The NBC Universal Comcast merger caused significant organizational change. Comcast merged with NBC after deals with Disney fell through, seeking to become a larger media company. Brian Roberts claimed the merger would create an ideal entertainment company. NBC addressed potential employee opposition through a "tell and sell" approach, giving employees Comcast stock, theme park passes, and a book for feedback. External opposition came from politicians like Al Franken, who worried about monopolization. NBC structured new leadership under Steve Burke to oversee the combined companies while allowing existing executives to maintain roles, facilitating the transition. Though Franken strongly opposed the merger, it was approved. Organizational change requires addressing reasons for change and dealing with internal and external opposition.

1. S
Organizational Change
The NBC Universal Comcast Merger

2. Organizational Change
Organizational Change at its most basic level is
change that occurs within an organization. We need to look
at reasons why this change occurs, what's the need for it,
What are the benefits, How does this change effect others
and does that have any influence on the change?

3. Deeper Look
In order to more clearly understand what Organizational
change looks like we’re going to dig deeper into a company
who has recently gone through Organizational Change

4. NBC And Change
In the last few years, NBC has gone through a pretty major
Change when it merged with Comcast. This merger caused
a lot of controversy. We are going to look at how NBC dealt
with the change

5. Reason
First we have to understand that NBC was not Comcast's
first choice, The decided to look into merging with NBC after
deals fell through with Disney. So at this point it seems they
are merging just to become larger and untouchable.
However Comcast Executive Brian Roberts would have us
believe otherwise.

6. Brian Roberts
“This Transaction Creates
The Ideal entertainment and
Distribution company”
Brian Roberts is saying that the reason for the merger is that they are
creating something that is ultimately beneficial to the consumer.

7. Who’s Opposed
When dealing with Organizational Change, we expect
possible opposition from the employees, in this case from
NBC and Comcast employees in particular. However, NBC
nor Comcast employees didn't’t have a big issue with it. It
might be because of this letter given to all of them once the
wheels were in motion.

8. The Letter
Once things started to move, NBC and Comcast employees
found a letter and gift pack giving them
. 25 shares of stock in the Comcast corperation
.Family passes to universal Theme Parks
.Big Ideas Book to write their thoughts in.

9. The Letter
While this seems like just a nice gesture, NBC and Comcast
were doing something really important in the Organizational
Change Process. They were mitigating what is possibly the
biggest hang up on Organizational Change, unhappy
employees.

10. Dealing with Employees
Management has many options when dealing with
employees during Organizational Change. In this particular
instance, it would seem that NBC went with the “Tell and
Sell” Method. This method occurs when Management tells
the employees what they are dealing with and then Sells
them on the reasons as to why they made that choice.

11. Who's Opposed
With employees happy, there doesn’t seem to be a huge
opposition to the merger, However in this Organizational
Change process, the company's had to deal with opposition
from almost everyone else.

12. Al Franken
One of the biggest Fighters that NBC had to deal with was
former SNL cast member turned Politician Al Franken.

13. Al Franken
Al Franken was against the merger to the point that he
became the biggest contributor against it. Al believed that
Comcast would become too big and ultimately monopolize
the entertainment industry.

14. Al Franken
“What I know from my
previous career gives me
reason to be concerned,
and let me phrase that,
Very concerned… When
the same company who
is producing our
programs runs the pipes
that brings us those
programs, we have a
reason to be nervous.
Al seemed to be worried about leadership, how
Would it run and Organizational Change always
Deals with leadership

15. LEADERSHIP
NBC Universal and Comcast also made it very clear how
things would run, they have a very basic top down structure
and at the top of it all, Steve burke.

16. Leadership
Underneath Burke, They set up the company's to basically
run individually under one umbrella. With everyone reporting
to burke Burke.
Robert Greenbalt- Oversees Entertainment
Programming at NBC
Tom Harbert- Oversees Comcast's
west coast based stations

17. Leadership
In any instance of organizational Change, Leadership is key.
In this instance, many executives kept their current positions
on both sides of the company making it easier for people to
know who to report to. This is a smart decision because it
takes away from people needing to learn a new
management style.

18. Al Franken now
Though Al was so opposed, the merger ended up still going
through. However he does not hide his distain for this. Its
reported that at a meeting with Comcast CEO’s and his old
boss Lorne Michaels Al walked up and made it clear he tried
to make sure this never happened. SNL creator Lorne then
said he didn’t say anything bad about it the rest of the night

19. Overview
As we can see a lot goes into any Organizational Change.
Business must look at the reason as to why the change is
occurring. The main thing is facing opposition and dealing
with it either internally with employees by buying them over
or externally like with Al Franken. Whenever a company
such as NBC faces Organizational Change, many factors
must be considered

20. Work Cited
Reuters.com “Comcast Completes NBC Universal Merger”
Jan 29th 2011
Szalai, George “ Comcast Universal New NBC Management
Structure” Hollywood Reporter. Nov. 18th 2012
Andreeva, Nellie. “ Merger Giveaway, NBCU employees get
Comcast Shares, Universal Studio Passes” Jan 27th 2011