Handbook of Principles of Organizational Behavior - Soltanieh ...

SUSTAIN ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE THROUGH CONTINUOUS LEARNING 547
implemented. For example, business, customer or product and project teams may
be created; change from a decentralized divisional structure to a matrix structure
may be necessary; the number of hierarchical layers may be reduced; the size and
role of corporate staff may change.
◆ How will the top team ’s own leadership behavior change to enable the new organization
to function effectively? These changes may include modification in the CEO ’s
style and/or changes in the frequency and focus of top management meetings
and work. For example, the CEO of Becton Dickinson received feedback from an
employee taskforce that he too closely supervised the corporate strategic planning
process and that there were too many meetings. He responded by delegating more
responsibility to his sector presidents and changing the focus and content of his top
team ’s management work (Beer and Williamson, 1991 ).
◆ What changes in people ’s skills will be needed to ensure that the new organization
works effectively? Changes in human resource policies and practices will be needed
to ensure that the right people with the right skills occupy the new roles designated
by the reorganization.
5. Communicate and involve people in implementation
The new organizational vision has to be communicated to the whole organization. People
in the organization should be told why a new strategy is needed and how the new organizational
arrangements will help shape new behavior and better performance. Articulating
the links between new competitive realities and the new organization will enable people to
commit to the changes.
Consider what Don Rogers, the general manager of the Electronic Products, a Division
at Allentown Materials Corporation, did in this regard (Beer, 1998a ). Rogers ’ top team
had just decided to implement cross - functional new product development teams to
enhance product development success, a strategic imperative for them to compete in their
industry. Rogers and his whole top team visited 13 locations over a two - month period to
communicate with every salaried employee how the new organization would work and
why they were adopting it. The why included telling all employees about competitive
problems that led to change and organizational barriers that had been uncovered through
a survey and diagnosis of the division, including problems people perceived in Rogers ’
own leadership. Communication was two - way. After Rogers and his team presented
their change plan, employees met in small groups to discuss what they heard. They then
assembled to raise questions and challenge management. A dialog between top and bottom
is essential for top management to learn about potential problems they will encounter in
implementation so that they can make changes in their action plans accordingly. And that
dialog must be continuous and ongoing for change to succeed.
6. Support behavior change
After the new organization is implemented, employees, particularly those whose roles and
responsibilities have been most impacted by the organizational changes, will need support
to develop needed skills and attitudes. This is often done through consultants who coach
individuals and teams. It can also be done through training and education programs.