Introduction
Organizational changes and behavioral patterns are important aspects of management. Though crucial, change management is an important aspect of business administration that does not always require the implementation of stringent management policies. Change and desirable organizational behavior do not always manifest themselves in people’s behavioral changes. Instead, the ability to make people feel different can be attributed to modern business operations.
Discussion
The Heart of Change
The ability to make people understand and acknowledge themselves is an important aspect of business management. To effect tangible and long-lasting organizational change, one needs to adhere to the necessary principles that would foster a sense of strength, belongingness and the need for people to endear themselves to the organizational mission and vision. Large scale change implementation can only be achieved when it is undertaken in an effectively functioning business environment (Kotter & Cohen, 2002).
Through the principle of change implementation, the book, The Heart of Change acknowledges the importance of criticism, fear, and pain in the implementation of large-scale change strategies. Although it is focused on helping students to understand the best organizational human resource practices, the book is apprehensive of the need to streamline all business processes and enhance cost-effective business processes by aligning major organizational players to the actual operations of an organization.
In organizational management, appealing to employees and other stakeholders’ hearts is more crucial than being belligerent in addressing their needs and expectations. The management needs to appeal more to the feelings and desires of the employees than to their thoughts. The dynamic concept of feeling, seeing and changing promotes positive change by demonstrating to people the importance of implementing a number of changes in the organization. Change management principles are not scientifically proven (Kotter & Cohen, 2002).
To fully enhance attitude change in people, it is crucial for the organizational management to trigger people’s emotions, thoughts, and desires to constantly contemplate on their daily tribulations and successes thus being in a position to work towards improving their work environment.
The book, The Heart of change, therefore, articulates the enhancement of efficiency in all business operations by having a positive attitude towards change, understanding the importance of urgency in any change process, having visionary leadership that also fosters teamwork and collaborative management. The book constantly works towards ensuring that a given change process is permanent and creating an environment where no one should give up. Both short-term and long-term win strategies should be accorded due consideration.
On the aspect of the desired change, the book emphasizes on implementing change based on constantly demonstrating to people on the desire and need for a given change process. For large business organizations, change according to Kotter and Cohen (2002) is triggered by “appealing to people’s hearts and not their thoughts”. It is therefore crucial for the organization to enhance a sense of urgency on the need for change. To do this, “effective communication must be undertaken with a lot of zeal”.
As proof that one has compassion for change, elimination of all change barriers should be done. Enforcement of change strategies should be focused on bringing together powerful team members that are willing and able to bring reliable and practical change. To successfully do this, Kotter and Cohen (2002) are of the view that “creating a simple, clear, creative, and more uplifting mission statement and vision is vital in communicating the best success strategies to all organizational personnel”.
Better still, their emphasis is laid on articulating the change messages in an effective, heartfelt and simple manner thus empowering all stakeholders in the organization and maintaining a positive change momentum. As argued by Kotter and Cohen (Kotter & Cohen, 2002 ) having a heart of change also entails nurturing a revamped culture that enforces better and more productive operations in a timely and cost-effective manner. The building effective guidelines on the management of organizational team spirit is an important aspect of change management that is reinforced by Kotter and Cohen (Kotter & Cohen, 2002).
By having a sense of urgency, the authors are of the view that it is easier to implement large scale change strategies that would otherwise be difficult if teamwork would not always be successfully undertaken in the absence of a powerful strategic guiding force. Having the right people that have the skills, leadership expertise, organizational credibility, vital network, experience, and teamwork is an important attribute of a group that can successfully initiate change and maintains it (Kotter & Cohen, 2002).
The book, The Heart of Change, therefore, reinforces the need to form a team with pertinent knowledge, credibility, valid and timely information on the changes in the industry and the possible internal and external factors that could hinder change and the formalized authority necessary in undertaking effective plans and controls. Organization Behavior and Management
In their study of organizational behavior and management, John, Konopaske, and Matteson are of the view that that organizational behavioral change could be undertaken by altering the manner in which people think. People’s mentality is argued to be “an important aspect of business management in contemporary society”.
People’s belief systems highly influence their behavior. It, therefore, implies that the management of such belief systems is vital as it helps to change the way people interact, exchange views, share opinions and foster unity in the organization. The practice is important as it reinforces the need for improved efficiency and cost-effective management strategies (John, Konopaske & Matteson, 2011). Performance analysis is an important aspect of organizational management. Though crucial, “organizational management focuses on mainly addressing the needs of an organization rather than those of the employees”.
Behavioral patterns are therefore shaped with the view of enhancing efficiency and cost-effectiveness in the manner in which business operations are managed and success strategies implemented. As evidenced by the organizational behavior and management, behavioral patterns play a key role in shaping the manner in which employees and other major stakeholders interrelate and perform their duties and responsibilities. The enhancement of workers’ safety and improved productivity standards, efficiency and reliability of organizational behavioral patterns are fundamental to the success and sustainability of the organization.
The prediction of people’s behavior in an organization continues to be an issue of great concern to top-level managers. John, Konopaske, and Matteson utilize aspects of self-learning, group discussion exercises, participatory activities. The book, Organization Behavior, and Management by John, Konopaske, and Matteson elaborates on vital operational strategies which if implemented would enhance a high level of efficiency and cost-effective operations in an organization.
Through its major strengths of current, thorough, and effective balance of business research and practical business mechanisms, this book on organizational behavior and management is effectively undertaken with the aim of enhancing a high sense of business strategies. Rather than reinforcing a sense of urgency in implementing change policies, the book on organizational behavior and management utilizes scientifically proven research strategies in identifying the best business management strategies that would enforce upright organizational behavior and cost-effective management stratagems.
John, Konopaske, and Matteson’s book focus on the “need for the existence or implementation of proper planning, effective execution of business strategies and adherence to the set operational rules, regulations and policies”. Behavior management is evidently a vital means of reinforcing operational strategies and ensuring that teamwork and participatory leadership are augmented.
Connections between the two approaches The two approaches are varied in a number of ways based on their core principles and operational mechanisms. Both focus on achieving a high sense of efficiency and cost-effectiveness in all business operations. The book, Organizational Behavior, and Management is focused on addressing organizational operations and behavioral patterns from an organization’s point of view.
It emphasizes on shaping organizational strategies and management mechanisms with the aim of enhancing operational efficiency, teamwork, and reliability of the services being offered (Ivancevich, Konopaske & Matteson, 2011). The book, The Heart of Change focuses on the need to achieve positive organizational results by changing people’s behaviors and attitude towards change.
The book, The Heart of Change does not acknowledge the popular scientific research belief that effective change strategies are purely based on proper planning and execution of business strategies. When dealing with large scale change, planning and budgeting alone rarely yield the best results. This implies that only bold strategies combined with a bold vision can yield successful results.
On the other hand, the book Organization Behavior and Management is built on the belief that rather than focusing on the change of heart, organizations should focus more on implementing new, reliable, and cost-effective business strategies with the view of improving the operations and competitiveness of the organization in question (Ivancevich, Konopaske & Matteson, 2011). The authors of The Heart of Change argue that articulating moving, clear, bold, and logical yet realistic operational strategies and vision is an important means of achieving business success.
Employees in an organization should be accorded a fair chance to help, suggest viable necessary changes and be part of the change implementation committees. This is a sure paradigm shift in change management and approach strategies. Although theoretically viable, the book The Heart of Change has very little basis of support from the scientifically accepted research methods.
While the scientific methods focus on implementing research-based strategies in enhancing efficiency and cost-effectiveness, Kotter and Cohen’s book on change management ignores the need for the implementation of scientifically tested management strategies (Ivancevich, Konopaske, & Matteson, 2011; Kotter & Cohen, 2002).
While Kotter and Cohen use real-life narratives to foster change and elaborate on the manner in which organizational changes could be implemented, John, Konopaske, and Matteson believe that meaningful organizational change should be implemented after in-depth research and detailed evaluation of all operations has been undertaken.
By focusing on critical issues contained in real-life stories, Kotter and Cohen are mainly focused on the implementation of major changes with a core focus on the manner in which personnel can reinforce positive change mechanisms in the organization. This is not the case with John, Konopaske, and Matteson whose book underscores the need for effective management and streamlining of all business processes (Kotter & Cohen, 2002; Ivancevich, Konopaske & Matteson, 2011).
Rather than work on transforming people’s behavior as is articulated by Kotter and Cohen in their book, The Heart of Change, the need for the organizational managers to focus on an all-round business management strategy is of the essence. Though crucial, it is likely that total change of heart may hardly be the best mechanism of enhancing organizational sustainability and cost-effectiveness.
According to John, Konopaske, and Matteson (2011), the prediction of human behavior is the best mechanism of enforcing efficiency, productivity, employee trust, and thus reinforcing better operations in an organization. The ideals of having compassion for change and implementing change in organizational behavior are complementary principles of organizational management. If effectively used together, these two management principles could greatly increase the competitiveness of an organization due to an improved level of efficiency, cost-effectiveness, employee dedication and the zeal to excel in all engagements. Conclusion
Change management and management of organizational behavior are important aspects of organizational management. Integration of these two strategies is important as it enhances an improved level of efficiency, organizational competitiveness and the wellbeing of employees and other stakeholders. Though not fully supported by scientific research as outlined in organizational behavior and management strategies book, the two books clearly bring out vital principles of effective people and organizational management. Above all, the need for a change of heart, attitude, and behavioral patterns are critical to effective organizational management.
References
Ivancevich, J. M., Konopaske, R., & Matteson, M. (2011). Organization behavior and Management, 9th Ed. Boston, USA: McGraw-Hill.
Kotter, J., & Cohen, D. (2002). The Heart of Change: The Heart of Change: Real-Life Stories of How People Change Their Organizations.UK: Harvard Business Review Press.