Tami Dicken & Kyle Rutter
University of Indiana East
Author Note This paper was prepared for IU East, Semester A, taught by
Professor Morton.
B.P. International Organization: Change, Conflict, Crisis, and Communication Barriers
Change in an Organization
Change is everywhere and can come in many different forms. Change in an organization is no different and can sometimes prove to be more tedious than the everyday changes people are accustom to. Change in an organization can be implemented for a variety of different reasons. Reasons such as internal or external pressures, performance enhancements, evolving technology, etc… This is true for any organization wishing to evolve and grow with the economy. Change is not easily done or accepted among an organization. Change takes time and among other things, dedication and hard work. Managing that change is also very detrimental for organization to make that change realistic and achievable.
The first challenge of managing change in an organization derives from the way that changes are approached. “Change management entails thoughtful planning and sensitive implementation, and above all, consultation with, and involvement of, the people affected by the changes” (“Change Management”, n.d.). This is very important when considering change because problems can, and most often do, arise from change being forced. BP’s oil spill in the golf brought on many obstacles for the organization to change and although the disaster was unforeseen, the events that followed were not. After the oil disaster, BP went into a state of change not only to save the organization, but to change certain aspects of the organization to take proper steps to prevent future situations like the oil spill from ever happening again. This meant strategic planning and the proper implementation of change in the organization. Once change has been implemented into an organization it has to be managed very closely and become a top priority for not only the organization itself, but also for the internal and external components. If not managed properly and introduced in an achievable manner, it can sometimes cause people to be resistant, or hesitant, to the changes taking place.
Resistance to change is not uncommon in the business world today. People do not like having to trade the known for unknown. It brings people out of their comfort zones and can sometimes give individuals the feeling of losing something that they already possess. To ensure that this does not happen, managers need to be fully aware of the things they can do to counteract the resistance to change. Such as educating employees, negotiating, facilitation, or coercion. Knowing, and making full use of these techniques can make the process of change smooth and in turn, makes the necessary changes to promote growth in the organization.
Change is key when it comes to an organization progressing within the market that they are competing. According to Richards (n.d.), “Change is important for any organization because, without change, businesses would likely lose their competitive edge and fail to meet the needs of what most hope to be a growing base of loyal customers”. Back to the BP oil spill example, if not for BP’s initiative to change certain aspects of the organization following the events of the oil spill disaster, BP would of not been able to regain its once thriving brand name and its competitors would have surpassed them by miles not only in the market but with obtaining loyal customers. With change comes planning, and with planning comes different steps. There are many different steps and approaches an organization or individual can take to achieve positive change. Change management goes on to describe John P Kotter’s eight steps to successful change. These steps include the following:
1. Increase urgency
2. Build the