CHANGE MANAGEMENT 4 Change Management Mark Owens Grantham University In the arena of business practice, change management remains a vital aspect that determines the performance, the success, and the profitability of an organization. In this respect, Todnem (2012) asserts that change management is the only tool that guarantees survival and success in a competitive and dynamic business environment. The process of change management aims at improving the capability of an organization to conform the conditions in both internal and external environment. It is in this respect that this paper looks at the concept of change management. It also highlights British Airways’ case as an example of a company that has successfully dealt with the transformation process. Appropriate description of what change management entails is evident from the standpoint taken by Burnes (2014), who described it as a continuous process of renewing a company’s structure, processes, capabilities, culture, and strategic direction so as to meet the needs and expectations of both external and internal customers. The author adds that change is ever present in every organization and affects issues at the strategic and operational levels. Based on this description, change management calls for evaluation and understanding all the aspects of a business involved in its operations and existence (Burnes, 2014). It entails identifying where a business should be in the future with respect to the condition presented by internal and external environmental factors. When responding to such conditions, an entity requires a business strategy that can guide the adoption and implementation of a given change management process. The strategy outlines the principles and steps in a change management process. For instance, a business change management strategy should outline how the management will communicate the anticipated transitions to the organizational members with the objective of reducing resistance. A change management strategy also highlights the expectations of the organization and the change participants. It should integrate the various needs of organizational members (Paton & McCalman, 2008).  Aside from the above description, change management is a process that is aimed at the achievement of certain goals. Such goals underscore the existence of the process and the need for an organization to take it seriously. The main goal of a change process in every organization is to ensure effective progression of various changes through proper handling by the participants and stakeholders concerned. The initiative should be taken with the purpose of reducing the negative impacts that may stem from change-oriented incidents. It requires the managers involved to establish appropriate procedures, techniques, and approaches used in proper handling of change activities. When al ...

1. CHANGE MANAGEMENT
4
Change Management
Mark Owens
Grantham University
In the arena of business practice, change management
remains a vital aspect that determines the performance, the
success, and the profitability of an organization. In this respect,
Todnem (2012) asserts that change management is the only tool
that guarantees survival and success in a competitive and
dynamic business environment. The process of change
management aims at improving the capability of an organization
to conform the conditions in both internal and external
environment. It is in this respect that this paper looks at the
concept of change management. It also highlights British
Airways’ case as an example of a company that has successfully
dealt with the transformation process.
Appropriate description of what change management
entails is evident from the standpoint taken by Burnes (2014),
who described it as a continuous process of renewing a
company’s structure, processes, capabilities, culture, and
strategic direction so as to meet the needs and expectations of
both external and internal customers. The author adds that

2. change is ever present in every organization and affects issues
at the strategic and operational levels. Based on this
description, change management calls for evaluation and
understanding all the aspects of a business involved in its
operations and existence (Burnes, 2014). It entails identifying
where a business should be in the future with respect to the
condition presented by internal and external environmental
factors. When responding to such conditions, an entity requires
a business strategy that can guide the adoption and
implementation of a given change management process. The
strategy outlines the principles and steps in a change
management process. For instance, a business change
management strategy should outline how the management will
communicate the anticipated transitions to the organizational
members with the objective of reducing resistance. A change
management strategy also highlights the expectations of the
organization and the change participants. It should integrate the
various needs of organizational members (Paton & McCalman,
2008).
Aside from the above description, change management is a
process that is aimed at the achievement of certain goals. Such
goals underscore the existence of the process and the need for
an organization to take it seriously. The main goal of a change
process in every organization is to ensure effective progression
of various changes through proper handling by the participants
and stakeholders concerned. The initiative should be taken with
the purpose of reducing the negative impacts that may stem
from change-oriented incidents. It requires the managers
involved to establish appropriate procedures, techniques, and
approaches used in proper handling of change activities. When
all change initiatives are effectively performed, an organization
can easily respond to client business requirements by
maximizing value and eliminating incidents of disruption and
double work, ensure changes are appraised and prioritized, and
achieve proper optimization of the business risks (Burnes,

3. 2014).
Successful change management process is what makes an
organization unique from other companies in a similar industry
or market. The ability of a firm to understand and effectively
pursue changes without any interference stems from its change
management strategies. Success in this area requires a company
to establish a proper change management plan that conforms to
its business needs and expectations. One organization that
clearly meets these requirements is British Airways. The
company, which operates in the airline industry, experienced
various problems prior to the change process. It suffered from
wastage of resources and operational inefficiencies that made it
difficult to compete effectively with its rivals in the airline
sector (Faucheux, 2013).
It was not the appointment of the new chairperson that
brought the change, but the change management strategy
adopted by the leader. The chairperson came up with a strategy
that was aimed at restructuring the whole organization. This
initiative was rooted in a proper change management plan. The
adoption of the methodology enabled the organization to realize
the various success factors that underscore effective change
management. The leader created a change vision, which was to
make the organization more effective by reducing part of the
workforce. The methodology enabled the organizational
members understand the need for change thereby enhancing its
ability to manage the transition process (Bowen, 2009). The
chairperson also ensured that all the leaders were informed and
involved in the transformation exercise. In this way, it was easy
to pass the information vertically from the top managers to the
employees in the lower levels. Additionally, the chairperson
ensured that British Airways managed the problem of change
resistance by communicating the change initiative to the
employees. For instance, the chairperson informed the
employees of the need to restructure the firm and prepared the

4. workers for the process (Faucheux, 2013).
Not withstanding the fact that British Airways successfully
managed the change process, there are areas that it could have
done better so as to creating a lasting impact on the employees
lives. The organization was successful at implementing the
early phases of change management such as communication and
establishing the roadmap for stakeholders, but did not pursue
employee training and coaching. These two areas were needed
because the transformation mainly involved reducing part of the
workforce. There was need to train, interview, and coach the
retrenched employees so that they could leave the company
when they are informed and empowered. British Airways
competes favorably with its competitors in the airline industry.
While its rivals such as Virgin Airline and Rynair beats it in
pricing, the organization outmatches its competitors with
effective change management and provision of high quality
services (Upchurch, 2010).
In conclusion, change management is cardinal element of
business management that every organization should adopt.
However, the success of the process depends on implementation
of effective change management plan and strategy. Based on the
case of British Airways, a company can effectively manage
change if it prepares all organizational members towards the
process. The ultimate purpose of change management is to
ensure that change initiatives are successful.
References
Bowen, R. (2009, August 14). Change management
methodology for beginners. Bright Hub Project Management.
Retrieved from< http://www.brighthubpm.com/change-
management/15306-change-management-methodology-for-
beginners/>
Burnes, B. (2014) Managing Change: A Strategic Approach to

5. Organizational Dynamics. ( 6th ed). Harlow:Prentice Hall.
Faucheux, M. (2013, April 24). Examples of change
management plans that worked. Bright Hub Project
Management. Retrieved from
<http://www.brighthubpm.com/change- management/55056-
examples-of-change-management-plans-that-worked/>
Paton, R. A., & McCalman, J. (2008). Change management: A
guide to effective implementation. London: Sage
Todnem By, R. (2012). Organisational change management: A
critical review.Journal of Change Management, 5(4), 369-380.
Upchurch, M. (2010). Creating a sustainable work environment
in British Airways: implications of the 2010 cabin crew
dispute.