WMB Change Management: Applying Kotter's Model - Case Study

This case study analyzes the change management challenges faced by Wild Man Burgers (WMB), a fast-food restaurant experiencing declining market share and revenue due to evolving consumer preferences, technological advancements, and increased competition. The study identifies the main problems, including outdated business models, poor service, and a failure to adapt to changing demographics. It explores potential strategies such as rebranding, utilizing social media marketing, employee motivation, and product diversification. The paper emphasizes the application of Kotter's eight-step change model to address these issues, detailing how each phase can be implemented within WMB to create a sense of urgency, build a guiding coalition, develop a vision, communicate the vision, empower others, generate short-term wins, consolidate gains, and anchor new approaches in the culture. The recommendations focus on improving food quality, service, and employee training to regain competitiveness and attract a wider customer base, ultimately aiming for successful organizational transformation.

Running head: CASE STUDY: WMB CHANGE MANAGEMENT
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Case study: WMB change management

CASE STUDY: WMB CHANGE MANAGEMENT 2
Executive summary
Due to swift global modifications and advancement in technology, several organisations have
experienced the necessity to change in order to grow and cope with the dynamic business. The
change management concept by John Kotter have won a broad acceptance by many scholars for
decades since he first introduced framework expounding the changing aspects of active business
management. Currently, Kotter has additionally advanced his confidant framework. Kotter stated
that the central drive of management is to retain the existing structure working. The major
purpose of management is to create valuable modification. When correctly utilised, Kotter model
can assist business leader overcome conflict to modification within the corporation, and thus
support organisation change. Kotter’s change concepts pinpoint traits that stand in the direction
of strong organisational transformation.
Organisations that struggle to stay competitive and positive ought to embrace modification.
Corporation leaders must learn they embrace modification management concepts so that they can
incorporate themselves into their transformation routine. Kotter’s classical of change offers
change managers with the eight phases that are important when starting change actions. The
participation of personnel reduces the risk of resistance, and as well as determines that workers
share the similar idea as the supervision. The executions of Kotter’s concept in a fast-foods
restaurant such as WMB will determine how the eatery reaches its target objectives.

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Table of contents
Executive summary.........................................................................................................................2
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
Case study........................................................................................................................................5
Main problems.................................................................................................................................5
Causes of the problem.....................................................................................................................6
Possible strategies............................................................................................................................6
Kotter’s Model change model.........................................................................................................8
WMB and Kotter’s concept.............................................................................................................8
Recommendations..........................................................................................................................10
Effectiveness after use of Kotter’s concept...................................................................................11
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................11
References......................................................................................................................................12

CASE STUDY: WMB CHANGE MANAGEMENT 4
Introduction
Organisation initiates projects so as to execute transformations with the company. Change is
unavoidable aspects in any company that wishes to prosper. The managerial team ought to
supervise the transformation management routine to establish the workers and all groups linked
with the firm. Generally, change managerial involves the altering of workers and the
organisation in the direction of target destination (Bratton and Gold, 2017). This paper highpoint
the case of WMB in which it started recording the decrease in market share and revenues. For
the past one decade, the WMB has struggled with emerging problems such as technology and
change of product preference by users. This had made the company to receive bad review, in the
recent which has made its sales to reduce the significantly. Therefore, WMB needs to review its
process and workforces to establish that the restaurants have the ability to contest with other
prosperous fast food cafeterias. The paper also discusses how Kotter’s concept for change can be
used to determine victory in the plan.
Case study
In mid-2012, Wild Man Burgers (WMB) - priced for value; quick, tasty and plenty of it” was
clear failing. Market and profits were reducing as user expectations moved to healthier and
wider selections of foods and beverages. The trend was also changing from functional seating,
garish livery, easy-wipe surface and industrial-style lighting to comfortable modern lighting and
décor, WIFI-connections and current in-store designs. As the founder and managing director of
the WMB parent firm, BB group, Bill felt increasingly pressure to change with the time or risk
destroying his dynasty.
In between 1980s and 1990s, Bill was able to reduce interest payment and costs of operating
business. Considerable economies of scale and routine efficiencies were realised through the

CASE STUDY: WMB CHANGE MANAGEMENT 5
ownership of stores and control over supply chains for vegetables, meat patties, and other
consumable. Using the low-pay, part time employees, aged between 16 and 19 years, he kept
operating costs down at WMB. The young people accounted for about 80% of the 230 WMB
managers and staffs positioned across 17 stores and the BB holding headquarters in Auckland.
Main problems
The main problem is the reduction in profit and revenue pronounced in Auckland-centred stores
developed in the early 1980s and also rapid changing demographics. Revenues from the WMB’s
17 outlets have been failing by an average of 12% per year in between 2009-2012, with the
operating costs growing with inflations rate of 9% annually. Additionally, the WMB business
model which was being used in 1980s and 1990s came under severe pressure in new millennium.
Causes of the problem
Main problems exist that affects the optimal operations of the WBM. First, the company has
been unable to embrace new technology in the cafeteria which has reduced the company’s sales.
Similarly, the delivery of fast food has resulted to a bad repute; that minimise the number of
user. The company cannot afford to reduce sales further as they face stiff competitions in the fast
foods restaurants such as Pizza Hut and MacDonald which are flourishing and can easily kick the
company out of the marketplace. Therefore, users can change easily their fast food eating routine
because of the healthy issues and service delivery process. The management ought to review
employees and establish whether it has sufficient workers (Benn, Edwards and Williams, 2014).
Millennium, the new period of rising computer expectations accelerated by lifestyle programs,
transforming inner-city demographics, social media and augmented competition for employees
and classy users from huge international companies such has McDonalds causes WMB’s sale

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revenues and market share to reduce. Also, in 2009, growing number of boutique and healthy-
burger franchises were also taking the big part of Bill’s market share in the wealthy inner-city
suburbs of Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch. Moreover, the company enticed the blue-
collar male demographic while forgetting to capture the growing white-collar, healthy-conscious
female and family markets.
Possible strategies
There was recognition that the brand required to stay in a dynamic market in which users and
wants and industry standards were continually developing (Kaufman, 2017). Rebranding of the
product is important for the company to upsurge the sales and increase the market share
(Harrison and Lock, 2017). The novel brand characteristics were to comprise what the Sydney-
centred consultant’s terms as “cheeky, playful, new name-burger U”. This would reposition the
business from “mass market” to boutique attracting to a new generation who seeks quality, value,
comfortable, friendly service and pleasant surroundings. The company should also amalgamate
the brand values promoted with traditional, value and quality with assurance of high standards of
hygiene. This would create friendly and authentic involvement of users to build loyal associates
who can recommend ‘Burger U’ to family and friends.
Another strategy is using the social media marketing tools to assess the company positions in the
market and that of competitors. The company can use Google plus, Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn
and instagram by assessing metrics such as likes, recommendations, or referrals. For instance,
the online presence of the company changed, with an upgraded website reflecting the novel
brand design and values, variations to the Facebook pages of all 17 outlets and the advancement
of a novel ‘Burger U App’.

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It is worth noting that the company’s workforces are young aged between the 16-19 years.
Therefore, any kind of motivation can make them increase performance, and reduces the rate of
turnover and outsourcing from big skills that are looking for young experienced workers.
Employee motivations; workers motivation can either intrinsic or extrinsic aspects which make
the employees to feel much engaged with company’s undertaking. Some of the intrinsic
motivations are the promotion, job security and satisfaction and also being involved in the
change process and decision making (Geisler and Wickramasinghe, 2015). Extrinsic elements
comprise rewards, pay-rise and reimbursement. Also, the company can take initiatives in training
new and existing employees. Products diversification: due to the increase of healthy issues
associated to the fast food, consumers are being conscious on what they take.
Kotter’s Model change model
Kotter’s mode for transformation can be fragmented into eight phases. The initial stage
comprises creating the sense of urgency (Hayes, 2014). The transformation agent ought to thrive
to assist other to visualise the desire for transformation. When workers imagine the desire for
the variation, they will comprehend the requirement to act quickly. The second-phase comprises
the building of the direction alliance. The second-stage encompasses collecting of a set that has
the ability of leading the transformation exertions (Botha, Kourie & Snyman, 2014). The third
sage comprises emerging a modification idea to direct the transformation efforts and institute
approaches to realise the notion. The fourth phase is vision communiqué of the company.
Communication is important as it tries to establish numerous individuals understand and agree
on the approaches and visions for transformation. The fifth phases comprise supporting to
eradicate any blockade to the projected variations (Booth, 2015). The organisation ought to erase
any blockades that avert the set vision accomplishment. The sixth stage encompasses the short-

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term generation successes. The transformation managers must control for realisation that can be
achieved. In additional, the transformation managers ought to make sure they have recognitions
and rewards structure to acknowledge the workers who realise the achievements (Cascio,
2018). The next stage comprises utilising advanced integrity to re-organise structure that do not
apt the idea. The last phase encompasses the amalgamation of the transformation into the
organisation culture. The managerial ought to link the novel behaviour with the organisational
achievement (Yılmaz and Kılıçoğlu, 2013).
WMB and Kotter’s concept
The initial phase according to Kotter is to create a sense of urgency, in connection to the
concerns that the company is encountering. In link to WMB, the board should notify the
workforces in all branches of the business’s targets. The managerial ought to determine that
workers are conscious that transformation is compulsory so as to upsurge the competitive lead of
the firms and entice extra user to the cafeteria (Ceptureanu, 2015). WMB should struggle to
launch approaches its can embrace to advance the company’s food contents, and quality of
services. The second phase comprises instituting an active group which will overseas the
transformation routine (Malik and Masood, 2015). The board will find team performers who
have diverse, but feasible abilities that the transformation routine needs. At the WMB, the
managing team will comprise workers from the all branches and various departments. The team
member’s diversity will determine that the group can get a range of knowledge to advance the
restaurant operations.
In generating a vision for transformation, WMB should try to offer the food that is health
conscious to customer with good services such as WIFI. WMB should institute an idea that
enable users trust that the business has modified, and good foods and services are offered.

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The subsequent step comprises communiqué of vision. The workers of WMB should be the key
in the general vision of the modification actions. The personnel both at upper and low level
management will be the initiators of the change (Hamilton & Webster, 2015). The above
inclusivity will reduce the peril of resistances and skirmishes. When starting the transformation,
the workforces of the WMB will be under learning procedure. It is with the learning routine that
will enable the workers realise the change importance.
The next phase comprises the person’s empowerment in the change process. The WMB
management require empowering the workers with extra talents. The improvements should not
merely focus on food but also the user services (Bradley, 2016). Employees should be trained
and also there should be delivery of important tools required for the implementation of task
(Cummings & Worley, 2014).
The subsequent phase concentrates on the building of a short-term achievement. The creation of
short-terms victory permits workers become fascinated in getting the long-term aims of the
modification plan (Hill, Jones and Schilling, 2014). WMB should establish that they execute
short-term plans that could results to services developments. The next phase comprises the gains
consolidation so as to generate more modifications. In the case of WMB, the managing team can
deliberate on employing additional workers. The type of the food offered WMB and inadequate
service have been the cause of the lower sales. Therefore, the executive should employ more
workers to improve the quality of provision of services. The company should also hold a new
drill program to improve the workers abilities. Lastly, company should attempt to execute the
modifications and establish the vicissitudes that are portion of the WMB’s organisation
philosophy.

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Recommendations
WMB will have to upsurge cash connected to employing and drilling of both new and existing
employee. The company also requires upsurge its workforces to improve the service delivery.
Providing quality foods which are health conscious are mandatory for any restaurant currently.
The company will need to re-train workers and establish that they comprehend the requirement
for current menu orders and up to date customer delivery process. The cooks will be re-trained to
improve their cookery capabilities. The chefs will not simply concentrate on advancing their
foodstuffs but also launch innovative foodstuffs that will be in the menu.
Effectiveness after use of Kotter’s concept
The Kotter’s framework application is expected to institute a novel idea to the workers which
show a considerable advancement in the services provision (Dawson and Andriopoulos, 2014).
The managerial will have offered the workers with a straightforward vision that focuses on
transformation and advancing the working criteria of the restaurants. The cafeteria will then start
to produce foodstuffs that will realise the requirements of the users. The generations of
foodstuffs that accomplish the requirements of the purchaser are consumed to result in an
upsurge of sales. Currently, WMB is stressed with extreme rivalry from well-known fast food
restaurants like MacDonald’s. But, advancements in the types of food and adaptation to new
technology in provision of services will raise the restaurant returns and the company will go back
to old days when it used to thrive irrespective of the opposition.
Conclusion
Transformation management creativities enhance the execution of the plan directed at
progressing service provision across the corporation. Variation management visions also
determine that the employees are helpful of modification routine. WMB will improve service

CASE STUDY: WMB CHANGE MANAGEMENT 11
distribution by re-training of its workforces on food preparations and delivery of outstanding
customer service. The vision of the company is to increase the brand reputation and customer
engagement that will translate to high sales revenue. The effective executions of transformation
management approach starts with the identifications of concern. Additionally, the management
ought to make sure that they include the workers when establishing an active transformation
routine. Kotter’s concept is an active change managing theory that directs businesses over their
modification routine. Kotter’s framework offers the managing team with strategies that they
must execute to augment service provision.

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References
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environment: Knowledge management and knowledge management technology. Elsevier,
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Bradley, G. (2016). Benefit Realisation Management: A practical guide to achieving benefits
through change. CRC Press, pp. 123-142.
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