Leadership and Change Management Essay Example
Leadership and Change Management Research
MBA/520 Transformational Leadership
February 28, 2008
Leadership and Change Management Research The learning organization proactively creates, acquires, and transfers knowledge and that changes behavior on the basis of new knowledge and insights. Learning organizations actively try to infuse their organizations with new ideas and information. This is accomplished by constantly scanning external environments, hiring new talent and expertise when needed, and by devoting significant resources to train and develop their employees. They also strive to reduce structural, process, and interpersonal barriers to the sharing of information, ideas and knowledge among organizational members. As any carpenter knows, different jobs require different tools. When the situation changes significantly, according to contingency thinking, a different type of organization may be appropriate. In some cases, the structure, or organizational chart, is the first tool to change. To the organization theorists, organization charts reveal the basic dimensions of organizational structure such as hierarchy of authority, division of labor, spans of control and line/staff positions. Sensing the changes surrounding us are not mere trends, but the workings of large, unruly forces; the spread of information technology and computer networks; the dismantling of hierarchy, the structure that has essentially organized work since the mid-19th century. To demonstrate the diverse practices of change, companies have been benchmarked that have adopted certain philosophies of leadership in managing change. This paper will address selected change models within organizations, identify leadership styles in the change management process and in given situations, evaluate the influence of leadership on management practices, analyze factors that contribute to a long-term commitment to change and appraise future leadership challenges (Kreitner,
MBA/520 Transformational Leadership
February 28, 2008
Leadership and Change Management Research The learning organization proactively creates, acquires, and transfers knowledge and that changes behavior on the basis of new knowledge and insights. Learning organizations actively try to infuse their organizations with new ideas and information. This is accomplished by constantly scanning external environments, hiring new talent and expertise when needed, and by devoting significant resources to train and develop their employees. They also strive to reduce structural, process, and interpersonal barriers to the sharing of information, ideas and knowledge among organizational members. As any carpenter knows, different jobs require different tools. When the situation changes significantly, according to contingency thinking, a different type of organization may be appropriate. In some cases, the structure, or organizational chart, is the first tool to change. To the organization theorists, organization charts reveal the basic dimensions of organizational structure such as hierarchy of authority, division of labor, spans of control and line/staff positions. Sensing the changes surrounding us are not mere trends, but the workings of large, unruly forces; the spread of information technology and computer networks; the dismantling of hierarchy, the structure that has essentially organized work since the mid-19th century. To demonstrate the diverse practices of change, companies have been benchmarked that have adopted certain philosophies of leadership in managing change. This paper will address selected change models within organizations, identify leadership styles in the change management process and in given situations, evaluate the influence of leadership on management practices, analyze factors that contribute to a long-term commitment to change and appraise future leadership challenges (Kreitner,