Page 248 - Managing Change in Organizations

CarnCh13v3.qxd 3/30/07 4:31 PM Page 231

Managerial skills for effective organizational change
2 Interchangeability: movement across specialist/professional boundaries by
internal promotions, fixed-term secondments or short training periods would
help to develop broader knowledge and experience. To what extent should
promotion depend on diversity of experience? Moves of this kind can sustain
task forces or project teams. It can also reinforce individual autonomy, cre-
ativity and knowledge.
3 Openness or public testing of issues and problems would also be aided by inter-
changeability.
4 Recent developments in management information systems seem likely to bring
about systems which managers can interrogate! This will aid communication
partly through the access so provided, partly by the prospect of simplification
of procedures and paperwork that such developments promise.
5 Functional and professional advice can be provided at a more local level utilizing
task-team approaches such as that described briefly in the case where profes-
sional development, planning and control are centrally organized. The focus
should be on business needs rather than on professional demands.

Other organizational cultures have been identified. The power culture is worth a
moment’s thought. It is frequently found in small, growing companies, including
property and finance. These organizations are highly dependent on one or more
strong leaders. Control is exercised from the centre and decisions are largely made
on the outcome of a balance of influence rather than on rational grounds (which
the uncertainties of our changing world will rarely allow in any event). An organ-
ization with this culture can react well to change but the quality of its top people
is crucial. Individuals who are power orientated, risk taking and politically skilled
will do well in this culture wherein accountability is personal and direct.

Managing in different cultures
One final thought on culture: we have discussed the links between organizational
culture, the tasks to be performed and the rate of environmental change, but cul-
ture is a broader part of our affairs. At home and abroad we often find ourselves
working with people from different occupational, local and national cultures.

Effective management thus demands the capacity to deal with cross-cultural
issues and influences. The important skill here is that of empathy. Managing
change involves the need to influence people. Empathy, sensitivity to cultural
differences and the struggle to understand them and to communicate in an intel-
ligible fashion are essential.
The property management professional brought this skill to bear in his work
with the professional staff involved in the change process described above. While
these boundaries cannot easily be crossed, people responded to the attempt and
change programmes were all the more feasible and relevant for a leavening of the
cultural sensitivity.
The key issue of organizational culture emerges clearly. To achieve a more effec-
tive and professional, yet adaptable, property management department it is neces-
sary to move towards a task culture. This demands openness, learning, good
communication and the recognition of people’s needs. Relating this to business
needs is also important in order to give a clear sense of objectives and contribution.

231