Organizational Change Management in Telecom

This assignment examines organizational change management within the context of the rapidly evolving UAE telecom sector. It requires an analysis of how organizations adapt to factors such as record growth, intense competition, and rapid technological advancements. The 7S framework, McKinsey's model for organizational assessment, is a key element in understanding and implementing successful change strategies within this dynamic industry.

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 1
Strategic Change Management in 3Sixty GSM
Student’s Name
Course ID
University
Date

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 2
Executive Summary
Strategic change management process has been applied by the modern business
management to improve the quality of corporate strategy contributing towards corporate synergy,
competitive edge, and business scope. In this particular study, the strategic change in 3Sixty
GSM, an information technology and service provider operating in Dubai, Saudi Arabia has been
elaborated considering a number of facts. Moreover, the study assesses the value of utilising
strategic intervention techniques in 3Sixty GSM to deal with the current competitive business
environment in the target market. In the study, the description of three strategic change models
has been elaborated in a detailed way out of which McKinsey 7S Model and Kotter’s 8-Step
Change Model have been considered to be the best possible change management model suitable
for the strategic change implication in 3Sixty GSM. In the existing scenario, the internal and
external business environment has created significant challenges for the management. In order to
boost the services and business growth, the change initiatives have become evident.
In the meanwhile, the study identifies the comprehensive values of using strategic
intervention techniques such as improving the productivity, sales, and efficiency of the
workforce. A number of intervention techniques and their respective benefits of the same have
been described. In another discussion, the study elaborates the importance of strategic change in
3Sixty GSM. Precisely, by implementing changes the organization can increase competitive
advantage and meet the expectations of the target audience. Evidently, the study paper evaluates
the driving factors influencing the need for change in 3Sixty GSM. However, the paper also
includes the effects of change management failure as well. Most importantly, the study identifies
how the strategic change process can involve the relevant stakeholders maximizing the
productivity of the change initiatives. To finish, a strategic plan has been derived to implement
the change process and monitor the progress of the change initiatives.

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 3
Table of Contents
1. Introduction..................................................................................................................................4
2. Background to organisational strategic change...........................................................................5
2.1 Background of 3Sixty GSM Company and background to change.......................................5
2.2 Change Management Models.................................................................................................6
2.3 Evaluation of the models in relevance to the organisation’s need.......................................14
2.4 Value of using Strategic Intervention techniques................................................................16
3. Issue related to strategic change................................................................................................19
3.1 The need for strategic change in an organisation.................................................................19
3.2 The factors that are driving the need for strategic change...................................................21
3.3 The resource implications of the organisation not responding to the Strategic change.......23
4. Lead stakeholders to develop a strategy for change..................................................................25
4.1 Systems to involve stakeholders in the planning of change.................................................25
4.2 Development of change management strategy....................................................................27
4.3 Evaluation of the systems to involve stakeholders..............................................................29
4.4 Strategy for managing resistance to change.........................................................................31
5. Planning and implementation of change model.........................................................................33
5.1 Development of appropriate models for change..................................................................33
5.2 Plan to implement change model.........................................................................................37
5.3 Measures to monitor progress..............................................................................................40
6. Recommendation and Conclusion.............................................................................................42
6.1 Recommendation.................................................................................................................42
6.2 Conclusion...........................................................................................................................43
References......................................................................................................................................44

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 4
1. Introduction
Globalisation of businesses has forced the multinational and domestic organisations to
consider strategic change management process to establish competitive positions in their
respected industries (Beynon-Davies, Jones and White, 2016). Strategic Change Models have
been applied by the contemporary business management to improve the quality of corporate
strategy contributing towards corporate synergy, competitive edge, and business scope.
Inevitably, driven by the external environment and internal organisational framework, modern
management of MNEs and SMEs has considered significant strategic change models to achieve
explicit objectives and targets (Matesic, 2009). By initiating the change process, organisations
have to reset the mission, vision, and core competencies of business to rectify the prevailing
situation within the enterprise (Flamholtz and Randle, 2008). In the challenging business
circumstances, change management initiatives have become the most comprehensive alternative
to maintain sustainable growth in a target market.
In this particular study, the change management initiatives for the management of 3Sixty
GSM Company have been discussed considering a number of strategic change models suitable
for the organisational strategic alteration. The study introduces the company profile of 3Sixty
GSM and elaborates the background leading towards change. Moreover, the reported paper
discusses models of strategic change and the relevance of the precise strategic change models to
3Sixty GSM in the existing economic condition. Furthermore, the strategic change paper
assesses the value of utilising strategic intervention techniques in 3Sixty GSM. Besides, the
study also examines the need for strategic change in the identified organisation as well. In the
meanwhile, the discussion paper assesses the factors driving the need for strategic change in

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 5
3Sixty GSM and the resource implications of the organisation not responding to the strategic
change. The reported study also discusses the systems to involve stakeholders in change
planning, change management strategy, evaluation of the systems used for change management,
and strategies for managing change resistance in 3Sixty GSM. In the ending of the report,
appropriate models for change and plan to put into practice the best strategic change model have
been elaborated (Grossman and Valiga, 2013). To finish, the appropriate methods to monitor the
progress of the strategic change process has been listed in the paper.
2. Background to organisational strategic change
2.1 Background of 3Sixty GSM Company and background to change
3Sixty GSM is an information technology and service provider operating in Dubai, Saudi
Arabia. The parent company of 3Sixty GSM is 3Sixty that provides a complete IT business
solution, Smartphone, LED Solutions, Smartphone accessories, and E2E cloud solutions etc. The
IT business of 3Sixty GSM is expanding the business in telecommunication sector as well.
Recently, the company has acquired BDL Egypt Corporation that has been ruling the market
since 2004 (3-6-T Corporate, 2017). Currently, 3Sixty Corporation has operated in the GCC
countries in diversified target sectors. Precisely, the diversified operations of the organisation
must be differentiated at the management level to avoid operational mistakes. The mission of
3Sixty GSM is to deliver unmatched IT related and Smartphone tech support to the target
audience of the GCC countries. In the vision statement of 3Sixty GSM, the management has put
the emphasis on developing long-term partnerships with the clients to achieve sustainable market
growth.

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 6
In a nutshell, the Dubai-based company has emerged to be one of the leading innovative
corporations striving towards long-term growth and excellence. In the meanwhile, the
combination of innovative team and expertise of the members has developed effective strategies
to deliver unparallel ICT solution and total customer support (3-6-T Corporate, 2017). In the
current market status, due to diversified services and product offering of 3Sixty GSM, it is
essential to consider a number of strategic changes to be developed accomplishing competitive
advantage in the target market. Also, to manage the standard of cloud based IT services and
Smartphone related technologies, new competencies must be added to the business of 3Sixty
GSM (3-6-T Corporate, 2017). In context to the business growth, the management of the Dubai-
based company has to implement strategic changes in the organisational structure, technology,
total reward system, and style of management, etc. In the current economic scenario, 3Sixty
GSM has to face substantial challenges from the leading market competitors in the GCC
territories. Therefore, by conducting strategic change management applying the best strategic
change models, the company can make further progress in the target market acquiring new
clients for different segmented business (McGahan and Mitchell, 2013).
2.2 Change Management Models
In strategic change management, modern corporations need to identify precise strategic
change models to implement structural alterations following a planned process. According to the
required changes, organisational management has to consider a thoughtful procedure to
implement changes (Burke, Lake and Paine, 2009). Herein, the essence of strategic change
models is inevitable. In this particular discussion, three of the best change management models
have been described as follows:

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 7
2.2.1 Kurt Lewin’s Change Model
One of the most effective change models that have been used by the modern
organisations is the Kurt Lewin’s Change Management Model. Kurt Lewin developed the
Unfreeze-Change-Refreeze model in the early 1940s that presents three steps of change
management process (Grossman and Valiga, 2013). Lewin being a social scientist as well as a
physicist explained the change process as an analogy of changing shape of ice block. In order to
implement the change process effectively, the management need to unfreeze the current
operations strategies, make necessary changes and implement new policies to make the changes
permanent (Grossman and Valiga, 2013). A diagram has been presented herein below for further
understanding:
Figure: Kurt Lewin’s Change Model
Source: (Grossman and Valiga, 2013)
The three phases of Lewin’s change management model has been presented in details
herein below:

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 8
 Unfreeze: During the first phase, the management need to focus on preparing the
organisation to accept the necessary changes. The first step is to breakdown the current
status quo before developing a new way of operations (Sibbet, 2013). At this phase, the
management need to determine what changes are required and ensure that the changes are
strongly supported by the senior executive members of the firm. Furthermore, the change
management team needs to create urgency for the change by developing vision and
mission statements (Boog et al., 2008). Additionally, the management must focus on
communicating the changes with the employees and clear their doubts and concern
regarding the change to get their support.
 Change: After identifying the problems in the first step, the change stage is used to
resolve the problems and develop new ways to perform the activities (Boog et al., 2008).
At this stage, the change process needs to be communicated with the higher level
executives and lower level employees of the firm. Secondly, the questions and problems
of the employees must be solved to effectively involve them in the change process
(Sibbet, 2013). Thirdly, the employees must be empowered to support the change and
proper plan must be developed to effectively implement the changes. Finally, the short
term wins must be evaluated and shared with the team to motivate them towards the
change.
 Refreeze: The third step is to anchor the changes into the organisational culture of the
firm. For instance, the change management team must identify what supports the change
and the barriers that can negative impact the implemented changes (Boog et al., 2008).
Furthermore, the change management team must develop ways to sustain the changes and
create a reward system for the employees (Sibbet, 2013). The nest activity that must be

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 9
conducted at this stage is to train and make the employees ready to perform in a different
way. Finally, the success of the change must be celebrated to seek long term growth.
2.2.2 McKinsey 7S Model
McKinsey 7S Model was developed in 1980 by a couple of consultants of McKinsey &
Company, Tom Peters and Robert Waterman. Evidently, the 7S Model can be identified as one
of the most effective strategic change models to be used by the management to conduct planned
strategic alterations. Since the inception of the change framework, McKinsey 7S Model has been
mostly utilised by the modern corporate managers to implement targeted changes following a
strategic plan (Kaplan, 2015). In the identified change model, the authors put the emphasis on the
human capital of a firm rather than concentrating on conventional approach of mass manufacture
tangibles of infrastructure, capital, and technology resources. The primary aim of the model is to
elaborate how the seven components of an organisation i.e. Structure, Strategy, Skills, Staff,
Systems, Style and Share Values of any firm can be brought into line to accomplish effective
alternations as per the requisites (Ravanfar, 2015). In the meanwhile, each of the seven
components associated with McKinsey 7S Model is interconnected. Therefore, an alteration of
the single component has started a chain system to change the rest of the elements so that the
entire working system will function efficiently (Helfat, 2010). In the underlying figure, the 7S
Model has been represented showing the ‘Soft Ss’ and ‘Hard Ss’.

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 10
Figure: McKinsey 7S Model
Source: (Ravanfar, 2015)
 Structure: The component determines the way any corporate firm is structured as well as
the model of management hierarchy.
 Strategy: The element of 7S Model identifies that devised planning of organisational
management to build and maintain competitive edge in a given market (Ravanfar, 2015).
 Skills: Identification of the skills referred to the competencies and knowledge resources
of the human capital.
 Staff: The particular element of the model identifies the human resources and their
general strengths and working capabilities.

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 11
 Systems: Systems indicate the regular management as well as working activities that
have been followed by the employees of a firm to complete assigned tasks.
 Style: The style refers to the leadership and management style to be adopted by the
administrative.
 Shared Values: In McKinsey 7S Model, the component indicates the core values and the
targeted objectives that are reflected in the corporate culture and the working ethics of a
firm (Ravanfar, 2015).
In order to conduct change management using McKinsey 7S Model, each of the
components should be aligned and reciprocally reinforced to influence the type of change i.e.
organisational restructuring, leadership change, the introduction of new system, the inception of
the latest process, and merger and acquisition set up, etc (Onsarigo Miencha, Paul and Selvam,
2017). By using the model, management of a firm can deliberately identify the existing situation
and the future condition after the change (Lawrence, 2015). Therefore, the management can also
evaluate the gaps and inconsistencies between the present and future position. In this way, the
change instructor can make several adjustments in the seven components of McKinsey 7S Model
to ensure the initiated strategic change process can reach towards the targeted endpoint. In this
manner, the model can help in managing change in any organisation.
2.2.3 Kotter’s Change Model
After observing countless leaders and organisations, Dr. Kotter identified and extracted
the successful factors that can be used by a firm to execute changes. On the basis of the findings
of Dr. Kotter, he developed the 8 step process for leading change in an organisation (Rose,
2015). The eight steps of Kotter’s change management model can be categorised into three

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 12
phases. The first phase is to create a climate for change in the organisation. The second phase is
to engage and enable the employees to actively participate in the change management process
(Beynon-Davies, Jones and White, 2016). Finally, the last phase focuses on implementing and
sustaining the changes to seek long term growth (Kotter, 2012). The Kotter’s Eight-step Change
Management Model is presented in the figure given below:
Figure: Kotter’s Eight Steps Model for Change
Source: (Kotter, 2012)
On the basis of the above figure, the eight steps of Kotter’s model for change have been
presented in details herein below:
 Create sense of urgency: During the first step, the change management team need to
identify the required changes in the organisation and communicate the urgency of the
changes with the higher level executives to get their support to proceed with the process

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 13
(Rose, 2015). The opportunity statement can be developed and importance of the change
must be communicated with the change management team and top level executives.
 Develop guiding coalition: The second step is to communicate the changes with the
management officials to involve them in the change management process (Beynon-
Davies, Jones and White, 2016). A voluntary team must be developed and guided to lead
the changes effectively.
 Form strategic vision and initiatives: The third step is to develop the strategic vision
for the change (Beynon-Davies, Jones and White, 2016). For instance, prepare a mission
and vision statement to show what benefits the company will get in the future by
implementing the identified changes.
 Communicate the vision: The fourth step is to communicate the vision with the
employees. For instance, make them understand the need for the changes and how the
changes will benefit the individuals as well as the organisation (Rose, 2015).
 Empower people to act: The fifth step is to identify the barriers to changes and
empower the people to act on behalf of the change management team. For instance,
interview sessions can be conducted to get the views of the employees and know what
they think about the changes (Kotter, 2008). Finally, on the basis of the feedback of the
employees, necessary strategies can be developed to involve the employees in the change
management process.
 Generate short term wins: The sixth step is to generate short term wins by
implementing the changed policies and evaluate the short term progress. The success of
the change process in the short run must be communicated with the employees to
motivate them towards the changes (Kotter, 2008). However, the mistakes and challenges

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 14
in the short term can be overcome by making further changes in the change management
strategies.
 Sustain acceleration: The seventh step is to continue with the momentum and make
changes in the strategy on the basis of the lessons learned from the short term progress
(Kotter, 2008). The change process must be continued until the vision is achieved in
reality.
 Make the change permanent: Finally, the change must be made permanent by making
changes in the business, operations and management strategy (Kotter, 2008).
Additionally, the success of the changes must be celebrated with the members of the
entire organisation and employees’ contribution towards the change must be rewarded.
2.3 Evaluation of the models in relevance to the organisation’s need
On the basis of the strategic change management models presented in the above section,
it can be seen that each model focuses on different factors that must be considered by the
management in order to implement the changes in a successful way. According to Kotter (2012),
a change should not be approached too quickly and the management must proceed with the
change step by step. However, it is important for the management to identify the urgent need for
the change such as strategic transformation or technical intervention in order to meet the strategic
objectives of the firm. According to the current economic scenario, the high level of competition,
changing regulations of the government and economic downturn in the global market has forced
the 3Sixty GSM to make changes in its HR policies and technological strategies. Also, the
company needs to make changes in its customer service and marketing strategies. By making the
changes, the company can enjoy better loyalty and commitments from the employees as well as
from the customers. The application of the change management model in this case will help the

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 15
company to seek better participation of the employees that will further help to improve the
customer service and seek higher customer satisfaction level.
Additionally, Rothwell, Stavros and Sullivan (2015) said that change occurs in an
organisation due to several strategic interventions that are useful in cases life rapid change in the
external market factors, rapid and stagnant growth of sales, rapid expansion of market, increased
competition and Mergers and Acquisitions. During all this cases, the organisation need to
implement the change models that will helps the management in team building and improving
the decision making process. According to the Lewin’s Change Model, the entire process of
change management has been divided into three phases known as Unfreeze, Change and
Refreeze. The first phase of the change model focuses on planning the change and involving the
stakeholders by motivating them to actively participate in the change process. The active
participation of the employees and higher level executives helps to reduce the restriction to
changes. It will help the management to effectively make changes in its HR policies and
implement better technology to seek competitive advantage in the market. However, the last step
of the Lewin’s change management model focuses on refreezing the changes by celebrating its
success and making further changes as per the evaluation report of the change process.
Another model that has been presented in the previous section is the McKinsey 7S Model
that presents several factors that must be considered by the change management team of 3Sixty
GSM to implement the changes effectively. The 7S of McKinsey’s Model include Structure,
Strategy, Skills, Staff, Systems, Style, and Share Values. The 7S model can be used to
understand what sort of structural changes is required in the firm to implement the new
technologies and changes in the HR policies. Additionally, the model focuses on strategy
development and operations planning that are required for introducing the changes without any

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 16
resistance by the employees. Additionally, the skills and staff elements present the competencies
and knowledge that are required by the employees and strengths and working capabilities of the
workforce that can help the management to implement the changes successfully. Moreover,
McKinsey’s Model also discusses the systems and style of leadership that is required for the
change management. Hence, it can be seen that all of these models are quite important for proper
change management planning in the current economic scenario. The identified models will help
the management to understand the key factors that are required to be considered while planning
the changes and eliminate the challenges of change management in the firm.
2.4 Value of using Strategic Intervention techniques
Human resource can be identified as one of the most essential assets for any business
enterprise operating in any given industry or market. In the meanwhile, strategic intervention
techniques have helped the business management to make substantial adjustments to the altering
strategies of the business firm (Eden and Ackermann, 2015). In case of IT business of 3Sixty
GSM Corporation, the method of strategic intervention technique can advocates the human
resources of the firm shifting organisational strategies as per the need. Moreover, strategic
intervention techniques will direct the organisational employees towards sustainable change
process promoting behavioural modification. Thus, employee engagement within the firm will be
benefited. In this particular section, the most comprehensive values of using the techniques have
been summarised as follows:
 Human Process Intervention: By using such intervention, organisational management
can orderly maintain diversified workforce having different cultural, skills, and
competencies, etc. During a change project, organisational management needs to
combine the workforce so that any conflicts can be avoided can become resistance

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 17
towards change (Mehregan, Kahreh and Yousefi, 2011). Precisely, the particular
intervention technique involves activities such coaching, training, and development
activities, counselling of human resource, group learning activities, and creating virtual
teams.
 Human Resource Management Intervention: HR management intervention helps
corporate managers to deal with the issues of low productivity, employee burnout, and
employee turnover etc. In order to tackle those circumstances, the HR management
intervention techniques can set new corporate goals and implement the latest technology
i.e. IT for a short period to improve the overall scenario. Such intervention techniques
include activities such as recruitment and selection, employee wellness, and performance
evaluation, etc (Protinsky and Preli, 2014).
 Technical Intervention: Technical intervention techniques include technical
implementation within the firm to monitor the progress of HR activities. By using
modern technologies, employees’ efficiency and productivity within the enterprise have
been boosted (Rogers and Fong, 2010). Such technical intervention technique involves
activities such as technical training, seminars, and workshops for the human resource.
 Structural Intervention: Structural intervention technique can be identified as one of
the most comprehensive intervention techniques to be considered by modern
management to conduct reengineering of the corporate structure. According to the new
objectives and goals, such intervention can help to make adjustments in corporate
management hierarchy promoting best leadership and management functions. There are a
number of activities associated with the intervention i.e. board meeting, and corporate
reengineering process, etc (Mehregan, Kahreh and Yousefi, 2011).

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 18
 Cultural Change Intervention: In order to initiate a change assignment, cultural change
intervention has become mandatory to rejuvenate the employees differentiated by diverse
culture. In a corporate scenario, such intervention technique uses activities such as group
discussion, cultural training, and career support programmes, etc to influence the target
audience (Protinsky and Preli, 2014). Precisely, cultural change intervention combines
diversified work culture of a firm to increase the strength of the management.
 Innovation Intervention: Innovation can be identified as the key to managing a
successful change project. In order to control the issues within the management and
external business environment, innovation intervention has become a part and parcel of
modern businesses (Quick, 2008). By using innovative concepts and ideas, management
tends to increase the productivity of the workforce.
 Global Change Intervention: Global change intervention adjusts the factors that can
affect the business patterns of a corporate firm in the competitive global market. By using
such intervention techniques, global operations of MNEs have been maintained in an
efficient manner. Such intervention technique includes the formation of virtual team and
training of virtual team to manage the business from any location (Rogers and Fong,
2010).
 Practitioner Intervention: Invariably, practitioner intervention defines how
contemporary management of a firm can work with employee resistance to change. By
implementing the intervention techniques, management officials can align the reward and
compensation system with the organisational goal so that employees are highly
motivated.

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 19
3. Issue related to strategic change
3.1 The need for strategic change in an organisation
In the contemporary business scenario, strategic change process has become the order of
the time due to several reasons. For instance, latest growth in market competition can force a
firm to alternate the structure of the business to attain a competitive edge over the other market
participants (Tuominen, 2010). In this particular section, the reasons behind the strategic change
of 3Sixty GSM have been elaborated as follows:
 Competitive Advantage: Outdated strategies of a firm can affect the productivity as well
as the market participation of a firm. In order to deal with the challenges associated with
market competition, modern companies such as 3Sixty GSM need to modify their
strategies by updating the product and services to accomplish competitive advantage over
the other competitors (Agarwal and Ansell, 2016). Thus, strategic change can influence
the identification of the brand in the given market.
 Change in Target Market: In the target market of GCC territories, the economic signs
are changing ever so fast. In order to meet the changing status of the target market, 3Sixty
GSM needs to make adjustments in the prices of products and cloud-based IT services to
keep up with in increasing costing of business.
 Meeting Customer Expectation: In a competitive IT market, 3Sixty GSM has faced
significant market challenges regarding the services and products. Hence, it is evident to
meet the customer satisfaction level by offering quality services. On basis of the point, by
investing into the target audience, the company needs to establish strategies meeting the
expectation of the target demographics (Onsarigo Miencha, Paul and Selvam, 2017).

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 20
 Performance Gaps: To bridge the performance gaps, corporate strategies have become
evident. In case of 3Sixty GSM, latest strategic changes are required to meet the
organisational needs and objectives. Currently, the performance of the employees has
lacked efficiency that has led to decrease in productivity (Beynon-Davies, Jones and
White, 2016). To increase the standard of performance within the workforce, strategic
intervention has become mandatory.
 Mergers and Acquisitions: In terms of business growth, mergers and acquisitions have
become one of the most comprehensive business functions. Sometimes, mergers and
acquisitions initiate a chain of change in the human resources as functions of the current
employees will be reduced (Agarwal and Ansell, 2016). To avoid any misconception,
change management has become a necessity with the organisation to influence the work
efficiency of the human resources after mergers and acquisitions.
 Planned Abandonment: In the recent time, IT companies are offering similar types of
services throughout the world market. Hence, customers have preferred to select the best
services available in the market. To create the difference, 3Sixty GSM has responded
towards change innovating new services (Azad and Darabi, 2013). The innovative
services of the company will explore new opportunities as well.
 New Technology: In the area of Information Technology, the introduction of new
techniques must be adopted by the firms like 3Sixty GSM to increase their market growth
and sustainability. In order to influence the work efficiency and IT services,
implementing new technical changes have become the order of the day for 3Sixty GSM.
Therefore, the strategic changes have been considered by the management implement

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 21
more economical methods performing the tasks (Beynon-Davies, Jones and White,
2016).
3.2 The factors that are driving the need for strategic change
Strategic change in an organisation can occur due to different factors such as internal
factors, external factors or even both. In the case of 3Sixty GSM, there are several internal and
external factors that are driving the need for strategic change. Hence, the identified factors are
presented in details herein below:
 Economic Factors: The inflation rate in the United Arab Emirates is quite high and has
been found to revolve around 1 to 5 percent in the last five years. During 2016, the
inflation rate was at its highest point of around 4.85 percent (Tradingeconomics.com,
2017). On the other hand, the government has effectively controlled the inflation rate and
currently it is at 2.2 percent (Tradingeconomics.com, 2017). Hence, the high rate of
inflation forces the company to increase the price of its service plans due to increasing
cost of operations. However, 3Sixty GSM cannot increase its price until it introduced
new service plan. Therefore, change in the products and service strategy is an essential
way of continuing the business in a highly competitive market like the UAE.
 Government Regulations: The telecommunication industry of the United Arabs
Emirates is under strict control of Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA),
which has been established by the UAE Federal Law (Prnewswire.com, 2015). The UAE
TRA do not allow number portability and the market is ruled by a duopoly Du and
Etisalat (Prnewswire.com, 2015). Furthermore, the changing regulations of the
government in favour of the duopoly make it difficult for the 3Sixty GSM to continue
with its operations with static strategy (Marcopolis.net, 2008). Hence, a flexible and

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 22
continuous changing strategy is required by the company to survive and seek growth in
the UAE market.
 Competition: Etisalat and Du are the major competitors for 3Sixty GSM in the UAE
market. According to Scott (2011), Du holds around 43 percent of the total market
telecommunication market share, which makes it the second largest telecommunication
provider in the UAE (Scott, 2011). The high level of competition and changing policies
of the duopoly makes it difficult for 3Sixty GSM to carry on its operations with fixed
strategies. The company need to make changes in its operations strategy to survive and
seek growth in the highly competitive market. Hence, competition is a major factor that
drives the need for strategic changes in 3Sixty GSM.
 Technological Development: One more factor that drives the need for strategic change
in telecommunication industry is the fast development of technology (Rachid, 2009).
Technological development takes place at a rapid pace that makes it difficult for a
company like 3Sixty GSM to carry on its operations using stagnant strategies. For
example, a new technology (E.g. 3G network) introduced today will become old
tomorrow with further technology innovation (E.g. 4G network). Hence, continuous
implementation of new technology is required to maintain competitive advantage in the
market.
 Financial Pressure: The continuous implementation of new technology creates financial
pressure over the company. For instance, 3Sixty GSM needs to match up with the
strategic changes of Etisalat and Du in order to survive in the UAE market. The changes
in the technology lead to financial expenditure that enforces the company to cut it costs in

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 23
other departments. Hence, strategic changes are required to meet the growing financial
pressure over the company.
3.3 The resource implications of the organisation not responding to the Strategic
change
In case of resource implications of 3Sixty GSM fail to respond towards the change
interventions, the organisation can face counter-productive outcomes, to say the least. Most
importantly, a failure of the resource implications mat lead to operational as well as institutional
loss that cannot be measured in terms of money (Vouvaki and Xepapadeas, 2009). In the section
below, the effect of failure can be discussed as follows:
 Loss of Capital: In case the implication of strategic change fails in 3Sixty GSM, the
management has to deal with significant capital loss. Due to unsuccessful implications of
the change initiatives, the invested capital money in the strategic change will provide not
return. Hence, it can be considered as one of the most obvious effect of not responding to
the change (Millar, 2014).
 Loss of Productive Time: Likewise, the loss of productive time can be identified as
another negative aspect of the event. In the change management process, the productive
time of the change team will be wasted if the targeted achievements cannot be met.
Besides, capital loss, the loss of time can be a vital issue of the management as well in
case of unsatisfactory change movement (Bache, 2015).
 Negative Productivity: Due to lack of change implications, the organisation can observe
decline in productivity as far as sales and services are concerned (Vouvaki and
Xepapadeas, 2009). In the meanwhile, as the stakeholders are not responding to the

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 24
resource implications of strategic change, the overall productivity of the firm may see a
significant slump.
 Loss of Client: As the organisation has been engaged in IT business, client support is an
integral part of the business set up. In case of negative effects of resource implications,
the client support system can be disrupted (Brahmankar, 2012). As a result of the same,
major clients of the business can terminate the contracts due to unsatisfactory services.
 Communication Gap: Another issue of failure of the change implication is
communication gap. Lack of communication can become one of the biggest challenges as
unsatisfactory change initiatives can increase differences with the stakeholders (Potvin et
al., 2011). Meanwhile, communication gap can be identified as the most negative effect
of poor resource implication.
 Issue in Decision Making: In terms of strategic management failure, decision making of
the management has become one of the considerable issues. Due to lack of coordination
of the stakeholders, management will be reluctant to consider further change initiatives
(Wilbush, 2010). In this way, internal growth of the workforce can face a setback.
 Lack of Commitment: Invariably, poor resource implications can be defined as one of
the major reasons behind failure of the strategic change. In case of failure situation, the
commitment of the employees towards the firm can be reduced (Torres and Murray,
2011). Due to lack of substantial motivation, dedication level of the stakeholders will be
decreased affecting the performance of the human resource.
 Employee Turnover: Inadequate information about the change process will lead to
grievances among the stakeholders. In such cases, reluctant employees will prefer to quit

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 25
their jobs. As a result of the scenario, unsatisfactory resource implications can increase
employee turnover if it is not handled efficiently.
4. Lead stakeholders to develop a strategy for change
4.1 Systems to involve stakeholders in the planning of change
For any modern business organisation, the involvement of stakeholders has been vital in
the planning of change. Undoubtedly, the task of involving the stakeholders can be challenging
but accurate planning can be effective in involving different stakeholders initiating a change
project (Dodge and Bennett, 2011). The following points must be taken into account in case of
developing systems that engage stakeholders’ participation in a change process:
 Ensure stakeholders’ engagement from the inception: From the onset of the change
project, stakeholders’ engagement must be promoted. By inviting the stakeholders at the
initiating stage can avoid the chances of resistance to change (Esteves, 2014).
Furthermore, the stakeholders must be encouraged to present their views and reviews at
the earlier stage so that the change project can proceed in a successful manner.
 Maintain Transparency: During the stakeholders’ engagement in a change project,
honesty and integrity must be displayed. Since the beginning of the change process, the
stakeholders such as employees must be clearly elaborated the facts and figures to be
achieved from the change (Lennox, 2014). Precisely, by identifying the factors and
positions to be changed, the stakeholders can make up their mind to participate in the
change process in a committed way.
 Listen to the Stakeholders: In the change process, involving the stakeholders will
become significantly easy if each point of the stakeholders can listen carefully. By

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 26
listening to the stakeholders, the change process can be accommodated as per the
requisite of the stakeholders influencing the outcome of the efforts (Goldman, Scott and
Follman, 2015). Also, good listening can create a positive impact on the mind of the
speaker as well.
 Create Effective two-way Communication: During the change process, every now and
then the management must ensure effective two-way communication channels
maintaining collaboration. By creating communication, stakeholders’ participation has
been encouraged within the change process. Primarily, the continuous communication
system can reduce the chances of resistance towards the change process (Lientz and Rea,
2014).
 Include each and every Stakeholder: In the change process, disagreement can be seen
among a number of stakeholders. In the meanwhile, the management must identify that
influenced by the disagreement any of the stakeholders should not be abandoned during
the change process (Noon, 2013). Moreover, the process must transform the negatives
into positives encouraging the employee participation in the process of strategic change.
 Pay Attention to the Unsatisfactory Factors: In the strategic change management
process, the management should pay attention to the factors that are concerning for the
stakeholders. For instance, the factors that are not associated with the management goals
should be omitted if stakeholders have any objection regarding those. By doing so, the
involvement of the stakeholders can be influenced at the highest level.
 Organise Meeting with Stakeholders: In the strategic change management, meetings
with the stakeholders can be identified as an integral part. However, the management
should organise meetings with the stakeholders only if it is essential. Before organising a

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 27
meeting, management should create a provision to explain the benefits and the issues
regarding the change process to the stakeholders (Perrott, 2011).
 Analyse Feedback: Feedback from the stakeholders must be analysed to identify how
the strategic changes have been adopted by the stakeholders during the change process.
Furthermore, analysis of the feedback will provide a suitable command to be followed by
the management to operate the change procedure in a successful manner. In this way,
stakeholders’ engagement for change can be promoted at the highest standard.
 Promote Excitement: Since the inception of the strategic change, excitement among the
stakeholders will be identified as the key success factor leading to a thriving change
management planning. Through interactions, stakeholders’ excitement should be
recorded so that success of the change initiatives can be confirmed. In such manner,
active participation of the stakeholders can be encouraged leading to an effective strategic
change.
4.2 Development of change management strategy
In order to develop a change management strategy initiating change in 3Sixty GSM, a list
of recommended steps should be followed encouraging the stakeholders’ participation. Most
importantly, the change management strategy must meet the target and requirement of the
management of 3Sixty GSM. In the subsequent section, the steps to be followed for develop a
strategic change management involving stakeholders have been described.
 Devise Strategic Communication: Developing a change management strategy must be
initiated with the agreement of all the parties involved in the change process. Therefore,
devise strategic communication should be an effective and automatic choice for the
management. In the meanwhile, the strategic communication system may involve e-mail,

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 28
meetings, interview with the stakeholders, survey, and voting process to identify the
views of the stakeholders and other participators about the strategic change process in
3Sixty GSM. Moreover, physical interactions with the parties can be considered as
another way to establish communication as well.
 Invite Top Management: Before initiating the change management procedure, it is the
responsibility of the management to invite the top management executives in a formal
way so that the top executives and business heads of 3Sixty GSM can come to the
meetings introducing strategic change within the firm. By organising meetings with the
head of the business institute, management can declare the process and aim of the change
towards the administrative people seeking permission to approve the change initiation
(Dodge and Bennett, 2011).
 Explaining the need for Change: The relevant stakeholders associated to the business of
3Sixty GSM must be officially informed about the aim of the change process. Precisely,
for the stakeholders, it will be evident to understand the impact of the change. Otherwise
the potential change interventions may be unsuccessful (Jarrett, 2013). Positive attitude
of the stakeholders can be developed if the reason behind the strategic change can be
elaborated towards the target stakeholders.
 Documenting the minutes: In terms of developing the best strategic change
management procedure, documentation of the minutes of every possible meeting should
be done accurately. In the meanwhile, after the documentation, it is the accountability of
the management to send a copy of the minutes to all the associated members seeking their
honest feedback on the change process. In this way, the validity of the change procedure
can be increased to a significant standard.

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 29
 Organise Strategy based on feedback: In the strategic change development process, the
incoming feedbacks will be immensely valuable to organise the strategic interventions
suitable for meeting the objectives of the management (Higgins et al., 2016). Based on
the reviews and feedbacks, management should deliver a brief statement introducing the
inevitability of change in 3Sixty GSM. In case of any obstacles, the management should
take the responsibility to deal with the issues evaluating the positive effect of change
towards the participators.
 Selection of Change Management Team: Lastly, to initiate the strategic change
process, selection of the change management team must be done according to the order.
Preferably, a creative and dynamic leader must be selected to incorporate the change
process within the organisation (Jorgensen, Owen and Neus, 2009). Effectively, the
change management team should encompass the ability to influence the members of
3Sixty GSM leading a successful change.
4.3 Evaluation of the systems to involve stakeholders
Without involving the top level management officials and the most fundamental targeted
stakeholders, change initiatives can never become successful. Calculated strategic interventions
such as setting up effective communication with the stakeholders can influence the active
participation of the stakeholders increasing the efficiency of the change process. Likewise,
suggestions and requests of the stakeholders should be prioritised so that a sagacity of belonging
can be formed among the stakeholders (Torres, 2016). By engaging the stakeholders at every
stage of the strategic change procedure, the suitable outcome of the change can be guaranteed.
Moreover, the management of 3Sixty GSM should portray collectivism towards the stakeholders
to encourage their active engagement enhancing the efficiency of the change initiatives. In the

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 30
underlying section, four fundamental systems have been discussed that can be utilised by the
management of 3Sixty GSM to involve stakeholders’ active participation:
 Containment Strategies: The identified strategy can be utilised to tackle the
stakeholders who are creating resistance towards change. Precisely, some of the
stakeholders may find it difficult to accept the changes. Meanwhile, by identifying the
special knowledge and competencies of the stakeholders, containment strategies can
transform the negative attitude of the stakeholders to the positive attitude so that the skills
and expertise of the important stakeholders can be utilised for good cause (Hoisington
and Vaneswaran, 2015).
 Outplacement Strategies: In order to convince the most powerful resistant agents i.e.
stakeholders, the outplacement strategy can be adopted (Torres and Murray, 2011). The
support of outplacement can encourage the stakeholders who are reluctant to accept the
change in the corporate framework of 3Sixty GSM. Other than that, the outplacement
strategy can make up the minds of the stakeholders to keep focusing on the change
process rather than creating obstacles.
 Leverage Strategies: The leverage strategic technique can be identified as one of the
most developed and reliable system to nurture the stakeholders’ viewpoint regarding the
change initiatives. Precisely, the leverage strategies are targeted towards the stakeholders
who are indifferent to take parts the change management (Hall, 2012). By improvising
the strategic intervention, the management of 3Sixty GSM can change the mindset of the
sceptical stakeholders influencing them to become active participants in the change
process.

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 31
 Engagement Strategies: Engagement strategy can be evaluated as one of the most
comprehensive strategic interventions increasing the productivity of the change process.
By following the strategy, doubtful stakeholders can be convinced to accept the change
instruments for the sake of personal as well as organisational benefits (Hoisington and
Vaneswaran, 2015). Fundamentally, the strategies identify the reasons behind the
developing resistance of change and transform the resistance into acceptance using
certain tools. In such cases, engagement of the stakeholders will be considered as a
critical aspect influencing the change.
4.4 Strategy for managing resistance to change
Resistance to change must be overcome in case of any successful strategic change
process. Modern business management of a firm can introduce significant strategies reducing the
factors influencing resistance to change. Hence, management of 3Sixty GSM should comprehend
the leading reasons behind the change resistance and prepare definite planning to make the
stakeholders understand about the importance of change. Especially, the benefits of the change
should be discussed with the stakeholders so that resisting agents to change can be reduced. Most
importantly, depending on the capabilities of the management, the success of change process can
be determined restricting the factors resistance to change (Higgerson, 2016). In case of 3Sixty
GSM, the management should follow the underlying approaches to tackle the resistance to
change.
 Incorporate the Stakeholders’ Suggestions: In order to manage resistance of change,
the management must consider the suggestion of the stakeholders at the initial stage to set
the change module according to the preferences of the target audience. Thus,
participating stakeholders will produce lower resistance (Deneen and Boud, 2013).

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 32
Moreover, the opinion of the stakeholder can deliver new ideas as well that will lead the
change process without facing any resistance.
 Support and encouragement: By identifying the factors opposed by the stakeholders
can influence the resistance for change. In certain scenario, proper support and
encouragement must be delivered by the management to eliminate the disruptive
elements during the strategic change management (Kiernan-Stern, 2015). By applying the
method, change resistance can be restricted to a certain extent.
 Promote Openness: The management of 3Sixty GSM must develop an open platform so
that each of stakeholders can deliver their point of view towards the change process at the
inception of the process. By promoting openness, relevant stakeholders can feel free
about the change process. In this way, the agents influencing stakeholders’ resistance to
change can be eliminated as well (Greener and Hughes, 2016). Effectively, openness can
reduce the misunderstanding of the stakeholders about the change process. Therefore,
resistance towards change can be controlled.
 Increase Participation: One of the most effective strategies to control resistance to
change is increase collective participation of the members associated with the strategic
change event. Invariably, active stakeholders’ participation can eliminate the risk of
resistance to change at the highest order. Strategic interventions to increase participation
can motivate the stakeholders so that they can adopt the change process efficiently. In the
meanwhile, such approach of management can successfully minimise the factors
restricting change process.
 Focus on the Positive aspects of Change: In order to restrict the opposing agents of
change, flexibility of the system should be promoted by the management of 3Sixty GSM.

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 33
In this way, the change management team can identify specific factors obstructing the
change process (Greener and Hughes, 2016). By eliminating the change resistance
factors, it is important to keep the focus on positive aspects of the entire strategic change
process. In this way, resistance to change can be effectively abolished.
 Establish Suitable Communication: Misconceptions are the key factors influencing the
resistance to change. Hence, by establishing suitable form of communication with the
stakeholders, the management of 3Sixty GSM must make the stakeholders understand
about the benefits associated with the strategic change. In this manner, the stakeholders
opposing the change can be transformed into active participator of change (Laframboise,
Nelson and Schmaltz, 2012). Therefore, meaningful communication can contribute as the
agent of acceptance of change.
 Deliver Training: In modern IT industry, the skills are the ultimate resource to promote
a successful career. Hence, change process must include training programmes that can
increase the potentials of an individual (Kiernan-Stern, 2015). Thus, effective
teambuilding process, coaching, and meetings must be arranged to deliver the best
training to the stakeholders influencing their participation in the strategic change process.
5. Planning and implementation of change model
5.1 Development of appropriate models for change
On the basis of the above discussion, it can be seen that the two primary changes
currently required by 3Sixty GSM are technological innovation in terms of 5G network and
customer service improvement through HR policy transformation (Azad and Darabi, 2013).
Hence, the change management team of 3Sixty GSM can make use of two different change

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 34
management models to carry on with the current changes. The two appropriate models for
change are Kotter’s 8 Step Model and McKinsey’s 7S Model that are discussed in details herein
below:
Change Model 1: Improve Customer Service
The Kotter’s 8 Step Model will be used to make changes in the HR policies to improve
the customer service and seek competitive advantage in the market. The appropriate 8 steps
change model for 3Sixty GSM is presented herein below:
 Create Urgency for change: The high level of competition has created an urgency of
change in the customer service strategy of 3Sixty GSM. The HR department need to
convey the urgency of change with the top level executives of the firm and board of
directors to proceed with the changes (Campbell, 2014).
 Develop Change Management Team: During the second phase, a change management
team must be developed by the top level executives to proceed with the changes. For
instance, the change management team must consist of top level managers from HR
department, training executives, financial team and others (Zimmerman, 2010).
 Form Strategic Vision: The strategic vision for the changed HR policies to improve
customer service must be developed. For instance, the customer centric approach of the
HR department will increase customer satisfaction and enhance the number of subscriber
in the market (Mishra, 2006).
 Communicate the Vision: The vision of customer growth must be communicated with
the lower level employees and their feedback must be collected to know what they think
about the changes (Mishra, 2006).

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 35
 Empower people: The next step is to empower the people by involving them in the
change process. For instance, the employees must be given adequate responsibilities to
perform their respective role in the change management process. A transformative
leadership approach is required by the management to effectively involve the
stakeholders in the change management process (Hawkins and Dulewicz, 2009).
 Generate short term win: During the next step, the change management team will
develop short term goals and proceed with the change process accordingly (Campbell,
2014). For instance, the new customer centric approach of the customer service team will
serve the company with better response from the subscribers by a particular level. Hence,
the small terms wins will make the team aware of the further changes in the change
management strategy and motivate the entire organisation towards the change.
 Sustain change: The next step involves monitoring and evaluation of the current short
term progress to know whether the change project is going towards the right direction or
not (Chow, 2014). The change management team of 3Sixty GSM will evaluate the
progress of the change project and make necessary changes in the strategies according to
the outcome of the evaluation report to make the change in the HR policies sustainable.
 Make change permanent: Finally, the change management team of 3Sixty GSM will
develop a closure report and celebrate the success of the change process with the entire
team (Weindling and Earley, 2016). Incentives will be provided to the employees after
recognising their hard work and a closure report will be presented to the top level
executives to make the change permanent.

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 36
Change Model 2: Implement Technology Innovation
To implement technology innovation in the form of 5G network to provide high internet
speed the management of 3Sixty GSM can make use of McKinsey’s 7S model for proceeding
with the change. McKinsey’s 7S model is quite effective in determining how best a proposed
strategy can be implemented in the firm. Hence, the most appropriate model for implementation
of technology innovation in 3Sixty GSM has been presented herein below:
 Structure: 3Sixty GSM follows a hybrid organisational structure in which the members
of the organisation are categorised on the basis of both function and products. The
structure element will be used by the change management team to evaluate the current
organisational structure of the firm and make necessary changes according to the new
strategy (Campbell, 2014). For instance, 3Sixty GSM need to introduce a new department
for 5G network services that will deal with the system
 Strategy: Under the strategy element, the change management team will develop
adequate pan for maintaining and building competitive advantage in the market. For
instance, the company can serve free 5G internet services for few months to attract more
customers.
 Skills: The next step is to check the actual skills and knowledge of the current employees
working for the firm to know whether the change management team needs to implement
a training and development session for the old employees (Chow, 2014).
 Staff: The change management team need to check the general capabilities of the
employees to know whether there is a need to hire new workforce for implement
technology innovation (Oke and Idiagbon-Oke, 2014).

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 37
 Systems: The change management team must check the daily activities of the employees
to know how the implementation of technology innovation will impact their working
schedule (Weindling and Earley, 2016). On the basis of the current activities, new
operations plan can be developed.
 Style: The leadership style adopted by the management must be evaluated to know what
sort of changes is required in order to lead the changes effective. A transformative
leadership style is quite essential to motivate the employees and successfully lead the
change (Hawkins and Dulewicz, 2009).
 Shared Values: Finally, the values for individual members derived from implementing
innovative technology must be communicated to lead the change successfully.
5.2 Plan to implement change model
The plan to implement the change model in 3Sixty GSM has been presented herein
below:
Change Management Plan for 3Sixty GSM
Activities Description Person
Responsible
Time
Frame
Change
Initiative
The idea for change will be initiated by
the management after evaluating the
current market scenario and internal
environment of the firm.
Change Agent 2 weeks
Board Meeting A board meeting will be conducted to
convey the change idea to the top level
management and proceed with the change
HR Manager,
Customer
Service
1 week

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 38
process. Manager and
Change
management
team
Develop Change
Management
Team
The change management team will be
developed to carry on with the change
process.
Board of
directors
2 weeks
Interview and
feedback process
Interviews and surveys must be
conducted to get the feedback of the
employees regarding the identified
change (Such as customer centric
approach and technology innovation)
(Hurley, 2012).
Change
Management
Team
4 weeks
Resource
Evaluation
The resources and capabilities of the
organisation will be evaluated to know
how effectively the company can
implement those changes (Hurley, 2012).
Change
Management
Team
1 week
Identify
resistance to
change
The change management team will
identify the resistance to change by
applying brainstorming sessions and
critical thinking techniques (Oke and
Idiagbon-Oke, 2014).
Change
Management
Team
1 week
Plan the
changed
The change strategy will be planned with
proper risk management strategy and
Change
Management
2 weeks

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 39
Strategies change implementation strategies. Team
Communicate
the change
management
plan
The change management plan will be
communicated among the employees of
respective departments to motivate them
towards the change (İkinci, 2014).
HR department
and Change
management
team
2 weeks
Set short term
goals
Short term goals will be set and
evaluation matrix will be planned to carry
on with the change process.
Change
Management
Team
1 week
Training Employees will be trained to implement
the strategic change in real life scenario
(İkinci, 2014).
HR Department 12 weeks
Technical
activities
Technical activities such as changes in IT
strategy will be initiated to implement the
change.
Respective
department
24 weeks
Introduce major
changes
Major changes such as structural
transformation, service changes, and new
products will be launched (Zimmerman,
2010).
Change
Management
Team
24 weeks
Monitoring and
evaluation
The entire change process will be
monitored and evaluated using different
evaluation techniques to check whether
the desired goals are achieved or not
(Rein, Jan and Wilfred, 2012).
Change
Management
Team
24 weeks
Develop Project Finally, the project closure report will be Change 4 weeks

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 40
Closure Report developed and success of the change will
be celebrated with the entire organisation
(Rein, Jan and Wilfred, 2012).
Management
Team
5.3 Measures to monitor progress
The measures to monitor the progress of the change management process that can be used
by the management of 3Sixty GSM are presented herein below:
 Benchmarking: Benchmarking is an essential way of monitoring the progress of the
change management process. For instance, the progress of the change management
process can be compared with the achievements of the similar firms in same or other
industry (Lawrence, 2015). The comparison of the firm’s practices with the strategies of
other competitors helps the management to choose the best policy to seek competitive
advantage in the market. The management of 3Sixty GSM can consider the sales of DU
as a industry benchmark that can be used to monitor the success of the change process of
the company.
 Gap Analysis: Another important measure to monitor the progress of the change
management process is Gap Analysis. The company need to develop short term and long
term goals and on the basis of the identified goals, the management can analyse the
current progress of the change management process. The gap between the current
progress and desired objectives can be used as an essential measure to monitor the
progress of the change management process (Lutz Allen, Smith and Da Silva, 2013).
Furthermore, the results of the gap analysis can be used to make further changes in the
change management strategies.

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 41
 Balanced Scorecard: The next measure that can be used by the change management
team to monitor the progress of the change management process of 3Sixty GSM is the
balanced scorecard (Lawrence, 2015). The management of 3Sixty GSM need to set
targets that can be used as a benchmark score to evaluate the progress of the change
management process. For instance, the management of the firm targets to achieve a
growth in sales of 20 percent within next 12 months. Hence, the management has to see
whether the change process is able to achieve the desired target and by what level.
 180 and 360 degree feedback: Finally, the most important measure to monitor the
progress of the change management process is the 180 and 360 degree feedback (Lutz
Allen, Smith and Da Silva, 2013). A two way process of feedback from employees as
well as from the customers will help the change management team to know whether the
process is going on the right direction or not. Additionally, the feedback of the employees
and customers can be used to further improve the process and make necessary changes in
the current strategy of the change management process.
6. Recommendation and Conclusion
6.1 Recommendation
On the basis of the above analysis, the following recommendations are identified for the
management of 3Sixty GSM:
 Identify the resistance to change: First of all, the change management team of 3Sixty
GSM must focus on identifying the resistance to change. For example, the management
can evaluate the available resources and collect feedback of the employees to know what

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 42
they think about then changes. Additionally, market research can be conducted to get the
feedback of the consumers regarding the identified changes.
 Involve stakeholders: The involvement of the stakeholder is an important aspect for the
successful implementation of the strategic change process. The stakeholders must be
motivated to participate in the change process to mitigate the resistance to change.
 Continuous communication with the employees: Effective communication is the key to
success for change management process. Every aspect of the change management plan
must be communicated with the employees and their feedback must be collected to
proceed with the changes in a smoother way.
 Reward and appreciation: The hard work of the employees must be recognised and
appreciated with proper rewards to make them feel motivated towards the change. The
higher level of employee satisfaction will increase their loyalty towards the firm leading
to a higher success rate for the change management process.
 Use appropriate leadership style: The use of appropriate leadership style is quite
important for successful implementation of changes. It is the responsibilities of the
management to motivate the employees and effectively leadership style helps the change
management team to involve the key members of the organisation in the change process.
6.2 Conclusion
By considering the above analysis, it can be seen that 3Sixty GSM has been facing huge
level of competition in the market, which has become a major challenge for the company to
survive in the market. Additionally, the changing strategies of the rivals such as Etisalat and Du
make it difficult for 3Sixty GSM to carry on its operations using stagnant strategies. Moreover,
the use of technology has been developing at a faster pace that has added up as another challenge

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 43
for the company. Therefore, it is important for 3Sixty GSM to make necessary changes in its
strategies to survive and seek sustainable growth in the UAE market. The change management
team can make use of different change management model such as the Kotter’s 8 Step model and
McKinsey’s 7s model to carry on with the changes to seek competitive advantage in the market.
However, it is important for the change management team to monitor and evaluate the progress
of the process in order to successfully implement the changes. Conclusively, by proceeding with
the identified changes such as the development of customer service strategy using customer
centric approach and implementation of innovative technology to introduce new service network
such as 5G connection will help the firm to seek growth in the current market scenario.

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 44
References
3-6-T Corporate. (2017). 3-6-T Corporate. [online] Available at: http://www.3-6-t.com/about-us/
[Accessed Sep. 2017].
Agarwal, R. and Ansell, J. (2016). Strategic Change in Enterprise Risk Management. Strategic
Change, 25(4), pp.427-439.
Azad, N. and Darabi, K. (2013). A study on how CRM influences marketing planning in
telecommunication industry. Management Science Letters, pp.2323-2326.
Bache, J. (2015). Dramatic management of trauma may be counter-productive. BMJ, 311(7013),
pp.1165-1166.
Beynon-Davies, P., Jones, P. and White, G. (2016). Business Patterns and Strategic
Change. Strategic Change, 25(6), pp.675-691.
Boog, B., Preece, J., Slagter, M. and Zeelen, J. (2008). Towards Quality Improvement of Action
Research. 2nd ed. Sense Publishers.
Brahmankar, P. (2012). Change Management through Productive Social Networking. IOSR
Journal of Business and Management, 1(1), pp.1-5.
Burke, W., Lake, D. and Paine, J. (2009). Organization change. 1st ed. San Francisco, Calif.:
Jossey-Bass.
Campbell, H. (2014). Managing organizational change. Philadelphia, PA: Kogan Page.

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 45
Chow, A. (2014). Leading Change and the Challenges of Managing a Learning Organisation in
Hong Kong. Journal of Management Research, 6(2), p.22.
Deneen, C. and Boud, D. (2013). Patterns of resistance in managing assessment
change. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 39(5), pp.577-591.
Dodge, C. and Bennett, G. (2011). Changing minds. 3rd ed. New Delhi: Academic Foundation.
Eden, C. and Ackermann, F. (2015). Making strategy. 4th ed. London: Sage Publications.
Esteves, L. (2014). Managed Realignment. 3rd ed. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands.
Flamholtz, E. and Randle, Y. (2008). Leading strategic change. 1st ed. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
Goldman, E., Scott, A. and Follman, J. (2015). Organizational practices to develop strategic
thinking. Journal of Strategy and Management, 8(2), pp.155-175.
Greener, T. and Hughes, M. (2016). Managing change before change management. Strategic
Change, 15(4), pp.205-212.
Grossman, S. and Valiga, T. (2013). The New Leadership Challenge. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: F.A.
Davis Co.
Hall, R. (2012). Enterprise resource planning systems and organizational change: transforming
work organization?. Strategic Change, 11(5), pp.263-270.
Hawkins, J. and Dulewicz, V. (2009). Relationships between Leadership Style, the Degree of
Change Experienced, Performance and Follower Commitment in Policing. Journal of Change
Management, 9(3), pp.251-270.

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 46
Helfat, C. (2010). Dynamic capabilities. 3rd ed. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publ.
Higgerson, M. (2016). Managing Resistance When Hired to Lead Change. The Department
Chair, 27(1), pp.24-26.
Higgins, J., Mcallaster, C., Certo, S. and Gilbert, J. (2016). Using Cultural Artifacts to Change
and Perpetuate Strategy. Journal of Change Management, 6(4), pp.397-415.
Hoisington, S. and Vaneswaran, S. (2015). Implementing strategic change. 5th ed. New York:
McGraw-Hill.
Hurley, P. (2012). Leading the Future Organisation. SSRN Electronic Journal.
İkinci, S. (2014). Organizational Change: Importance of Leadership Style and
Training. Management and Organizational Studies, 1(2).
Jarrett, M. (2013). The seven myths of change management. Business Strategy Review, 14(4),
pp.22-29.
Jorgensen, H., Owen, L. and Neus, A. (2009). Stop improvising change management!. Strategy
& Leadership, 37(2), pp.38-44.
Kaplan, R. (2015). How the balanced scorecard complements the McKinsey 7‐S model. Strategy
& Leadership, 33(3), pp.41-46.
Kiernan-Stern, M. (2015). Managing resistance to change. The Case Manager, 16(5), pp.48-51.
Kotter, J. (2008). Developing a change-friendly culture. Leader to Leader, 2008(48), pp.33-38.
Kotter, J. (2012). Leading change. 2nd ed. Boston: Harvard Business Review Press.

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 47
Laframboise, D., Nelson, R. and Schmaltz, J. (2012). Managing resistance to change in
workplace accommodation projects. Journal of Facilities Management, 1(4), pp.306-321.
Lawrence, P. (2015). Leading change. 2nd ed. London, United Kingdom: Kogan Page Limited.
Lennox, M. (2014). Model Strategy for Change Management. Management Development
Review, 7(6), pp.16-19.
Lientz, B. and Rea, K. (2014). Breakthrough IT change management. 3rd ed. Amsterdam:
Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann.
Lutz Allen, S., Smith, J. and Da Silva, N. (2013). Leadership Style in Relation to Organizational
Change and Organizational Creativity: Perceptions from Nonprofit Organizational
Members. Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 24(1), pp.23-42.
Marcopolis.net. (2008). UAE Telecom: Competition from DU. [online] Available at:
http://www.marcopolis.net/uae-telecom-competition-from-du.htm [Accessed Sep. 2017].
Matesic, G. (2009). Every Step You Change: A Process of Change and Ongoing
Management. Journal of Library Administration, 49(1-2), pp.35-49.
McGahan, A. and Mitchell, W. (2013). How do Firms Change in the Face of Constraints to
Change? Toward an Agenda for Research on Strategic Organization. Strategic Organization,
1(2), pp.231-239.
Mehregan, M., Kahreh, M. and Yousefi, H. (2011). Strategic Planning by use of Total Systems
Intervention Towards the Strategic Alignment. International Journal of Trade, Economics and
Finance, pp.166-170.

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 48
Mihaela, H. (2014). A synergistic approach of cross-cultural management and leadership
style. JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES, 7(2), pp.106-115.
Millar, D. (2014). Responding to Crisis. 4th ed. Hoboken: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Mishra, S. (2006). Customer Lifetime Value in Telecommunication Industry. Review of
Professional Management- A Journal of New Delhi Institute of Management, 4(1), p.27.
Noon, B. (2013). Stakeholders in Social-Ecological Systems. Conservation Ecology, 7(1).
Oke, A. and Idiagbon-Oke, M. (2014). Implementing Flexible Labour Strategies: Challenges and
Key Success factors. Journal of Change Management, 7(1), pp.69-87.
Onsarigo Miencha, I., Paul, J. and Selvam, M. (2017). Technical Efficiency for Strategic Change
and Global Competitiveness. Strategic Change, 26(1), pp.53-67.
Perrott, B. (2011). Strategic issue management as change catalyst. Strategy & Leadership, 39(5),
pp.20-29.
Potvin, P., Mercier, J., Charland, P. and Riopel, M. (2011). Does Classroom Explicitation of
Initial Conceptions Favour Conceptual Change or is it Counter-Productive?. Research in Science
Education, 42(3), pp.401-414.
Prnewswire.com. (2015). Analysis of the Telecom sector in The United Arab Emirates (2008-
2020) - Growth, Trends and Forecasts.. [online] Available at:
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/analysis-of-the-telecom-sector-in-the-united-arab-
emirates-2008-2020---growth-trends-and-forecasts-300163369.html [Accessed Sep. 2017].

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 49
Protinsky, H. and Preli, R. (2014). Intervention in Strategic Supervision. Journal of Strategic and
Systemic Therapies, 6(3), pp.18-23.
Quick, E. (2008). Doing what works in brief therapy. 2nd ed. Amsterdam: Elsevier/Academic
Press.
Rachid, R. (2009). UAE Telecom Sector reports record growth | TopNews Arab Emirates.
[online] Topnews.ae. Available at: http://topnews.ae/content/2767-uae-telecom-sector-reports-
record-growth [Accessed Sep. 2017].
Ravanfar, M. (2015). Analyzing Organizational Structure based on 7s model of
McKinsey. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 5(5).
Rein, C., Jan, V. and Wilfred, U. (2012). Leading a successful change intervention in a modern
organisation: Key elements to consider. African Journal of Business Management, 6(51),
pp.12068-12075.
Rogers, R. and Fong, J. (2010). Organizational assessment. 3rd ed. Amherst, Mass.: HRD Press.
Rose, K. (2015). Managing Amidst Rapid Change. Project Management Journal, 46(5), pp.e2-
e2.
Rothwell, W., Stavros, J. and Sullivan, R. (2015). Practicing Organization Development. Wiley.
Scott, K. (2011). Du grabs 43.6% of market share. [online] GulfNews. Available at:
http://gulfnews.com/business/sectors/telecoms/du-grabs-43-6-of-market-share-1.846999
[Accessed Sep. 2017].
Sibbet, D. (2013). Visual leaders. 2nd ed. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons.

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 50
Torres, A. and Murray, J. (2011). Diversity, marketing practice and organisational evolution:
Implications for the management of productive evolution. Journal of Change Management, 2(3),
pp.229-243.
Torres, R. (2016). Planning and Facilitating Working Sessions with Evaluation
Stakeholders. New Directions for Evaluation, 2016(149), pp.53-66.
Tradingeconomics.com. (2017). United Arab Emirates Inflation Rate | 1990-2017 | Data | Chart
| Calendar. [online] Available at: https://tradingeconomics.com/united-arab-emirates/inflation-
cpi [Accessed Sep. 2017].
Tuominen, K. (2010). Managing change. 5th ed. Milwaukee, WI: ASQ Quality Press.
Vouvaki, D. and Xepapadeas, A. (2009). Productive Base Sustainability Under Climate Change:
Theoretical Results and Empirical Evidence. SSRN Electronic Journal.
Weindling, D. and Earley, P. (2016). How heads manage change. School Organisation, 6(3),
pp.327-338.
Wilbush, J. (2010). Impact management, worst scenatrio: possible technological strategic
options. Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, 2(1), pp.27-38.
Zimmerman, T. (2010). Embracing the challenges of change. Journal of Healthcare Risk
Management, 30(1), pp.1-2.