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and cope up with pressure and setback. Hence, some of them come up with experience of "knowing the organization" and some comes from "knowing what is best" and rest comes from the ability to know both and use it to bring the best in terms of the change. The various characteristics of change agents come from different dispositions. Some are personality characteristics. While equating change agents with leaders, we look at some of the basic personality characteristics like charisma. Research as a whole, has defied most of these aspects that we attribute to leaders and as such to change agents. Colin (2001) for example has found that exceptional leaders are the ones who are high on humility and put themselves as the background runners to make long-term impact. As one of the critical aspect of change agent is to have the courage of failure it is ironical that we expect people who have narcissist tendencies or want to rely on their charisma more than anything else can bring out transformations. It thus depends on the organizations to build on evidences of change to give responsibilities to groom future leaders and change agents rather than going by perceptions. Training interventions that are carefully chosen to develop competencies that are identified to be critical for change management can be effectively done. Outbound training that focuses on altering mental blocks on change can be used effectively for creating an atmosphere for change. However, it has been reported by experts that outbound as a mechanism can do very less on the organizational context but it can be effectively used to make the individual a better person. The second aspect would be coaching. Coaching on specific characteristics based on role model change agents can be effective. Hand holding and creating confidence and courage can go a long way in making a mindset of change. However, a critical organizational context that can aid any change agent and change process as Argyris (1997) is based on two critical factors - first is to make previously un discussable problems discussable. This enables unearthing of critical issues and making change possible. A change agent should ensure that people are put at non-threatening stance to make this happen. Second critical factor would be enabling learning and information sharing in the best possible way. In the context of every day working in the organization, change agents can be nurtured only if we have tolerance to failure and experimentation is allowed. This requires a culture of allowing taking risks and empowerment. Quite certainly this boils down to how managers empower their employees and support mechanisms are provided for making the change. Conclusion This paper attempted to bring across what is the role of a change agent, what makes a change agent, and how we can groom a change agent. A change agent model is an inspirational one. However, one can be a change agent only if he/she has the necessary competencies that are essentially strategic to complement traits like courage and confidence. As John Kotter states "Leaders establish the vision for the future and set the strategy for getting there; they cause change1. They motivate and inspire others to go in the right direction and they, along with everyone else, sacrifice to get there." This is no different for a change agent who takes the leadership of the situation on him/herself and rides towards the goal. It is the ability of the organization to set up a culture that supports/ tolerates change that is the biggest enabler of a change agent. 46 November 2007 NHRD Journal
References Chris Argyris, Initiating change that perseveres”, The American behavioral scientist, 40 (1997) Shelly Cohen, “Change agents bolster new practices in the workplace”, Nursing Management, 16 (June 2006) Raymond Caldwell, “Models of change agency: a fourfold classification”, British Journal of Management, 14 (2003) Philip A Dover, “Change agents at work: Lesson from Siemens Nixdorf”, Journal of Change Management, 3 (2003) Adrian Furnham, “Managers as change agents”, Journal of Change Management, 3 (2002) Michael Fullan, Claudia Cuttress, and Ann Kilcher, “8 Forces for leaders of change”, Journal of Staff Development, 26 (Fall 2005) MA Valle Santos, and MA Teresa Garcia, “Organizational Change: Role of Managers’ Mental Models”, Journal of Change Management, 6 (2006). Curtis M. Grimm, and Ken G. Smith, “Management and organizational change: A note on the rail road industry”, Strategic Management Journal, 12 (Oct 1991) Rosabeth Moss Kanter, “How Leaders Gain and Lose Confidence”, Leader to Leader, 35 (2005) Wendell L. French, and Cecil H. Bell Jr, Organization Development, Prentice Hall of India (2003) November 2007 NHRD Journal 47
Page 1 and 2: NHRD Journal Organizational Change
Page 3 and 4: S.no Title of the Article Author Pa
Page 5 and 6: ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE INDIRA J PARI
Page 7 and 8: give subtle shape to the organizati
Page 9 and 10: to be tempered by a sense of humor,
Page 11 and 12: Although the result did not spell o
Page 13 and 14: the Project Sponsor to engage the C
Page 15 and 16: • Consultative - The target popul
Page 17 and 18: Now they are confronted with change
Page 19 and 20: A living system can never be direct
Page 21 and 22: ut in absence of formal process of
Page 23 and 24: Higgs, M. and Rowland, D. (2005),
Page 25 and 26: • Organization Structure Rigid hi
Page 27 and 28: magnitude of the programme, you can
Page 29 and 30: • In only about 10% of the school
Page 31 and 32: memorization, the focus of the teac
Page 33 and 34: HOW HR CAN IGNITE 'HOT SPOTS' YOGI
Page 35 and 36: pointed the prerequisites of change
Page 37 and 38: BRINGING CHANGE TO THE CHANGE AGENT
Page 39 and 40: were low, people lived simply and s
Page 41 and 42: 'People Academy' that seeks to fost
Page 43 and 44: DEFINING CHANGE AGENTS SANDEEP K. K
Page 45: human resource process like leaders
Page 49 and 50: needs to tell a trained nurse about
Page 51 and 52: esponse to changes in the external
Page 53 and 54: THE ENDURING SKILLS OF CHANGE LEADE
Page 55 and 56: left to resolve tensions, answer qu
Page 57 and 58: neglected step in the change proces
Page 59 and 60: enefits of the long march are lost,
Page 61 and 62: To address the challenge of executi
Page 63 and 64: very capable people; but the organi
Page 65 and 66: DRIVING ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE LEENA
Page 67 and 68: change, preparing the leadership an
Page 69 and 70: However the good news is that the a
Page 71 and 72: Organizational Culture and Sub-Cult
Page 73 and 74: References Ashkanasy, N. M., Broadf
Page 75 and 76: • Finance and Accounts • Techni
Page 77 and 78: and gives the freedom to fail. Chan
Page 79 and 80: therefore shift gear and venture in
Page 81 and 82: COMMUNICATION EFFECTIVENESS, JUSTIC
Page 83 and 84: interactional justice focused on th
Page 85 and 86: and in a manner that is perceived a
Page 87 and 88: the merger, in whichever form has a
Page 89 and 90: is high, implying that there would
Page 91 and 92: • Successful integration approach
Page 93 and 94: management and the labor leaders to
Page 95 and 96: ONE REASON FOR FAILURE OF CHANGE IN
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IPO: A POWERFUL INTERVENTION IN ORG
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In expectation of such a reaction,
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system was designed, requiring mana
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Then the system was recommended for
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Newsletters used to be published an
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CHALLENGE OF MANAGING ORGANIZATIONA
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productive deployment of raw talent
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Conclusion There is a broad agreeme
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change is indeed the engine which f
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and regional development programs.
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ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE-MARUTI SUZUKI
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in the HR thinking, approach and th
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• Cross Functional Teams (CFTs) o
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i. Technology • Plant location
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consolidates in a short period of f
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PBIT (Rs in crores.) The Company ha
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concepts in an organizational conte
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APPEAL TO CONTRIBUTORS The National
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