devry hrm587 week (1 2 3 & 4) discussion dq 1 & dq 2 Latest 2016

devry hrm587 week 1 discussion dq 1 & dq 2 Latest 2016

dq 1

Stories of Change (graded)

Chapter 1 of your textbook includes, on page 9, Table 1.1, “Managing Change: Some Lessons from the Four Stories.”Review the four “lessons” (bullet points) on the table, and think about what some of the key “learning points” you gleaned about change from these stories. Then, do one of two things:

1. Post the top three learning points you gleaned from the stories, and include how the stories for change helped you learn these points, or

2. Research one of the four companies and see how or if that company has since changed (yet more) since the time of the book’s publication. How did that recent change fit with or not fit in with the “lessons” that the textbook mentions the company “learned” from their original set of changes? Explain what you find (bring the URL of the research/article you used to help you).

Your instructor will follow up with you with additional questions throughout the week to push the learning further. Feel free to discuss your classmates’ findings and thoughts on these questions with each other as well.

dq 2

Pressures for Change (graded)

Organizations change due to many different pressures. In your lecture for Week 1, as well as your reading in Chapter 3, you are introduced to many of these pressures. Think about a time at work, at school, or at home, when you have been subjected to similar pressures (this is “your" example). Did that pressure make you change or “dig in your heels” and refuse to change? What does that say about pressures for change? Does it always lead to change?

Provide your example in your first post, and if you can, explain how the theories on “pressures for change” help explain why you were or weren’t actually pressured to change in your example. Please also discuss your classmates’ examples with them. In follow-up posts, talk about how these pressures did or didn’t cause a company to change, to their benefit or detriment.

Your instructor will come in with additional questions and thoughts based on your comments and the pressures for change, and during the week, your main focus will be on “why companies change.” Enjoy the discussions!

devry hrm587 week 2 discussion dq 1 & dq 2 Latest 2016

dq 1

What Changes in Companies? (graded)

The textbook talks about many types of “change.” Here is a list of many of the “types”: first order, second order, anticipatory, reactive, adaptive, tuning, adaptation, reorientation, recreation, midroad, tectonic, incremental, transformational, downsizing, technological, mergers and acquisitions. It is all quite overwhelming, really. Our goal this week is to gain clarity and understanding of the differences among the types of changes.

Consider the company you have selected (or one of them you are still choosing between) and discuss a recent change which has occurred at that organization. Pick which “type” of change you would say that change was, and why. Utilize the course textbook as the start for analyzing the theory of the change. Explain the theory of the change.

Do you agree with the change which the company has decided to take? Let’s get started, and we will be addressing more questions about this throughout the week. Further, feel free to debate/discuss your classmates' project/company findings with them as well.

This section lists options that can be used to view responses.

dq 2

Green Mountain Resort Case Analysis (graded)

The Green Mountain Resort case is a perfect one for us to work together as a class on the different images for change and how they are reflected (or could have been reflected) in that case. We will cover multiple facets of this throughout the week but to start, let’s talk about the role that Gunter plays in our case study this week. For our opening posts, pick one or two of the following (or debate with your classmates):

1. Which image of leader do you see Gunter best fitting into? Why do you think this?
2. How did Gunter use that image to “lead” the company through this change?
3. Which image do you think YOU would have selected to lead the company through the change, and how would this have been better than how Gunter led the change?

devry hrm587 week 3 discussion dq 1 & dq 2 Latest 2016

dq 1

The Diagnostic Models (graded)

Chapter 5 identifies several diagnostic models. The first five speak of the overall structure of the organization. Select one of these five and research it on the Internet. Discuss why you chose this particular model, with special emphasis on the components included and how they (and the model) fit with your view of the organization you are researching for your project. Speak also to what you see as the model’s strengths and weaknesses.

dq 2

Force Field Analysis (graded)

The Force Field Analysis Model is one of the most famous in change management. It was originally developed by Kurt Lewin and can be found in Chapter 5 at the end of the chapter (printed page 151). Review this model and relate it to an issue in your organization or your associations outside of work. Define how understanding the “forces for” and the “forces against” inter-relate. What insights did you get from the analysis?

devry hrm587 week 4 discussion dq 1 & dq 2 Latest 2016

dq 1

Emotional Intelligence/Overcoming Resistance (graded)

(Note: This case is a work of fiction.)Lefty’s BBQ is a U.S. national restaurant chain which serves beef, pork, and chicken barbecue along with Pepsi products, thin-cut French fries or slaw as sides, and offers biscuits or garlic bread as well. The restaurant operates as a drive-up only, with parking lots available at most locations for people to sit and eat in their cars, as well as picnic tables outside in some southern locations. The “average” customer is white male and about 35-45 years old. Many of the workers in the chain are high school part-time, hourly workers who operate the registers, clean-up, and cooking. Managers range from the age of 18+. Lefty’s BBQ senior management has implemented a change plan to introduce alcoholic beverages to its menu (beer and wine only). This is going to impact quite a bit of the operations, and certainly is going to impact the employee base, as in most states, to serve alcohol will require employees to be a minimum of 21 years of age. Due to some licensing issues, Lefty’s is also going to switch from Pepsi products to Coke products along with introducing the beer and wine to its new menu. Unfortunately, the press got a hold of this change in plan before senior management had communicated the change to the rest of the employees throughout the country. Identify, discuss, and begin to address the many resistances, emotional intelligence issues, and unintended consequences which the management will face and need to overcome and handle throughout this change.

dq 2

Barriers to Change (graded)

(Note: This case is a work of fiction.)Addition/Subtraction Company (A/SC) is a textbook publisher for math education, including 1st grade through graduate school levels. The company has been supplying textbooks to public education schools (grade – university level) for 55 years. The company has always prided itself on the loyalty it shows to its employees in that almost all of its authors are full-time employees, and very little of the work done in the organization is farmed out to independent contractors. However, over the last 10 years, the earnings of the company have taken a huge hit, partly because of the No Child Left Behind Act, which caused some of A/SC’s textbooks to fall out of print before they made a profit, and partly because of the increase in costs due to the company’s health insurance premiums when a large number of their employee base (and their families) contracted serious illnesses requiring lengthy and expensive treatments which has impacted the bottom line of the company. The HR Vice President has reviewed the business practices of their two main competitors, and realized that they are making their profits because they rely mainly on independent contractor authors, paying them only royalties on sales versus the salary/benefits packages which A/CS employees make. Further, because the other companies have a wide open subject matter expert pool by using independent contractors, they are much more nimble at reacting to changes in need of the market, and they can offer more math areas in their textbooks, giving them a larger market share. In fact, the last projection which was done by the marketing team showed that A/CS was going to be out of business in two years if they don’t change something quickly. The HR Vice President is going to recommend to her CEO that the author group of employees (numbering 510) be downsized out of the company and replaced with independent contractors. Further, because of certain employment laws, none of those who are downsized will be invited back as independent contractors. The publishing team will be expected to work with independent contractors and manage all book writing projects using less human power as well. That team will be downsized by 15% over the next year. Choices of “who” will be downsized will be based on a review of the last two years of performance evaluations, seniority, and roles.

This week, discuss the barriers that will exist to successful implementation of this change. Along with discussing how the change itself will be perceived by the employees, talk about risks to the company, internal and external factors which will create barriers, and challenges to overcome them.