Page 320 - Managing Change in Organizations

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The management of crisis and turnaround
7 Poor communication.
8 Outdated organization structure.
There are similarities between the signs of organizational decline given above and
the syndrome of ineffective leadership and change management discussed in
Chapter 3 (see Figure 3.2) and the various ineffectiveness – effectiveness patterns
identified in Table 8.1 and Table 16.1.

Table 16.1 Organizational syndromes (from Miller, D., and de Vries, K., (1984). Reprinted with
permission of © John Wiley & Sons, Inc.)

Syndrome Characteristics Symptoms Strengths Weaknesses Examples
Tight control Distrust Incremental Good knowledge Lack of clear Dramatic loss
change of threats and strategy of market or
Analytical
‘Muddling opportunities Insecurity market share
Centralized through’ Diversification
Reactive Too much con-
Sophisticated sultation
Too many meet-
Information
systems ings
Poor innovation
Systems focus Tight, formal Lack of Efficient Traditional Achievement
controls innovation operations structures of dominance
predominate from a relatively
Standardization Ritual Well-integrated
weak position
product–market Managers
Hierarchical Low involvement strategy dissatisfied over Frequent loss of
structures
Inflexibility influence and control during
Conformity discretion history
Fixation
Distinctive
competence
Personal style Highly Unbridled Change Wasted resources Rapid growth
centralized growth Problems of Chief executive

Inadequate Inconsistent control wishing to
structures strategy into and ‘prove’ him- or
Inadequate role
out of markets herself
Poor information of second-level
systems Decisions without managers
analysis Rash expansion
Little consultation policies
Paralysis Lack of Insular Efficient Limited to tradi- Well-established,
confidence operations tional markets same technol-
Decisions
Leadership avoided Focused strategy Apathetic man- ogy, customers
and competition
vacuum agers
Change difficult for many years
Bureaucratic Weak competi-
tive position
Hierarchical
➔

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