To what extent do different approaches to change management facilitate or hinder organisational unification when companies acquire assets?

Abstract This paper describes three major approaches to change management, such as Kotter’s eight-step mode, Bridge’s transition model and Prosci’s ADKAR model. The focus on change management theories and leadership structure is important in order to provide viable recommendations to the top-management team at White Bird, whose performance with regards to change management is compared to the one of Perdue Farms. It has been also determined the most appropriate organisational structure for White Bird along with expanding the integration of employees and achieving adequate unification. Introduction The occurrence of change in the organisational context is an important precondition for business success. White Bird has tried to stabilise its integration processes within the formed holding (Cameron and Green, 2012). The recognition of applicable HR management issues is fundamental to provide properly structured orientation to the company (Hayes, 2010). The objective of this paper is to explore to what extent different approaches to change management facilitate or hinder unification when companies acquire assets. Comparative Case Study of White Bird and Perdue FarmsKotter’s Eight-Step ModelThe agriculture holding White Bird, which is based in Russia, is at a stage of integration and revitalisation of its HR management tasks. The process of managing business change in this organisation is fundamental to its improvement and growth. The acquisition of the organisation has led to the use of strong authoritative management (Cameron and Green, 2012). White Bird has been engaged in a process of applying crucial HR practices. In comparison, another company that operates in the agricultural sector in a developed country is Perdue Farms. This company, similarly to White Bird, relies on the implementation of change management theories in order to achieve a competitive advantage (Elliott, 2011). One of the change management theories that produce fast and effective results is Kotter’s eight-step model (Kotter, 1996). The focus of this theory is on the establishment of a sense of urgency, for ming a powerful coalition and developing vision. Both White Bird and Perdue Farms demonstrate the application of these principles of change management in their structure. White Bird is focused on ensuring a smooth change process, which includes the importance of making a relevant decision regarding the top-management team. Even though the present leadership style in the company is authoritative in nature, it could be beneficial for the organisation to develop another type competencies and leadership (Hayes, 2010). Participative leadership would provide a significant basis for the smooth integration of change management practices in White Bird. Participative or democratic leaders offer guidance to group members and allow input from other individuals in order to ensure a high level of motivation and creativity (Kotter, 1996). Perdue Farms has a flexible structure of leadership, which has contributed to the success of the company (Elliott, 2011).Bridge’s Transition Model of Change ManagementAnother change management theory that can be considered by White Bird is Bridge’s transition model, which provides a good understanding of what actually takes place when an organisational change occurs. Bridge differentiates between the processes of change and transition, implying that change is based on situational factors (Bridges, 2009). Therefore, the best organisational structure for this type of business would be a matrix structure, which combines elements of divisional and functional structure. As a result, the organisation of business activities would be properly completed considering the emphasis on dual management that would expand the decision-making skills of team members (Cameron and Green, 2012). A similar model has been applied at Perdue Farms, which has improved efficiency and reduced production cost to a significant extent (Elliott, 2011). White Bird can also maintain excellence in quality by integrating employees to corporate culture in order to create a single, unified organisation. It can be argued that White Bird should proceed in a manner that is consistent with its overall mission and objectives.Prosciâ€℠¢s ADKARModelThe change management model of Prosci, identified as ADKAR, can provide adequate orientation to the agriculture holding in terms of allowing change management teams to focus on achieving specific business outcomes (Hiatt, 2006). In general, ADKAR stands for awareness, desire, knowledge, ability and reinforcement. These elements have proved efficient to the functioning of Perdue Farms, whose performance can serve as a relevant example of successful change management initiatives for White Bird. The most significant benefit associated with Prosci’s model of change management is that it provides a clear direction for managers to manage change in accordance with the organisation’s competencies, corporate culture and orientation to change (Hayes, 2010). Elements of employee participation and engagement are important in the process of maintaining organisational change at White Bird. In addition, the organisation should be able to implement new skills and behaviou rs along with the necessity to sustain the change (Hiatt, 2006). In conclusion, it can be presented the argument that the approaches of Kotter, Bridge and Prosci to change management can facilitate the process of organisational unification. Conclusion This paper focused on the determination of the extent to which different approaches to change management can facilitate or hinder organisational unification (Cameron and Green, 2012). Such discussion took place with regards to the performance of White Bird compared to the one of Perdue Farms. It has been concluded that Kotter’s eight-step model, Bridge’s transition model and Prosci’s ADKAR can represent significant benefits to organisations in a process of change (Hayes, 2010). Such findings have important implications to the leadership orientation and business structure of White Bird. References Bridges, W. (2009). Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change. Philadelphia: Da Capo Press. Cameron, E. and Green, M. (2012). Making Sense of Change Management: A Complete Guide to the Models Tools and Techniques of Organizational Change. London: Kogan Page. Elliott, S. (2011). Perdue Goes to the Farm with an Earnest Approach. The New York Times [online]. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/27/business/media/27adco.html?_r=0 [Accessed: 12 August 2014]. Hayes, J. (2010). The Theory and Practice of Change Management. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Hiatt, J. (2006). ADKAR: A Model for Change in Business, Government and Our Community. Loveland: Prosci Inc. Kotter, J. P. (1996). Leading Change. Watertown, MA: Harvard Business Press.