Analyzing Change Management: Kotter's 8-Step Model and McKinsey 7S

This essay provides an analytical overview of organizational change management, focusing on Kotter's 8-Step Change Model and McKinsey's 7S Framework. It identifies the similarities and differences between these two models, highlighting their respective strengths and weaknesses. The essay suggests that McKinsey's 7S framework is more suitable for large organizations due to its comprehensive hard and soft elements, while Kotter's model is better suited for small to medium-sized enterprises that need a clear strategic vision and inclusive member participation. Both models are crucial for improving strategic vision and organizational structure, with skill development playing a key role. The analysis concludes that while both models have advantages and disadvantages, understanding and addressing these aspects is essential for successful implementation and organizational improvement. Desklib provides access to this essay along with a wealth of study tools and resources for students.

Running head: ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE MANEGEMENT
Organizational Change Management
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Overview
The purpose of this analytical essay is to determine the instruments of the organizational
change management. According to the experts, the organizational change management has been
regarded as one of the most important tools for the benefit of the organizations. The models for
the organizational change management have been very important to bring in the needed changes
for the organization that are highly required (Carnall 2018). The change management models that
have been chosen for this paper are the Kotter’s 8 Step Change management model and
McKinsey 7S framework. These two models are very important for the organizations to
implement. The strategies will have to be implemented on the organizations based on the ways of
how the core values of the organization will be put into the proper place. The similarities and
differences of the two change management models will have to be identified in this paper. The
strengths and weaknesses of these models will have to be presented as well.
Similarities and Differences
In order to depict the similarities and differences of the change management models, it is
only essential to make a thorough analysis on these two models. The first model that has been
chosen here is the Kotter’s 8 step model for change management. The 8 steps of this model are
increasing urgency, building the guiding team, developing the vision, communication for Buy-In,
empowering the action, creating the short term wins, not letting up and making the changes to
stick at the place. These steps would have to be followed in the best ways for the organizations
(Carnall 2018).
As per the management experts, the 7S Framework by McKinsey is also a very important
factor for the organizational change. The changes have to be invoked so the organizations could

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be able to take up the actions as per their visions and strategies. There are some seven elements
that could be attributed to the fact of change within the organization. Three of those elements are
hard elements and four of them are soft elements (Huczynski, Buchana and Huczynski 2013).
The hard elements are strategy, systems and structure. On the other hand, the soft elements are
skills, shared values, style and the staffs of the organization. As the critics have said, the hard
elements could be identified implemented very easily and the soft elements are generally rough
to be implemented within the systems of the organization. However, the changes become very
effective and essential sometimes since it is indeed very important to be practiced properly.
Some similarities and differences are always present between these change models (Baldwin,
Bommer and Rubin 2012).
Some of these models are proper for the big sized organizations and some models are
appropriate for the small and medium sized organizations (Huczynski, Buchana and Huczynski
2013). It can be mentioned that the 7S framework by McKinsey will be the most appropriate
model for the big sized organizations. It is because the various hard and soft elements of the
model are very significant since they will have to implement these things properly. The strategy
of the organization depends on their structure (Goetsch and Davis 2014). On the other hand, the
small and medium sized organizations will look to follow the Kotter’s 8 step change
management model. The scholars have agreed to the fact that the small and medium sized
organizations would need to follow this model as they must set a strategic vision before
themselves and involve all the members within the plan. All the members and staffs of the
organization would need to participate in this plan to make it a success. There will be severe
obstacles before the SMEs but those obstacles will have to solve them depending upon the
expertise of the managers and staffs at all the levels (Ravanfar 2015).

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Apart from these differences, the similarities should be discussed in this part. Both these
models are very important to outline the similarities as well (Goetsch and Davis 2014). Both
these models have been very much important to be practiced within the spheres of the
organizations. The organizations will surely count on these models since the experts have said
that the organizations will have to look forward to improve their strategic vision according to
their organizational structure. The skill development procedure will be an important part of this
as well. The tangibility of these elements will have to be utilized for the professional
development of the organizations (Hayes 2018).
Strengths and Weaknesses
In this section, the focus will be on developing of the strengths and weaknesses of these
two models. In the words of the experts, it is very essential for the managers of the companies to
assess the importance of the change management. It is because they will be able to count on
these models as per its effectiveness of these models only. However, it must be said that both
these models have their strengths and weaknesses. The various organizations will have to count
on those facts and make the rest of their strategies (Hayes 2018).
At first the strengths of the Kotter’s 8 step change management model will have to be
identified. The retention of the employees has become a very important fact for the organizations
as well. This change management model will be very much appropriate for the leaders or
managers who believe that they will have to go through the tough times in the quest of becoming
the market leaders all the way (Cameron and Green 2015). They know that they will have to
involve the employees in their change management plan or else they will go to other companies
for their career development. This model will be a very positive one so the effective

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communication within the organization can be created indeed. As the critics have suggested, this
effective communication program will have a positive impact on the employee retention as well.
This model will also help the employees to adjust with the various organizational changes
(Doppelt 2017).
The weakness of this model is it is a top-down strategic model and it cannot be utilized
by all types of leaders within the organization. The time for the feedback has not been allotted at
the best levels (Appelbaum et al. 2012). The need for the addressing the frontline employees
have not been addressed properly in this model as well.
There are some strengths of the 7S framework by McKinsey as well. Through the
implication of this model, the leaders would be able to analyze the different parts and
departments of the organizations in a thorough manner. The point of views of the employees can
also be understood through this model as well (Webster 2012). The impact that it will create on
the employees can be largely assessed through this model. The implication of this model will
provide lot of angles by which the organizations would be able to implement the changes and
understand its implications. The leaders would be able to address the significant changes though
the different components of the model. All the seven elements or components are provided with
the equal facilities related to the success of the organization (Channon and Caldart 2015).
The negative implication of this model is the fact that all the seven elements of the model
are related with each other. This sum up the fact if one of the elements does not work properly or
fails the entire model will fail indeed (Singh 2013). If the structure of the company is not well
maintained this will have seriously have a negative impact on the entire management system
indeed. This is how the model can turn out to be much complex in various ways. The leaders will

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not be able to create the strategies nor will they able to influence the staffs in the best ways. As a
whole, the implication of this model will surely crumple down indeed.
Conclusion
As per the above discussion, the conclusion to this paper will have to be drawn. It has
been found that the organizational change management has been an elemental fact in the success
of the organization as a whole. However, the organizations will have to depend upon the several
models of the change management to create a proper influence on how the issues of the
organizations could be resolved. Keeping this fact in mind, two change management models
have been chosen. These two models are 8 Step change management by Kotter and 7S change
management model by McKinsey.
This is the way the organizations could go on to provide the organizations with the best
possible ways to cope up with the several challenges. These two models will be helpful for the
organizations to implement the changes for the overall betterment. The similarities and
differences between these two change management models have been found out in this paper.
The strengths and weaknesses of these two change management models have been discussed in
the analytical ways as well. It has been found that the 7s Framework by McKinsey can be
extremely helpful for bringing in the changes within the big sized organizations. The seven
components of the model are quite interrelated and it will have a negative impact on the
organizations if any of these components does not work well. Both these models have their own
advantages and disadvantages. These disadvantages will have to be overcome because it causes
hazards for the operations of the management.

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References
Appelbaum, S.H., Habashy, S., Malo, J.L. and Shafiq, H., 2012. Back to the future: revisiting
Kotter's 1996 change model. Journal of Management Development, 31(8), pp.764-782.
Baldwin, T., Bommer, B. and Rubin, R., 2012. Managing organizational behavior: What great
managers know and do. McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
Cameron, E. and Green, M., 2015. Making sense of change management: A complete guide to
the models, tools and techniques of organizational change. Kogan Page Publishers.
Carnall, C., 2018. Managing change. Routledge.
Channon, D.F. and Caldart, A.A., 2015. McKinsey 7S model. Wiley Encyclopedia of
Management, pp.1-1.
Doppelt, B., 2017. Leading change toward sustainability: A change-management guide for
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