Factors to Consider Before Choosing Internal and External Change Agents

This article discusses the factors that should be considered before choosing internal and external change agents. It highlights the importance of proper understanding, readiness, security and confidentiality, trust and respect, unbiased nature, problem-solving skills, and culture maintenance. The article emphasizes that these factors should be considered to conduct activities in the right direction and accomplish goals and objectives.

Running head: Change Management
Change Management

Change Management
“Organization undergoing change employs internal and external change agents. What
factors must be considered before making a choice”
It has been seen that to achieve growth the company make internal and external changes.
It is important to implement the change in a proper manner so that growth can be achieved
effectively. Sometimes it is seen that if the change is not implemented effectively then it can
affect the growth of the company. Therefore, in the large company, a planned change program is
considered by an individual who focuses on the leading change and they are called as change
agents. The change agent is also considered as a change leader who guides the process of change
in the company.
By focusing on these change agents it is seen that they are divided into two. First is an
external agent and second is an internal agent. Internal agents are considered as members of the
company and they can either be the CEO or the senior manager of the company. These
individuals have the leadership skills that can lead to implement the changes and also it utilizes
the activities to support the process of change (Intezari and Pauleen, 2014). Therefore, it can be
seen that change agents are not only the top managers but they can be the people or the groups
that facilitate the process of the change that is considered in the organization.
External changes agents are from outside the company like the people who are external
consultants who are known as the expert in the change management process. It has been seen
that they are hired to help the managers to manage with the organizational change. The external
consultants are related to the client system and they focus on managing the change in an effective
manner. These agents focus on managing the external activities of the company or the change
that are taken into consideration. It has been analyzed that without change agents it is not
possible for the company to implement the change in the organization, so it is essential to
consider the changes so that activities can be conducted in the direction through which growth
and profits can be achieved.
There are many factors that should be taken into consideration so that change can be
implemented in an effective manner. In the context of internal change agents, it has been seen
that there are many factors that should be considered before making a choice.

Change Management
Proper understanding should be there in the change agents so that they can focus on
managing the change in a proper manner. It has been seen that internal consultants or the agents
should have the understanding of the activities so that positive outcome can be achieved. If they
don't have the knowledge or the skills to manage the change then it can give a negative effect on
the entire activities of the company (Burrell et al., 2015). Like for example the techniques to
manage the change or to implement the change should be considered by the change internal
change agent so that positive outcome can be achieved by the company and also they can
complete the task according to the policies and rules of the company.
Next factor is related to readiness. It is important for the change agent to be smart and
ready for any change. If an individual is not ready to consider the change then they are not
considered as a capable or eligible change agent. It has been seen that to manage the change or to
implement the change it is important for the individual to be ready and should be able to take the
job at the time of making an evaluation or the change in the company. Change is the factor in
which it is seen that individuals should be ready so that in a smooth manner the activities can be
completed with the change that takes place (Al-Haddad and Kotnour, 2015).
Next factor is related with the security and confidentiality. It has been seen that the agent
who can maintain security and confidentiality should be selected. To implement the changes in
the organization it is important to focus on the individual who can maintain privacy and also the
security of the information. If the information is leaked then it can be difficult for the
organization to maintain the security or the privacy related to the change. To consider the change
it is important for the company or the top management to focus on the personal quality of the
individuals. If the person can maintain the privacy then only he or she should be selected to
complete the activities. As it is seen that it is the responsibility of the individual to maintain the
privacy or the security of the company so that change can take place in the company in an
effective manner (Dwyer, 2012).
Trust and respect are also one of the factors that should be taken into consideration so
that the internal change agents can conduct their operations with efficiency. It has been seen to
implement or to manage the change it is important for the individual to create trust and also they
should respect other so that it can be simple to complete the assigned task in the right way. If the
agents do not have the attitude of giving respect or the attitude to behave in a proper manner then

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to implement the change is one of the difficult tasks of an individual. It is important to give
respect to the top management so that managers or the employees can conduct the activities by
maintaining cooperation between the employees and with the other managers. It is the duty of
the change agent to implement the strategies by focusing on the employees and also by proper
consultation of the employees so that it can be easy to manage the change in a proper manner (de
Caluwe and Vermaak, 2016).
In context of the external agent, there are many factors on which focus should be given so
that the change can take place in a proper manner externally also. It has been seen that
profitability and growth also depend upon the external factors. If the external environment is not
effective then it is not possible for the company to achieve goals and objectives (Bradley, 2016).
It is important that external change agent should be unbiased and should have an open
mind so that the operations can take place in a proper manner. It is seen that if they are biased
then it is difficult to manage the operations related to change and also it can lead to decrease in
the overall growth of the company. By having an unbiased attitude towards the work it can be
easy for the external change agent to cooperate and manage the activities with the other
employees. Unbiased nature and attitude also help the employees to make proper relation with
the others and it is important to maintain effective relations so that it can be easy to manage the
change in the organization or the activities of the company on the external basis (Lozano,
Nummert and Ceulemans, 2016).
Next is related to the attitude of the individual in context to the challenges faced. At the
time of taking the decisions, it is important to focus on the attitude. If the change agent can
manage the challenges then it can be easy to implement or manage the change in the overall
activities of the company. To manage the change it is important for the individual to be capable
enough to manage the challenges or to face the challenges so that in the right direction the
activities of the activities can be conducted. It is not possible for everyone to manage or face the
challenges but it can be done if there are efficient people recruited to conduct or operate the
activities effectively (Matos Marques Simoes and Esposito, 2014).
It is important for the company to recruit those employees who have a specialization or
the degree to operate the activities. If capable candidates are not selected then it can lead to

Change Management
reducing in the overall profits. It is seen that it is important for the change agent to focus on the
external factors and also should have skills so that it can be easy to direct the activities or to
manage the change according to the external factors. When the activities are conducted or any
change is implemented in the workplace then it is important to implement it in a proper manner
in the external environment. It has been seen that change agent should also have the quality of
being neutral in every situation so that other employees or the individuals can cooperate in an
effective manner (Steigenberger, 2015).
It is also important to have problem-solving skills so that it can be easy to manage the
change. It has been seen that when the changes are implemented there are many problems that
arise so it is important to manage that problem so that changes can be considered by the people
in a proper manner. The problem-solving skills will also help to control the change that is
implemented by the company. It has been seen that to manage the change is not possible by
everyone but if the change can be managed in an effective manner then it will help to achieve
growth and profitability in a proper way.
To manage change is not the task of everyone; they should also have the capability to
maintain the culture. Culture and change in the workplace have a link. To implement the change
it is important to focus on maintaining the culture so that the change which is implemented can
be accepted by everyone. The company should focus on choosing the candidate who can manage
the culture. It is important for the top management and also for the external agents to focus on
maintaining the culture so that it can be simple to accomplish overall goals and objectives in an
effective manner. In this case, convincing skill should there in the change agent so that when the
change is implemented the change agents can easily convince the other people. If they are able to
convince the other people then it can give negative impact on the activities of the company when
the change is implemented (Volberda, Van Den Bosch, and Mihalache, 2014).
So, by analyzing the paper it has been concluded that when organization employs internal
and external change agents there are various factors that should be considered so that activities
can be conducted in a smooth manner. Factors that should be considered are proper
understanding, readiness, security and confidentiality, trust and respect, unbiased nature and also
problem-solving skills. These factors should be considered at the time of making the decisions so

Change Management
that activities can be conducted in the right direction. Through this, it can be easy for the
company to accomplish goals and objectives.
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Development, 33(4), pp.324-341.

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Steigenberger, N., 2015. Emotions in sensemaking: a change management perspective. Journal
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