Strategic Change Management: A Case Study of Marks and Spencer

This report provides a detailed analysis of strategic change management within Marks and Spencer (M&S). It begins with an executive summary and introduction, then delves into the need for change, particularly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the factors driving this need, such as the importance of an effective workforce, proper strategies, and market competition. The report evaluates the resource implications of not adapting to change and explores various change management models, including Lewin's and McKinsey's 7S models, applying them to M&S's context. It also addresses the development of change management strategies, involving stakeholders and overcoming resistance, and concludes with recommendations. The report examines challenges, customer needs, potential solutions, and change tools applied, offering suggested strategies and plans for M&S to achieve its organizational goals effectively.

STRATEGIC CHANGE
MANAGEMENT

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
Executive Summary.........................................................................................................................3
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Main Body.......................................................................................................................................4
Need for change in organisation..................................................................................................4
Factors that drive the need for strategic change..........................................................................5
Evaluation of the resource implications......................................................................................6
Change management models.......................................................................................................7
Development of change management strategy............................................................................8
Conclusion and Recommendations..................................................................................................9
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

TASK 1
Executive Summary
In this report, the emphasis has laid on the needs for the change, the factors that drives
need for change, evaluation of the resources implications for not responding changes, the change
management models of the Marks and Spenser (M&S). It also described about the models of the
change managements, the relevance of models in Marks and Spencer, developing the change
management strategies involving the stakeholders and the strategies to overcome resistance in
the company. The challenges, needs of the clients, possible solutions, the change tools applied,
and the suggested strategies and plan of the Marks and Spenser has been evaluated.
Introduction
Strategic change management is the process basically focusses on managing the change
in the structures in positive way. The main aim of strategic change management is to achieve the
organisational goals and mission effectively and efficiently. The managers of the strategic
change normally used the models to implement’s the change in the company.
Marks and Spencer is the multinational retailing company of UK. The headquarters of the
company is situated in London, England. This company was founded in year 1884 by Michael
Marks and Thomas Spencer. This company provides the products like, clothes, food products
and household products (Meri, 2016). Currently this company is providing its services in many
countries, like; United Arab Emirates (UAE), Germany, France, Australia, United States etc.
because company’s business expansion process is very excellent.
In this report, the need for change, the basic factors that drives the need for the strategic
change, resources implications, change management models and strategies are discussed. This
report further evaluates the challenges, needs, solutions, changing tools of the company for
achieving the organisational goals and missions.

Main Body
Need for change in organisation
Top-level management of M&S highly need to implement the change within its busines
operations for running its different operations on the basis of market conditions. For example;
currently the whole world is suffering from the coronavirus (COVID 19) pandemic, so this
pandemic has badly affected to many of organisations within the market. In this situation, this
COVID 19 has negatively affected to the business operations of Marks and Spencer as well, so
that top-level management of this company need to implement change within its workplace. In
this situation, company has to focused on creating that workplace where employees become
confident to work with in this pandemic situation as well. Nowadays, government within many
countries including UAE has given permission to different businesses or companies to re-open
their stores, shops and factories after the long time period of total lockdown. Now business
environment of every country is completely become changed. For example; people or employees
within the company’s workplace are avoiding together for meeting purposes or any other
purposes. That’s why company has to implement change (Jalonen, Schildt and Vaara, 2018).
Basically, implementing change is a necessary task to M&S in this pandemic situation, where it
needs to make new policies and rules & regulations which its every employee has to follow for
always maintaining effectiveness of company within the UAE, UK, US and also within many
other countries.
By implementing change within the workplace, company will be able to fulfil the actual
demand and wants of current world. For example; currently most people like to visit in those
companies or businesses to buy things where existing employees or staff properly maintains
social distancing. Basically, social distancing is very necessary for any person to stop the spread
of coronavirus. In this situation, M&S need to change its previous way of customer interaction.
For example; before coronavirus, most employees or staff of this retail company was keeping a
certain distance from customers while aware them about own services, however nowadays
employees and people of M&S need to keep maximum distance from customers while
interacting with them. Basically, customers also like to do this same this as well, because
everyone wants to protect its self from the coronavirus infection. After implementing change,

employees of M&S will be informed about how to play own role in the workplace after this
pandemic. That’s why change is very necessary to this company right now.
Change is very essential for this company, because this is the only to company that
enable it for being the world’s requirement and demand (Mishra and et.al., 2018).
Implementation change is very necessary for M&S to always be with the world. For example;
currently whole world wants to stop the spread of coronavirus by taking needed precautions. For
example; currently top-level management of this retail firm need to inform its each and every
employee that, if any employee feel cough, weakness, fever and cold etc.in the workplace, then
that employee need to directly inform to its respective senior manager and leader, because these
all are some basic symptoms of COVID 19. The company need change its previous policy and
make new policy by mentioning that, if any employees feels something symptoms of this virus in
its body, then it no need to come the company’s workplace, because that employee need to take
required precautions and treatment from official COVID 19 centre in its respective living area
(Laamanen and et.al., 2018). Currently the government of United Arab Emirates has opened
many of COVID 19 centres in country’s different locations, so that employees of M&S need to
take treatment from these centres when they will feel symptoms of coronavirus in their body.
Basically, change is necessary to company just protect its stakeholders, like employees
and customers etc. from coronavirus. That’s why upper management of this company need to
take quick actions towards implementing the change within its workplace or business
environment. Of course, implementing change is not a small task to different companies or
businesses, but everyone should adopt and use some appropriate models and strategies of change
management to successful implementing the change within the workplace.
Factors that drive the need for strategic change
There are various factors has involved within the business environment of M&S that
drives the need of strategic change (Ferrer, 2020). In this situation, top-level management of this
company need to identify and analyse these different factors for systematically fulfilling its need
of strategic change. Some key factors that drives the need of strategic management has been
discussed below;

Effective workforce: This is one of the key factors that can drive strategic change within the
workplace of M&S. Basically, while implementing change, there are employees plays very
excellent role in that whole process of the change. In this situation, top-level management of this
retail company has an opportunity to take lots of advantages through its change implementation
process. Basically, employees or workforce is the only source to M&S that will put its huge
efforts for making company’s change implementation process successful. With support of an
effective workforce, this company can be able to gain very appropriate outcomes from its change
management process. That’s why company should take different steps towards improving skills
and abilities of its employees for maintaining their effectiveness within the workplace. After
having an effective workforce, M&S will be able to easily implement change within its
workplace.
Proper strategies and models: This is another key factor that drive the need of strategic change
(Sarvaiya, Eweje and Arrowsmith, 2018). According to this model, company need to adopt and
use some effective or productive models and strategies of change management for successfully
implementing change within its workplace. Currently company taking change step just because
of protecting its stakeholder from coronavirus. In this change, top-level management of company
has decided to make some new favourable policies, rules and regulations etc. At the end, these
all policies and rules & regulations will positively affect to different stakeholders of the M&S.
That’s why existing management need to adopt and use some proper strategies or models within
its workplace that can provide it the best return from the strategic change management process.
Market competition: This is another key factor that influence to the top-level management of
this company to take such decisions within the workplace while implementing change, which can
positively affect to its business operations. While considering the need of strategic change,
existing management at M&S need to ensure that, how this change implementation process will
affect company within the highly competitive market. The management of company responsible
to take such decision while implementing change which can provide huge competitive advantage
to the M&S in the retail industry of UAE and also in the international retail industry (Kakucha,
Simba and Anwar, 2018). That’s why market competition is also a big factor that drive the need
for strategic change in the M&S.

Evaluation of the resource implications
The Marks & Spencer is big multinational retail company which currently serves in lots
of countries, so that top-level management of company need to properly analyse the implications
of resource for not responding to these changes. Basically, a business or venture has always
required to use different resources while running its change implementation process, in which no
business can successfully implement change without using different resources (Singh, Klarner
and Hess, 2020). Currently employees, technologies, fund etc are key resources to M&S which
can play an excellent role in the process of change implementations. Basically, these resources
mostly positively affect to any business. This is the main reason that, top-level management of
this company need to systematically strategic change by considering different resources in its
daily processes of change implementation.
Change management models
There are various models of change management are available in the market which can
be used the upper management of M&S (Back and et.al., 2020). For example; there are Lewin’s
change management model and McKinsey 7S model two key models of change management
which this company can use for successfully implementing change within its business
environment. These two models have been used below in the context of M&S’ strategic change
implementation.
Lewin’s change management model
This model of one of the most useful change management models that uses by lots of
businesses and companies within their business environment. Kurt Lewin is the developer of this
change model. According to Kurt Lewin, every organisation should follow three key steps for
successfully implementing the change, called; Unfreeze, change and refreeze.
Unfreeze: This is the first step within this change model where the management of M&S is
required to unfreeze its different existing business activities to implement the change (Diaz-
Molina, 2018). In the process of unfreezing the management should interact with its different
stakeholders also for successfully implementing the change.
Change: This is second and main step in the Lewin’s change model. Basically, top-level
management of M&S needs to be focused on systematically implement the change. During

implement change, management need to ensure that no factor currently exist within the
workplace that can negatively affect to the whole change implementation process.
Refreeze: Refreeze is the last step, where company need to refreeze it’s all business operations
for again continually gaining very well profit within the market. In this step, existing
management of company need to ensure that everything is going well or not after change
implementation.
McKinsey 7S model
This is another key model of change management which mainly includes seven stages
that M&S need to follow for gaining better outcomes from change management process. This
model has developed McKinsey & company in year 1980.
Strategy: This is the first stage where company need to use productive business strategies for
gaining very appropriate results through strategic change.
Structure: Analysis of structure is also very necessary to company for deeply analysing the
impact of change on the business structure (Wolf and Floyd, 2017).
System: The management of company need to ensure that everything is going in a systematic
manner of not.
Shared values: Shares values plays very excellent in the change implementation process. So
that, company has to maintain an ethical workplace for promoting shared values within the
workplace.
Styles: Different managers and leaders of company need to use various productive styles of
management and leadership to positively influencing employees in the process of change.
Staff: Employees and Staff of company are responsible to give their great contribution in the
process of change implementation.
Skills: Every person within the organisation should be focused on developing its different skills
and competencies to well perform in the change implementation process.

Development of change management strategy
There are various steps needs to be followed by M&S for properly developing the change
management strategy. There is the first step is to prepare a specific plan for change processes.
Second step is identified different resources for involving them in the process of change
implementation (Hambrick and Lovelace, 2018). The third step to aware about the change to
different stakeholder. This is basically the most important step to company, every stakeholder of
company has right to know about the change aspect of company, because when company
implement change, then this thing of company will directly affect to these all stakeholders. The
fourth step is to create a proper schedule to conduct different change management activities in
effective manner. At end, company need to use any change model of own choice to perfectly
implement the change. By follow these all factor and steps, M&S will be able to successfully
implement the change within its workplace.
Conclusion and Recommendations
It can be concluded that due to COVID 19 every business within the whole world has
badly affect, in which top-level management at M&S should take some productive decisions
towards gaining appropriate profit in this pandemic situation as well. There are this retail
company can implement change within its daily operations. Basically, company need to change
its policies and rules & regulations for productively affecting its different stakeholders in this
pandemic situation (Cameron and Green, 2019). There are various resources available company
which it can use for properly implementing the change in the workplace. There are two key
models of change management also has been included in in this report which top-level
management of M&S should adopt to implement its change in very productive manner. These all
mentioned factors of change management will be able to company for achieving very appropriate
outcomes from the strategic change management.
TASK 2
Covered in Video

REFERENCES
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