Understanding and leading change

This document discusses the impact of change on organizational strategy and operations, evaluates the ways in which external and internal drivers of change affect leadership, teams, and individual behavior, and provides examples from Tesco and Asda. It also explores barriers to change and different leadership approaches to dealing with change.

Understanding and
leading change
1

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Task 1...............................................................................................................................................4
P1 Compare different organisational examples where there has been an impact of change on
an organisation’s strategy and operations....................................................................................4
Task 2...............................................................................................................................................4
P2 Evaluation of ways in which external and internal drivers change affect leadership, teams
and individual behavior in an organization.................................................................................4
P3 Evaluate measures that can be adopt to decline impact of change on organizational
behavior.......................................................................................................................................5
Task 3...............................................................................................................................................6
P4 Explanation of various barriers to change an analyze how they impact leadership decision-
making in context to organization...............................................................................................6
Task 4...............................................................................................................................................8
P5 Apply different leadership approaches to dealing with change in organisational context.....8
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10
2

INTRODUCTION
Change is a constant phenomenon that is ongoing in every business and in the environment
as well. Organizational change is one of the significant factor that directly leads to sustainability
and growth at marketplace. In addition to this, change is important in order to fulfill the demand
and requirements of the target market (Drago-Severson and Blum-DeStefano, 2018). In order to
deal with the change, it is important for every organization to analyze the internal and external
factors that drive change. Without the change, a business entity would struggle to uplift and face
high competition at marketplace. The change within an organization are planned in advance and
is focused on the company because of internal and external factors. Due to the pandemic
COVID-19, there is high changes take place in performing the activities of an organization. Most
of the companies have been forced to perform its operations differently and allow employees to
work from home. This situation also brings a change in the overall function and structure of
companies. In the present report, different organisations is considered in order to describe the
activities. The report will cover two different organizational examples that has been impacted by
the change. In addition to this, there is the evaluation of the ways in which the external and
internal drivers of change impact on the leader behaviour. Moreover, different barriers of change
and how it impacts on decision-making of leaders is elaborated. In the last form a various
leadership approaches is defined that help in dealing with the changes in an effective manner.
Task 1
P1 Compare different organisational examples where there has been an impact of change on an
organisation’s strategy and operations
Tesco is one of multinational retailer and grocer in UK that has been operating in more than
6,500 stores globally. The head office is located in Welwyn Garden City, England and deals
many diversified goods or services such as clothing, financial and telecom services, electronics
and many more. On the other hand, Asda is a British supermarket chain that is headquartered in
Leeds, England. Recently, now they are operating in 631 location and deals in grocery and
financial services. Change is a continuous procedure and is constantly taking place within the
business environment. In addition to this, it is important for an organization to deal with the
changes in a proper manner so that the higher growth and success is achieved (Nelson‐Brantley
and Ford, 2017). Organisation deals with various types of changes that take plays in market and
3

environment and impact directly on the functions and performance of business. Change is an
essential and constant phenomena that impact on business strategies, plans, operations and
decision-making. This change have to be identified and analysed by companies so that an
effective strategy is developed to deal with such changes.
For every business organisation, changes comes to be a difficult factor to tackle with any
managers or leaders of various business organisation. It leads to re-analysing of respective
business policies and strategies adopted by management of a business firm and also sometimes
end up completely changing it. Respective management if Asda taken in changes in organisation
as an important term for going with the trend and approaching demand of various market
customers. It leads to wastage of respective resources and valuable efforts being invested in
operational activities of the firm. However on the bright side, managers and leaders respective
organisation takes in changes in a positive manner and treats it as a cost which is payed by firm
in reference to its future growth in a given marketplace. On the other hand, management
department of Tesco, as major operational activities of the firm is based on dealing with grocery
products with quality services to their customers. Due to breakdown of various changes in
business environment of the firm, its operational management has to suffer relating to loss of
invested efforts and valuable resources of the concerned firm. Managers and leaders of business
firm dedicate their attention towards formulation of flexible planning structures of an
organisation, which contributes towards effective development of the firm and also ensures
better market presence with loyal customers of the workforce.
There are different factors which can influence and are responsible for variations that take
place in market and is subsequently impacting the strategies and operations of business. These
factors are technology, political conditions, culture, taste and preferences, economic crisis and
many more. Due to COVID-19, both the companies are affecting and has made changes within
the organizational strategy and structure. In this section, the influence of change on the operation
and strategies is discussed with the help of comparison table among these two organization that
is Tesco and Asda. The table is given below:
BASIS Tesco Asda
Competency based
strategies
When it comes to retail sector
and providing customers
On the other side, Asda is a
supermarket chain and it is
4

daily requirements, analysis
and identification is
significant that brings change
within the operations. Tesco
follow such policy & make
changes in its offerings so
that they can fulfil the
demand of its customers.
important for company to
bring innovation for attracting
the people and maintain its
performance level at
marketplace. In addition to
this, the higher authorities of
Asda ensure that it provide
innovative and trendy
offerings to its customers.
Pricing strategies The pricing strategy of Tesco
is majorly change as it
required to be decline the
price of its products. Due to
COVID-19, the economic
growth is decline and large
number of people move out
from their job. This decline
the purchasing power of
people and reducing price
will help company to
maintain its market presence
and performance in an
effective manner.
Asda is one of the renowned
organization and is famous for
its quality of product and
services. The company made
several changes in its price
along with the packaging
associated with quantity. This
help in attracting people and
also assist in fulfilling their
requirements in the present
situation of COVID-19. In
addition to this, the company
promises to decline the price
of essential products so that it
can be afford by people and is
also help in maintaining the
performance and brand image
at marketplace.
Operational Change The operational change that
take place in Tesco is the
increase in number of online
offerings. The company has
Asda is an adaptable and
flexible brand that accept
changes and develop strategy
to deal with it in a proper
5

highly focused towards
providing its product online
and also give home delivery
(Doppelt, 2017). This change
take place due to COVID-19
as people is not able to move
out from their homes easily.
manner. The company has
developed its own application
where people can get all the
products and purchase them in
a single click. This resolve the
problem of people to go out
and buy grocery and is also
help company to maintain its
performance in this pandemic
situation as well.
Differences among the activities of Tesco and Asda in COVID-19.
Basis Tesco Asda
Strategies It is determine that Tesco
decline the price of its
essential and daily products
after the COVID-19 pandemic
take place. This assist
company to maintain its
performance and retain its
customers as well. Change in
the pricing strategy of TESCO
impact on its performance but
help in maintaining and
retaining its customers.
Asda provide click and collect
service strategy in order to
provide goods as well as
services to customer. In
addition to this, it offer
vouchers and other online gifts
to its customers instead of
declining the price of product.
This assist in maintenance of
sales as well as performance in
COVID-19.
Operations The company started providing
home deliveries and stop its
offline offerings. This change
in the operation help company
to maintain its sales level as
In Asda stores, there was a
high prevalence of visible
signage outside the stores and
there is clear guidance on
social distancing & hygiene
6

well as performance level in
market when most of the
businesses shut down in
market.
upon arrival of stores. This
help in dealing with the spread
of COVID-19 and maintain its
performance level.
Similarities in activities of Tesco and Asda in COVID-19
 It is determine that both the companies remove the checkout process from their stores due
to this pandemic and adopt the option of “Scan pay go” in order to decline the waiting of
customers. This assist companies to reduce the waiting time and provide convenience and
safety to customer as well.
 Throughout the pandemic, TESCO and Asda has put its customers first and committed to
decline the price of essential products & helping its more vulnerable customers. This help
both the companies to retain its customers and develop trust which in turn impact
positively on its performance and brand image in a positive manner.
 Asda and Tesco are the first supermarkets in UK that uses autonomous cleaning robots
within its stores in order to decline the spread of COVID-19. These robots roam around
the stores during opening hours so that the virus did not spread. This disinfects touch
points without needing staff members to clean them and decline risk of infection for
customer and staff as well.
Task 2
P2 Evaluation of ways in which external and internal drivers change affect leadership, teams and
individual behavior in an organization
Leadership: It refers to an art of motivating a group of people towards achievement of
specified goal and objectives. With addition to that, it also includes conducting various
operational activities of the business firm, with formulation of effective plans and strategies with
a motive to attain business objective of growth in given marketplace of an organisation.
Barclays is a public limited company and is a British multinational banking and financial
service company that was founded in year 1690 and headquartered in London, England. They
also operate in various sector and divided them in fore core business such as investment
management, wealth management, personal banking and corporate banking. As discussed and
7

elaborated, change is frequent and a procedure that take place on continuous basis within
organization and in business environment. The factors which drive organizational change are
categorized mainly in two segments that is external drivers and internal drivers. The ways in
which external and internal drivers of change impact on the leadership behavior within the bank
is given below:
External drivers of change:
External environment and the macro environmental factors that directly impact on the
performance and operations of an organization. For understanding the change, Pest model is
applied by the Barclays and is discussed below:
Political factor: it is defined as the level to which government intervention impact on the
performance and operations of company (Nadim and Singh, 2019). Barclays is a multinational
banking organization that exposes it to several various political factors. For example, in different
countries labour laws and regulations are varied and the company have to work in congruence to
those law for protecting the organization from any political and legal actions. In addition to this,
due to COVID-19 the government of UK has changed various laws and is politically in stable
that impact directly on its performance level.
Economical factor: It refers to the economy of the country in which Barclays is flourishing
an operating. It includes inflation rate, exchange rate, taxation ratez buying power and so on.
Due to COVID-19, the spending level of people in UK is decline as they did not have enough
funds to invest. This decline the performance and sales of Barclays which impact on its market
share and performance as well.
Social factor: It include value, beliefs, attitude, opinion, culture of the population that plays
an important role in how marketers at Barclays will analyze the customers of a given market and
how they developed a market message for foreign money center banks industry consumers. The
social factors impact leadership of Barclays are leisure interest, hierarchy and power structure
within the society, education level an education standard within the Barclays industry and so on
Technological factor: This factor plays an important role within the banking industry as
they adopt new technology in order to provide quality and innovative service to customers which
in turn leads to customers retention and satisfaction. Due to COVID-19, many of the
organizations towards online system in order to execute its activities and communicate with the
customers in a proper manner (Alavi and Gill, 2017). The factors of technology that impact on
8

leadership, team behavior and attitudes are rate of technological diffusion, value chain structure
within financial sector, slow speed of Internet , technology impact on product offering and many
more.
Internal drivers of change: There are various internal factors which impose an organization to
bring change. These factors impact directly on the leadership, individual and team behaviors
within the company. The internal factor which are impacting Barclays strategies and operations
is analyzed with the help of swot analysis that is discussed below:
Strength: One of the major strength of Barclays Bank is its high presence in the global
market. It is determined that the company constantly adapt innovation in order to deal with the
changing business environment as it helps in attaining higher growth and success at marketplace.
Weaknesses: in the present time, the company is facing issues due to challenging
macroeconomic environment. In addition to this, the performance of Barclays is decline due to
COVID-19 pandemic.
Opportunities: The respective organization have the opportunity to adopt block chain
revolution in order to speed up trade finance. In addition to this, it can enter into other segment
which is easily adapt by customer due to its positive and renowned image at marketplace.
Threats: One of the major threat of Barclays Bank is its competitors that impact directly on
its performance and profitability level (Nelson-Brantley, 2018). In addition to this, the impact of
political uncertainties is also affecting its performance in a negative manner.
In context with management department of Barclays, Tesco, Asda, aims formulation of
respective plans and strategies which are flexible in nature. It provides great helps to manaers
and leaders of respective business firms to implement any necessary changes in operational
management of the firm as per market trend. It becomes important for management of the firm to
keep a regular check in its internal and external environment of the business firm as the these
firms faces huge competition in given marketplace, a slight increase in prices of product or
services offered by company might result in shifting up of respective demands of various
customers in the market.
P3 Evaluate measures that can be adopt to decline impact of change on organizational behaviour
As it is very well known that, business firm has to go through its dynamic business
environment. Therefore for countering with these constant changes in business environment of a
business firm, respective management department of the firm adopt various plans and policies.
9

Respective managers and leaders of Asda, Tesco and Barclays adopts various flexible strategies
for ensuring smooth conduction of operational activities of the firm. It enables firm to function
their business activities effectively and also avoids wastage of valuable resources of the
workforce.
In order to minimize the negative influence of change on organization behaviour, change
management procedure is recommended to be adopted for executing and implementing change
plans in an effective manner. There are various measures available which are considered for
declining the negative influence of change. These factors can be advantages for an organization
to gain sustainable growth. Therefore, minimizing the negative influence of change on Barclays
the leaders and managers considering lewins three step model of change. This model include
three stages that is unfreeze, change and freeze which are as follows:
Unfreeze: It is the first step of change that includes preparing the company to accept change
which is necessary. Herein, Business entity getting a point of understanding that change is
important and is getting ready to move away from their comfort zone. In addition to this, the
manager set the deadlines and standards for implementing the change in a proper manner. In
relation to Barclays, it is important for higher authorities to develop effective strategies and
motivate its staff members to accept change in an effective manner.
Change: After the uncertainty developed in the above stage, the change step is where
individuals begin to solve their answer and looking forward for the new methods to do the
things. It is important for Barclays to make employees understand about the need of change and
how it will benefit to them. It help company to execute activities associated with the change and
develop interest in staff members to perform properly. Moreover, the company can also provide
training and development session to it employees so that they can fully understand about the
change and give their full potential in order to attain objective associated with the change.
Freeze: It is stated that when the changes are taking shape and individuals have embraced
the new ways of working, the company is ready to refreeze (Head, 2018). This stage also
required to assist people and the business entity internalized changes, Which means ensuring that
the changes are used all the time and incorporated into business. With reference to Barclays, it is
important for higher authorities’ to check and evaluate activities implemented so that change can
take place in an effectively and timely manner.
Kotter's 8 Step Model of Change
10

This model of change was introduced by professor of Harvard Business School names as
John Kotter in 1996. Kotter introduced this model with taking consideration of 8 steps which are
as follows:
Increase Urgency: This step includes identification of potential threats to respective
business organisation. Moreover, it also helps in examination of future opportunities which can
be tapped at early stage of business operation that ensures effective utilisation of valuable
resource of the business firm.
Build Guiding Team: In this element, adopting to change includes, identification of
effective change leaders in concerned business organisation. It includes working on various
operational activities of the firm by assigning various team goals and objectives.
Developing of Vision: In this stage proper clarification of assigned roles and objectives is
being illustrated. It helps respective managers and leaders of the firm to establish efficiency in
operational activities of business firm.
Communicate for Buy-in: This stage depicts all effort being produced in an organisation
is performed by maintaining healthy working environment of the business firm. This stage is an
inclusion of developing effective training programs to ensure effectiveness in an organisation.
Empower Action: It includes taking necessary actions on urgent matters of the business
firm. It includes removal up of various barriers to growth of an organisation.
Creation of Short term wins: This stage focuses on formulation of short term goals
instead of typical long term goals. It helps in better monitoring up of performances of respective
employee working in an organisation.
Don't Let Up: In this stage, various managers and leaders of the company provides
adequate motivational techniques to ensure better productivity of various employee working in
an organisation.
Make Change Stick: In this last stage, it is being derived that various concerned higher
authorities of the firm should dedicate its efforts in activity participating in various opeational
activities of an organisation.
11

Task 3
P4 Explanation of various barriers to change an analyze how they impact leadership decision-
making in context to organization
John Lewis which is a renowned department store in UK is now that it dedicating proportion
of its operation to the exclusive online cosmetic and fashion retailers market. The head office is
located in London, England and United Kingdom and they serve in 42 stores. Change is a
continuous process and give opportunity to an organization to gain higher growth unsuccessful
stop due to COVID-19 pandemic, most of the companies adapt changes rapidly and make
changes within their projects as well as services with the objective to respond the demand of
customers. There are different major transition which the organazation, team and employees
experience. There are various barriers to change that is faced by John Lewis and is given below:
Lack of employee engagement in change process: due to COVID-19 pandemic, the
participation of employees in the decision-making is decline. This develop an issue among the
higher authoritie's and employee and they resist to adapt the change. This demotivate staff
members which develop deviation within the performance and is directly impact on the decision-
making of leaders. It is important for the leaders of John Lewis to ensure that its employees
engaged and motivated to accept the changes in a proper manner.
Ineffective communication: The respective organization may face this barrier as the
employees work from their home so no face to face communication is take place. It is
determined that change become effective when the plans and strategies are properly
communicated to all the staff members through training, presentation and so on. This developed
a barrier and impact on the decision taken by the leaders of John Lewin’s.
Competitive forces: The company may face barriers due to high competition at
marketplace. It is determined that there are large number of competitors of John Lewis who
decline it’s profitability and efficiency level (Nelson and Luetz, 2019). This influence directly
on the decisions of leaders and they require to develop effective strategies and plans to deal with
it in an effective manner.
In order to deal with these barriers, the higher authoritie’s of John Lewis make use of force field
analysis model that is given below:
Force field analysis
12

This model is mainly used to take decision with the consideration of analyzing the forces
against the change. The mean objective of this analysis is that condition must be kept by the
equilibrium which the different factors is resisting change. The model consists of five steps that
is given below in context to John Lewis:
Step 1- define your problem: it is the first step and herein leaders list down all the activities on
the basis of decision taken due to change. In addition to this, they find out the loophole and
issues and then take corrective measures to solve it in a proper manner. In relation to John Lewis,
its leaders analyse all the issues in order to find out the core reason that will help in development
of actions and strategies to resolve it effectively and properly as well.
Step 2- define the change objectives: Herein, managers analyze all the required changes along
with the factors that affect on it. After this, they set and define the objectives associated with the
change in a proper manner. With reference to John Lewis, it is important for managers and
leaders to define and communicate the overall objectives so that it can be implement in an
effective and timely manner.
Step 3- Identifying the driving forces: In this, managers analyze all the competitive forces that
impact in the change and then list down for resolving it in a proper manner. The higher
authorities of John Lewis make use of porters five force model in order to analyse the forces due
to which change take place. This will help company to resolve it and maintain its performance
level as well.
Step 4- Identify the restraining forces: Herein, managers analyze all the variables that resist
change and identify relationship between the restraining forces (Al Barwani, Flores and
Imig, 2018). There are various factors due to which change resist such as ineffective change
strategies, employee non-acceptance, lack of funds and many more. For this, it is important
for managers and leaders of John Lewis to to analyse the factors due to which change is not
take place. This will assist company to deal with the issue and implement change that is
significant for retaining and getting success at marketplace.
Step 5- Develop a comprehensive change strategy: it is the last step in which higher
authorities develop comprehensive change strategy that is beneficial in order to deal with the
barriers that influence on the decision making of leaders. In relation to John Lewis, its higher
adopt change management model that is Lewin's model in order to implement change in an
13

effective manner. This help company to enhance its productivity and performance level in an
appropriate manner.
Task 4
P5 Apply different leadership approaches to dealing with change in organisational context
Leadership is basically a concept that emphasis on the roles as well as responsibilities of
leaders working in a company. In addition to this, leaders develop effective strategies for the
employees so that they can achieve common goals an objectives timely. There are various
leadership approaches which are used to deal with the range of changes take place in an
organization. The leadership approaches is given below in context to Tesco:
Directive leadership: this leadership style is followed by leaders in order to inform people
about what is expected from them at the time of changing strategies and plans (Mackey, 2018).
The leaders of Tesco make use of effective communication practices so that they can instruct
employees about the changes properly. Along with this, leaders renders clarity of activities an
objective in order to make staff members understand the requirement of bringing change and it’s
benefit to the company.
Supportive leadership: here in, leaders support all the employees to implement out
activities associated with the change. The leaders of Tesco adopting supportive leadership style
as it helps in motivating and developing enthusiasm in staff members so that they can focus on
change and perform it in proper manner.
Participative leadership: In this leadership style, leaders allow employees to participate in
the decision-making procedure as it help in bringing out creativity and innovation. This form of
leadership is mainly adopted in order to engage staff members and motivate them in an effective
manner. For example, the suggestion of employees are taken for making any modifications by
the higher authorities’ and leaders of Tesco. This developed a sense of confidence and
motivation in employees as they feel valued and important at workplace you due to which they
execute activities properly associated with the change.
Achievement leadership: it is determined that achievement leadership style is aggressive
and bold for dealing with the change. In this, leaders have appropriate knowledge about the
capabilities and potential of employees and according to it, they set challenges for them. The
main objective here is to attain objectives within stipulated time (Flanding, Grabman and Cox,
14

2018). It is stated that this process of dealing with change is advantageous for both Tesco and its
employees. The employees will receive chance to enhance and improve its skills and
organization will be efficient implementing change methods, approaches and models on both
functional and operational level.
Conclusion
From the above discussion, it has been concluded that changes directly impact on the
performance and productivity of an organization. It is important for a business entity to ensure
that the change implement in an effective manner so that the higher growth and success is
attained. There are various factors that drive change such as political factor, technology, social
trends, organizational strategies and many more. By the assistance of Bruke letwin model, an
organization can minimize the negative influence off change. Moreover, it is determined that
there are various barriers for change that is lack of effective communication, rigidity to change
and so on. It is important for leaders to make use of effective leadership styles in order to deal
with the change and this are directive leadership, participative leadership, supportive leadership,
achievement leadership and many more.
15

REFERENCES
Books & Journal
Drago-Severson, E. and Blum-DeStefano, J., 2018. Leading change together: Developing
educator capacity within schools and systems. ASCD.
Nelson‐Brantley, H.V. and Ford, D.J., 2017. Leading change: a concept analysis. Journal of
advanced nursing, 73(4), pp.834-846.
Doppelt, B., 2017. Leading change toward sustainability: A change-management guide for
business, government and civil society. Routledge.
Nadim, A. and Singh, P., 2019. Leading change for success: embracing resistance. European
Business Review.
Alavi, S.B. and Gill, C., 2017. Leading change authentically: How authentic leaders influence
follower responses to complex change. Journal of Leadership & Organizational
Studies, 24(2), pp.157-171.
Nelson-Brantley, and et. al., 2018. Leading change: a case study of the first independent critical-
access hospital to achieve Magnet® Designation. JONA: The Journal of Nursing
Administration, 48(3), pp.141-148.
Head, B.A.,and et. al., 2018. Palliative nursing summit: nurses leading change and transforming
care: the nurse’s role in communication and advance care planning. Journal of Hospice
& Palliative Nursing, 20(1), pp.23-29.
Nelson, W. and Luetz, J.M., 2019. What can we learn from Pope Francis about change
management for environmental sustainability? A case study on success factors for
leading change in change-resistant institutional environments. In Sustainability and the
Humanities (pp. 503-524). Springer, Cham.
Al Barwani, T., Flores, M.A. and Imig, D. eds., 2018. Leading Change in Teacher Education:
Lessons from Countries and Education Leaders Around the Globe. Routledge.
Mackey, J., and et. al., 2018. Leading change to co-teaching in primary schools: a “Down
Under” experience. Educational Review, 70(4), pp.465-485.
Flanding, J.P., Grabman, G.M. and Cox, S.Q., 2018. The technology takers: Leading change in
the digital era. Emerald Group Publishing.
16

17