Analysis of Change Management in Zurich UK Life (Report)

This report provides an in-depth analysis of change management within Zurich UK Life, examining the processes, models, and stakeholders involved. The report begins by defining and contrasting the nature of the change process, highlighting the systematic approach used by the organization. It then identifies key stakeholders, including beneficiaries, donors, community members, employees, and government entities, and discusses how senior management might have identified areas of support and resistance. The analysis further evaluates the effectiveness of the change process, focusing on knowledge management, tracking, and migration. The report then compares and contrasts the Lewin and Kotter change management models as applied to the Zurich UK Life case. The report details how Zurich UK Life utilized the Lewin model, outlining the unfreeze, change, and refreeze stages, and also incorporates the Kotter model, discussing the eight steps of the change process. Overall, the report provides a comprehensive understanding of the change management strategies employed by Zurich UK Life and their effectiveness.

Managing Change in Organisations

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Question 1 Define and contrast nature of the change process ...............................................3
Question 2 Identify key stakeholders and how might senior management have identified main
areas' support or resistance ....................................................................................................7
Question 3 How effectively you feel the change process was managed in term of issues that
surrounded knowledge management, tracking and migration..............................................10
Question 4 Comparison and contrast of two models that help senior managers to diagnose and
plan change in an organisation.............................................................................................11
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................13
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................14

INTRODUCTION
Change management refers to the process of simplifying organisational transitions in
order to achieve the set goals and objectives. It helps to understand, commit, accept and embrace
the changes taking place within an organisation and to create a business environment which is
dynamic and secure (Termeer, Dewulf and Biesbroek, 2017). Several reasons in which an
organisation considers change management plan includes aligning existing resources,
diminishing risk, inefficiency, etc. It helps to concentrate on increasing growth opportunities at
workplace.
The below report is based on Zurich UK Life group which is having more than 60000
employees and numerous branches across the globe. The firm has more than 7000 employees
working under its group in United Kingdom. The report is developed in order to understand the
changes implemented by the executive team of Zurich UK Life to improve the organisational
efficiency. Underpinning these changes, the report tends to demonstrate key drivers of change in
each case. Along with it, the report explores the key discussion of the stakeholders which
supports or resists the planned activities in Zurich by the organisation (Whyte, Stasis and
Lindkvist, 2016). Also, the report explains knowledge management, tracking and migration in
context of the Zurich UK Life group.
MAIN BODY
Question 1 Define and contrast nature of the change process
The process of change management refers to a process that simplifies organisational
transitions in order to achieve its set goals and objectives. It includes the usage of different tools
utilised by an organisation which helps individuals in the organisational environment to gain
successful results for the organisation such as Zurich UK life. In Zurich UK life, the systematic
approach is used in order to deal with a number of transitions and transformation while
successfully implementing the change. While managing change, controlling is an important
strategy that is used in the organisation to manage its alteration (Termeer, Dewulf and Biesbroek,
2017).
In contrast, it is stated that change management enabled clear plan for Zurich UK life
with strategic and structured approach for accomplishing desired results at workplace. (Wilke,
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Lisa Rossum and Wouter Dirk Have, 2018). The organisations process of change revolved
around the organisation's public policy, competition and regulations.
In addition to this, retail distribution review was the biggest change that was hitting the
industry. The new appointed CEO changed the organisation by using strategies such as external
facilitating which helped Zurich UK life to look for strategy, vision, culture and behaviour.
Nature of change
The changes adopted by the organisation required a number of evaluations and
understanding. It allows the organisation to make the specific required changes and implement
them accordingly. Such as the transformational change required the organisation to implement
cultural change and specific interventions in order to tackle the process and red tape. The
organisation.
Along with it, the organisation has to face process reduction where it cut down a number
of processes and meetings. It was hard for individuals to demonstrate PACE behaviours where
the people of the organisation have to change the course of their designs and methods. The
overall changes explained that it was difficult for the organisation to develop a sustaining plan of
action, but with the right strategies and implementation the implemented change brought forth
success.
Lewin change management model
The organisation experienced changes from a number of external and internal factors
which were its public policy, regulations and competition. In order to successfully manage the
implementation of change within the firm. The management made use of Lewin change
management model which is discussed below:
Unfreeze stage: In its first stage, Zurich Life UK prepared for change where its executive
team recognised the need of change and created a lower cost base. During this, the firm focused
on redundancies where the organisation's executives discarded 20% of roles in their business.
(Weerheim, Van Rossum and Ten Have, 2018).
Change stage: The organisation made use of the change stage in order to make change
possible with the help of new appointed new CEO Gary Shaughnessy (Tortorella, Marodin and
Miorando, 2015). The new CEO was appointed in order to make changes in the business and to
ensure the overall system's efficiency. From the help of external facilitator, the organisation
searched for vision, strategy, behaviour and culture to implement the change. It helped them to
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ensure appropriate pensions which delivered and expected different results. The transformational
change was placed with specific interventions in order to tackle appropriate process. Change
process was also implemented after evaluating top 80 behaviours.
Refreeze stage: The change process in Zurich UK life observed that the relationships
with the organisations consumers were successfully developed that brought positive results.
(Lawal, Taiwo and Adegbuyi, 2016). Very positive place assisted in accomplishing more goals
and targets to attain overall results. In order to bring culture, the organisation change in new
ways of working which were important to take initiatives. The new appointed CEO Gary chose a
new team to sponsor programme carefully. In addition to this, Human Resource improve
employee engagement and promoted ACE.
KOTTER 8 STEP MODEL OF CHANGE
However, Marconi Communication was one of the leading telecommunication firm that
developed leading edge products which enabled successful positions. In this aspect, modern
business environment consisted many influences that made decisions more complex with
technological change, competitive rivalry and global communication. The firm made usage of 8
steps Kotter change management model to manage relevant and appropriate changes in firm. The
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Illustration 1: Change management process
(Source: Lewin’s Change Model, 2019)

discussion of change process starts from sense of urgency where firm recognise complexity of
the forces which need to be progressed, survive and prosper (Whyte, Stasis and Lindkvist, 2016).
In second step of build, the team transformation took place where businesses progressed
beyond existing operations. The changes were made by accepting challenges, and strengthening
the capacity to innovate and develop quickly. (Pollack and Pollack, 2015). At the time, the
organisation's sales were effective and provided connection to implement change with the help of
voice communications. The communications were used to run at low speed and were
technologically linked to system.
In third stage, the change was accomplished from the determination of core values, and
the ultimate vision and strategies were used. In order to ensure the change, the leaders described
their vision effectively to make people easily understand it. It made Marconi communication to
increased their strategy's effectiveness and communicate several benefits in a group.
Communication change with vision was powerfully and convincingly adopted (Weerheim, Van
Rossum and Ten Have, 2018).
The fourth stage of kotter change model is communicating the vision. At this phase, it is
required by manager or leader in Marconi organisation to share the vision and complete
information about the change with employees, as this tactic will assist management in seeking
this support from workers in implementing successful change at workplace. In addition to this, it
is very much important for manager or leader in Marconi Communication to handle the
grievances of employees honestly.
Fifth phase is removing obstacles. At this phase Human resource manager in Marconi
organisation is required to ensure that different business procedures as well as structure are
aligned with firm goals. It is very much crucial for leader or manager in an enterprise to
regularly Check the barriers and address those employees who are resisting to change. At this
phase, development of an effective reward system can be good strategy which can be utilised by
manager in Marconi organisation for motivating people to support change.
Sixth stage, it involves creating the short term wins : At this phase manager or leader is
required to set short term goals which are required to be achieved by employees within specific
period, as by doing this manager can provide feeling of victory to workers at early stage of
change procedure which is very much important in order to encourage them for supporting
improvement procedure.
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Seventh stage is consolidating gains. It includes achieving continuous improvement by
analysing the success stories individually.
The last and final stage I s incorporating change in corporate culture. At this phase,
manager or leader in Marconi organisation is required to share successful stories related to
change with workers and inform them about opportunity, as this will assist them motivating
people to support procedure.
Question 2 Identify key stakeholders and how might senior management have identified main
areas' support or resistance
There are different types of stakeholders involved in change management process of
Zurich Life UK. Stakeholders are individuals or group of people which influence, take decisions
and implement actions for the enterprise. In this regard, employees board members, investors,
customers, local community, etc. were some successful stakeholders that took part in the change
process. (Etemad and Keen, 2018). Key stakeholders of Zurich UK Life are as follows:
Beneficiaries: These are the individuals and parties who enjoy services and benefits from
Zurich UK Life. The positive and drastic changes has been made by an organisation in business
policies. The role of beneficiaries' in change was to provide their suggestions in order to make
the organisation understand about the factor they need to consider in order to accomplish a
successful change.
Donors and funding sources: Donors and funding sources helps business by meeting
finance and capital requirement of company during change (Waddell, Creed and Worley, 2016).
They make significant contribution in accomplishment of mission and objectives. In context of
Zurich UK Life, investors has played significant role in the change management procedure, they
have provided the funds which are required for conducting the different procedure for bringing
improvement within an enterprise. Role of investors in the change management process is to
provide company with funds when required by them.
Community: Community also plays an important role in encouraging organization for
bring change or improvement in business procedures or operations. The role of community is to
provide the organisation with the resources which are required by Zurich UK Life for
implementing the successful change at workplace. The major drivers of change are emergence of
new trends, globalisation, unique demands of customers, expectation of clients related to the
product or services offered by firm etc.(Chung, Andreev and O’Reilly, 2017). In the Non-profit
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business, community plays important role in supporting organisation to get economically
developed so that they can provide services, goods, resources to meet with needs and
requirements.
Employees and volunteers : Employees plays significant role in supporting Zurich UK
Life to run their business smoothly. Highly skilled and talented workers in Zurich UK Life has
made their contribution by making the proper arrangement for implementing change
(Kaatrakoski and Lahikainen, 2016). The role of employees in the organisation's change was to
promote Agility, collaboration and externally focus. During the change procedure, manager and
leader in Zurich UK Life have facilitated the discussion with workers at regular interval of time,
which has assisted them in getting the new ideas for implementing change at workplace.
Manager in Zurich UK Life has developed the team of highly talented and skilled workforce
especially for improvement procedure which has assisted an organisation in implementing
successful change at workplace. It has also helped an enterprise in producing desired results.
Federal, state and county administration: In Zurich UK Life, government considerations were
to protect the individuals with strict regulations. Retail distribution review was the biggest
change that helped the organisation in establishing good position in an industry. The federal,
state and country administration's role was to ensure that the organisation is going through the
change by implementing right policies and procedures (Ogbonna and Harris, 2015).
Main areas of support and resistance of stakeholder identified by senior management
Restructuring: Gary the newly appointed CEO of firm focused on restructuring by
organising three customers groups that is corporate business, retail business and in force. These
groups allowed the organisation to make structural changes which later resulted in disrupting
workforce. Therefore, it was the resisting areas which disrupted interests of employees within
firm(Barton, 2018).
Bureaucracy: The process of bureaucracy was needed to reduce governance and control
in the process of decision making. In this regard, the firm incorporated gold-plated sets of
governance and control which was the biggest resisting point as it led to complex and rigid
decision making for stakeholders (Jackson, 2016).
Agility: The agility factor was used to determine flexibility and adoption of appropriate
measures in certain circumstances. In this aspect, the senior manager managed the change in
Zurich UK Life by successfully dealing with challenges. In this active participation of several
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employees was considered. Constant conversation between general employees and managers
made the communication for change truthful and straightforward. (Termeer, Dewulf and
Biesbroek, 2017).
Collaboration: Furthermore, another aspect of change was collaboration addressed is the
need of three streams which were business, teams and individuals. Management in Zurich UK
Life, need to take advice from nits employees related to the change, as this would have provided
workers an opportunity to make their significant contribution in accomplishment of desired
business objectives. Promotion of team work is beneficial in context of ensuring the successful
completion of project. Collaboration among employees and between different functional unit is
very much crucial in order to provide quality services as well as high level of satisfaction to
customers. (Wilke, Lisa Rossum and Wouter Dirk Have, 2018).
`Externally focused: All the changes in business were externally focused therefore Gary
the new CEO worked for managing control over external factors. Management in an organisation
have focus on collecting the feedback from external as well as internal stakeholders. The
feedback system has enabled managhement in an enterprise to measure the result or impacyt opf
change. (Beech and MacIntosh, 2017). Zurich UK Life shared their values in order to focus on
figures and refocus on customers.
Passion: It is important part for strength of PACE which was applicable in different roles
of the organisation. The chosen team by the CEO sponsored ACE (Achievement in Customer
Excellence Awards program) carefully. The communication outlets were developed where face
to face meetings and the messages were distributed to get positive outcomes for the business,
etc. (Moxen and Strachan, 2017). In Zurich UK Life, the various methods or techniques which
has been applied by management in an enterprise for communicating and explaining vision,
goals & expectations to different stakeholders.
Recommendation
In order to deal with the resistance to change, management need to create urgency and
they need to demonstrate the importance of change to employees (Malmelin and Virta, 2016). In
addition to this, the various laws and regulation related to the industry is required to be
considered by the organisation while making plans for change. Agile and scrum practices should
be used in order to simplify the working practices.
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REFERENCES
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