Change Proposal for Dark Sky Project: BUS531 Change Management Report

This report presents a change proposal for the Dark Sky Project, a tourism venture under Ngai Tahu. It begins by defining change management and its importance for organizational goals. The report identifies internal drivers like technological advancements and research importance, and external drivers such as economic factors and customer satisfaction. It addresses challenges, particularly weather-related issues, and proposes turning these into opportunities. Recommendations include prioritizing research and enhancing technological capabilities. The proposal focuses on employee training to improve technological expertise and weather forecasting. The report also anticipates challenges like financial constraints, employee resistance, and communication issues. It applies Lewin's and Kotter's change models and lifecycle theories to provide a comprehensive analysis of change management strategies within the tourism industry. The report concludes by emphasizing the dynamic nature of tourism and the need for continuous adaptation to meet customer demands and technological advancements.

RUNNING HEAD: CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Change Proposal for Dark Sky Project
Name of Student:
Name of University:
Author Note:

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Introduction:
The term change management is generally defined as the process that the management of
a company uses for the obtaining of the approvals required for the timelines, scopes as well as
the approvals of a particular project (Li, 2016).. The change management is often done with the
purpose of having the changes in the organizational perspective for the better attainment of the
organizational goals and visions (Cowling, Kirkwood, Boren, & Scarpaci, 2014). It is not
sufficient to look after the process of change in the change management. The total process of
change management includes the procedure of guiding the people associated, supporting them
and making them able to cope up with the changed perspective.
Ngai Tahu Tourism is a well known as well as the largest tourism operators in New
Zeeland. It has been in commercial tourism activities since 1950s . Within the Ngai Tahu tourism
business, there are a lot of side projects that compiles the total experience of the tourism for the
customers.
The current report will analyse the needs for the changes in the Dark Sky Project, one of
the reputed tourism project under Ngai Tahu. It will proposes the needs of the changes and
analyse further the challenges that the management can face in the process of change.
Internal Issus that can Stimulate Change:
The internal drivers of change are referred to those stimulating factors within the
organization that urges for some change within the operation or strategy. The two main internal
drivers that can stimulate the changes in the Dark Sky project are:
1. Technological capacities- the dark sky projects offers a fully guided multimedia indoor
astronomy experience on the Tekapo Lake front.it has combined history, astronomy and
multimedia all within one capacity and aims at giving a wholesome idea of the

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astronomical experiences. In case of technology, whenever a new discovery takes place,
the old one tends to get obsolete. Thus, in respect of their multimedia operation, the
company needs to upgrade their technological factors. With the evolving nature of
science and technology, if the company does not embrace the new technological changes,
it will be losing in competitive advantage.
2. Research importance of destination- the place or the destination itself affects the tourism
business to a large extent. The sky project has combined itself with the great cultural as
well as historical insights of Maori religion pertaining to astronomy. In order to keep the
relevance of their business, the company has to stress on the needs of researches in their
business aspect.
External Drivers of change:
The external drivers of change is referred to those situation or events occurring from
outside of the company but directly or indirectly stimulates the organizational for taking
measures n change. In case of the Dark Sky Project, the major external drivers are:
1. Economy- there exist a very close relation between a business firm and the economic
environment. Mostly in cases of tourism business, the economic pointer is one of the
most crucial factors. The inflation and the deflation fluctuations of the area will greatly
cause a company to change their organizational vision or operations (.Martín, Román &
Gonzaga, 2017)
2. Customer satisfaction- Customer satisfaction is the ultimate goal for any tourism or
hospitality business. The tourism company has to see constantly whether the service and
the tourism scope offered to the customer meets their expectations and satisfaction levels.
The attractive technology in the showing of the astronomical changes, the building of the

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event, the scenec situation and even the nomenclature of the place is important to attract
the customers. The company has to also ensure that there are convenient travel
opportunities and options for the customers.
Turning Challenges to opportunities:
According to Jack Ma, the self made billionaire and a great entrepreneur, opportunities
always lay hidden under the challenges. He is of the opinion that the present business scenario all
over the world is laden with challenges as well as opportunities (DOĞANLI, 2017).. However,
the management with their craftsmanship and innovative ideas can turn the challenges to be their
opportunities of growth. For the dark sky project, the greatest challenge is the challenge imposed
by the weather. The little star, twilight or the summit experiences take place in an open space at
an alpine environment and the weather can be variable. Thus, the company faces challenges to
guarantee a clearness of visibilities. While apparently this is a challenge, the company can
successful use I in their opportunities. Customers generally have a tendency of taking risks and
chances in such cases. Moreover the company can fix their peak and leans according to the
observations of the climate for a long period of time. This can make the tourist spot a more
exclusive one.
Recommendations regarding Change:
1. High priority low cost
The company can put more effort in increasing the research value point of their spot.
Stressing majorly on the learning opportunities it can cultivate more tourists from
universities and high schools as well as the researchers apart from the regular tourist.
2. High cost High priority

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The company can make necessary changes in technological capacities to enhance the
multimedia experiences even if the weather is not so favorable (Mariani, Buhali Longhi
& Vitouladiti, 2014).. Also enhancing the technological capacities in having a deft
knowledge about the prevailing climate and the forecasting of the climate will also help.
Depending upon the prior forecasting, it can re schedule a summit experience.
3. Medium priority low cost
The company can also focus on making the place not only a tourist point of astronomical
interest. Stressing on the history and culture of the Maori section and making the point a
scenic pleasure one will not left the customers think that the journey is futile if they are
unable to visualize the astronomic.
Change Proposal:
Considering the cost and priority ratings, one of the major change that can be the training
of the existing employees as well as hiring the efficient and suitable employees for enhancing the
technological capabilities of the company in the respect of weather forecasting and re scheduling
of the trips for the customers.
Challenges that may be encountered by the company:
1. The primary challenge that may be encountered by the company will be the economic set
up. The hiring of new people and training the established ones will requires a lot of
economic expense (Sajjad, Noree & Zaman, 2014).. The company has to make sure of the
fact that it has that much of economic resource and they will also have to be careful about
chalking of the effective recruitment and training ways.
2. Another major challenge that the company will be facing is the resistance from the
current employees in the matter of change. They have been accustomed in a particular

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way of working and will resist to a new style unless they are convinced about the
benefits.
3. Lack of communication can be a challenge as well that may be faced by the company.
Being a part project of a large business if Ngu Tahi, it has to communicate properly to all
channels which is quite hectic and chances of misunderstanding are more.
4. Conflict will be another probable cause of challenge in the proposed change tactic.
Theories Effective in the change management:
1. Lewin’s change model: According to Lewin, at first the organization needs to unfreeze
he individual in initiating the process of change. The company can prepare the
individuals in the change process by letting them know about the benefits of change and
how the changes will be done. The next step will involve the actual change where the
changes will take place. The last stage will conclude with refreezing where the changed
model will be freezed again until new change is initiated (Martín, Román & Gonzaga,
2017).
2. Kotter’s change model- this model will enable the Dark Sky project to take the change
initiative in eight stages. While the first few stages will include the process of creating an
urgency o change where the employees will be make to understand what exactly is wrong
with the present stage. The next stage will include the coalition where people from all
sector will be taken into account and a new vision will be initiated. Those visions will be
communicated and the employees will be helped in removing the obstacles. Finally by
creating short and long term wins the change will slowly take place.
3. Lifecycle theories- any company has a lifecycle of their operation. The development
model, the scenario model and the metamorphosis model and finally the decay model.

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The Dark Sky Project is in the developmental model where it wil undergo various trial
and error cases to develop their business strategies (Sarkar & George, 2018)..
Conclusion:
The business f tourism and hospitality is an ever evolving one. keeping in mind the
changing demands of the customers and the variety of needs and areas of interest, the tourism
business has to evolve itself drastically. The Ngai Tahu also is not out of this. The company
may also face the need of change further. Since it is dealing with the tourist’s interest on
historical aspects of astronomy by the Maori, the advancement of technologies and the
duplicating of other companies wil make the company opt for further changes.

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