A Comprehensive Literature Review: Change Management in Fast Food

This literature review provides an overview of change management within the fast food sector, examining various models and implications of technological advancements and shifting customer preferences. It discusses Lewin’s Force Field Analysis, Beckhard's Change Plan, and the Continuous Change Process Model, highlighting their relevance to the industry. The review analyzes how companies like McDonald's and KFC have adapted to changes in technology and consumer tastes, emphasizing the importance of strategies to address resistance to change and maintain competitiveness. The document also highlights the need for fast-food chains to innovate and meet evolving customer demands while maintaining their brand image and operational efficiency. This resource, contributed by a student, is available on Desklib, a platform offering a wide array of study tools and solved assignments for students.

Running head: CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Change Management
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Table of Contents
Literature Review.......................................................................................................................2
Change Management..............................................................................................................2
Conceptual Framework..............................................................................................................3
Models Related to Change Management...................................................................................3
Lewin’s Force Field Analysis....................................................................................................3
Beckhard's Change Plan.........................................................................................................4
Continuous Change Process Model.......................................................................................4
Implications of Technological Advancements in Fast Food Sector...........................................5
Implications of the Changes in Tastes and Preferences of Customers in Fast Food Sector......7
Approaches of Change Management in Fast Food Sector.........................................................8
Resistance of Change...............................................................................................................10
References................................................................................................................................13

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Influence of Change Management in Fast Food Sector
Literature Review
Change Management
According to Amis et al. (2015), change management is the process that assists in
easing the different kinds of organizational transactions. In a more specific manner, this aids
on the individuals side of change and this helps the different employees to understand the
capability to perform the activities in an effectual manner. It is the set of different
interventions that will deliver people side of the change effort. The change can take place on
large scale such as introduction of new operation model or the different new implementation
in the business system or sustainability among the different individuals in the organization.
Furthermore, there can be different adoption of the new procedures, practices and policies by
the fast food sector that helps in making and creating transition and this helps in sustaining
the benefits.
Additionally, this can be analysed that change management is not the communication
plan, communication is the vital component of the effectual change management program,
but it is not the substitute. The human resource plays a significant role in implementing and
managing the change in an appropriate manner. Furthermore, change management cannot be
relegated with an isolated team and this is not at all effective in nature as well. The
organizational change management include different changes such as involvement of then
employees, products and services, the market it services and this will help in influencing
growth and adoption to the changes respectively.

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Conceptual Framework
Models Related to Change Management
There are different models that are related to the change management wherein change
management models are way of describing and representing theoretical understanding of the
process of change through proper series of stages. The different models of change focus on
the importance of identification the reason for change, creating sense of urgency and
communicating the reason for the vision. The different models of change management
include the following:
Lewin’s Force Field Analysis
This is one of the earliest model of change management that was founded by Kurt
Lewin in the year 1947. Furthermore, this is known as three-step model that includes three
steps such as unfreeze, change along with refreeze. The first and foremost stage is the
freezing that refers to the alteration of the stable kind of equilibrium that helps in maintaining
present attitudes and behaviours.

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In case of the fast food industry, it can be analysed that there were different steps that
were undertaken by different fast food joints such as KFC, McDonald’s and Subway that
followed different traditional method in the past and in the present, they follow different
kinds of steps that are modern in nature and are they are being able to attract more customers.
Change in the entire change management process includes alteration of the existing
activities such as installation of new technologies in developing a product which is effective
in nature in terms of the installation of new technologies and transformation of the different
processes in an effectual manner. The role of the higher authorities plays a major role in
promoting the commitment in the entire process effectively.
Beckhard's Change Plan
Piercy (2016) tried in developing change plan that incorporates the processes in an
effective manner. The plan for the change that is required in the entire process to be
successful in the fast food industry includes the following:
Setting and defining goals for future organizational situations that is desired in nature
after the change
Identification of the current conditions in relation to the goals
Defining transition activities along with commitments that is essential and required to
meet the future needs
Developing the different strategies for managing the transition in an effective manner
and this helps in influencing the change in an effective manner in the present and in
the future
Continuous Change Process Model
This is the other model for change management which is the continuous approach for
implementing the planned change and the entire process of change is continuous. The change

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process model includes implementation of different technological advancements which will
assist in improving the consequences in an appropriate manner. In this model, the continuous
improvement is the ongoing, long term approach that helps in improving the business
effectively.
Implications of Technological Advancements in Fast Food Sector
According to Piercy (2016), the change management in the entire fast food sector
namely McDonald’s and KFC are viewed from variety of the networks. Furthermore, Carnall
(2018) has commented there are different differences in the usage of the technology in the
previous and present era. In the past, it was noticed that in the past era, McDonald’s started in
the year 1940 wherein it featured car hop service to the customers and they served the
sandwiches and burgers directly to the cars of the customers. Furthermore, Salman et al.
(2017) has stated that in the year 1955, Speedee is the part of McDonald’s and the packaging
was done in the color of red, white and blue in color.
It was seen that in the year 1967, McDonald’s started developing frozen potato
products with the start of the frozen French fries. In 1979, the change management process
took place in the operations and the entire business of McDonald’s. McDonald’s started
serving the customers with Happy Meal and this was added to the menu in United States and
this originally comprised of circus-wagon-theme and standard hamburger and cheeseburger,
cookies, French fries and soft drink along with toy. This respective change has helped the
company in allowing to partner with other companies and this gained more popularity in the
entire competitive market. This respective process of change management has helped
McDonald’s in gaining more popularity in the economy which is competitive in nature.
Van der Voet (2014) has commented that technological advances and change in the
entire menu and other areas of McDonald’s has helped them in succeeding in different fields

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in an effectual manner. The proper consumption of the large-scale information system such as
enterprise resource planning along with customer relationship management is essential in
nature which is required to be adopted by the different organizations as this will help in
bringing organizational change in an appropriate manner. With the implementation of the
function information technology, this helps the companies in restructuring the different
business structure of the company along with proper technological advancements
(Lovefood.com, 2018).
As per Van der Voet (2014), the structural change in the entire fast food sector is
essential in nature in order to bring more changes that will help the companies in gaining
competitive advantage. Salman et al. (2017) has commented that there is various restructuring
required in changing the structure as this will meet the different expectations of the
consumers in line to the changes of the environment effectively. In context to McDonald’s, it
has been mentioned that it is considered as one of the fast-growing fast food sector which was
liked by all the customers in the market and it started growing at a rapid speed as well.
In the present scenario, it was seen and mentioned that the nutritional requirements
and changes of the individuals in the behavior or the consumption patterns. There were
different changes in the pattern of consuming food in comparison to the previous decades. In
this respective scenario, the change management strategies are required to be applied by the
company as to implement the changes related to the technology or culture which is effective
and suitable in nature. It was seen that as McDonald’s did not apply such changes in the
business process system, the company faced various losses as the perceptions of the
consumers were not kept in mind and this created lots of losses and company faced huge
losses.

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Implications of the Changes in Tastes and Preferences of Customers in Fast Food Sector
Furthermore, it was seen that McDonald’s faced considerable amount of loss in
comparison to the other competitors in the market. It was noticed that the target customers of
McDonald’s were preferring KFC, Burger King and Subway against McDonald’s as the
products sold by them are nutritious and they tried to come up with solving the different food
related issues and they met the expectations of the consumers in the competitive market. KFC
and Subway tried to provide the different customers in the market with considerable high-
quality food with minimum pricing technique.
McDonald’s tried to overcome such issues in an effective manner in which they
applied different kinds of objectives of integrated marketing communication plan which
helped them in succeeding and tried to cope up with the present technological advancements.
Van der Voet (2014) has helped in analyzing that the fast food chains in the entire economy
are trying to be more innovative and forceful at inviting the different customers in the market
and this is due to the implementation of the technological advancements in the entire
economy.
Carnall (2018) has commented that the customers preferences are required to be
analyzed and has to be kept in mind in order to satisfy the services provided by the different
fast food joints in the economy. The customers are the integral part of the fast food or any
other business wherein the satisfaction of the customers is the important aspect which is
required to be maintained by the companies. For instance- McDonald’s tried to improve the
quality and pricing of the food items that are sold by them to the customers in the economy.
Van der Voet (2014) has commented that there are different objectives which are required to
be followed by the different food joints in the fast food sector in analyzing the different kind
of needs of the customers in an effective manner. According to Carnall (2018), the main

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objective of the fast food sector is to adopt to the different needs of the customers in the
organization which will meet the demands of the customers.
Furthermore, the adoption of the new health conscious and brand image is essential
to be maintained by the different fast food sector which will help and assist them in meeting
the latest trend of the awareness of health among the different individuals or the customers
who are health conscious in the entire market. Talwar (2018) has commented that the change
management in accordance to the needs and preferences of the customers will provide the
companies in maintaining the same traditional image and efficiency of the fast food
restaurant, however by following the different requirements of customers along with
maintaining and providing the comfortable kind of environment to the customers.
Approaches of Change Management in Fast Food Sector
Talwar (2018) has commented and stated that the organizational change programs are
essential to be adopted by the companies in the fast food sector which will help them in
gaining long term success. Donnelly and Kirk (2015) tried in developing a framework for
initiating and planning the different changes which will help the fast food sector in coping up
with the changes that are required by the companies to help the customers in attaining the
goals effectively.
Van der Voet (2014) has found that there are different kinds of complexities in
managing the changes which helps in reflecting the distinctive kinds of organizational
cultures and environments. There are different skills which are required o be inbuilt among
the higher authorities of the different fast food sector restaurant chains which will bring the
organizational commitment and change in an effective manner.
Salman and Broten (2017) has commented and it has been seen that the corporation
needs to introduce the marketing plan of communication which will help in implementing the

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different changes in an appropriate manner. Cummings, Bridgman and Brown (2016) has
stated that there have been different changes in the tastes and preferences of the customers
and this has affected the brand image of different fast food joints. During the last few
decades, there are different companies have been exposed to the global environment changes
in the organizational structure along with the changes that are required in the analysis of the
competition effectively as well. Although Cameron and Green (2016) has commented that the
organizational change is constant in nature, however the pace of the change has become
greater in nature.
Turner (2014) has commented that it implicitly tries to encourage the different
executives in the different organizations as this will help them in transforming their business
rationally and systematically. Donnelly and Kirk (2017) has commented that this kind of
transformation in the business is known as dynamic stability and this includes the different
kinds of changes in an effective manner which will help and assist in managing such changes
in an appropriate manner.
Bardus et al. (2016) has observed that change is massive type of force that moves the
individual’s subconscious insecurities and this helps in undermining the energy as this will
help in defending the new practices during the process of change. Doppelt (2017) has
suggested that need for the allocation of adequate resources which will help in making the
changes effortful and successful in nature.
Epstein (2018) has commented that the proper and effective change management is
essential in nature that is required to be adopted by the companies in the fast food sector to
meet the expectations of the customers. It has been mentioned by Hayes (2018), utilization of
the different change drivers is essential in nature which is required to be adopted by the
different companies for the implementation of the desired change in the organization which is

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essential to be adopted. the term change drivers are utilized in two recurring manners that
helps in facilitating the implementation of the change that facilitates individual adoption of
the different change related initiatives (Cameron and Green 2015).
McDonald’s was suffering from losses since 2001 and the company tried to analyze
that the position of the other competitors in the economy and they tried to adopt the plan to
win strategy in 2003 which helped them in incurring the change and this helped them in
succeeding in different ventures effectively. Furthermore, it was seen and analyzed that
change management will help the companies or the entire fast food sector in managing the
different preferences of the customers through the operational excellence.
For instance- In 2014, McDonald’s included the self-service kiosks and the name of
the campaign was named as create your own taste which helped them in managing the change
in an effective manner. This change or the process of change adoption by McDonald’s to help
the customers by providing them with building their own burgers or cuisine and they tried to
introduce customizable menu which helped them in managing the customer base and they
created a strong customer base in comparison to the other competitors in the market.
Talwar (2018) has commented that in the fast food sector, the restaurant owners need
to analyze the market situation along with analyzing the needs of the different customers in
the economy which will increase their sales effectively. In the year 2015, McDonald’s tried to
open all day breakfast for the customers as they surveyed and it was seen in the news that
there was different transition in the preferences of the customers and they preferred the
different healthy dishes for their consumption in the diet. In the year 2017, McDonald’s tried
testing ordering form mobile phones and payments in different selected US restaurants as to
help the customers in gaining more competitive advantage effectively.

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Resistance of Change
Salman et al. (2017) has commented that the notion of resistance to change is contributed to
Kurt Lewin and he developed the respective concept based on the complexities involved in
the process of managing the changes in an effective manner. On the other hand, Piercy (2016)
has commented that resistance is associated with the negative attitudes and through different
empirical studies, it can be analysed that the companies in the entire fast food sector needs to
analyse the changes which are relevant in the entire fast food sector which will assist them in
managing the different differences in an effectual manner.
Davis et al. (2018) has commented that the resistance should not be taken int a
negative manner and this will play an important role in the organizational change effort
which is effective in nature. In the fast food industry and sector, it has been seen and noticed
that the technological and the operational excellence is essential and this plays an essential
role in managing such changes effectively without much restrictions. Furthermore, Kuipers et
al. (2014) has commented that emotions help in dealing with the various changes in a positive
manner that will help the companies or the restaurants in the fast food industry to respond to
the emotional changes in an effective manner.
Lozano, Ceulemans and Seatter (2015) has commented that change management is
the ability of the different executives to embrace the changes when the companies are not in
position to change. In case of KFC or McDonald’s, it was observed that the changes in the
fast food sector helps in managing the changes effectively which has helped them to survive
in the entire competitive market. With the help of the proper inquiry and survey about the
preferences of the customers, it has helped the company in understanding the opportunities
that is helpful for them to be more successful in the market (Harding 2017).