Change within an organizational setting is a force that cannot be avoided, especially in the modern society where technology is increasingly redefining the manner in which things are done. According to Vinesh (2014), successful organizations have learnt how to manage change in a way that is not disruptive in nature. These organizations know when and how to introduce change in a way that would assure them of the best outcome.
However, not all stakeholders are comfortable with change. Sometimes employees may fear change because of the feeling that it may introduce concepts and practices, which are beyond their scope of knowledge. That is why training becomes important during organizational change. It helps employees to learn new concepts related to the new methods that are introduced to enable them work effectively under the new system. Sometimes the stakeholders fail to understand and appreciate the significance of training during organizational change. They may assume that employees will learn about the new systems through practical experience.
Understanding the beliefs of managers and employees regarding training during change is critical because it defines how a given organization will approach change and the need to engage in training during such a process. It is necessary to understand whether the training beliefs of the managers contradict that of employees. Through this study, it will be possible to understand training motivation for employees in an organizational setting. According to Cameron and Green (2012), key change initiative of any organization is to ensure that employees’ skills are aligned with the new needs and the new systems to help them work effectively and gain confidence after change had been introduced.
Research Questions and Structure of Research
Training during change is important and any organization that hopes to achieve success in the current competitive business environment cannot ignore it. Customer needs keep changing and it forces organizations to be dynamic in their operations. They have to understand the changing customers’ tastes and preferences and come up with ways of delivering products that meet these needs. It means that successful organizations must be in a constant mode of change, keen on understanding the changing trends and adjusting its operations as would be appropriate. The following research questions will guide this study.
- What is the significance of training during change implementation?
- Why is it important to understand the beliefs of managers and employees regarding training during change?
- What are the training motivations for the employees?
- What is the key change initiative of the organization under study?
The researcher will use both primary and secondary data to respond to the above research questions. The questions will define the nature of data that will be collected from both the primary and secondary sources. The project will take a normal structure of a research paper. The first chapter will be the introduction of the topic. The second chapter will focus on the theoretical framework to help understand what other scholars have found out in this field. The third chapter will be the methodology that will be followed by results and discussion of the findings. Recommendations and conclusion will come last.
Theoretical Framework
Understanding the Concept of Organizational Change
According to Vinesh (2014), organizational change refers to a process of reviewing and modifying business processes and management structures to be in line with the changing environmental forces. Business environment is subject to various external changes. A number of forces in the external environment may trigger a change process. One of the leading causes of change is the change in customers’ tastes and preferences.
When the needs of customers change, it becomes necessary for a firm to find a way of modifying its operations to be in line with the changing environmental forces. Change in the business activities and strategies of the competitors may force a firm to change its operational strategies. For instance, a competitor may lower the price of its products because it has come up with effective ways of operation that lowers the overall cost of delivering a unit product in the market.
For a firm to survive in such a market where competitors are charging low prices, it will force it to change its operational strategies to be in line with that of its rivals to manage the competitiveness of the market (Ford, 2014). Technology is one of the most important external drivers of change. New technologies are making it possible for firms to come up with new products or production methods. Successful firms know how to embrace these emerging technologies to help them improve their operations and deliver superior products to their customers at competitive prices. Government policies may also motivate organizational change.
A number of factors such as the need to protect customers, conserve environment, or regulate market competition may inform the decision by a government to change the policies regulating the business environment. Once the policy is changed, the organizations affected must find ways of adjusting their operations in line with the changes introduced.
Organizational change can also be motivated by the internal factors. According to Snyder (2016), some organizations such as Apple Inc. have embraced innovative practices as a way of gaining a competitive edge over their market rivals. Instead of waiting for the external forces to bring about change in their production strategies and products they deliver to the customers, they have their own drive that makes them come up with unique products, which are beyond the expectations of the customers.
They become the agent of change in tastes and preferences of customers. Through innovative practices of such firms, other industry players are forced to change their operations and products to keep up with the changing tastes and preferences of customers. The unfortunate internal forces may sometimes motivate internal change within an organization. For instance, in 2011 when Steve Jobs died following years of battling cancer, the stakeholders at Apple Inc were worried about the ability of this firm to achieve massive success it had witnessed during the reigns of Jobs as the chief executive officer of the firm (Snyder, 2016).
Tim Cook, who took over as the new chief executive officer, was under pressure to ensure that the firm performs well as it used to prior to his assuming the top position. As such, he and his team initiated ambitious projects to ensure that the firm remains as innovative as it used to be in the past. According to Snyder (2016), Apple has remained a very innovative company ever since. The unfortunate event acted as a force of change for the firm, making it become very successful in the market.
Importance of Training during Change
According to Ford (2014), training involves investing financial resources and time to sharpen the skills of the employees in line with the changing expectations in the workplace. Regular training of the employees can be expensive, especially in the modern society where they can easily move from one company to another. Losing an experienced and highly trained employee can be very costly, besides being disruptive. The company end up losing the financial resources and time invested in such an employee to train him or her.
That is why some companies rarely engage in employees’ training. They prefer hiring highly experienced and skilled employees who understand the workplace environment and are flexible enough to change with the changing environmental forces. However, Nelson and Quick (2012) warn that sometimes a firm cannot avoid engaging the employees in a training process. The importance of organizational change management is not only relevant to the small and medium companies but also the large corporations operating in the global market.
Change enables a firm to align its operations with the changing environmental forces. According to Cawsey, Deszca, and Ingols, (2015), the external environment may change due to a number of reasons discussed above. When there is a change in the external environment, it is critical for a firm to take its employees through some form of training based on the emerging environmental needs. Training may be conducted for several reasons. One of the main reasons why a firm may need to take its employees through some form of training is to enable them understand the new methods of undertaking their duties.
For instance, when an organization is replacing an old model machine in the production unit with a new one, it is likely that the employees in that department may not know how to use it. The employees will need to be helped to understand the basic of the new system, and how they can improve their performance under the new system. The focus of the training in this case is to redefine their skills and knowledge to be in line with the workplace expectations. Such trainings often take place at work. The on-job training is critical in enabling the employees understand how to deal with the challenges they meet at work. Experts are brought to work with them and sharpen their skills through practical demonstration of how to handle various tasks.
According to Nelson and Quick (2012), constant immigration of people from one part of the world to the other has created a scenario where organizations hire people from different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds. For instance, a city such as Dubai has so many immigrants from Europe, North America, Middle East, Asia, and African continents who come to work or enjoy the beautiful sceneries. When a firm hires people from such diverse backgrounds, it is necessary to take them through some form of training. They need to understand how to interact within the organization in a way that can promote teamwork.
They need to be trained so that they can understand that diversity is a factor that makes them strong. Such empowerments will help in eliminating discrimination within the workplace. It will promote unity and understanding, and the ability of the employees to work without giving any significance to their faith, skin color, or any other factor that may appear to make them different. To ensure that change is implemented properly, Kurt Lewin’s Theory (Model) of change should be used (Jabri, 2012).
Training Techniques
According to Campbell (2014), an organization can use different training methods based on the need and resources available for the training. E-learning practices are some of the training techniques that are growing in popularity in the modern society. This technique allows employees to train remotely without being in the physical classroom. As long as the employee has internet-enabled gadget such as a laptop or tablet, learning can easily take place at designated hours, preferable after work. The technique is very effective if the trainer and the trainee cannot easily interact physically because of time and geographical constraints.
Aamodt (2013) says that on the job training are also very effective, especially when it is necessary to learn something new that requires practical knowledge. Mentoring and coaching are some of the common on-job trainings currently in use. The main advantage of this approach of training is that it allows the trainer to demonstrate to the trainee how to undertake a given task. Whenever a trainee makes a mistake, the trainer can easily detect and correct it immediately.
Apprentice learning practices are also becoming common in the modern society (Jabri, 2012). This form of training combines both classroom setting and on-job learning. It is a situation where the learner takes some time in the classroom before coming back to the workplace setting. The learner will be expected to practice the theoretical concepts learnt in the classroom when they get to the workplace. This form of training is common among the employees who are furthering their education while at the same time working for a given organization. Every time they get to work, they are encouraged to put into practice the new knowledge learned in the classroom as a way of enhancing their productivity.
Behavioral modeling is a new technique that is also growing in popularity in some organizations. In this form of training, trainees are allowed to watch films showing good management techniques or how to handle a specific task. After that, they are instructed to play the roles seen in the films in a simulated environment. The aim is to ensure that what they do in the simulated setting is as close as possible to what they saw. In most of the cases, this training approach takes the form of a game (Campbell, 2014). In the game, the goal of the player is to have the highest score by behaving in a way similar to what they see in the film.
Methodology
Research Design
According to Aamodt (2013), it is important to define the research design that a study uses to help in understanding the approach used to arrive at a given conclusion. In this study, descriptive research design was considered the most appropriate. The method makes it possible to use descriptive statistics to explain the impact of training during organizational change. The method makes it possible to use survey to collect data from the respondents that can help in answering the research questions. The design also makes it possible to use mathematical tool to determine the magnitude of the impact of training during organizational change on a firm. The conclusion and recommendations made in the study will be based on both quantitative and qualitative analysis of primary data.
Participants
The researcher was interested in collecting data from numerous participants in this study. However, time constraint was an issue in this academic research. As such, the researcher sampled only two participants for the study. One of the participants was in management position while the other was a junior employee at XYZ Company. The first participant has been a manager at XYZ Company for over six years.
Aged 41 years, this participant, who was assigned code M, has been working for this company for 18 years. He started as a junior officer and managed to become one of the senior managers of the company. The second participant is secretary to one of the senior managers of the company. Her position within the firm is non-managerial and she is aged 22 years. She has been working at the firm for the last three years. She was assigned the code E to ensure that she remains anonymous, just like the first participant. Both of them were informed about the significance of this study, their role in it, anonymity of their identity, and their freedom to agree or reject being part of the project.
Procedure
The researcher selected only two participants for the study because of the need to conduct a face-to-face interview. The researcher first developed a series of questions in a format of a questionnaire. The researcher then requested for an audience with the respondents in advance so that they could be part of the study. After identifying the participants and duly getting their approval, the researcher met with them in separate places on separate occasions. The participants were interviewed using the questions that had previously been set. Their responses were recorded for future clarification and analysis. The recording was done after getting their approval to do so. The questionnaire used in collecting data from the two participants is shown in the appendix of this document.
Data Analysis Strategy
After collecting data from the respondents, the researcher embarked on analysis to help in making an informed conclusion and recommendations in this study. The researcher used both qualitative and quantitative analysis. Qualitative data analysis was used to explain the significance of training during organizational change. Through this form of data analysis, it was also possible to explain some of the common training strategies that exist in the modern business environment. It was also necessary to come up with a critical explanation of the statistical figures obtained in the study. As such, qualitative analysis was used to support quantitative data. Data obtained from the quantitative analysis was presented in the form of graphs and figures.
Results
In this section, the researcher presents the findings made from the analysis of the responses obtained from the participants. When asked about the significance of training during organization change, both respondents noted that it is critical for an organization to train its employees to help them understand the new systems and structures. It also came out from the primary data collected that it is very important to understand the beliefs of the employees and the managers regarding employee training during change. The interviewees noted that the managers must approve change initiatives and provide funds to support it, in case it is necessary.
The managers must also guide the junior employees in the process of implementing change. As such, their views about change are critical. On the other hand, the employees are responsible for implementing change. Once the managers have developed new policies, it is the responsibility of the managers to ensure that it is implemented as per the expectations of the top management unit. If they have a negative attitude towards the new systems and structures, then it may not be easy to achieve success using them. The following question focused on determining the factors that motivate employee training within the organization where the interviewees work.
What are the training motivations for the employees?
The respondents were requested to name and quantify the factors on a scale of 1-5, based on their significance within the organization. The response of the manager is given in table 1 and figure 1 below. The response from the junior employee is shown in table two, and figure two below.
Table 1: Response from the manager.
Table 2: Response from the employee.
As shown in the analysis above, it is clear that one of the main motivations of employee training at this company is the need to align skills with job requirements. The respondents noted that whenever a significant change is introduced within an organizational setting, it becomes necessary to adjust the skills of the employees to enable them work under the new system. The general improvement of performance employees was also noted as another significant factor that motivate employee training at XYZ Company. It was also clear that the company is keen on enhancing creativity and innovativeness of its employees through regular training. Other notable factors mentioned include the need to improve communication skills within the organization and to promote peaceful co-existence of the employees despite the possible socio-cultural and economic diversity. The next question focused on understanding change initiatives of this organization that may necessitate employee training.
What is the key change initiative of the organization under study?
The tables 3 and 4 and figures 3 and 4 shows responses obtained from the manager and employee interviewed in this study.
Table 3: Key change initiatives according to manager.
Table 4: Key change initiatives according to employee.
Figure 4: Key change initiatives according to employee.It is clear from the responses obtained from the two participants that change of customer’s tastes and preferences is one of the leading causes of change in an organization setting. When their preferences change, it forces a firm to change as a way of aligning its products with the needs of the customers. The emerging technologies also have a major impact on a firm’s operational strategies. Other significant forces include changes in strategies used by competitors, emerging technologies, and internal creativity.
Discussion
It is clear from the above analysis that training during organizational change is critical. Change is a force that an organization cannot avoid. However, it is not always a welcome force in every organizational setting. Different stakeholders fear change because of different reasons, starting from junior most employee to the top managers. Junior employees often have the fear of the unknown every time they are informed about the possibility of having a change in the operations.
They may fear that their skills and experiences may not match the new systems and processes. As such, change may be a real threat to their job. Some believe that change may complicate their work, especially when they are forced to work in an environment that they were not used to before. The managers may be slow in embracing disruptive changes because of the financial implications. Not all changes may result into financial success that an organization may desire. That is why sometimes managers may opt to avoid implementing or be slow in implementing changes because of the fear of the financial consequences. The board of directors can only approve major changes if they are assured that the outcome will have positive financial implications.
According to Cameron and Green (2012), although the phobia towards change may exist in different context, the stakeholders, especially the top leadership of a firm, must understand that change is unavoidable. They must understand that in the current competitive business environment, change offers a firm a perfect opportunity to be positively different from the market rivals. It means that change should be considered a supportive force instead of being feared as something that is destructive. The leadership should embrace training every time there is a need to change from one system to another.
Change empowers employees, improves their confidence, and makes them able to work more efficiently under the new system. The interview shows that XYZ Company is always keen on embracing training during organizational change majorly as a way of aligning skills of the employees to the new job requirements.
Recommendations
The analysis conducted above shows that change is a force that cannot avoided, hence this company should be ready to train its employees regularly when introducing new systems and structures to enhance efficiency. XYZ Company or any other firm should consider the following recommendations to ensure that change is implemented without constraint:
- Employees should be actively engaged when planning to introduce change in an organizational setting.
- Every time a new system or structure is introduced, proper training of the employees should be done.
- Different strategies of employee training should be done based on the need, time, and resources available.
Conclusion
The analysis shows that change is a force that a firm cannot avoid, and the only way of managing it is to ensure that employees are trained regularly. Training may be conducted to improve the general skills, creativity, and expertise of the employees. The business environment is increasingly becoming competitive and firms are finding themselves in situations where they have to deliver better products at low prices to remain operational. It forces them to be creative in their production processes. It forces them to find ways of lowering their cost of production while at the same time improving the quality of their products.
That can only be achieved if a firm has a team of highly creative and innovative team of employees. Although creativity is not a preserve for the most learned individuals, enhancing one’s academics make him or her more aware of the inner potentials. As such, companies prefer taking their employees through regular training to empower them and make them more innovative. Through such trainings, employees get to think critically and creatively when handling different assignments given to them.
References
Aamodt, M. G. (2013). Industrial/organizational psychology: An applied approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Cameron, E., & Green, M. (2012). Making sense of change management: A complete guide to the models, tools and techniques of organizational change. London: Kogan Page.
Campbell, H. (2014). Managing organizational change. Philadelphia, PA: Kogan Page.
Cawsey, T., Deszca, G., & Ingols, C. (2015). Organizational change: An action-oriented toolkit. New York, NY: Sage.
Cummings, T. G., & Worley, C. G. (2013). Organization development and change. Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.
Ford, K. (2014). Improving training effectiveness in work organizations. New York, NY: Taylor & Francis Group.
Jabri, M. (2012). Managing organizational change. London, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.
Nelson, D. L., & Quick, J. C. (2012). Organizational behavior: Science, the real world, and you. Mason, Ohio: South-Western.
Snyder, R. (2016). The social cognitive neuroscience of leading organizational change: TiER1 performance solutions’ guide for managers and consultants. New York, NY: Routledge.
Vinesh, M. (2014). Role of training & development in an organizational development. International Journal of Management and International Business Studies, 4(2), 213-220.
Appendix
Interview Protocol Managers: The Role of Training during Change Implementation
The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of training during a change implementation. When answering the interview questions, we would like you to reflect on the trainings that were used during the most recent change implementation in your company. Specifically, we would like you to think about which training techniques were the most effective during change and what motivates your employees to participate in the trainings. All responses to these questions will be held strictly confidential and you will not be identified as a participant in this study. In order to accurately capture all of your responses, I would like to ask your permission to tape record the interview. (Start recording) Is it okay if I tape the interview? Thank you for your cooperation, let us start with the interview.
General questions related to the position of the participant
- How would you describe your position in the organization?
- How long have you been working in this organization under the same position?
Questions related to training techniques and change implementation
- What was the most recent change that has been implemented in your company? Can you briefly explain what kind of change project this was?
- Have you used any trainings for employees during this change implementation? If yes, which training techniques were used? Please select from the list below.
- E-learning practices (internet based training such as online courses, intranet etc).
- On the job learning practices (such as mentoring, coaching).
- Apprentice learning practices (a combination of a classroom setting learning and on the job learning).
- Behavioral modeling (A training technique in which trainees are first shown good management techniques in a film, are then asked to play roles in a simulated situation and are then given feedback by their supervisors.
- Other training technique (please explain the training).
- What was the reason for using the training techniques as specified in your answer to question 4?
- Which training techniques from the list do you think are the most effective during change implementation? Please, explain your answer.
- If you have not used any trainings, can you specify why you haven’t used trainings during the change?
Questions related to the training motivation of employees
- What do you think might increase employees’ training motivation? In other words, employees need to be motivated to actively participate in trainings in order to learn. What tools or management practices can be used to increase their training motivation? Please explain your answer.
Thank you for your time. Next, we will analyze the interview data and write a report. In case you would like to have a copy of the report, we will be happy to share this with you.
Interview Protocol Employees: The Role of Training during Change Implementation
The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of training during a change implementation. When answering the interview questions, we would like you to reflect on the trainings that were used during the most recent change implementation in your company. Specifically, we would like you to think about which training techniques were the most effective during change and what motivates you to participate in the trainings. All responses to these questions will be held strictly confidential and you will not be identified as a participant in this study. In order to accurately capture all of your responses, I would like to ask your permission to tape record the interview. (Start recording) Is it okay if I tape the interview? Thank you for your cooperation, let us start with the interview.
General questions related to the position of the participant
- How would you describe your position in the organization?
- How long have you been working in this organization under the same position?
Questions related to training techniques and change implementation
- What was the most recent change that has been implemented in your company? Can you briefly explain what kind of change project this was?
- Have you participated in any training program during this change implementation? If yes, which training techniques were used? Please select from the list below.
- E-learning practices (internet based training such as online courses, intranet etc).
- On the job learning practices (such as mentoring, coaching).
- Apprentice learning practices (a combination of a classroom setting learning and on the job learning).
- Behavioral modeling (A training technique in which trainees are first shown good management techniques in a film, are then asked to play roles in a simulated situation and are then given feedback by their supervisors.
- Other training technique (please explain the training).
- What was the reason for using the training techniques as specified in your answer to question 4?
- Which training techniques from the list do you think are the most effective during change implementation? Please, explain your answer.
- If you have not participated in any trainings, can you specify why you haven’t done so during the change?
Questions related to the training motivation of employees
- What do you think might increase employees’ training motivation? In other words, employees need to be motivated to actively participate in trainings in order to learn. What tools or management practices can be used to increase employees’ training motivation? Please explain your answer.
Thank you for your time. Next, we will analyze the interview data and write a report. In case you would like to have a copy of the report, we will be happy to share this with you.