Analysis of Workplace Changes and Management Dilemmas

This report delves into the significant transformations occurring in contemporary workplaces. It highlights the shift from permanent jobs to more dynamic environments, driven by evolving management theories and technological advancements. The report examines key changes such as shrinking staff sizes due to outsourcing, the integration of collaborative technologies, and the rise of contract-based work and flexible arrangements. It also addresses the management dilemmas arising from these changes, particularly the challenges of implementing new technologies and adapting to industry forces. The report offers recommendations for managers, emphasizing the importance of forecasting future trends, implementing changes gradually using change management theories, and adapting to the evolving needs of the workplace. The report references several scholarly articles to support its analysis.

Running head: CHANGE
0
WORKPLACE CHANGES

CHANGE
1
Table of Contents
Introduction:...............................................................................................................................................1
New changes in the workplace:...................................................................................................................1
Management dilemma:...............................................................................................................................2
Recommendations:.....................................................................................................................................2
References:..................................................................................................................................................3

CHANGE
2
Introduction:
Change in the workplace is very common now days. The concept of permanent jobs and the
processes at the workplace has vanished. The processes of the buisness have changed because of
evolution of management theories and the technology. The pace of changing nature of workplace
is increasing day by day (Niessen, Swarowsky and Leiz, 2010). This study explores that there are
many factors that act as the drivers for any of the change in the organizations. Some of the basic
changes in the technology have replaced the old devices of the companies such as typewriters
have been replaced by computers; notice boards have been replaced by online portals etc. These
changes are evidently providing the newer opportunities to the workplace in order to make their
processes better.
New changes in the workplace:
The first change that has been observed in the workplace is that the staffs are shrinking. This is
because of the trend of outsourcing the non-core activities of the organizations such as IT,
Human resources, accounting etc. Outsourcing helps the company to concentrate on their core
activities that provides them more profit (Appelbaum, Habashy, Malo and Shafiq, 2012). This
change at one hand increases the job opportunities for the people in the outsourcing firms, but
also results in loss of trust from the employees of the company. Another change that has been
observed at the workplace these days is about the technologies used in the process. It has been
analysed that most of the process of the company are using technological tools in almost all
departments such as HRM, marketing, accounting etc. Collaborative technologies are used by the
employees in the organization to access the data and store the same in the central information
system. It is very much important for the organizations to make such technological changes in
order to compete with the competitors in the industry (Riratanaphong and van der Voordt, 2015).
Contract based working is another change that has been observed in the companies these days.
Most of the companies are hiring some of the people on the basis of contractual role which will
be for short period of time and those employees are not the permanent employees of the
company. This change is implemented by the companies or the workplace for cutting the cost.
People are facing issues as they needs to look for the jobs now because they do not have job

CHANGE
3
security. As there are many new strategies implemented by the company to retain the employees,
one of them is flexibility. The companies are giving greater flexibilities to their employees. The
practices of work from home and flexi hours are very common strategies that are being practiced
in the organizations (Beal and Ghandour, 2011). Depletion of resources and environment can be
seen. Thus there are many policies framed by the government in order to keep the organizations
sustainable. The organizations have to be more sustainable and environment friendly these days.
Management dilemma:
These various changes have been seen in the organizations that were not there in earlier times. It
has been analysed that the management of the companies are facing some of the issues regarding
making these changes. This is because implementing such changes in the organization requires
them to invest huge amount. This becomes very difficult for them to train the employees and
make them aware about the changes (Kamerman and Kahn, 2010). Some of the changes like
technological changes have to be done by the organizations because of the industrial force. There
are dilemmas in the minds of management regarding the issues that may generate if making the
changes in the processes. Decision making is the biggest challenge that has been faced by the
management of the company at the time of making the changes. There are some of the questions
that disturb the minds of the management such as:
 What changes need to be implemented?
 Which department needs to be changed?
Recommendations:
As a manager, it is very important to understand and forecast the future. This is because future is
dynamic in nature and the innovations are taking place at very high rate. Thus, it is required by
the management of the companies to be updated with all the strategies and the technology that
are prevailing in the industry and used by the competitors. Forecasting the future as per the
trends in the past helps the managers to make the contingency plan for the company. It is
required by the manager to implement the changes slowly and use the change management

CHANGE
4
theory of unfreezing, implementation and refreezing. This helps the employees to unlearn the
things they do before, and then understand the new concept. The last step is to adapt the changes
implemented (Hayes, 2014). Use of such theories by the managers helps them to bring the
change in efficient manner. It also helps the employees to adapt the changes without any
obstacles.

CHANGE
5
References:
Appelbaum, S.H., Habashy, S., Malo, J.L. and Shafiq, H., 2012. Back to the future: revisiting
Kotter's 1996 change model. Journal of Management Development, 31(8), pp.764-782.
Beal, D.J. and Ghandour, L., 2011. Stability, change, and the stability of change in daily workplace
affect. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 32(4), pp.526-546.
Hayes, J., 2014. The theory and practice of change management. Palgrave Macmillan.
Kamerman, S.B. and Kahn, A.J., 2010. The responsive workplace: Employers and a changing
labor force. Columbia University Press.
Niessen, C., Swarowsky, C. and Leiz, M., 2010. Age and adaptation to changes in the
workplace. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 25(4), pp.356-383.
Riratanaphong, C. and van der Voordt, T., 2015. Measuring the added value of workplace change:
performance measurement in theory and practice. Facilities, 33(11/12), pp.773-792.