge regarding the techniques of traditional management along with its applicability to the current internal and external organizational setting. Research related to postmodern organizational setting shows a combination of various research methodologies that challenges dominant models of knowledge and produces new forms along with some underutilized forms of research. However, from the perspective of management, the emergence of postmodernism is due to criticizing and questioning the relevance of the business thinking during industrial age.
In terms of postmodernism, change is a process that results from understanding, learning and knowing. Organizations should have the capability to discard an outdated idea although it remained useful in the past. According to Burnesand Cooke (2012), modernist thinking have stronger ontology of focusing on the being while the thought of postmodernist have a weaker ontology that refers to organizations being consistently trying to transform and become transient. As organizations undergo a constant flux of change and does not represent a cross sectional point in state or time so, suggestions put across for looking at the organizational attributes, structures and outcomes and study them in terms of relationships, interactions and complex changes. However, there exists a difference between the theoretical conceptualization and ontological commitments.
As language constitutes our day-to-day life, transformation, take place if there is encouragement of dialogue around political and social issues instead of the current discourses (Payneand Askeland2016). Theorists of Postmodern era however argue there is power spread over the entire systems that challenge the entire society and results in transformation. Hence, postmodern public relations play a vital role in empowering the marginalized groups.
According to Rice (2013), because of constant availability of newer ways of findings, a context of occurrence of communication is adopted before understanding. Society continuously and inevitably changes through relationships and interactions that are socially constructed. On a similar note, the struggle for the power affects all existing relationships. Thus, an ethical public relations officer serves as change agent in the organizations of the postmodern era through criticizing decisions complete transparency, creation of participator structures and complete transparency. The emphasis of the postmodern public relations lies in the management of newer technologies, conflict management, raising the discourse level to level of struggle and managing relationship with the activist groups.
The Postmodernist thought thus helps in justifying the ontology of emergence, change and transformation (Shin, Taylor and Seo 2012). This refers to the process of becoming where emphasis is on the temporary and brief nature of reality and truth. The ontology however helps in recognizing that organizations are not just units of physical objects, resources or analysis but there also exist a complex between various entities that forms an organization. Postmodernism however possesses implicit sensitivity towards the complexity theory since it acknowledges the philosophical perspectives crucial to the theory of complexity. This involves self-organization and connectionism.
The science behind complexity refers to multidisciplinary studies that bring newer insights to the organizations and management. The complexity theory helps in providing newer meanings to the managers (Burnes 2017). Complexity refers to the fact where there are more possibilities than can actually be realized. In complex system, the interaction between environment and system and between systems components is intricate and not understood by simply going through the components. A complex system is the sum of components and the intricate relationships that exists between such components. This is not just an occurrence of linguistic but also a result of the interactions between the subsystems.
Organizations considers as complex systems especially when compared with living system (Pinder 2008). The word ‘system’ explained in terms of hierarchical levels and rationalist causality. The complex system in an organization has the following characteristics:
Thus, complex system needs to cope with changing environment by quickly adapting to the change and storing information for futuristic use. As systems functions in complex environments therefore they must acquire necessary mechanisms for adapting to the internal structures(Ulrichand Probst2012). The mechanism represents complex structures that help in changing the flexible relationships between the elements of the system. This however occurs under the influence of the change in environment.
The complex systems considered within historical context of the system. The system not determined by history but past occurrences does have an influence while interacting with the present (Rice 2013). The continuous interplay of the system with transforming environmental characteristics constitutes the present state of the system.
Chaos theory deals with the vital principle of system theory and refers to the final state in the movements of systems away from the order(Azarand Vaidyanathan2016). On the other hand, system theory is primarily concerned with the operation of the system and integration of broader range of system by identifying and naming the processes and pattern common to the masses. However, Chaos is a state whereby a system is unable in sustaining a stable behavioral pattern as result of the change in the environment. This also ensures reorganizing the system for adjusting to the changes. The theory of chaos thus attempts in understanding the fact as to why systems does not function in predictable, linear and conventional means. The term used for explaining a number of artificial and natural phenomena including stock prices, economies, biological aspects and traffic.
Organizations can renew, adapt, grow and maintain through self-organization ensured through chaos (Rosser2013). In the context of management, chaos theorycontributes in appreciating the change, uncertainty and chaos as well as the need for controlling any sort of disorder. It also helps in appreciating self-organizing faith in the nature of chaos. The wholeness of the reality, dependence of subsystems and natural co-operative nature further contributes to the theoretical approach for managing the organization. The abilities of self-organization of the systems contributes in a manner so they help in providing hope the management so that the individual actions are able to create a bigger difference and there remains order behind the chaos. Perceptions for the control and necessity of prediction ensure making a shift to the larger scale. Chaos is periods in organization when people either overwhelmed or confused and therefore cannot sense any other thing. This happens as a result of changes in the organization and the people moves from state of comfort to something newer. Existence of a state of falling apart and confusion is vital for systems for creating capacity for reorganizing themselves for better adapting to the newer environment (Burke2017). The self-ability of transformation is however not possible unless systems there is chaos, confusion and change. Because chaotic systems are changing and flexible sudden changes in the system can put forward points where the systems needs to rearrange itself around the existing underlying structure. Thus, Postmodernism has an implicit sensitivity towards the complexity and thereby acknowledges the importance of the philosophical perspectives including connectionism and self-organization that influences the way of approaching the theories of complexity and chaos.
Organizational innovation refers to the adoption of new behavior and idea (García-Morales, Jiménez-Barrionuevo and Gutiérrez-Gutiérrez 2012). Thus, innovation plays a key role in bringing about an organizational change. Innovation in an organization can be in the form of new service, new technology, new product or new administrative service. There however exist two types of innovations at the organizational level. This includes radical innovation of assembled products and radical innovation of large-scale technical systems. Increase in uncertainty and volatility with enhanced dependence on the shift in the focus to the large-scale technical systems as well as assembled products has brought about an organizational change.
Most organizations choose at least three types of change management models for undertaking their operation.
Lewin’s Change Management Model
This change management model put forward by Lewin in 1950 and involves three stages for change which are unfreeze, transition and refreeze. Unfreeze refers to the stage where people are prevented from making a change by motivating them (Cummings and Worley 2014). After the initiation of the change, the company moves into period of transition where reassurance and adequate leadership is required for motivation. Refreezing refers to the situation when the company again becomes stable through the implementation of the change.
McKinsey 7-S Model
The model put forward a holistic approach towards an organization. Robert Waterman created the model. This model of change depends on seven factors that act as collective agent for change (Ravanfar 2015). This includes shared values, structure, strategy, system, style, skill and staff.
Kotters 8 Step Change Model
The model put forward by John Kotter that causes change in becoming a campaign. According to the model, employees buy into the change process after the leaders are able to convince them of urgent needs (Sarayreh, Khudair and Barakat 2013). The eight steps of the model includes enhancement of urgency for change, building dedicated team for the change, creation of a vision for change, communication of the necessity for change, empowering staff with ability for change, creation of goals that are short term, staying persistent and making change permanent.
Conclusion
The report concludes by focusing on the various models of change management that organizations adopts for its operation. There is also discussion on how innovation and organizational change. The various theories and models indicate that uncertainty, chaos and volatility drives changes taking place in an organization. Adjusting to the any change is difficult however, models and theories offers the necessary guidelines for determining the future results.
References
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