,Assignment 5: Change Management Plan

Due Week 10 and worth 300 points

In this assignment, you will combine the previous four (4) assignments into a proposal that you could present to the executive leadership and board members. You will argue the value of the change management plan to the overall success of the organization. Add to your previous submissions a plan for sustaining the change in the long run.

Write a six to ten (6-10) page paper in which you:

Section I: Organization: Describe the organization and comment on the HR change that the organization should make. Utilize effective diagnostic tools to assess the organizations ability to change. Support assertions with theoretical evidence.

1. Describe the company in terms of industry, size, number of employees, and history.
2. Analyze in detail the current HR practice, policy, process, or procedure that you believe should be changed.
3. Formulate three (3) valid reasons for the proposed change based on current change management theories.
4. Appraise the diagnostic tools that you can use to determine an organization’s readiness for change. Propose two (2) diagnostic tools which you can utilize to determine if the organization is ready for change. Defend why you believe the diagnostic tools selected are the best choice for diagnosing change in the organization.
5. Using one (1) of the diagnostic tools you selected, assess the organization’s readiness for change.
   1. Provide results of the diagnostic analysis
   2. Explain the results
6. Interpret whether or not the organization is ready for change. Substantiate your conclusion by referencing current change management theories.

Section II: Kotter Change Plan: Utilizing the Kotter eight (8) step method of change, create a solid change management plan for the HR initiative you identified as requiring improvement.

1. Ascertain how each of the steps applies to your specific organization.
2. Develop a strategy that illustrates how you would address each of the eight (8) stages of change:
   1. Establishing a sense of urgency
   2. Creating coalition
   3. Developing vision and strategy
   4. Communicating the vision
   5. Empowering broad-based action
   6. Generating short-term wins
   7. Consolidating gains and producing more change
   8. Anchoring new approaches into the culture

Section III: Resistance and Communication: Research methods of minimizing resistance to change and create plan to address resistance within your change management initiative.

1. Diagnose the reasons for resistance to change.
2. Interpret the potential causes of resistance in the organization. Identify and describe three (3) potential causes of resistance to your change plan. Identify and describe three (3) potential sources of resistance to your change plan.
3. Create a plan for minimizing possible resistance to your change management plan.
4. Elaborate on the relationship between resistance to change and communication.
5. Evaluate three (3) communication strategies.
6. Recommend one (1) communication strategy that would be applicable to your organization. Diagnose why this communication strategy is best for your organization.
7. Create a solid communication plan for your change initiative.

Section IV: Sustaining Change: Research methods of sustaining change in organizations and create a plan for sustaining proposed change.

1. Recommend two (2) strategies for sustaining change:
   1. Diagnose the two (2) theories from a scholarly perspective
   2. Evaluate why the strategies selected are viable for the organization

Section V: Presentation: Create a visually appealing and informative presentation espousing the importance of the change management plan you developed.

1. Create a ten to fifteen (10-15) slide PowerPoint presentation to submit to executive leadership and board members outlining and describing your recommended change. Include the following criteria:
   1. Be creative in your design so that is appealing to others.
   2. Ensure that all of the MAJOR points of the plan are covered.
   3. Create bulleted speaking notes for your presentation to the shareholders in the Notes section of the PowerPoint. Note: You may create or assume any fictitious names, data, or scenarios that have not been established in this assignment for a realistic flow of communication.
   4. Use a professional technically written style to graphically convey the information.
   5. Create a video of yourself presenting the presentation to key stakeholders. Note: View the “Creating a Presentation for Your Course” playlist, located here for tutorials on creating and submitting video assignments.

Section VI: References: Utilize good scholarly research skills and writing skills to develop a solid change plan and presentation.

1. Use at least ten (10) quality academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and other similar Websites do not qualify as academic resources
2. Write clearly and concisely about managing organizational change using proper writing mechanics.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Evaluate the reactions to change including identifying signs of resistance and approaches to managing it.
• Evaluate strategies for communicating change.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in managing organizational change.
• Write clearly and concisely about managing organizational change using proper writing mechanics.
• Evaluate strategies for communicating change.

Week 3 Final Project Details

Deliverable Length:  2-3 pages

In cases where children are not returned to their biological families, the courts have to find safe, permanent homes for them, including adoptive homes. It is especially difficult in cases where the children have special needs, such as mental retardation or cerebral palsy. In 1997, The U.S. Congress enacted legislation that sought to correct the problems inherent with the foster care system and achieving permanency for special needs children.

Write 2-3 pages detailing the provisions of The Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997(AFSA).

• Be sure to include the following in your essay:
  • What was the purpose the AFSA?
  • What are some of the programs that the AFSA funds?
  • Who was the major proponent of the AFSA and why?
  • What are some of the changes that the AFSA has effectuated when it comes to foster care and adoption?
  • What provisions does the AFSA have for children with special needs?

You are concerned about the growing number of international man-made and natural disasters. You are looking for information as to what you can do to assist the victims of these disasters monetarily and operationally, and to help rebuild infrastructure in the affected areas.

Use the Internet to research ongoing disasters and crises which you predict will continue to cause international challenges over the next ten (10) years.

Create an eight to ten (8-10) slide POWERPOINT PRESENTATION in which you:

1. Select one (1) current man-made or natural disaster or crisis with international effects or implications. Analyze at least three (3) reasons why the disaster / crisis in question may cause continuing international challenges.
2. Determine two (2) specific international government-affiliated or nonprofit organizations with the ability to assist victims of your selected disaster or crisis. Explain the nature of the role of each of these organizations in providing aid to the victims who were affected by your selected disaster or crisis.
3. Speculate on two (2) obstacles that could thwart your identified organizations’ abilities to respond successfully to the selected disaster or crisis. Provide a rationale for your response.
4. Suggest one (1) way in which one (1) of your selected organizations could utilize a public-private partnership to assist in emergency preparedness and planning if the selected disaster or crisis were to occur again in the future. Provide a rationale for your response.
5. Use at least three (3) quality references. Note: Wikipedia and other related websites do not qualify as academic resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Format the slides of the PowerPoint presentation using headings on each slide (Arial size 32 font), bullet points highlighting the most important information for each topic (Arial size 20-24 font), and relevant, clear graphics where applicable.
• Format the Notes section of each slide using full paragraphs (Times New Roman size 12 font). Use the Notes section to narrate each slide as if you were actually presenting in front of an audience. Expand on the information in the bullet points in order to fully address each assignment criteria.
• Include a title slide containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. Note: Title slide is not included in the required assignment slide length.
• Include a reference slide in APA 6th edition format. Note: Reference slide is not included in the required assignment slide length.

Assignment 2: Internal Environmental Scan/Organizational Assessment

This section provides the opportunity to develop your course project. Conducting an internal environmental scan or organizational assessment, provides the ability to put the strategy audit together.

In this module, you will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the internal environment at your business unit or organization you are working with for this project, also known as an organizational assessment, and present your findings in a report. In your report, you should analyze the operating characteristics and assets of your business unit.

The SWOT model is one of the most common business tools used during organizational assessment. Another is developing a balanced scorecard based on a prescribed or planned set of performance objectives that will be measured and evaluated regularly. In this assignment, based on the external environmental scan you conducted in M2: Assignment 2 and the internal environmental scan in this assignment, you will develop a SWOT analysis and a balanced strategic scorecard.

Part I: Internal Environmental Scan (2–3 pages)

The internal environmental scan or organizational assessment should include the following:

• Mission, vision, and values: Assess the organization’s understanding of the mission, vision, and values, and how they relate the business strategy. Is there consensus on the mission and vision of the organization? What are the shared values of the organization? What are the behaviors espoused by these values?
• Strategy clarification: Assess the organization’s understanding of the business strategy through the interview with a mid-level or senior manager. Assess his or her understanding and agreement of the business unit’s value proposition, market position, and competitive advantage.
• Cultural assessment: Explain the unwritten rules and shared values that govern behaviors in the organization. Do they act as enablers or blockers to the strategy? For example, is there a culture of information sharing and collaboration that enables the organization to respond quickly across structural boundaries to solve problems for customers? On the other hand, do groups not share important information through informal mechanisms, thus slowing response times?
• Value chain analysis: Identify the primary (direct) and support (indirect) activities that create and deliver your product or service to your customers. Assess each activity’s contribution to competitive advantage through cost or differentiation. Identify any areas where the business may be at a competitive disadvantage.
• Summary of findings: Using these different analyses, identify the organizational strengths and weaknesses as they relate to the business strategy. Organizational strengths are assets, capabilities, and resources that contribute directly to the organization’s strategic fit, differentiation, and competitive advantage relative to competing organizations. Organizational weaknesses are characteristics and capabilities (often lacking) that place the organization at a disadvantage relative to competitors.

Part II: SWOT Analysis (1–2 pages)

Your SWOT analysis should summarize the opportunities and threats from the external environmental scan with the strengths and weaknesses from your organizational assessment or internal environmental scan.

Your output should include a matrix depicting strengths or weaknesses on the horizontal axis and opportunities or threats on the vertical axis. This matrix will reveal a set of strategy forces that can be used to assess the current strategy and identify important potential changes to the strategic direction of the company.

In creating your SWOT analysis, look for natural pairings of internal and external factors that match internal resources and capabilities to the external environment. Internal strengths and external opportunities depicted in the upper-left quadrant on your matrix might form complementary pairs that suggest necessary strategic focus for the business unit to pursue opportunities that fit its competitive strengths. Conversely, internal weaknesses and external threats shown in the lower right quadrant of the matrix may combine to illustrate the need for a defensive strategy to avoid becoming highly susceptible to competitive threats.

Your matrix should not simply be a collection of four lists compiled together in a matrix. Your analysis should combine factors and explain why specific strengths complement specific opportunities, and selected weaknesses are amplified by external threats. In addition to your matrix, provide a brief narrative that summarizes the main findings in your analysis and the implications for the current and projected strategy.

Part III: Balanced Strategic Scorecard (1–2 pages)

Use the balanced scorecard or another similar tool to recommend indicators and measurements that will tell you if the company is successful or unsuccessful in progressing toward your vision through execution of strategy.

A balanced scorecard presents organizational performance on four primary groups of measures:

• Financial
• Customer (external stakeholder)
• Learning and growth
• Internal process

You should develop a strategy scorecard that ties the performance of your business unit in these areas to its overall business strategy. The challenge you face is selecting two-to-three measures in each of the four areas that give a measurable and reliable indication of the business unit performance in the key activities that promote strategic fit, customer value, and sustained competitive advantage.

Write an 5–7-page report in Word format. Apply APA standards to citation of sources. Use the following file naming convention: LastnameFirstInitial_M4_A2.doc.

The paper should include a cover page, executive summary/abstract, table of contents, body of paper—proper headers (mission, vision, and values assessment; strategy clarification; cultural assessment; value chain analysis; summary of key findings; SWOT analysis; balanced strategic scorecard; and references).

By Wednesday, December 23, 2015, deliver your assignment to the M4: Assignment 2 Dropbox.

Assignment 2—Applying Decision-Making Skills

As a manager, part of your role is to develop strategy, and share this strategy with various stakeholders within the organization. This assignment will allow you to take your findings as a manager and communicate these findings to those who are affected.

Your company has been presented with a decision on replacing a piece of equipment for a new computerized version that promotes efficiency for the upcoming year. As manager you will need to decide whether or not the purchase of the new equipment is a worthwhile investment and to communicate your recommendations to Executive Management for a final decision. To be convincing, sufficient support for your recommendations must be provided in order to be considered valid and accepted.

In this assignment, use the information above to develop a comprehensive analysis using NPV, Payback Method, and IRR to develop a recommendation on replacing the existing equipment with a new computerized version. Develop an executive summary of your findings in a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation format to present to Executive Management.

Do the following in your presentation:

• Include a statement of the problem or topic, a concise analysis of the findings, and a recapitulation of any main conclusions or recommendations.
• Be sure to incorporate specific details to highlight or support the summary including calculations.
• Using your knowledge of capital budgeting techniques, explain how principles of capital budgeting, such as the payback method, IRR, and NPV, can be used to assess the potential projects and assist in the decision-making process.

Develop a 10-12 slide presentation in PowerPoint format. Apply APA standards to citation of sources. Use the following file naming convention: LastnameFirstInitial_M4_A2.ppt.

By Wednesday, December 23, 2015, deliver your assignment to the M4: Assignment 2 Dropbox.