The intent of this essay is to describe the concept of cultural change, especially focussing on typical barriers to cultural change in organisations and how they can be overcome! Additionally these barriers and possible solutions will be illustrated using an example from the workplace, company, sports club etc.
Often we hear our culture needs to be changed. But why is cultural change necessary, which difficulties are met and how can it be overcome? Nowadays we live and work in an environment of discontinuous change processes caused by varied reasons like, for example external market influences as in different strategies of competitors, changes of demands and structures of important customers or benchmark results, but also for internal company influences. This means a cultural change is necessary since without cultural change it is not possible to achieve successful strategic change. However a cultural change is always combined with fears and doubts of the individual. People resist change because the work culture drives them or allows them to. Therefore it is crucial and important to know which barriers to cultural change can occur and what has to be considered and carried out to make cultural change successful.
In the first chapter of this essay this topic is introduced, but it is also supposed to rationalise why cultural change affects and how cultural changes can be handled. The second chapter describes what organisational culture and cultural change in organisation means. Furthermore the focus will be on defining the barriers to cultural changes and how they can be solved. The definition of the barriers and success factors will be the base for further discussion in chapter 3 using an example from a company experience. The essay will finish with a conclusion in chapter 4.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Concept of cultural change
2.1. Definition of organisational culture
2.2. Barriers to Cultural Change
2.3. Measures to overcome cultural change
3. Practical application
3.1. Description of as-is situation
3.2. Analysis and evaluation of the as-is situation
3.3. Handling of actual situation and possible solutions
4. Conclusion
Research Objective and Topics
The primary objective of this essay is to analyze the concept of cultural change within organizations, with a specific focus on identifying typical barriers that trigger employee resistance. Furthermore, the paper aims to provide practical insights into effective management strategies for overcoming these barriers, illustrated by a real-world case study from the corporate sector.
- The theoretical definition and multi-level structure of organizational culture.
- Categorization of resistance into barriers of knowledge and barriers of will.
- Evaluation of different types of employee resistance: rational, political, and emotional.
- Application of Kotter and Schlesinger’s six change approaches to practical organizational challenges.
- The importance of communication, participation, and emotional support in change management.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1. Description of as-is situation
The board of METRO AG Germany decided that, by end of 2012 they would transfer the responsibility for Repair & Maintenance (R&M) projects and daily operation of R&M from METRO Cash and Carry International (MCCI) to METRO Properties in order to centralise R&M under one roof. The initial situation for this change was explained by a low level of expertise in technical areas which often resulted in low level efficiency, non-compliance with internal and external rules and standards as well as a low level facilitation of advanced processes and techniques. The decision for change was made in order to fill these gaps and therefore be more efficient within the company, but also to strengthen the company position in the market. The main objective for this change was in order to establish a professional organisation and process for R&M projects and to enhance efficiency and compliance with internal and external principles.
The initiated project was firstly only communicated via videoconference and email to the Chief Executive Officers (CEO) of MCCI and MP in each country and to the respective regions such as Germany, Asia, Eastern Europe, West Europe etc, however, the project was initiated in Asia, China.
After a couple of months the announcement of the actual change was finally made by email to the senior management and executives in China by the regional office of MP Asia. Rumour was already well spread amongst the respective countries. It was announced that the objectives of the project will be first of all to transfer the R&M responsibility from MCC China (local) to MP Asia (regional), which meant to take away responsibility and head count from one subsidiary to another. Other goals were to optimise the existing R&M organisation and to establish an efficient organisational structure under MP Asia, to analyse all R&M processes with regards to optimising these processes, to implement a new IT-system in order to support R&M processes, and to train the employees and improve their skills in order to be able to deal with all R&M related work instead of using external contractors.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter outlines the necessity of cultural change in a discontinuous business environment and sets the stage for defining barriers and success factors for organizational transformation.
2. Concept of cultural change: The chapter explores the theoretical framework of organizational culture according to Edgar Schein and categorizes the primary barriers that cause employee resistance.
3. Practical application: This section uses a specific case study from METRO Properties Asia to evaluate real-world resistance and proposes actionable management solutions based on established change theories.
4. Conclusion: The concluding chapter summarizes the importance of proactive change management and emphasizes that successful transformation requires sensitivity to individual needs and continuous engagement.
Keywords
Cultural Change, Organizational Culture, Resistance to Change, Change Management, Barriers of Knowledge, Barriers of Will, Employee Participation, Corporate Strategy, METRO Properties, Emotional Resistance, Rational Resistance, Political Resistance, Process Optimization, Skill Development, Communication.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this essay?
The essay explores the challenges inherent in organizational cultural change, specifically focusing on why employees resist such changes and how management can effectively mitigate this resistance.
Which theoretical concept of organizational culture is used?
The work primarily refers to Edgar H. Schein’s model, which categorizes culture into three levels: artifacts, espoused beliefs/values, and basic underlying assumptions.
What is the central research question?
The essay seeks to identify what typical barriers to cultural change occur in organizations and how these barriers can be systematically overcome by management.
What methodology is applied?
The paper employs a combination of literature review for theoretical foundations and a case study analysis of a specific organizational change project to demonstrate the practical application of management theories.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body covers the definition of organizational culture, the taxonomy of resistance (rational, political, emotional), and six specific change approaches developed by Kotter and Schlesinger.
Which keywords best describe this work?
Key terms include Cultural Change, Organizational Culture, Resistance to Change, Change Management, and Employee Participation.
How does the case study illustrate the barriers to change?
The case study of METRO Properties Asia highlights how poor communication, lack of employee involvement, and fear of job loss led to widespread anxiety and project delays.
Why did the METRO project struggle initially?
The project suffered from a top-down approach, lack of timely communication, and the exclusion of local management from the planning phase, which triggered significant emotional and political resistance.
- Quote paper
- Claudia Wohlatz (Author), 2014, Barriers to Cultural Change in Organisations, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/283462
