Strategic Analysis and Change Management Plan for Samson Media

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of change management strategies for Samson Media, a publisher of fashion magazines facing declining readership and financial challenges. The report begins with an introduction to the company, its objectives, and the need for strategic changes, particularly the shift to digital formats and restructuring of HR policies. It reviews the current HR policies and procedures, identifying areas for alignment with the proposed changes, including recruitment, selection, and induction processes. The report also addresses potential barriers to change, such as employee resistance and lack of communication, and proposes change management strategies, including effective communication and change facilitation programs. A PESTLE analysis is conducted to assess the external factors influencing the company's transformation. The report then outlines a change management plan, including communication and education strategies, stakeholder analysis, and reporting arrangements. Finally, it explores HR strategies for implementing the change management plan and provides recommendations for the future.

Business

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
ASSESSMENT 2.............................................................................................................................1
Review of Company....................................................................................................................1
Objectives of Organisation..........................................................................................................2
Need of Strategic Changes...........................................................................................................3
Review of Current Human Resource Policies and Procedures and alignment with change.......3
Barriers to Change.......................................................................................................................4
Change Management Strategies based upon information from 3 key sources............................4
PESTLE Analysis........................................................................................................................5
ASSESSMENT 3.............................................................................................................................6
Change Management Plan...........................................................................................................6
A communication and education plan.........................................................................................8
Stakeholder analysis....................................................................................................................9
Reporting arrangement for approval..........................................................................................10
ASSESSMENT 4...........................................................................................................................11
Rationale and Vision of Change................................................................................................11
Impact of Change on Operations...............................................................................................11
ASSESSMENT 5...........................................................................................................................11
HR strategies to implement change management plan..............................................................11
Develop staff communication....................................................................................................12
ASSESSMENT 6...........................................................................................................................12
Review of change management.................................................................................................12
Review of Change Management Plan and recommendations...................................................13
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................13
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................14

INTRODUCTION
For managing and running a business successfully, it is essential for every company to
incorporate changes within organisation. By introducing changes and making alteration in
existing techniques and policies, entrepreneurs get chance to achieve high competitive
advancement. This would help in improving and enhancing functions of business more profitably
(Ahn, Minshall and Mortara, 2015). Present report is going to make a discussion about how a
company can build strategies, to implement changes within business. For this purpose, Samson
Media is chosen, that is a publisher of several upmarket fashion magazines. This company has
strong links with various high profile fashion houses whose products are featured in the
magazines. These fashion houses also provide a significant source of advertising revenue.
This assignment describes the concept of change management with overview of
company’s policies and objectives. For modifying business policies, a research on best practices
of change management is done. Here, role of change management plan with communication and
education is also highlighted. Furthermore, procedure of submitting such plan is also explained
with a review chart and some arrangement processes, for approval of stakeholders to incorporate
changes.
ASSESSMENT 2
Review of Company
Samson Media is a publisher company which deals in publishing of many upmarket
fashion magazines. The enterprise maintains strong connections with various sorts of high profile
fashion houses whose goods are featured in the company’s magazines and leads to generation of
advertisement revenue. The age group and population segment which is a key part of the reader’s
circle are old women of age group 35 to 54 years. The readership of this company has
significantly fallen over the passage of last two years. This happened for the organisation largely
owing to the rising competition from a number of other fashion magazine entities and the
behavioural characteristics of consumers who have chosen to switch to digital media. Due to this
massive decline in the readership count, profits of the company have also witnessed a downfall
of 20%. In addition to this, with time, there has also been a substantial decline in the share prices
of this company within UK marketplace.
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Looking upon the negative consequences that the company has been associated with,
over a period of time, the top managers of Samson Media are concerned and thus, have
appointed Amir Johnson as the new CEO of enterprise. The person selected and recruited for this
post has over years been the Marketing Director of a well-known as well as established media
business company which comprised of magazines, newspapers along with a television channel
with subscription. Publications are mainly focused upon sports as well as celebrity gossips. The
business entity has been successful in undercutting their rivals owing to their strategy of low
prices which is largely enabled by a ruthless approach aimed at achievement of high levels of
efficiency and effectiveness across the organisational premises.
Objectives of Organisation
As a result of the appointment of Amir as the new CEO, the whole working and
functioning of enterprise has witnessed a large scale transformation. Amir along with the team of
managers has devised certain objectives for the company which is ensured by him and his team
to be achieved by the organisation in a period of next some years. Such objectives influenced by
his charismatic approach towards management as well as functioning of Samson Media in order
to deal with the declining levels of readership count and the fallen share prices are stated as
follows:-
 To significantly raise the return on capital employed to 8% within a time period of next 2
years.
 To embrace a transformational change across the organisational premises which will
result in conversion of all the magazines published by enterprise into a digital format.
 To close the printing and distribution site of company.
 To achieve cost efficiencies by way of relocation of the head office to a smaller office.
 To enforce Restructuring of head office staff by making majority of the current positions
redundant and significantly moving to a much smaller quantum of permanent staff and
increasing the quantity of contract workers.
The digital magazines in which organisation has now decided to publish data are all set to
have certain lucrative and captivating features so as to grab the attention of a large number of
readers in order to enhance the sales of company. Such features will include certain free content
yet full access given only for those who have taken the subscription; emphasizing upon fashion,
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health, celebrity gossips and beauty and additional features for the subscribers such as podcasts,
discussions and video clips (Chun, Chung and Bang, 2015).
Need of Strategic Changes
Post the appointment of Mr. Amir, there has been massive change in the operations,
processes, functioning and objectives of Samson Media. In order to reach the objectives stated by
him and his team of managers, the organisation will have to undergo certain strategic changes
such as changes within the human resource policies, communication systems, recruitment and
termination policies and procedures. When changes are brought about together within all these
elements, it will lead to overall strengthening of operations and company’s position across the
UK market (Crane and Matten, 2016).
Review of Current Human Resource Policies and Procedures and alignment with change
The current human resource practices of the enterprise are to hire any candidate in which
the HR Department identifies a spark or a potential to carry out the operations of business. The
current policies are not aligned with the high end requirement of the publisher in order to engage
maximum readers towards reading the content. Thus, the new CEO has brought about significant
changes within the HR policies and procedures in order to ensure that only skilled and competent
employees are hired which possess the capability to enhance the current market position of
Samson Media. For the proper alignment of HR policies with the change required across the
organisational premises, majority of the permanent staff positions of the head office have been
made redundant and the quantum of contract staff has been increase (Collet, Hine and du Plessis,
2015). Further, there have also been changes in the recruitment, selection and induction
procedures associated with HR department. Such changes are highlighted in the policy statement
of the company stating that Samson Media is highly committed to recruiting and selecting
quality workforce and inducting staff so as to make sure that they possess knowledge of their job
role and thereby follow all required procedures. Further, a gist of the significant new policies has
been provided below:-
Recruitment, Selection and Appointment
 Prior to the recruitment process commencing, HR to develop a position description or
access an existing position description.
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 HR will advertise this position using organisation’s preferred medium(s) and Ad
templates specifying the role, key selection criteria, mandatory qualification and other
necessary details.
 Following receipt of applications, HR and the responsible manager to shortlist applicants.
 Interview of shortlisted candidates with HR and the responsible manager.
 Following the interview, agreement of HR and responsible manager upon selected
applicant and reference check to be done.
Induction
 Creation of staff files by HR for new staff member.
 Ensuring that staff member completes required documentation.
 Ensuring that induction plan is created and initial induction is completed during first
three months.
 Review and support session with new employee atleast 2 days prior to end of
probationary period.
 Creation of forward plan for development and training needs of new recruit.
Barriers to Change
While executing the transformation of digital magazines, certain barriers to change may
be observed within the enterprise which has to be taken into account by the top managers and the
new CEO of Samson Media. Such barriers can be in the form of resistance from employees, lack
of communication about change, inadequate resources, no understanding among employees
about link between vision and the desirable change (Eckerson, 2010). Thus, such barriers can
resist the enterprise from undergoing the strategic changes that need to be brought within
Samson Media in order to increase the readership of company as well as to enhance profits and
sales of company.
Change Management Strategies based upon information from 3 key sources
Drawing upon the sources such as Internet, research conducted on change management
and books & journals, it has been identified that there are certain strategies that will be
undertaken by Samson Media in order to embrace the strategic change needed. These are
described below:-
Effective Communication: The managers of Samson Media are required to make use of
effective communication strategies in order to communicate the need of change within the
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enterprise and to inform employees about the link of desirable change within the magazine, HR
policies etc. with the vision of Samson Media.
Implementation of Change facilitation programs: Samson Media should give
recognition and awards to those employees which assist the enterprise in bringing about the
desired change within the organisation. It will indicate a sense of achievement for such
employees and also encourage other staff members to do the same (Dincer, 2017).
PESTLE Analysis
It is necessary for Samson Media to analyse and evaluate the latest trends prevailing in
the magazine publishing or on-line readership in order to develop such plans and strategies that
can assist the enterprise in gaining high levels of readership for their own content. For this,
PESTLE analysis has been done below:-
Political Factors: Over years, the UK government has been encouraging the publisher
companies like Samson Media in their movement towards digital convergence which renders
marketers with the basic resources which are required to monitor the reader’s activity, namely,
the digital data.
Economic Factors: The economy of UK is strong which reflects that the country as well
as the businesses that are an active part of this nation is capable of bringing about such changes
within the publisher industry that can change the face of this sector and lead to massive increase
in readership levels of Samson Media. Further, the entity is going to freshly recruit a number of
skilled and competent employees and provide training to them which is a benefit for the
economy (generation of employment opportunities) (Den Hertog, Van der Aa and De Jong,
2010).
Social Factors: The content which will be published now in the magazines of Samson
Media include health, fitness, celebrity gossips and sports etc. which are latest and engaging
topics which arouse the interest of readers. The enterprise is capable of identifying more such
genres and topics related to which Samson Media can publish content.
Technological Factors: With advancements in technology, this company has realised the
significance of turning all the magazines to digital format in order to gain the attention of large
number of readers, thereby leading to increase in sales and profitability of enterprise (Gebauer,
Edvardsson and Bjurko, 2010).
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Legal Factors: The UK government has established various laws related to patents,
copyrights which have to be abided by Samson Media. Also, UK government has restricted the
publishing of content related to matters associated with pornography or other related topics
which are against public interest.
Environmental Factors: Samson Media has come up with the change associated with
digital embrace wherein they will convert the format of magazines into digital ones so as to lure
more number of customers and retain them for a long time. Thus, they have reduced the use of
paper which is a significant step towards the conservation of environment (Greenaway and Rudd,
2014).
ASSESSMENT 3
Change Management Plan
Change management plan refers to a process or plan for managing the people and other resources
for implementing changes in a business. This kind of plan is mostly done to identify actions
require for conducting a task, resources, time and people who overseen the entire activities. In
context with Samson Media, which is a publisher of fashion magazines, has overseen that its
readership has fallen from last two years. Therefore, in order to enhance readership, this
company has appointed a new CEO- Amir Johnson as a marketing director. Under guidance of
new CEO, general manager and seniors of every department will give their contribution in
achievement of current goals (Hang Do and et. al., 2014). It includes:
• Increase a return on capital with minimum 8% in upcoming 2 years
• Enact a transformational change which will convert all magazines into digital format
only.
• Close the printing and distribution site for reducing unnecessary expenses.
• Achieve cost efficiencies by relocating the head office to a smaller one.
• Restructure head office staff by reducing staff members including both permanent and
contract basis.
Therefore, for implementing changes i.e. to convert magazines into digital format, the new CEO
of Samson Media, has made a change management plan as given beneath. It describes major
actions with resources required to take the same (Incelli, 2013).
Change Management Plan
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Actions Resource
requirements
Who When Performance
Measures
Change
infrastructure
Computer and
Microsoft
Office
IT department Before
implementing
changes
Cost efficiency
Survey
Access to the
Internet for
research
R&D
department
Before
implementing
changes
Research
methodologies
tools
HR practices
Recruitment,
Selection and
Induction
Policy and
Procedures
HR department After
implementing
changes
Productivity
Terminate less
skilled workers
Termination
Policy and
Procedures
HR department During
implementation
of changes
Level of
performance
Description of
new changing
policies
Briefing
Report
Template
General
manager
Before
implementing
changes
Outcomes
Taking risk Risk
Assessment
Template
CEO After
implementing
changes
Financial
outcomes
Group meeting Meeting space Stakeholders Before, during
and after
implementation
of challenges
Stakeholders’
participation
Audiences Roleplay
participant
(assessor)
35 to 54 old
women
After
implementing
changes
Increase in
readership
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A communication and education plan
Changes are necessary for every enterprise in order to become more competitive and increase
productivity of business. This would help in generating more profitability and getting
sustainability in marketplace. With respect to Samson Media, in order to introduce digital format
into business, its marketing director has made an effective strategic plan. But as every alteration
in business impact directly on working environment, therefore, it gives rise to various barriers at
the time of implementation of new policies. It includes shortage of capital, employee resistance,
loss of stakeholders’ interest and cooperation etc. (Ismail, Nor and Sidek, 2015). In this regard,
in order to cope up with such barriers, it is essential for new CEO-Amir Johnson, the marketing
director, to establish a proper communication and education plan. Here, by establishing such
plan, it will become easy to entails stakeholders (customers, employees, investors and managers
of other departments) about what kind of changes are necessary to implement and how it will
prove beneficial for company in generating more profitability. This will help in turning
resistivity of workers to incorporate changes within business. Along with this, they will also give
their support and more commitment to achieve mentioned objectives in given period of time. For
this purpose, a key template of communication and education plan is given below:-
Communication and Education Plan
Audience Key message Delivery
method
Frequency and
duration of
session (if
applicable)
Location
Board of
Directors
Project
management
office update
Group meetings
and by email
using a standard
template
One hour
meeting on
regular basis
Within
premises
Investors New project Business
meeting or by
email
Weekly meeting
Hotels
Suppliers and
Distributors
Resources
required for
implementing
By using
available
technology or
N/A Within
company
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changes and
where to distribute
through
newsletters
Employees
About new
policies, latest
technologies and
type of new
working
environment
Through
seminars and
conference
meeting
N/A Conference hall
and workplace
Customers About new
products or
services
Through social
media channels
and company’s
websites
N/A On social sites
Stakeholder analysis
After developing change management plan, communication and education plan, it is essential for
new CEO of Samson Media to get approval of company’s Board of Directors. Here, with by
sending attachments of both plans to selected stakeholders, it will prove beneficial for getting
their reviews on the same. Through feedback of BOD and stakeholders, marketing manager can
make necessary modification in plan, if necessary. This would help in incorporating changes
more appropriately with reducing risk of barriers, within business. In addition to this, making
discussion with stakeholders help in construction of more effective plans for running a business
in competitive manner. As this company mainly seeks to reduce expenses and introduce digital
format of magazines in marketplace. Therefore, by getting approval of stakeholders, its
marketing manager can get cooperation of other associated persons, to implement changes more
easily (Hemphill, 2014).
Reporting arrangement for approval
In order to get approval of stakeholders for performing entire activities in sequence wise to
incorporate changes, it is essential for marketing manager of Samson Media to make appropriate
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arrangements. Here, through internal auditing, managers need to prepare an audit plan which is
based on the assurance needs of business. This plan will address how overall key systems and
processes of organisation will be audited during the audit cycle (Jones and Lubinski, 2012). It
also entails the areas of greater risk might at the beginning of change management plan and way
to reduce the same. Since, an audit plan is generally cover all areas of risk in annual manner.
Therefore, this plan helps management in taking different view of timing as well as priorities that
should be resolved through discussion for implementing changes successfully. Here, through e-
mail, new marketing manager of Samson Media can submit a draft for getting approval, in
following manner:-
To
CC
BCC
Subject
Message Hi there
This is to inform you all that company is going to implement some changes within
business in order to get profitability. Kindly open the given attachments to know
about type of changes and in what manner actions will be executed.
Shoot an email or call HR for giving your feedback and trenching your queries for
changes if you like to give your participation in company’s new development
policies.
Thanks
Amir Johnson
CEO (Marketing Director)
ASSESSMENT 4
Rationale and Vision of Change
The changes that have been proposed within Samson Media are restructuring the HR
policies and procedures, conversion of format of magazines into a digital one, redundancies of
permanent staff within head office and hiring more of contract workers, formulating an
ineffective communication system. The rationale associated with the proposed changes is
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execution of cost efficient operations and increasing the level of readership so as to enhance the
sales and profitability of enterprise within the marketplace (Kankaanranta and Planken, 2010).
The vision associated with bringing about these strategic changes within the organisation
is to become a leader in publisher industry by taking digital transformation to another level
within this sector.
Impact of Change on Operations
The proposed changes when executed across all the levels, departments, units of
company would lead to significant increase in readership levels for the magazine. Further, the
feature of subscription that has been introduced with the change will assist in gaining the
attention of a large number of customers due to the element of lucrative benefits that have been
provided only to subscribers, such as podcasts, discussions, video clips etc. (Lin and Chen,
2012). Consequent to the increase in readership levels of Samson Media, there will be increase in
revenues for the company. When the revenues tend to get boosted, this significantly leads to
enhanced profits as well as profitability for Samson Media.
ASSESSMENT 5
HR strategies to implement change management plan
As the main barrier in implementing changes within business is resistivity of employees.
Therefore, it is foremost duty of human resource department to adopt some HR policies for
reducing such resistivity. Here, with respect to Samson Media, its HR manager needs to provide
some effective trainings to workers, for developing their skills. For example: Apprenticeship
type of training helps in making employees familiar with new concept and technologies, during
working hours. This will aid workers to observe how to work with new techniques in order to
achieve company’s mission within set period of time. Along with this, by adopting some
effective HR policies like team development, managers can raise team-building sprit among
workers. This would help in developing sharing of skills and abilities of employees through
which they can co-operate each other, to complete entire activities on time (Sengoku, 2015).
For building an effective team, HR managers also need to develop ideas such as
Communication activities; Problem-solving or decision-making activities; adaptability and
planning activities and actions that focus on building trust (Mazzarol and et. al., 2014). Through
11

these types of activities, manager of Samson Media get advantage to enhance collaboration
among workers and develop an effective team.
Develop staff communication
For developing an effective communication among workers, HR manager of Samson Media can
use various techniques. It includes adopting an open-door policy, ready for reciprocal feedback,
create clarity about roles and responsibilities of each member, motivational techniques and more.
Here, by creating an open door policy where each member has given opportunity to share ideas
for developing effective policies for business, help in building trust among them. Along with
this, taking negative feedback of workers and analyse the reason behind same, aid managers to
reduce their resistivity for adopting changes. Other than this, dividing roles and responsibilities
as per skills and abilities of workers in a clear and concise manner also help in developing staff
communication (Lai and Ong, 2010). Similarly, by recognising workers for their efforts and
giving appraisals for same will boost morale of them as well. Thus, all such techniques help HR
manager of Samson Media in implementing changes more appropriately, with high commitment
of workers.
ASSESSMENT 6
Review of change management
Through open end discussion with employees, investors, Board of Directors and other
stakeholders, it has analysed that major portion of them are satisfied with concept of new project.
They have given some their viewpoint that for implementing changes, managers also need to
conduct a proper survey on targeted group (women of age 34 to 54). This would help in
analysing what kind of contents they would like to read in digital magazines (Lin and Chen,
2012). Through this process, manager get chance to incorporate more appropriate changes in
new services. Here, through discussion with every type of stakeholders and provide timely
information via email attachment, help in updating them about new policies. It helps in getting
high cooperation and commitment of staff members and investors in implementing changes in
better way.
Review of Change Management Plan and recommendations
The change management plan that has been devised by Samson Media is presented to
employees, investors and other stakeholders in order to gain feedback from them regarding the
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effectiveness of the plan. Thus, it has been analysed from their comments that majority of the
stakeholders are satisfied with the structural layout of the plan as well as the procedure which has
been decided to execute the same. Thus, the company is continuing with the plan of changing the
format of magazines to a digital one in order to lure a number of customers. However, it has been
recommended by some of the stakeholders that communication strategy can be enhanced in order
to effectively formulate the desirable change across the organisational premises (Miller and et.
al., 2016).
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it has been concluded that every business is likely to go through a
period of failure or witness a period of falling profits and revenues. Also, it has been analysed
that the managers of an organisation need to continuously review and evaluate the current
situation of company in accordance with industry and market in order to develop such strategies
or introduce changes which can lead to rise in sales. Besides this, it has been assessed that
communication and risk assessment are two major elements which need to be considered while
implementing any change within the enterprise. Along with this, it is ascertained that interest of
employees and stakeholders have to be taken into account and they should be communicated the
need of bringing chance in order to reduce resistance.
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