Organizational Change and Leadership: A Comparative Analysis Report

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of change leadership, focusing on Marks and Spencer (M&S) and Sainsbury, two major UK-based retail organizations. The report begins by introducing the chosen organizations and justifying their selection, followed by a comparison of their responses to various drivers of change, including human resources, customer preferences, technological advancements, and competitive pressures. The analysis then delves into the impact of internal and external drivers of change on leadership behavior, team dynamics, and individual actions within the organizations. It evaluates measures to mitigate the negative effects of change and applies relevant theories and models to critically assess organizational responses. Furthermore, the report explores the barriers to change influencing leadership decision-making, utilizing force field analysis to examine resisting and driving forces. It also presents different leadership approaches to deal with change within M&S and evaluates their effectiveness. The report concludes with a critical evaluation of the leadership approaches and models discussed throughout the analysis, offering insights into effective change management strategies.

Understanding and
Leading Change

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................1
PART A: TASK 1............................................................................................................................1
Introducing chosen organizations and a brief rational behind choosing them............................1
Comparing how each organization has responded to the drivers for change and types of
organisational change they have affected....................................................................................2
PART B...........................................................................................................................................4
Evaluating the ways in which internal and external drivers of change may affect leadership
behaviour and the behaviour of teams and individuals...............................................................4
Evaluating measures that can be taken to minimize the negative impacts of change on
organizational behaviour.............................................................................................................6
Applying appropriate theories and models to critically evaluate organizational response to
change..........................................................................................................................................7
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................9
Explaining different barriers of change in influencing leadership decision making...................9
Application of force field analysis for analysis of resisting and driving forces for influencing
decision making.........................................................................................................................11
Critical evaluation of application of force field analysis for accomplishing objectives............12
TASK 3..........................................................................................................................................13
Different leadership approaches to deal with change in M&S..................................................13
Evaluating the extent to which leadership approaches can deliver change effectively.............14
Critically evaluating the effectiveness of leadership approaches and models...........................15
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................15
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................16

INTRODUCTION
To undertake the change and leading the business behaviour in proper management are
among the major challenges that required to be managed by firm. An effective management and
implementation of change measures and leaders have a deep and significant role in the process of
business operations and activities (Doppelt, 2017). This supports in suitable management of
changes and the operations that are taken in consideration by an organisation. The managers and
other directors including employees of company will see through appropriate management of
business operations and actions that will cause the firm to have a good market share and effective
growth. For the current report, Marks and Spencer and Sainsbury are taken in consideration.
Both are UK based organisations that are operating in retail sector.
For the report, a rationale will be presented for reason behind selecting a specific firm.
The response of these firms to drivers of change and their similarities and differences will be
analysed. Besides this, different drivers of change are identified. The internal and external
drivers are taken in consideration along with potential impact of the changes in consideration
with various theories and models. Different barriers to organisation and various factors of force
field analysis are being considered. Various leadership approach and its extent has been analysed
with the effectiveness of these models and approaches.
MAIN BODY
PART A: TASK 1
Introducing chosen organizations and a brief rational behind choosing them
For report and analysis purpose, Marks and Spencer and Sainsbury have been selected
in present report (Van der Voet, Kuipers and Groeneveld, 2015). Both are the retail organisation
and are UK based. As both are the major players in the retail industry of UK, they have to be
adaptable and inclusive in nature to have the proper changes within their outlets and organisation
that will help in the effective management of operations and setting of the effective plans to have
a better growth in an organisation.
Marks and Spencer is one of the largest retail organisation within UK with a large
number of loyal customer base which helps the firm to have a significant development and
growth of the firm. On the other hand, Sainsbury is emerging gradually in the UK and is
1

impacting the market share of M&S to a greater extent. This has affected the business operations
that will help the firm to grow and develop (Yoder-Wise, 2014).
Both the firms has a good market share and profitability, the firms will look after the
proper management of the various driving factors which will lead the firm to have the good
growth and development. This will help the firm to undertake the operations and action plans
that will lead the organisation to have a good management of the business operations and action
plans that will help the organisation to have a good and effective growth and development
(Espedal, 2017). The assessment of the business activities and operations will lead the firm to
carry out the significant operations that will help the organisation to adopt suitable change
factors that will help the firm to carry out the business operations and activities in much effective
and significant manner. Besides this, the proper management of business operations and setting
up of the activities causes the firm to have the better management of change processes that are
been carried out at the workplace. Both the retail enterprise will see through the adoption of
effective business operations and activities. M&S and Sainsbury, both will see through the
assessment of the key drivers of the changes or alteration factors that will impact the business
operations and activities in much suitable and effective manner (Wylie and et.al., 2017).
Comparing how each organization has responded to the drivers for change and types of
organisational change they have affected
Various drivers of changes that are being considered are as follows:
Factors M&S Sainsbury
Human Resource The firm is known to have been
affected by the employee
mismanagement. This had lead the
organisation to carry out the business
operations and activities (Drago-
Severson and Blum-DeStefano, 2018).
The firm is required to have the
better management of the work
force in order to meet the
operations and thus will help the
organisation to carry out their
business activities.
Customers The change in customers taste and
variation in their requirement is the
major factor that leads the firm to have
changes and variation in their process.
Customers’ requirements will lead
the firm to adopt and offer new
range of products and services.
That will help the firm to carry
2

out the business operations and
activities (Glass and Cook, 2016).
Technologies Any sort of technological change may
hinder or foster the performance of the
firm in a very significant manner.
As this firm, Sainsbury will look
after the adoption of the
technological changes in order to
have a good rise in the customer
satisfaction and maintaining their
revenue.
Competitors This is the key driving factor for the
operations and led the firm to have a
good growth and development and rise
in the setting of the new business
strategies and operations and activities
as per their competitors (Ramanathan
Subramanian and Parrott, 2017).
Competitive advancements and
action plans are required to be
managed in order to have a good
assessment of the needs and
demands of customers to carry out
operations in an effective way by
setting new strategies.
Business Growth M&S has seen the stagnant growth
rate in recent years due to lack of
proper strategies and operations which
are analysed by firm.
Sainsbury has seen the
tremendous market growth due to
adaptability to new changes and
effective management of its retail
operations.
The suitable and effective assessment of these key driving factors will help the
organisation to carry out the business operations and activities to a greater extent. This will not
only affect the setting up of the business operations and action plans but will also help the firm to
have a significant management of the retail activities and assimilate innovative changes to meet
the operations of the organisation in an suitable and significant manner. This will lead to the
development of effective strategies and action plans which will help in meeting the business
operations to a greater extent.
3

PART B
Evaluating the ways in which internal and external drivers of change may affect leadership
behaviour and the behaviour of teams and individuals
In both the organisations, M&S and Sainsbury respectively, there will be certain internal
and external factors which will impact the business operations and activities in a suitable
manner. The development of a business intelligent is essential with a motive to conduct
assessment of the operations and activities that been conducted by retail enterprises for
significant leadership (Gardetti and Torres, 2017). The managers, operators and other significant
stake holders in both the firms will see through the suitable management and thus will help the
organisation to carry out business operations according to retail activities. Some of the major
internal and external change drivers that will impact the leadership and behaviour of a team and
individual of the organisation are as follows:
Internal Change Factors:
 Capabilities: The capabilities and business operations will help the firm to carry out the
business operations by an employee or any stake holder in the management of M&S and
Sainsbury (Clark and Wójcik, 2018). A good capability to perform a business operations
and function will lead to the development of a suitable and efficient leadership that will
assist in execution of the business activities and operations in a suitable and significant
manner.
 Resources: The availability of resources to carry out the business operations that will
help both the firm to enhance the business operations and carrying out the suitable
measures to have a good leadership and performance of the firm to meet growth factors
of M&S and Sainsbury.
 Communication: A good and effective interaction and communication process will help
the organisation to handle the leadership measures and developing a good understanding
with the person that will help M&S and Sainsbury to enhance the qualities of a leader, an
employee or a team as a whole. This will also help in setting up of the effective
operations and activities and thus will lead the organisation to carry out a good behaviour
and effective growth (Daft and Marcic, 2016).
 Satisfaction level: This is the key role that is required to be analysed by the company. A
good satisfaction level will help in developing an effective planning of the action plan
4

that will help the organisation to carry out the business activities and meet leadership
constraints in much effective manner.
 Motivation: This is required to be owned by an organisation to have a good scope of
management. It will help in the setting up of the proper leadership measures and thus will
lead the development of a good behaviour of M&S and Sainsbury. A motivating
environment at both the retail firms that will support a good rise in the business activities
and operations.
External change factors:
 Customers: the needs and requirements of customers is required to be managed in a
significant manner to have a good leadership and development of a positive behaviour
among the employees and managers that will help the firm to have a good management
of the business operations and developing of a positive behaviour that help in generation
of the goodwill (Allen, 2018).
 Competitors: The market and business strategies that are been undertaken by the
organisation that will help the firm to carry out the business operations and thus will help
in suitable management of the business and other functions of retail operations that are
being considered by the organisation.
 Investors: Both the firms are required to have a good relation with their investor as he
will look after the proper execution of business operations in an effective way. A good
leadership with positive and supportive behaviour will lead the organisation to have a
good management of business operations to a greater extent.
 Technology: The technological operations and the other requirements are required to be
fulfilled by the organisation that will help in the suitable management of a business
operations in an effective manner. Besides this, it will lead to a good range of
communication and thus will lead the firm to enhance the interpersonal relationship
(Coghlan and Shani, 2015).
 Government: The governmental policies and action plans are required to be effectively
managed that will help the firm to enhance their business performance and thus will lead
the organisation in an effective manner. Besides this, the leadership measures that are
been undertaken by M&S and Sainsbury will lead the firm to manage the change
measures to be followed.
5

Evaluating measures that can be taken to minimize the negative impacts of change on
organizational behaviour
A wide range of operations and action plans are analysed by both the retail enterprises
that will not only help the firm to carry out the business operations and activities but will also
lead the firm to have a significant amount of impact on the organisational behaviour of various
stakeholders and other operational factors that are been taken in the consideration by the
organisation (Nelson‐Brantley and Ford., 2017). The negative impact of changes in both the
firms like failure of negotiation process due to lack of proper communication, non-supportive
governmental policies, dumping of project due to financial crisis or conflicts at the work place
may affect their performance. Thus the management of the organisation have to effectively
undertake the suitable measures to enhance the quality of services that are been undertaken and
thus minimize the conflicts and misunderstandings that will be taken at the place at the
organisation. This is required to be done as this will help both M&S and Sainsbury to improve
their market performance and will cause the organisations to have a good growth. Some of the
effective measures are:
 Preventing improper leadership: As the organisation will have to see through the
proper management of the business activities and operations that will be evaluated to
have a good leadership (Rogers and Marres, 2016). A poor and misleading leadership
will cause the organisation to carry out the business operations and action plans in a
negative way. Effective and efficient person is required to be placed as a leader that will
help in carrying out their business operations in much effective manner.
 Improving employee’s morale: The reduction in the motivation and satisfaction level of
the organisation which will help the firm to carry out the business operations and
activities in a significant manner. An organisation is required to undertake suitable
measures to accept and implement the effective ways to encourage its employees.
 Setting up an effective change plan: This is been followed by the organisation that will
help the fir m to carry out the business operations in an effective manner. A proper
planning and scheduling of the action plans and meeting of the suitable measures will
lead the firm to adopt and implement the changes in much effective and appropriate
manner.
6

 Accepting the changes in a positive manner: The management and the leaders working
at both the firms will help the organisation to have a good management of business
activities and action plans that will help in setting the business operations and action
plans in much significant manner (Glass and Cook, 2016). The work force in both the
rival retail organisations is required to make its employees understand the benefits of
changes that will be taken at the firm.
Applying appropriate theories and models to critically evaluate organizational response to
change
Various theories like Scientific theories, Administrative, Human relations theory and the
models like Kurt Lewin’s change management theories will help the fir to carry out the business
operations and activities that will help the organisation to carry out their change related
operations in much effective and significant manner. This will help the organisation to enhance
their business activities and this will help the firm to improve the quality of operations that are
being considered. All these measures and models will lead the firm to carry out the business
operations and activities in much suitable manner. Some of the major theories and models that
are been taken in consideration by both the selected firms are as follows:
Frederik Taylor Scientific theory
Also, knows as the classical management theory, this theory emphasises the use of
effective utilisation of the work efficiency of their staff within the organisation (Drago-Severson
and Blum-DeStefano, 2018). The theory states that the proper management of the business
operations and the activities that will help the firm to carry out effective planning of strategies
and action plans that will lead to motivate the employees to perform better at both the
organisation. A good management of excellence will help the firm to meet their operational
requirements. It helps the firm to delegate the responsibilities and train its workers to have a
good management of the business activities and action plans to have the effective change
management.
Administrative theory by Henry Fayol
This theory will help both the firm to look after the effective management of business
activities and action plans that will lead to the rise in the effective management of the application
of various change related concepts within the firm (Wylie and et.al., 2017). It includes various
principles, precisely 14 in number that are required to be followed at the work place by the
7

organisation to have a suitable focus over the operations and activities that will lead to the
management of different change related operations in an organisation.
Kurt Lewin Change theory
This theory is known to provide the high level change management within an
organisation like M&S and Sainsbury. It helps the organisation to develop the suitable
framework to implement proper changes at the work place (Espedal, 2017). It basically involves
3 major steps which are analysed by the firm to analyse, implement and sustain various form of
changes that are been undertaken to have a good growth and thus will lead to the significant
management of the various operations and action plans. Other than this, the measures will help
the firm to carry out the business operations and action plans that will lead to manage different
form of action plans and activities at the work place. The three major steps of Change theory is
as follows:
 Unfreeze: This is the stage where the organisation look after to have the proper
management of change factors and measures that are been undertaken at the organisation
(Yoder-Wise, 2014). This will lead to the assessment of the effective practices and
techniques that are irrelevant and can influence the performance of the organisation. This
will help the fir to replace this actions with more effective and efficient tools and
techniques that are being analysed in much suitable and effective manner.
 Change or implementation: This is the process where both the retail organisations will
incorporate the enhanced and advance change management tools and techniques that will
lead to the rise in setting up of an efficient and appropriate work measure to be taken at
the work place (Van der Voet, Kuipers and Groeneveld, 2015). This will involve the
measures that are been undertaken to the reduction of the chaos and misconceptions
related to the change or alteration process that has been considered. The resources related
to the change process are been undertaken with the implementation of a proper structure
and action plan that will lead to the imbibing of appropriate changes within the firm.
8

 Freeze: This is the finalising of the change management processes that are been
undertaken to carry out the business operations and thus will help in improving the
processes and actions that are been taken in consideration by the firm to adopt and
implement an effective structure that will help in setting the criteria’s to maintain and
follow that will catalyse and will create a platform for the changes or enhancements that
will be made in the organisation in the future (Doppelt, 2017). Besides this, it will help in
placing proper enhancement measures to meet the business operations and have the good
rise in the action plans and business activities in an effective manner.
TASK 2
Explaining different barriers of change in influencing leadership decision making
The change is replicated as vital part of life where business should be capable for
embracing it with absence of excuse. In the similar context, top level will formulate idea for
certain change which should be implemented for enabling Marks and Spencer to set stratgeic
objectives. Barriers are replicated as creating gap in aspect of recommended and recent practices.
9
Illustration: Kurt Lewin change theory
(Source: Kurt Lewin change theory three step model – unfreeze, change, freeze, 2018)

Marks and Spencer is having negative impact with regular process of production. The common
barriers to alter implementation is as follows:
 Lack of Employee involvement: With context of change management, it is very usual
barrier. The employees of Marks and Spencer has fear of change along with involvement
in process of change. In this context, very loyal employee would direct resist particular
change. The main reason for failure is absence of employee engagement in process of
change (Verhulst and Lambrechts, 2015). From this, leader is not able to connect with
employees and hence its decision making is hampered with respect to managing change.
 Lack of effective communication strategy: With absence of effective strategy of
communication, assumption of leader is that one announcement of change adjust people
and it will lead to innovative development. Hence, this assumption is the ineffective
method for introducing change in Marks and Spencer. Also, with poor communication,
vision and decision of leader is not able to share with subordinate and hence appropriate
change is not able to implement in business.
 Unknown current state: Change is replicated as very difficult for Marks and Spencer
with lack of idea of current state. Trying for implementing and introducing change with
absence of conducting assessment along with appropriate understanding of recent
blueprint of Marks and Spencer.
 Bad culture shift planning: The planning team has absence of idea where change will
directly impact people. On the present state, it would directly concentrate on
administrative structure of planning of Marks and Spencer along with job, work area
responsibilities with work reporting structure.
 Complexity: The scenario where Marks and Spencer have developed complex process
by making planning process and implementing appropriate alteration is highly complex.
The complexities consist of complex products, systems and process as it will provide
contribution to change barriers but they are difficult for Marks and Spencer's members
for understanding aspect.
Application of force field analysis for analysis of resisting and driving forces for influencing
decision making
There is presence of issue for holding balance through interaction of two sets of opposing
forces such as seeking for promoting change and to attempt for maintaining status quo. Marks
10