Please respond to the following discussion questions: Give reasons in support of your responses. Be sure to cite any relevant resources. Write your initial response in 300–500 words. Your response should be thorough and address all the components of the discussion question in detail; include citations of all sources, where needed, according to APA style; and demonstrate accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Discussion # 1 Organizational change is an ongoing process in many organizations.  However, it is important for leaders to consider employees and stakeholders when implementing a change because their buy-in toward the change will determine its success.  Organizational change take place in small and large organizations.  Therefore, it is vital for leaders to communicate the change effectively to ensure that everyone is working toward the same goal.            Starbucks is an organization that has grown tremendously over the years.  Starbucks have locations around the world and it is a familiar symbol to individuals from different cultures.  Starbucks is planning an organizational change that will have a significant effect to its organizational structure.  Organizational change can be planned or unplanned and it has a direct impact on others (Shockley-Zalabak, 2016).  CEO Kevin Johnson states that the change is necessary to increase the velocity of innovation that is relevant to customers, inspires partners, and is meaningful to the business (Whitten, & Rogers, 2018).  Organizational innovation and change develop based on internal and external organizational environments, the degree of change desired, the type of change, and the control over innovation and change (Shockley-Zalabak, 2016).  The change will include corporate layoffs, employee shifts between company departments, expanding its grab-and-go line, and closing some less populated locations (Bloomberg, 2018). Other potential barriers to Starbuck’s innovation and change consist of complacency and knowledge or information deficits.  Complacency is the satisfaction that individuals receive with current circumstances while lacking an understanding for change (Shockley-Zalabak, 2016).  Complacency can take place when individuals are misinformed about an organization’s true status due to leaders communicating positive messages without providing information about areas for improvement (Shockley-Zalabak, 2016).  Knowledge or information deficits can take place when leaders make a decision without consulting with individuals that work close to the problem and may have a better understanding into what is needed to correct the issue (Shockley-Zalabak, 2016). Organizational trust is vital to an organization’s success during a change.  Employees and stakeholders trust leaders that have a genuine concern for their interests.  Starbucks can employ a communication and design strategy which will provide step-by-step details of why the change is taking place.  Communication desig ...

1. Please respond to the following discussion questions:
Give reasons in support of your responses. Be sure to cite any
relevant resources.
Write your initial response in 300–500 words. Your response
should be thorough and address all the components of the
discussion question in detail; include citations of all sources,
where needed, according to APA style; and demonstrate
accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
Discussion # 1
Organizational change is an ongoing process in many
organizations. However, it is important for leaders to consider
employees and stakeholders when implementing a change
because their buy-in toward the change will determine its
success. Organizational change take place in small and large
organizations. Therefore, it is vital for leaders to communicate
the change effectively to ensure that everyone is working
toward the same goal.
Starbucks is an organization that has grown
tremendously over the years. Starbucks have locations around
the world and it is a familiar symbol to individuals from
different cultures. Starbucks is planning an organizational
change that will have a significant effect to its organizational
structure. Organizational change can be planned or unplanned

2. and it has a direct impact on others (Shockley-Zalabak, 2016).
CEO Kevin Johnson states that the change is necessary to
increase the velocity of innovation that is relevant to customers,
inspires partners, and is meaningful to the business (Whitten, &
Rogers, 2018). Organizational innovation and change develop
based on internal and external organizational environments, the
degree of change desired, the type of change, and the control
over innovation and change (Shockley-Zalabak, 2016). The
change will include corporate layoffs, employee shifts between
company departments, expanding its grab-and-go line, and
closing some less populated locations (Bloomberg, 2018).
Other potential barriers to Starbuck’s innovation and change
consist of complacency and knowledge or information deficits.
Complacency is the satisfaction that individuals receive with
current circumstances while lacking an understanding for
change (Shockley-Zalabak, 2016). Complacency can take place
when individuals are misinformed about an organization’s true
status due to leaders communicating positive messages without
providing information about areas for improvement (Shockley-
Zalabak, 2016). Knowledge or information deficits can take
place when leaders make a decision without consulting with
individuals that work close to the problem and may have a
better understanding into what is needed to correct the issue
(Shockley-Zalabak, 2016).
Organizational trust is vital to an organization’s success during
a change. Employees and stakeholders trust leaders that have a
genuine concern for their interests. Starbucks can employ a
communication and design strategy which will provide step-by-
step details of why the change is taking place. Communication
design and strategy is the explanation for the change, the
approach for gathering input about the change, the methods of

3. evaluation, and the methods for disseminating the change
outcome (Shockley-Zalabak, 2016). Communication design and
strategy can minimize miscommunication during the change
process.
The doctor-patient model is an approach that the leaders at
Starbuck’s are using during the organizational change. The
doctor-patient model requires the communication specialist to
examine symptoms of organizational problems and prescribe
appropriate solutions to meet the identified problems (Shockley-
Zalabak, 2016). The CEO at Starbucks have identified a
problem that exposed an opportunity for the chain to better
prioritize and move faster while innovating into a new retail
environment (Whitten, & Rogers, 2018). The CEO’s solution to
the problem will involve corporate layoffs. An advantage to the
doctor-patient model is its effectiveness if the leader displays
abilities that are appropriate to the task and the organization
accepts the solution (Shockley-Zalabak, 2016). A disadvantage
to the doctor-patient model is the organization’s lack of
acceptance of the solution due to the lack of organizational
members input (Shockley-Zalabak, 2016).
References
Bloomberg (2018). Starbucks plans ‘significant changes’ to
company’s structure.
Los Angeles Times.
Retrieved from
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-starbucks-organizational-
changes-20180924-story.html

4. Shockley-Zalabak, P. S. (2016).
Fundamentals of Organizational Communication,
9th Edition
.[Argosy University]. Retrieved from
https://digitalbookshelf.argosy.edu/#/books/9781323424711/
Whitten, S., & Rogers, K. (2018). Starbucks to cut corporate
staff as it shakens up its
organization.
CNBC.
Retrieved from
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/24/starbucks-to-cut-corporate-
staff-as-it-shakes-up-its-organization.html
Discussion #2
Innovation and Change: Strategic Consideration in PR
Communication
Change is an inevitable occurrence for organizations, however,
what matters is the way change process is undertaken and
implemented as it can take different forms. According to Maital
& Seshadri (2012), employee buy-in as well as their
participation is key towards ensuring organizational changes are
successful. Employee buy-in is when workers in an organization
are committed towards its goals and mission and fins their day
to day occupation personally resonant. Buy-in encourages
employee engagement and their willingness to work extra hard

5. at their jobs. Nevertheless, dealing with people involved in the
change process determines the success and/or failure of the
change process. This essay discusses the change implementation
process and the role of employees buy-in in the change process.
Different organization has undergone change in one aspect or
the other. One such organization is shifting from manual
recording and record keeping on Children’s Hospital of Eastern
Ontario’s (CHEO) Shift to Electronic Medical Records. In an
effort to shift from manual to electronic medical records led the
hospital to adopt a team to spearhead the change process. The
change process was successful as there was team identified to
train the workers on how to effectively use the new
development (EHRs). Additionally, the change plan was
realistic and detailed and they gave practice sessions to ensure
success in the change process. Different factors contributed to
the success of the change process. These include, supportive
leadership, cooperating employees, well defined structure,
effective training among others.
Different factors determine the success of positive innovation
and change within organizations. In addition to employees,
other potential barriers to innovation and change in
organizations include; fear among the leadership, short term
thinking, lack of collaboration and resources, and no clear
process among many others. Ineffective leadership is a key tool
in any successful innovation and change process. Additionally,
without clear culture and urgency, there lacks the desire to
devise new ideas or ways to make leadership better (Maital &
Seshadri, 2012). Additionally, innovation and change process
demands financial and investment resources. Lack of enough
funding results of poor and unsuccessful change process. Risk
avoidance has been regarded as a major obstacle to future
development and innovation in organizations. When

6. organization fears to adopt change as well as incorporate new
inventions, there lacks the enough power among the
stakeholders and leaders to spearhead innovation and change
processes. Finally, there is a time barrier (Maital & Seshadri,
2012). Time being a precious commodity in every organization,
lack of enough time to identify key innovations as well as time
to implement change has been regarded as a major challenge.
Nevertheless, increasing the value, benefits and urgency of an
innovation will tend to free up time to puzzle out on it.
Public relations and communications are key undertaking which
is detrimental to every organization's success. In order to have
the employee belief and trust, organizations adopt varying
communication and public relations models (Heath & Coombs,
2006). The key public relations and communication strategy
effective in gaining employees and surrounding community
support include; adoption of clearly identifies of audience. This
helps to streamline the available resources toward the
achievement of the best results. In relations to a clear
identification of the audience, there is also need for clear
definition of goals (Verčič et al, 2004). Finally, there is media
relations, use of technology and perfect understanding of the
market.
With reference to a clear identification of audience, the
organization benefits from focusing aligning of the available
resources. This in turn leads to the establishment of a successful
team with reference to organizational culture and employee
behavior. Additionally, this leads to establishment of teamwork,
within an organization bringing key players together (Heath &
Coombs, 2006). However, focusing on the audience may lead to
increased delay in decision making due to involvement of
numerous players.

7. References
Maital, S., & Seshadri, D. V. R. (2012).
Innovation Management : Strategies, Concepts and Tools for
Growth and Profit
. New Delhi: Sage Publications Pvt. Ltd.
Verčič, D., & Ruler, B. van. (2004).
Public Relations and Communication Management in Europe : A
Nation-by-Nation Introduction to Public Relations Theory and
Practice
. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton.
Heath, R. L., & Coombs, W. T. (2006).
Today’s Public Relations : An Introduction
. Thousand Oaks, Calif: SAGE Publications, Inc.