Change Management in Stena Line Case Study 2022

Running head: CASE STUDY: CHANGE MANAGEMENT IN STENA LINE
CASE STUDY: CHANGE MANAGEMENT IN STENA LINE
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CASE STUDY: CHANGE MANAGEMENT IN STENA LINE1
Executive Summary
Change management is the process of bringing about changes in the scope of the business
structure and processes of an organization. This report provides a case study on the
Undercover Boss, Gunnar Blomdahl, the CEO of the Stena Line ferry company. The various
key factors driving change within the organization have been identified and the techniques
that can be applied to counter these problems have also been discussed. Gunnar Blomdahl
shows a transformational leadership style, so the characteristics that make him so are also
evaluated with respect to the survey carried out by him. Finally, recommendations following
Lewin’s change management model have been provided with the metrics that can measure
the effect of the changes thus brought. In conclusion, it is mentioned how change
management is an essential element for the growth and development of an organization.

CASE STUDY: CHANGE MANAGEMENT IN STENA LINE2
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................4
Analysis......................................................................................................................................5
Key factors driving change in Stena Line..............................................................................5
 Sub-standard customer service....................................................................................5
 Flawed design in new super-ferry...............................................................................5
 Disparity in wages among the crew.............................................................................5
 Contractual uncertainty...............................................................................................5
 Low profitability..........................................................................................................6
Techniques required for organizational change.....................................................................6
Leadership style of Gunnar Blomdahl...................................................................................7
Kotter’s criteria of effective leadership..............................................................................8
Strengths and weaknesses..................................................................................................9
Theoretical models...........................................................................................................10
Recommendation of change management strategy..............................................................11
Lewin’s change management theoretical model..............................................................11
Metrics for strategy used..................................................................................................12
Conclusion................................................................................................................................12
References................................................................................................................................14

CASE STUDY: CHANGE MANAGEMENT IN STENA LINE3
Introduction
The concept of change management encompasses the approaches taken by an
organization to bring about development in the organizational structure thereby catering to
the requirements of the customers as well as the employees (Hayes, 2018). The primary focus
of this report is to interpret the concept of change management with respect to the Swedish
ferry operator Stena Line and the strategies undertaken by the former CEO Gunnar Blomdahl
as an undercover boss to improve on functions of the organization. An analysis of
Blomdahl’s leadership style is also essential for the understanding of the techniques and tools
that should be implemented in order to bring about organizational changes and fix the
problems that is faced by the firm.
Stena Line, based in Sweden, is a ferry company that provides its services in various
countries like Denmark, United Kingdom, Germany Norway and other European countries
and incorporates within its operation 18-ferry courses (Stenaline.com, 2019). The former
CEO of Stena Line Gunnar Blomdahl had invested more than a billion pounds to make
various upgradations including the addition of ships, ports as well as introduction of two
large super ferries, Stena Hollandica and Stena Britannica. Additionally, investment was
made on two ports in Belfast and Cairnryan along with introduction of superfast ships to the
services provided in the Irish Sea (Kizielewicz, Haahti, Luković & Gračan, 2017). In 2012,
Channel 4 conducted a series titled ‘Undercover Boss’ in which one of the episodes featured
Blomdahl. In this episode, he carried out a survey, without giving out his real identity, to
observe the efficacy of functions in his organization. On doing so, it was discovered that
there were certain faulty areas of performance that needed prompt and efficient addressal.