Changing customer needs, replacement of the leading Management, new employees or the implementation of new information technology – there are many reasons why organisations change. Change is nowadays a central element of every organisation. Some are driven by the change, others drive the change and are managing it active and foresighted. The surrounding of companies changed and they are on the brink of new challenges with an integrated orientation on profitable customer relations and therefor a successful Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is basically and is a central competitive advantage (Rapp, 2000, p. 35). The implementation of new IT-systems focusing the CRM aspect is important to understand the customer needs and handle the customers adequare to their relation to the organisation.
The assimilation of the organisation to the changed market- and environmental terms are leading to deep changes. Changing structures, a new organisation of company divisions, introduction of new managment systems, adjustment of the companys strategy are mostly driven or intensified by the globalisation and are first and foremost concerning the industrial nations (Vahs, 2007, p.281).
So changes concern the company, executives and employees, for all these affected participants a change means to learn new working techniques, the handling of new IT or the coorperation with new colleagues. Employees often react to this kind of changes with ressistance. Change Management (CM) operates these change processes and reacts to the ressistance of the affected people. Further more it handles the implementation of CRM, which failed numerous in the past. The reasons are mainly the neglect of the affected people, their positions inside the companys and the still prevailing opinion about CRM as a pure IT-system (Pattloch 2001, p.26).
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Disambiguations and definitions
2.1 Change Management
2.2 Customer Relationship Management
3. Change Management
3.1 Relevance of Change Management
3.2 Characteristics of Change Management
3.2.1 Change Management processes
3.3 Change Management programs for a CRM implementation
4. CRM
4.1 CRM as a corporationwide strategy
4.2 CRM processes
4.3 CRM systems and tasks
4.3.1 Operational CRM
4.3.2 Analytical CRM
4.3.3 Collaborative / Communicative CRM
4.4 General requests for CRM applications
5. Resistances to changes
5.1 Reasons for resistances
5.1.1 Emotions as a central theme of resistances
5.2 Phases of resistances
5.3 Overcoming resistances
6. Success factors of Change Management
6.1 Importance of a corporate vision (for Change Management)
6.2 Change Management instruments
6.2.1 Organisational instruments
6.2.2 Communication- and information instruments
6.2.3 Motivational instruments
6.2.4 Qualificational instruments
7. Conclusion
Objective and Thematic Focus
The primary objective of this work is to explore the critical intersection between Change Management and the successful implementation of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems. It investigates why many CRM projects fail, identifying the human element—specifically employee resistance—as a central challenge, and proposes change management strategies to mitigate these issues and foster organizational acceptance.
- Theoretical foundations of Change Management and CRM
- Mechanisms and manifestations of employee resistance during change
- Approaches to change process design (Top-down vs. Bottom-up)
- Strategic instruments for overcoming resistance and ensuring successful adoption
- The importance of corporate vision and organizational culture in CRM integration
Excerpt from the Book
3.2.1 Change Management processes
The sociologist Kurt Lewin is deemed to be the pioneer of organisational development. Following his approach of driving forces and resttraining forces within a change - that an organisation is changing, if the affected change - he transfered these approaches of the individual psychology to groups and larger social networks such as organisations.
In the initial state there are driving forces (for example environmental influences for the organisation, such as higher competition or assimilation to actual market conditions) and restraining forces (the desire of stability, resistance to changes in general) are balanced. This balance or fixed state must be unfrozen to make changes possible at all. In this first phase of the change process the ability to change is generated and driving forces within the organisation must be activated to asure a change. Due to the fact that members of the organisation do neither know how the change will be structures, nor the desired future state, this unfreezing process of an organisatione can cause a decline in output and performance (see also 6.1.1).
Now the phase of changes and alterations must follow to give a direction to the affected. New behaviours are trained and targeted to reach a higher level of performance. The affected should be integrated in the process of change (making affected to participants). With a participation the opinion about the change can be influenced and even cause a positive attitude towards it. After reached a new (higher) performance level this state must be satbilised and frozen again. This process of change is completed through the freeze- operation to fix the new reached (higher) level of an organisation and its performance. But it must be communicated clearly to the members of an organisation that this process can start (must be started) again, if the influences make a new change necessary, what they usually do in our fast moving and globalised world.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Highlights the necessity of organizational change in response to global competition and the strategic importance of successful CRM implementation.
2. Disambiguations and definitions: Establishes conceptual clarity regarding Change Management and CRM as both organizational strategies and human-centric processes.
3. Change Management: Analyzes the relevance and specific processes of Change Management, including strategies for guiding organizations through necessary transformations.
4. CRM: Examines CRM from a corporation-wide strategic perspective, detailing processes, systems, and the requirement for holistic implementation.
5. Resistances to changes: Investigates the psychological roots of resistance, the emotional impact on employees, and methods for overcoming these barriers.
6. Success factors of Change Management: Discusses the key elements, such as corporate vision and specific management instruments, that determine the success of change initiatives.
7. Conclusion: Summarizes the necessity of continuous change, emphasizing that technological implementation must be accompanied by active employee integration.
Keywords
Change Management, CRM, Customer Relationship Management, Organizational Change, Employee Resistance, Implementation Success, Corporate Vision, Change Agents, Business Process, Stakeholder Management, Organizational Culture, IT Implementation, Customer Loyalty, Change Processes, Strategic Management.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this assignment?
The work focuses on why CRM implementations often fail from a change management perspective and how to successfully manage the human factors involved in these projects.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
Key areas include the definition and relevance of Change Management, CRM as a corporate strategy, the psychology of employee resistance, and practical instruments for ensuring project success.
What is the overarching research goal?
The goal is to determine how Change Management can reduce resistance during CRM implementations to improve the likelihood of long-term project success.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The author utilizes a comprehensive literature review, drawing on established management theories (like Kurt Lewin’s change model) and recent industry studies to analyze organizational behavior.
What does the main body address?
The main body breaks down the phases of change, the classification of CRM systems (Operational, Analytical, Collaborative), and specific instruments like communication and qualification tools.
Which keywords characterize this document?
Primary keywords include Change Management, CRM, Resistance, Corporate Vision, Organizational Change, and Implementation Success.
How does the author categorize the types of CRM implementations?
The document categorizes them into Operational, Analytical, and Collaborative/Communicative CRM, each with distinct functions and implications for the organization.
Why does the author argue that "Structure follows process follows strategy"?
This principle is used to explain that new organizational strategies require changes to operational processes first, which subsequently necessitate adjustments in the organizational structure.
What specific role do "Change Agents" play according to the text?
Change Agents act as essential links between management and the workforce, facilitating communication, clarifying targets, and managing employee fears during the transition period.
- Arbeit zitieren
- M. Woog (Autor:in), 2008, Change Management according to a CRM implementation , München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/123327
