Leading and Managing Change Report: Tesco and Brexit Impact

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Tesco's approach to leading and managing organizational change, with a specific focus on the impact of Brexit. It explores the company's strategic responses, including the application of Kurt Lewin's change management model, and the role of the HR department in facilitating change. The report details the importance of clear communication, employee training, and stakeholder involvement in navigating the challenges posed by a dynamic business environment. It also examines the challenges faced by the HR department and outlines strategic approaches to mitigate these issues, ensuring the company's sustainability and adaptability in the face of uncertainty. The report highlights key areas of organizational and individual resistance to change and offers insights into how Tesco can effectively manage these aspects of change management.

Leading and
managing
change

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY.................................................................................................................................................3
Approach of the organization..................................................................................................................3
Approach of HR department of the organization....................................................................................5
Challenges for the HR department and the strategic approaches which can be adopted by them.........7
CONCLUSION...............................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Organizational change refers to a process which brings an overall change within the
structure, policies, strategies and the methods adopted by an organization (Behal, 2019). It
changes the dynamics of a company which can lead to a change in the future. It has to adopt so
as to sustain in a dynamic business environment. This report is based on Tesco which is a British
Company is dealing in groceries and other consumer products. After the exit of U.K. from E.U.
through the Brexit process there is a lot of uncertainty which has been created in its environment.
In this assignment, a detailed analysis on strategic and organizational importance will be made.
Also, critical evaluation of theories, strategies and tactical options, combination of planned and
unplanned change and critical assessment of key areas of organizational and individual resistance
to change will be discussed as a part of this project.
MAIN BODY
Approach of the organization
There is no particular approach which the organizations can adopt in order to manage the
change which can be witnessed in the dynamic business environment (Bell, 2019). As Tesco is a
big multinational company it will be significantly affected by the change brought because of the
impact of Brexit.
The steps which can be adopted by Tesco for organizational change management are as
follows-
 Clear definition of change- It is important for the companies to define what the meaning
of change is. For Tesco, it is highly necessary because it will enable its management to
find out how much they are going to be affected from the change brought due to Brexit.
 Determination of impact- After defining the change, it is essential that the impact which
has been created by it is determined. In the context of Tesco, it is extremely essential
because it will lead to implementation of a clear strategy for managing change due to
Brexit.
 Development of communication strategy- After the impact has been determined it
becomes essential to develop a strategy for communication purposes. In the context of
Tesco, it is very much necessary so that its managers are able to develop a strategy to
communicate the impact of change due to Brexit.
 Effective training- After the communication strategy has been developed, it is necessary
that effective training is undertaken. For Tesco, it is necessary that effective training is
given to its workers to manage the change taking place due to the impact of Brexit.
 Implementation of support structure- A support structure needs to be implemented in
order to manage the change process properly. Tesco’s managers need to create such

structure to manage changes taking place due to the impact which has been created by
Brexit.
 Measurement of change process- Change process has to be measured regularly so that
if there are problems and issues they can be rectified effectively and efficiently.
Therefore, the managers of Tesco need to make sure that they measure the impact created
by change process due to Brexit regularly.
Tesco as a big organization needs to take a planned approach towards the adoption of
change. It can take this approach step-by-step through the application of Kurt Lewis’s
change management model. The application of model in the context of the company is as
follows-
Stage 1- Unfreezing- This is the first stage in the process of transition (Clark and et.al.,
2017). In it, the managers are required to make people willing in order to adapt to the
change process. This is a very difficult stage because the people have to be readied for
the change. Therefore the management of a company has to act here very quickly and
ready people for the change which will take place eventually. In the context of Tesco,
there has to be a strategy framed on the part of the management to make people in the
organization aware about the change which is likely to come through the implementation
of Brexit and therefore a full plan has to be framed to systematically implement the
change process gradually so that it does not leads to issues and problems for the people
working in the firm. Also, it is the responsibility of the managers to help the people cope
up with it. Thus this step becomes quite important for the change process to be
implemented.
Stage 2: Change- The next step in the model is the actual change process (Cranfield,
2016). After the people have been made aware about the nature of change which is about
to happen in the organization the next which the management should take is to implement
the change. This will allow the change to be implemented in the organization. For Tesco,
this is necessary because the change likely to come up with the implementation of Brexit
has to be brought in the operations and functioning of the company. Thus in this process
a lot of work is required to be done on the part of the management to make sure that the
organization is not affected by this process. Thus, the right techniques are required here
for this purpose and the necessary work has to be done by the managers. Careful
planning, proper communication and the involvement of individuals in this process is
highly necessary for this will help a lot to get the work done without facing any problems
and issues in the future time period. Tesco’s managers need to make sure that they will be
able to maintain a higher level of efficiency, effectiveness and productivity in the future.
Stage 3: Freeze (Refreezing) - It is the last step of this model. In this stage, people
gradually become comfortable with the change which has taken place (Donald and

Donald, 2019). This is necessary in order to maintain a higher level of efficiency and
effectiveness in the processes of the organization after the change has been implemented.
In the context of Tesco, it is very important because this will allow making sure that
normalcy resumes in the company’s functioning and thus the required work can be done
easily without any problems and issues in the future time period. When this stage comes
it will mean that Tesco’s workers are now more comfortable with the change which will
come with implementation of the Brexit process and thus they are required to work
properly for the required implementation of the change in the company.
Approach of HR department of the organization
The HR department of an organization has a very big role to play in management of
change within an organization (Frankling, Jarvis and Bell, 2017). The HR department of Tesco
needs to play a role within the company so that they are able to make people aware about the
change process which is going to take place due to the implementation of Brexit. The HR
department can do the following-
 Involvement of stakeholders- There is an active involvement of the stakeholders in the
change process within the organization (Iles, 2017). By this, it has to be made sure that
the stakeholders of the company are well-aware about the change process in the firm.
This is quite important because the stakeholders have a lot of interest in the operations of
an organization. In the context of Tesco, it is necessary that its various stakeholders are
made aware about the change process which can take place in the company due to the
implementation of Brexit. The HR department here needs to prepare a clear strategy and
plan for it. Thus in this way the department can make sure to implement the change
properly without facing any kind of issues and problems.
 Facilitation of open dialogue- It is required that an open dialogue should be made with
those people who have some sort of interest in the operations and functioning of the
company (Kennedy and Jones, 2017). By doing this, the HR department of a company
can make sure that it is able to talk about the change process which is going to take place.
In the context of Tesco, it is required that its HR managers make sure that they
communicate properly with those people who have an interest in the organization. In this
way, the company can properly manage the change process without facing any kind of
issues and problems. Thus, the HR department of Tesco is required to make a clear
strategy regarding having dialogue on Brexit and the change process which is likely to be
witnessed due to it and thus the required approach has to be undertaken by the
department for doing so.
 Implementation of strategic communication plan- A strategic communication plan has
to be framed by the HR department in order to make sure that proper communication is
done with all those people who have an interest in the business (5 ways to help lead
successful change management, 2016). In the context of Tesco, this is quite necessary

because this will allow people to understand how the change process is going to be
implemented. The HR department of the company can take the necessary actions
properly so that it is able to get the required work done without facing any kind of issues
and problems in the future time period. If it frames a strategic communication plan then it
can easily explain to all those people who have an interested in the business about the
changes which will take place due to the implementation of Brexit in the country and the
measures which the HR department is going to take.
 Training and support of employees- The employees are required to be trained and
supported properly with the application of right techniques because initially they may be
quite resistant to the process of change which is bound to come (Middlewood, 2019). For
the HR department of Tesco, it is highly necessary that its employees are trained and
supported properly which is going to make sure that they are adopting an effective and
right approach towards implementation of change which is bound to come with Brexit.
This will make workers more adaptable to change and they will be able to work upon
increasing their overall level of efficiency, effectiveness as well as level of productivity
in the future time period. Thus the HR department of Tesco is required here to take the
necessary steps to make sure that the employees are well trained and supported to adapt
to the change process.
 Explaining the benefits of change- There is a requirement of explaining the benefits of
change to the different people having a specific interest in business (Palino, 2020). They
have to be explained about the change process and how it is important for the company.
The HR department of Tesco needs to identify the benefits of the change process and
explain it to the various people concerned with the business. They should also explain the
wide opportunities in the front of the company due to the change process and how they
can be utilized effectively to achieve the goals and objectives.
Therefore, the HR department of Tesco can specifically work forward in ensuring
that the change process is carried on without any problems and issues in the future time
period. It has to take various steps to implement the required change in the organization
which should be brought after the implementation of the Brexit process. It has to take a
specific and planned approach to make sure that the operations and functioning of the
organization is not affected due to the change process and the right approach is adopted
for implementing it in the future time period and the employees gradually get
comfortable with it.
Challenges for the HR department and the strategic approaches which can be
adopted by them
Organizational change is a complex process. It requires a very careful approach to be
dealt with. Therefore the HR department of an organization has different types of challenges in
front of them due the process of change. These challenges are as follows-

 Communicating about the change- The HR department has this challenge to
communicate effectively about the change process (Popovic and Plank, 2016). Tesco’s
HR department has this specific challenge because they need to communicate with
various people about the type of change which can be witnessed due to the
implementation of Brexit in the country. Further, there are also various types of barriers
which are created while communicating with some people which make it a real challenge
for the HR department to communicate with the people about the change process to be
implemented.
 Readying people for change- There will be many people within the organization who
are not at all ready to handle the change which is about to come (Seale and Cross, 2016).
Therefore it becomes the responsibility of the HR department to make sure that the
people are going to be ready for the change process to take part effectively and efficiently
without facing any problems and issues in the future time period. Here, the HR
department of Tesco faces challenge because it is not an easy task for them to make
people ready for change and it is quite a lengthy process.
 Resistance to change- There may be a resistance to change which can be witnessed
within the company. For the HR department of Tesco it is a challenge they need to cope
up with. This can happen because there are many employees who are quite unwilling to
change according to the needs and requirements of the company and thus are very much
resistant to this process. Therefore it is a major challenge. This presents a challenge for
the HR department because it has to implement the change which will take place due to
the implementation of Brexit in the country.
 Training for the change- It is not only necessary to tell the people within the
organization about the change but also to make them ready to face it practically (Spoehr,
2016). This is another challenge which the HR department faces. For the HR department
of Tesco, this presents a challenge because of the fact that special training sessions may
be required for the employees in the company to make them ready to face the required
change and make sure that they will adapt to it gradually. Thus, this is quite a challenging
task which the organizations are required to fulfill properly.
 Implementing the change- Implementing the change is also a challenge in front of the
HR department (Tuala, 2017). It is quite challenging for the HR department of
organizations to implement the change in the company. In the context of Tesco, its HR
department faces a challenge because it has to take various measures in order to
implement the change within the organization. This is not easy for the managers and it is
a challenge for them because proper planning and right approach is also required for this
particular process to be implemented gradually in the company’s processes and the
overall functioning.
For handling organizational change and implementing it properly in the processes of the
organization the HR department is required to adopt various strategic approaches. They are
explained as follows-

 Identifying the change- It is required from the HR department that it identifies what
kind of change is going to be brought in the organization. Thus the change has to be
defined specifically in the context of the organization. For Tesco’s HR managers it is
required that they categorically work forward towards identification of change which is
going to be brought in the organization. This is the change which is going to be brought
in the company due to the implementation of Brexit in the country. Thus, the right
approach has to be used by the HR department here to effectively achieve the goals and
objectives by implementing the change process.
 Developing a plan- The HR department of a company is required to make a specific plan
which will be used in order to deal with the process of change (Velmurugan, 2017). In the
context of Tesco, it is highly necessary that it is able to deal with this process gradually
so that it does not face any specific problem. Thus the HR department of the company is
required to make a plan to deal with the change which will come due to Brexit.
 Convincing the employees- For the HR department of a company convincing the
employees to adapt to the change is a very tough task. For the HR department of Tesco, it
becomes highly necessary to convince the employees to adapt to the change process and
thus this has to be done by them by adapting a particular strategy for convincing those
employees who are quite resistant to the process of change.
 Taking the right route- The HR department of a company needs to make sure that it is
adopting the right route to implement the required change within the processes of the
organization. In the context of Tesco, it is very important because it will help it in
implementing the change because of Brexit in the country.
 Implementation of change- The HR department needs to make sure that it is able to
implement the change effectively. For Tesco’s HR department this is a challenge because
the change is due to Brexit in the country and it is not easy to implement it. However by
making the right plans and implementing the right strategy the company can be able to
implement the change within the processes as well as functioning of the organization
helping it to achieve the goals and objectives.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it can be concluded that leading and managing change is a
challenging process in an organization. The approach of the company matters a lot here, the HR
department has to develop a specific strategy for implementing it and it has various challenges in
front of it and it can take different approaches to deal with these challenges effectively. This will
help the company to easily implement the change process and thus will help it in the future as its
efficiency, effectiveness and productivity level will raise leading to an increase in the level of
profits. Thus the organization will be able to obtain a strategic edge over its competitors in the
future time period.

REFERENCES
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Managing Change in the Age of Disruption and Artificial Intelligence. Emerald Publishing
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Frankling, T., Jarvis, J. and Bell, M., 2017. Leading secondary teachers' understandings and
practices of differentiation through professional learning. Leading and Managing. 23(2). p.72.
Iles, V., 2017. Leading and managing change. ABC of clinical leadership. 24(1). pp.49-87.
Kennedy, M. L. and Jones, R., 2017. Leading and Managing Strategy in the 21st Century'. The
Emerald Handbook of Modern Information Management. Emerald Publishing Limited. pp.137-
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Middlewood, D., 2019. LEADING AND MANAGING PROFESSIONAL STAFF. Principles of
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Palino, T., 2020. Leading without Managing: Becoming an Engineering Technical Leader.
Popovic, C. and Plank, K. M., 2016. Managing and leading change. Advancing practice in
academic development, pp.166-178.
Seale, O. and Cross, M., 2016. Leading and managing in complexity: the case of South African
deans. Studies in Higher Education. 41(8). pp.1514-1532.
Spoehr, T., 2016. Leading and Managing High-Performing Army Organizations. Military
Review. 96(4). p.8.
Tuala, M. I., 2017. The role of the cluster manager in leading and managing change in the
resource teacher: learning and behaviour service (Master's thesis).
Velmurugan, R., 2017. Nursing issues in leading and managing change. International Journal of
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Online

5 ways to help lead successful change management. 2016. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.insidehr.com.au/5-steps-to-successful-change-management/>