Change Management: The Role of Change Agents

This paper explores the crucial role of change agents in successful organizational change management. It delves into the distinct characteristics and advantages of both internal and external change agents, highlighting their contributions to driving transformation within organizations. The paper also examines the essential qualities of effective change consultants and the critical factors to consider before implementing change, including the type of change, the change agent's expertise, and the organizational structure. Through real-world examples, the paper demonstrates how change agents can effectively navigate resistance and foster a culture of adaptability within organizations.

Change Management: The Role of Change Agents

Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Discussion........................................................................................................................................4
External Change Agents:.............................................................................................................5
Internal Change Agents:..............................................................................................................5
Differences:..................................................................................................................................6
Promotion:...................................................................................................................................7
Necessary Qualities of the Change Consultants:.........................................................................7
Factors to be Considered Before Implementing Change:............................................................8
Examples:....................................................................................................................................9
Conclusion:....................................................................................................................................10
References:....................................................................................................................................11

Introduction
It is imperative for an organization to undergo a constant process of improvement in terms of its
productivity in order to continue sustaining itself in the market. The improvements can occur
through the implementation of changes in the organizational structure which might include job
roles, production mechanisms, adoption of newer technologies et cetera. However, the central
precept that would lead to the effective implementation of changes within an organization would
be changing the ways in which the employees would do their jobs. Therefore, change
management would refer to the structured process that aims at influencing employees so that
they adopt certain changes in the ways that they do their jobs so that they can be ready for the
future and subsequently help the organization in becoming a dynamic one (Hayes, 2018).
Change management involves a lot of procedures that has to be undergone in order to yield
successful results for the organization. The management has to keep a lot of considerations in
mind in order to determine how it shall equip its employees with the necessary prerequisites that
shall facilitate changes in their job roles. It has to be also understood that change cannot be
implemented in a matter of a day. Change management is necessarily a process and consumes
time and effort. This assignment shall aim at illustrating the various nuances regarding the
concept of change management.
Discussion
Change does not come about in an organization on its own. There should be agents that shall
initiate and subsequently give a direction to the change process for it to yield fruitful results.
There are two categories of change agents that play the major roles in the introduction of changes
in the organization. These agents are namely:
● External Change Agents
● Internal Change Agents
External Change Agents:
External change agents refer to the consultants who are hired by the management from outside
depending upon their field of expertise and portfolio. External change agents are brought on

board when the management thinks that there is no suitable person within the organization who
can initiate and direct the change that shall be required. There are various advantages of having
external change agents and they outweigh the disadvantages that they have when compared with
internal agents. This is basically because external agents can analyze the work culture in an
organization objectively from a fresh perspective which is not possible for individuals who are
already working in the workplace (Cameron and Green, 2015). Thereby, the external agent can
figure out through research which aspects of the organization require changes and then takes
steps to implement the same. Another advantage of having external change agents is that they
can work exclusively on the implementation of changes unlike internal ones who have to take
considerable time out of their daily chores in order to work additionally upon change
management. This might hinder their productivity.
Internal Change Agents:
Internal change agents are also crucial to successful change management. Internal agents usually
belong to the human resource department or the top level of the management of an organization.
Internal change agents have important knowledge about the functioning of the organization and
thus, they will not let themselves be affected by the internal politics of the organization. As they
are already familiar with the internal structure of the organization they can start working more
quickly and can connect the various departments together that used to function separately
previously. Thus, they can approach the problem of implementing change from a holistic point of
view as opposed to an external agent who shall approach the problem in a fragmentary basis.
Having been known by the employees for a considerable period of time, they are more trusted by
the employees that external agents. Therefore, they can influence the employees more effectively
(Eikenberry, 2011).
Differences:
From the above explanations of the two types of change agents it can seem that they have
different roles to perform. But a closer analysis shall reveal that they are somewhat similar and
the only difference lies in the approach towards the problem of change. There are a number of
factors that determine whether an organization shall opt for an external change agent or an
internal one. In order to keep an external agent, the organization has to spend a considerable sum

extra as remuneration but in case of the internal agent no such amount has to be spent. Therefore,
if an organization is limited in terms of funds then it should opt for an internal change agent.
In case of organizations that have complex and large bureaucratic structures, it shall be difficult
to rely only on internal change agents. The external agent can analyze the structure objectively
and suggest the necessary changes that shall improve upon the productivity. However, an
internal agent will only have experience regarding his own field of work and he might face
problems in connecting the various departments in order to promote change. Moreover, external
agents have specialized knowledge regarding the implementation of change which internal
agents do not. Regardless, it also has to be kept in mind that that an organization can use a mix of
both external and internal change agents who shall work collaboratively so that the advantages of
both can be used by the organization (Vora, 2013).
Promotion:
Both external and internal change agents are equally important in facilitating change in an
organization. They carry out research regarding the avenues in which the organization would
require changes and then suggest the possible changes that can be implemented to the
management. Subsequently, if the management finds the suggestions to be relevant to the goals
and objectives of the organization it can initiate the change process by endorsing the application
of behavioral strategies that shall catalyze the change process (Klonek, 2014).
Necessary Qualities of the Change Consultants:
The change consultants are endowed with an important responsibility and thus, it is important
that they have certain qualities that shall let them shoulder their responsibilities. These qualities
are a follows:
● Empathy: Empathy refers to the ability of being receptive to the feelings and emotions
of another person. Empathy would lead to the successful communication between the
change agents and the employees.
● Proximity: Proximity refers to both physical and psychological closeness of the change
agents to the employees of the organization. In order to work productively, the agents
should stay in close proximity to the employees so that they can influence them through
their presence. Proximity shall also lead to increased empathy and better communication.

● Structuring: This refers to the ability to the change agents to plan a necessary course of
action regarding the implementation of change. A proper and organized plan shall make
the change process more comprehensible to employees and it shall be easier to apply.
● Openness: The change agents should be able to listen to the needs of the employees.
They should be receptive to the problems they are facing and should engage with them.
Only then can the employees feel involved with the change process.
Factors to be Considered Before Implementing Change:
The implementation of change depends on various factors. The management has to properly
consider all these factors and subsequently embark upon the change process. The factors include:
1) The Change Agent: The change agent is one of the most important factors behind
change management. The organization has to choose an internal or an external change
agent depending upon its needs and priorities. In case of an internal change agent the
management has to determine who all are equipped with the necessary attributes for
facilitating change and in case of an external one, the management has to see if his/her
field of expertise coincides with the requirements of the organization (Ashkenas, 2013).
2) Matters that could be Changed: An organizational structure consists of a varied
number job roles and departments. The management has to keep in mind the vision and
goals of the organization and develop a plan of change accordingly. The change has to be
addressed to the specific areas of the organization that shall be helpful towards the
achievement of those objectives.
3) Type of Change: There are different types of changes that can be implemented in an
organization. There can be changes regarding the job roles of the employees. This shall
require the employees to undergo training in order to be ready for the new job roles.
Changes can also be technological in nature which shall constitute the incorporation of
new technologies that can make the production process more efficient. Besides these,
there can also be changes in the organizational structure. It would refer to changes in the
current hierarchies of the organization and also the existing relationships between the
various divisions.
It is important that the huge changes can acknowledge the clarification of occupants and
information to express. Its initial focus is probably on modifying affiliation game plan. The

declared supervisors can choose to make the structural changes inside the backdrop of a specific
organization if the information that they have aggregated starts that the contemporary structure is
the real reason of administrative inadequacy (Thota, 2012). This can be stated that the correct
auxiliary changes that they have selected in order to contrast from conditions to conditions, of
agenda. After changes to administrative structure have been composed, association should
complete roundabout surveys to underline the progressions are meeting their future endeavors.
Examples:
The significant example of change agent is the one individual who offers a major contribution to
a course of alteration. The articulation is used to perceive the substances of an event or occasion,
plan, plan or procedure self-overseeing of parts and duties. In huge cases, public generally
prevents change regardless of whether they are formally part of the gathering executing the
change. Change agents are the directors who are achieving undertaking or making the change.
This can involve gifts that far outperform the individual's chain of command or the obligations in
the affiliation. It is a shared change administration exercise to perceive, approve and reward
change specialists. The followings are evident examples
Leadership managements
It is often noticed that the leadership authorities are detached from the essential project
developments tasks and the plan executives are the ones who mostly satisfies the important role
as leader in the accomplishment of the entire project effectively (Doppelt, 2017).
Designing:
A technological device offered by a lead designer is insufficient and a developer advances who
fixes it.
Education requirements:
This can be expressed that a school board directs the instructive establishments to positions a
solid conspicuousness on trouble settling and genuine contemplations with controlling rule like
offering inclinations to the workshop activities in the educational modules. Number of mentors
can neglect this guideline while every other person is running with it in an innovative strategy.
External impacts:

A chief leader who performs for a merchant ends up being the main dynamic power at the back
of a particular assignment when the internal people are preventing the change.
Conclusion:
It can be stated that the information gathered from the above study provides that both the internal
and external employees and agents are able to bring change. It is expected that an individual can
get to the change that one has performed. The goal of this specific change isn't just to accomplish
an understanding with respect to the progressions that it can be changes for the future
development of specific organization. This can indicate the systems that have been embraced to
make the change should be created so as to increase current standards of institutional practicality
inside the specific casing of time. Thus in this regard it should be added that the research denoted
the facts that the organizational aspects and factors should be more focused of the changes and
requirements.

References:
Hayes, J., 2018. The theory and practice of change management.
Cameron, E. and Green, M., 2015. Making sense of change management: A complete guide to
the models, tools and techniques of organizational change. Kogan Page Publishers.
Ashkenas, R., 2013. Change management needs to change. Harvard Business Review, 16(April).
Thota, H., 2012. Key concepts in innovation. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan
Eikenberry, K., 2011. Championing change: Creating remarkable leaders. New York, NY:Wiley.
K. Vora, M., 2013. Business excellence through sustainable change management. The TQM
Journal, 25(6), pp.625-640.
Doppelt, B., 2017. Leading change toward sustainability: A change-management guide for
business, government and civil society. Routledge.
Klonek, F.E., Lehmann-Willenbrock, N. and Kauffeld, S., 2014. Dynamics of resistance to
change: a sequential analysis of change agents in action. Journal of change management, 14(3),
pp.334-360.