High Value Work Is The Indisputable Tool Of Sustainable Competitive Advantage

Businesses are facing a dichotomy between wanting to chalk out an all-time structure and strategy for their organization, and recognizing that their world is in a constant state of flux [3]. For most of the 20th century they were largely focused on the static elements of this dichotomy. However, in the last decade changes have become more frequent and more dramatic, so much so that a whole branch of management is now devoted to the subject of change itself.

Organizational change encompasses many challenges to both the individual, and the organization. An organization is a living system, as Flower (2002) states “living systems cannot survive without change, challenge, variety, and surprise” (Flower, 2002, p. 16). An organization requires the ability to adapt in to survive as Darwin states in The Origin of Man, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change” (Read Me First, 2013, p. 1). It must adapt to the changing market, global economic pressures, stakeholder demands, and the diverse needs

Even though organizational change can be a valid solution to many problems commonly experienced in the current structure of an organization. One of the primary challenges all organizations incur during implementation is change resistance. This would imply that the plan for change should consider issues associated with resistance in order to eliminate or reduce the associated risk factors. An article featured by the Harvard business review by Rosabeth Moss Kanter (2012) identified the most common (10) reasons change is met with resistance:

Section 1: Introduction. It has been said that resistance to change can paralyze an organization. My paper will examine the reasons organizations resist change, and present one strategy an organization should consider to reduce the organization's resistance to change. The resources for this paper will come from Chapters 6 and 10 of the textbook.

Change has become necessary for every organisation there is. World is moving rapidly towards better technologies, efficient systems, new techniques, compact profits, different friendlier environments and organisations are always in the race to reach new heights by thriving effectively in this competitive environment (Kotter, 1996).

The best way to summarize this book is to dissect it into three parts. In part one the book discusses the change problem and its solution. This part focuses on two main topics; 1) Transforming organizations and why firms fail and 2) successful change and the force that drives it. Part two discusses the eight stage process in transforming an organization. Finally, in part three the book discusses the implications for the twenty –first century. Identifying the change problem can be difficult but driving solution is even more challenging.

Organizational models are assumed to be at the centre of all organizational change work. Systems and complexity models can offer more hopeful possibilities from which organizational leaders can appreciate and address complex organizational dilemmas.

If there is anything that is stead fast and unchanging, it is change itself. Change is inevitable, and those organizations who do not keep up with change will become unstable, with long-term survivability in question.

CHANGE is unavoidable in order to remain competitive in today’s fast-paced market environment. Management guru, Tom Peters puts it that ‘change or die’ has been the bottom line for countless firms (Jick & Peiperl, 2011). Change can be large or small, evolutionary or revolutionary, sought after or resisted (Hayes, 2010) and is a general feature of organisational life, both at an operational and strategic level (Todnem, 2005). Burnes (1992) expressed that ‘change management is not a distinct discipline but rather, the theory and practice of change management draws on a number of social science disciplines and traditions’ (Kitchen & Daly, 2002). It is also defined as ‘the process of continually renewing an organization’s

The organizations we work in or rely on to meet our needs and wants are also changing dramatically, in terms of their strategies, their structures, their systems, their boundaries, and of course their expectations of their staff and managers. (Cameron, pg. 1)

We live in an ever-changing world and the future appears to be less and less a projection of the past. Change is inevitable even though it can be relentless, multidimensional, subversive, and even on occasion shocking. Today, venerable companies are at risk because many are not changing as quickly as the world around us.

Changing situations throughout the world affect all organizations in business today. Therefore, most organizations acknowledge the need to experience change and transformation in order to survive. The key challenges companies face are due to the advancements in technology, the social environment caused by globalization, the pace of competition, and the demands regarding customer expectations. It is difficult to overcome the obstacles involved with change despite all the articles, books, and publications devoted to the topic. People are naturally resistant to fundamental changes and often intimidated by the process; the old traditional patterns and methods are no longer effective.

21st-century organizations are different, and the pace of change is even faster. This has given rise to new ideas about where leaders need to put their energies. Perhaps this means less vision and more connectivity (Esther and Mike 2004). Today, organizations are in a continuous process of transformation. Change became the norm of organizations not an exception. If organization is traveling on the rout of success then its possible destinations are change management, adoption of new technologies and phenomenon (Joachim and Ralf 2008).

For any business in the rapidly evolving world of business, planning and implementing successful organizational change is indispensable. Essentially, organizational change refers to a process whereby an organization strives to optimize performance in order to achieve its ideal state characterized by high performance and profitability (Côté & Mayhew, 2014). Any business would be more likely to lose its competitive edge, as well as fail to meet the demands of its loyal consumers if it doesn’t plan and implement change. Weiss (2012) emphasizes that all organizations ought to embrace change, and it’s imperative to note that successful organizational change doesn’t involve simple process of adjustments; instead it requires appropriate change management capabilities.

As is often said, change is the only constant. The proverb seems befitting in the backdrop of an moreover, Ever changing business dynamics warrant rapid responses from company managements in the form of gradual or drastic overhauls / changes. No organisational change can