For this assignment, first, do a thorough review of the required background materials and read up on each author’s discussion about Kotter’s eight-step model of change, Lewin’s three-step model, and the five phases involved in action research. All of the authors discuss at least one of these models. There are also some videos on some of these models that might help.
When you are done reviewing these models of organizational change, take a look at the following scenario, determine which of the three models of change would be most appropriate, and answer the questions below. You are required to use APA style of writing, cite at least three of the scholarly sources from the background readings (required and optional), and write between 4 and 5 pages (excluding title and references page).
Scenario
A corporation has had recent problems with increased turnover of employees and decreased profitability. However, nobody is sure exactly what the problem is or what to do about it. Senior managers have been arguing for many months about what to do, but it is clear nobody is being objective or has a clear idea about what to do to get the company back on track. The company (prior to organizational changes) had 24 sales associates that averaged $423,000 (combined) in sales each month with a profit margin of 32% from an average customer base monthly of 350 people purchasing an average of 12 items per receipt.
Since the changeover, the employees are stretched thin and have become demoralized as management has been slow to respond to the turnover but has increased pressure to exceed monthly goals. The average monthly sales have steadily decreased for the six months after the new CEO replaced the vice president of sales, two sales directors, and six sales managers with employees from another organization. These directors and managers have yet to establish relationships, are not very engaging or motivating, have more of a transactional style of leadership, and micromanage every detail to ensure sales goals are met. The following table shows company sales performance since January of this year and includes average sales, number of staff, average items per receipt, and profit margin.
Please use the scenario and the table to answer the following questions (support each section with sources from the required and optional readings list):
1. Introduce your paper with your thoughts on the scenario and why it happened.
2. Explain which organizational change model would be most suited for this scenario using at least one of the required background readings. Support your response with a source from the required or optional readings list.
3. Provide a solution to the scenario and build a plan of action for this organization using the individual steps of the chosen change model.
4. Use the table above to support your solution and build new potential monthly results for July through December.
5. Conclude your paper to align with your introduction, a summary of findings from each section, and wrap up in a final thought.
