Understanding and Leading Change: A Vodafone Case Study Report

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of change management and leadership strategies within Vodafone, a multinational telecommunications company. It examines the impact of both internal and external change drivers, such as organizational structure, resources, political stability, economic factors, social trends, and technological advancements, on leadership, team, and individual behaviors. The report evaluates measures to minimize the negative effects of change, including the application of the PDCA model. Furthermore, it identifies various barriers to change, such as improper communication and lack of commitment, and their influence on leadership decision-making. The study also explores the application of different leadership approaches in dealing with change initiatives, offering insights into how Vodafone can effectively navigate the dynamic environment and maintain its competitive edge. The report utilizes frameworks like the Force Field Analysis to assess the driving and resisting forces influencing change implementation.

Understanding and
Leading Change

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
P1. Comparison between the drivers of change and their impact which affects the
organisational strategy............................................................................................................1
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................2
P2. Evaluation of ways in which internal and external drivers of change affect leadership,
team and individual behaviours..............................................................................................2
P3. Measures which can be taken for minimising negative affect of changes upon
organisational behaviour........................................................................................................4
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................5
P4 Different barriers for change and its influence on leadership decision making................5
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................6
P5. Application of different leadership approaches to dealing with change..........................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Understanding and leading change is regarded as the practising area that is affiliated to
execute as well as deal with modification into firm. It is the aspect that is unavoidable, and needs
leaders as well as manager of firm for managing, leading as well as computing the overall
company towards the modification that is abide by dynamic atmosphere of entities (Al-Haddad
and Kotnour, 2015). As per the scenario, the undertaken company for this report is Vodafone. It
is the multinational telecommunication company having headquarters in Berkshire, UK. This
report is categorised into two parts, first one covers the comparing ways where changes effects
organisational strategy and operations with assess of influences which change driver has upon
behaviour of company. Another parts includes determination of how changing barriers influences
decision making of leadership and application of leadership approaches for changing initiatives.
TASK 1
P1. Comparison between the drivers of change and their impact which affects the organisational
strategy
Changes can be executed in several reasons like economic, technological, economical
and many others as well as whole these aspects affects strategy and operation of company
positively and negatively. Moreover, the modification impact organisational functioning and for
instances, efficacious measures are adapted for dealing with the changes. There are several
drivers that affect the system and strategies of firm. These modification are witnessed through
Vodafone and Virgin. Presently, Vodafone is going through a huge changes after their merger
with the company IDEA. In relation to Virgin, is gone through merger of T-mobile and Sprint
(Boost, MetroPCS and Virgin to survive merger with Sprint, T-Mobile executives promise, 2019).
So, all these changes impacts both organisation strategy and operations. The comparison among
both are described underneath:
Changes Vodafone Virgin Mobile
Organisational structure Before merger, the Vodafone
have vertical structure with
many hierarchies for whole
division. However, presently
In context to Virgin Mobile,
they have flexible
organisational structure where
interdepartmental
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respective firm has adopted a
new structure as a part of its
strategy post merger. The
impact of this particular
changes on strategies is that, it
will assists them to formulate
quick decisions. Moreover,
this new structure is horizontal
which have less hierarchies
and simplified structure of
governance (Vodafone
Announces New
Organisational Structure.
2019). This impact positively
on their operations as
appropriate communication as
well as and structure provides
respective firm an ease to work
with market effectively.
communication was
efficacious and whole
department has good control
over operation due to effective
interrelations. In respect of
operations: The Sprint merge
with T- mobile will reduce the
flexibility within structure as
control of organisation will be
exercised by leaders which
will be a negative impact for
firm. Due to similar reason,
these modification have
negative affects on their
strategies. Moreover, they
required to revise same to
ensure a smooth organisational
performance.
TASK 2
P2. Evaluation of ways in which internal and external drivers of change affect leadership, team
and individual behaviours
Change drivers regarded as the forces from outside or inside entities that motivate the
modification. Mainly there are two change drivers external and internal (Alvesson and
Sveningsson, 2015). In organisation like VODAFONE these drivers has affects upon person,
group and organizational behaviour. Both the changes driver and its affects are described
underneath:
Internal change drivers Organisational structure: This is regarded as the one of the prominent changes drivers. It
is so the culture is prevailing into entities is values, ethical structure as well as beliefs into
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firm. In respect of VODAFONE, their culture is so much in support of innovation as well
as technological enhancement. Thus, it impact in optimistic manner upon entities. In
context of leadership, transformational leadership is executed through firm that motivates
company to adapt modification properly through having effectual vision. Moreover, in
respect of individual and team behaviour, the culture have an optimistic affect as
standards and values of persons are so much apt with modification.
 Resources: This is regarded as other internal change drivers that involves persons,
procedures, monetary assets, technologies and others (Byers, 2017). Within
VODAFONE, all resources is continuously observed as well as assessed in respect of
performance wither this will appropriate for present market situation. Thus, changes for
betterment in active portion of entities. Therefore, this drivers will have a optimistic
impact towards leadership. It is so leaders regularly inspire person for adapting new
structure as well as adapt effective training process to assure efficaciousness.
External change drivers Political: Within this, the political stability is regarded as most efficacious consideration
for entities. VODAFONE is multinational firm within UK, so they needs to follow all the
regulation that is developed by their governments. However because of Brexit, respective
country get suffered from political instability. So, this changes driver may affect entities
pessimistically. Such as in respect of leadership, its leaders has to adapt effective
motivational process for retaining staff who is from EU. Also there have been an
uncertainty among workers in context of job that shows negative effect upon team and
individuals behaviours. Economical: Whole economical performance is related with this drivers. In context to
VODAFONE, the all international market scenario is going through with difficult time in
which economy is related. The huge downfall, tough working atmosphere and inflation
are having huge affect upon entities such as VODAFONE. The modification have
pessimistic affects into leadership as this became difficult for them for retaining staff into
low pay rates that impact its productivity. Also, this modification also caused
pessimistically upon team and individuals as there are no extra benefits are provided to
staff in that tough market.
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 Social: Whole trends as well as social preferences are undertaken in this drivers (Espedal,
2017). With combination of culture as well as social are predominating into whole world,
users prefer service that aids them to deliver overseas with an ease. It is perhaps regarded
as so much influential change drivers for VODAFONE. This have an optimistic affect
upon leadership, group and person attitude. In respect of leadership, this will permit their
administration to employ person from various culture as well as perform towards
rendering efficacious as well as culturally combined services to their users. Also, this
modification will has optimistic affect upon group and individual attitudes as it will be
experiencing the exposure of culture with ample number of opportunities to develop.
 Technological: This is regarded as the changes drivers which is associated with
technology as well as vary much inevitable into entities operations (van der Voet,
Kuipers and Groeneveld, 2015). With technology enhancement, it become easy to access
all over United Kingdom. VODAFONE adopted to modification their technological
operations and opt new one. It have optimistic effects upon leadership, it have to trained
its staff in context to adopt new technologies. However, there may be resistance at
personal level as this can be sometime tough to opt new technologies to perform. In
respect of team behaviour, it effects positively as staff into team experiences the
collective transition.
P3. Measures which can be taken for minimising negative affect of changes upon organisational
behaviour
In order to reduce the pessimistic affects, Vodafone may utilised PDCA change model for
maximising optimistic affects of modification. This model is described underneath:
 Plan: This is regarded as the beginning phase in this the firm is respond in modification
(Fragouli and Ibidapo, 2015). It is needed by the company VODAFONE to find its issues
and examine the whole marketplace for determining the opportunities that exists into
market area. Overall essential process, information and may more are required by
company to perform modification in their operations and strategies.
 Do: This is regarded as the other phases, within it VODAFONE have to improve various
project in respect to modification. It aids them to render training to its workers, obtain
new system, develop plan of action and so on. Whole these strategy as well as system that
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are devised into planning phase will be executed. Such as the company's strategy as well
as creating it in more horizontal way.
 Check: This is regarded as third phase of PDCA model which is associated with
examining the overall plan of action in proper way that is executed into last stage. Also, it
is vital step that entities have to comply it if they required to react as well as deal with the
changes in efficaciously. For it, VODAFONE may formed several standards for adopting
modification related to operations and strategies. Also, entities set standards if it can not
fulfilled that thereafter it may stop those and perform divergent. It is needed by entities
for changing the same to achieve objectives.
 Act: At this phases, VODAFONE determine that strategies or plan is efficacious in
respect of changes as well as from overall devised methods and plan of action that
entities considered is more appropriate strategies for modification.
TASK 3
P4 Different barriers for change and its influence on leadership decision making
At the time when entities are performing some types of changes few barriers may incurs
which creates a gap with real as well as standard activities that may have pessimistic impact
upon its day to day operations within work areas (Glass and Cook, 2016). Thus, this is the
manager's or leader's obligation to probe the market area as well as find out the barriers
thereafter resolve that. So, with the assistance of Force field model VODAFONE analyse the
changes.
Force Field analysis model:
This mainly utilised in decision making, planning as well as executing modification into
administrative activities into company. Moreover, the main intent of this is to examine difficult
issues which need to resolved inn effective way at correct time. It is categorised into two driving
and resisting forces. So, the evaluation of force field analysis in context of VODAFONE are
described underneath: Driving forces: It is regarded as the changes into force while there is modification into
clients demand so their manages create plan of action in accordant (Goldscheider,
Bernhardt and Lappegård, 2015). For example: the users of VODAFONE demands
effective services and others so they may able to adapt new organisational structure. Due
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to this their staff can able to perform effectively without any miscommunication. Thus,
VODAFONE managers make new plan of action to attain its users needs.
 Resisting forces: It is regarded as the barriers that entities goes through at the time of
doing modification within their business. Such as performing modification required extra
funds, lack of staff involvement as they do not prefer to adapt modification. These types
of workers attitudes affects their entities productivity. Hence, leader of VODAFONE has
to inspire their staff for performing the work appropriately.
Barrier which entities gone through at the time the changes are performed are discussed
below: Improper communication: This is regarded as the vital component for entities' success.
As improper communication leads them towards facing ample number of problems such
as affects upon leaders decision, disputes and others (Iles, 2017). Also, this affects
atmosphere of work and low down sales. Therefore, for dealing with it their leader has to
render relevant as well as clear information in regards to overall modification that occurs
into entities.
 Lack of commitment towards modification: This is regarded as another barriers towards
change. Such as staff into the company like VODAFONE may be usual to perform into
specific way. That will be changed after the modification performed into their structure
such as merger. It may decrease the involvement of workers towards modification with a
fear of its uncertainty as well as in efficacious performance of future, hence the barriers
that are occurs due to the modification. The entities should launch training session that
will permit them to integrate its vision with its subordinates in efficacious way.
TASK 4
P5. Application of different leadership approaches to dealing with change
After executing the modification, this is vital for entities to adapt efficacious leadership
approaches to deal with the changes appropriately (Kickul and Lyons, 2016). So, some
approaches that VODAFONE leaders adopt for handling the modification are discussed below: Autocratic: It is also regarded as authoritarian leadership. Adapting this approach will
facilitate power exercise to limited person who will also liable for making decision. Also,
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in this leadership approach, the respective organisation subordinates opinions are not
preferred throughout the modification that occurs into entities.
 Transformational approach: This is regarded as other efficacious approach which is
essential for leaders to adopt. In same, the whole transition is considered into account as
well as leaders are liable to develop a vision and assuring a smooth changes into plan of
action through maintaining acceptance in staff towards modification.
To efficaciously assess as to which these approaches are appropriate to deliver the
changes, Lewins change model is utilised that are discussed below:
Lewin's change model
This is regarded as the essential model of change which is established through Kurt
Lewins. It states the three different stages that are unfreeze, change and freeze (Lopez and Wise,
2015). VODAFONE applied this particular model in developing new structure that aids its leader
to make plan of action according to the change.
 Unfreeze: Herein, leaders of VODAFONE identify modification as well as take
permission for its administration as changes are needed within entities. For example: the
respective firm finds that they need to changes their working methods that they are using
at present. As they are performing into vertical structure for various division. But now
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Illustration 1: Lewin’s Change Theory
(Source: Lewin’s Change Theory. 2019)

they perform in horizontal structure so for this they has to take approval from its higher
authority. Changes: Herein, leaders of VODAFONE deliver the plan of action to all workers and
try to deal with many problems which are related with changes. Thereafter formulate plan
of action as per its requirements through involving its staff in this.
 Refreeze: Herein, VODAFONE find a way through which it may able to execute the
modification for surviving for longer duration within market. For it, respective
organisation conducts various programmes and describe their staff among the
efficaciousness of changed structure and how to perform in that with appropriates manner
(Mackey and et. al., 2015).
So, from the above mentioned approaches transformational is better one as this help
VODAFONE leaders to formulate a vision and accordingly develop plan of action for smooth
changes.
CONCLUSION
As per the above report, it have been concluded that while executing the changes there is
affects upon organisational process, plans as well as working style. With the assistance of
PESTLE analysis, the external marketplace is assessed but the individuals, team and leaders get
impacted that may influence their practices inappropriately. Moreover, PDCA model is applied
for reducing negative effects for the growth as well as development of firm. Also, there are some
barriers such as inappropriate communication strategy etc. influences the decision-making of
leadership. In addition to this, there are various approach of leadership like transactional,
situational etc. is applied to deal with the changes effectively and efficiently. Also, the lewin's
change model is used that help entities leaders to make an effective plan of action appropriately.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Al-Haddad, S. and Kotnour, T., 2015. Integrating the organizational change literature: a model
for successful change. Journal of Organizational Change Management. 28(2). pp.234-
262.
Alvesson, M. and Sveningsson, S., 2015. Changing organizational culture: Cultural change
work in progress. Routledge.
Byers, V., 2017. The challenges of leading change in health‐care delivery from the front‐
line. Journal of nursing management. 25(6). pp.449-456.
Espedal, B., 2017. Understanding how balancing autonomy and power might occur in leading
organizational change. European Management Journal. 35(2). pp.155-163.
Fragouli, E. and Ibidapo, B., 2015. Leading in crisis: Leading organizational change & business
development. International Journal of Information, Business and Management. 7(3).
p.71.
Glass, C. and Cook, A., 2016. Leading at the top: Understanding women's challenges above the
glass ceiling. The Leadership Quarterly. 27(1). pp.51-63.
Goldscheider, F., Bernhardt, E. and Lappegård, T., 2015. The gender revolution: A framework
for understanding changing family and demographic behavior. Population and
Development Review. 41(2). pp.207-239.
Iles, V., 2017. Leading and managing change. ABC of Clinical Leadership. 24(1). pp.49-87.
Kickul, J. and Lyons, T. S., 2016. Understanding social entrepreneurship: The relentless pursuit
of mission in an ever changing world. Routledge.
Lopez, P. and Wise, D., 2015. Leading Change for the Implementation of Common Core State
Standards in Rural School Districts. Education Leadership Review of Doctoral
Research. 2(1). pp.47-56.
Mackey, J. K. and et. al., 2015. Leading change with digital technologies in education.
van der Voet, J., Kuipers, B. and Groeneveld, S., 2015. Held back and pushed forward: leading
change in a complex public sector environment. Journal of Organizational Change
Management. 28(2). pp.290-300.
Online
Boost, MetroPCS and Virgin to survive merger with Sprint, T-Mobile executives promise. 2019.
[Online] Available Through: <https://www.fiercewireless.com/wireless/boost-metropcs-
and-virgin-to-survive-merger-sprint-t-mobile-execs-promise>
Vodafone Announces New Organisational Structure. 2019. [Online] Available Through:
<https://www.vodafone.com/content/index/media/vodafone-group-releases/2010/
new_structure.html#>
Lewin’s Change Theory. 2019. [Online] Available Through:
<https://www.lucidchart.com/blog/lewins-change-theory>
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