Lewin’s can measure the positive forces such as the driving forces to create change. It also depends on the present conditions. If they want to make some changes or want to sustain their change factors into the competitive market than they need to increase their driving forces and need to reduce the restraining forces and if they can do this properly than there is a possibility of making the change process .
If there is an equal amount of driving forces with the equal amount of restraining forces than there is a possibilities of creating the change (Jeremy, 2009). Lewin’s force field analysis can be useful to identify the driving forces for creating the change such as M&S can identify the consumer’s demand and make some changes in their new product development process so that they can increase more sales and satisfy the consumer’s demand.
M&S can also introduce new technology for creating the change or to reduce the forces for restraining the change. They need to create a balance between the driving forces with the restraining forces and if they can do this properly than there is a possibilities of creating the change (Peter et al., 2008). M&S needs to reduce the potential competitive challenges by creating good market research and by developing the new areas of development. M&S need to create a long-term strategic plan if they want to be successful in the competitive market.
Resistance to change process: For evaluating the sustainability issues of the change management process for M&S they need to evaluate the critical factors which are creating the resistance to the change process such as the following:- a) Objectives: Company objectives may create some resistance to the change process. If the change management issues will not comply with the organisational objectives than it may create the barrier in the change process. Company objectives need to be relevant with the business processes. Lack of clarity in creating the organisational objectives may create a big challenge or resistance to change (Jobber, 2010).
b) People: New change process can be challenging for M&S if they don’t consider their customer’s interest. They need to develop their internal staffs for creating the awareness and need to involve their staffs in the change management process. Success of the new changes can be successful if M&S can consider the people’s interest, demand and preference levels (Stone, 2009). c) Technology: Technology can also create a barrier of resistance in the change process such as any new changes require some technological advancement which can direct M;S to achieve the target sales. Work which will be done for developing the workforces need to be incompatible with the new changes and it should increase the quality and effectiveness of the process (Jenny and Hossam, 2000).
d) Business Process: New changes should run within the existing business process and if that failed to work along with the business processes than it may create a big pressure for the M;S and create losses (Jobber, 2010). e) Financial resources: It is required to have financial strengths in the process of new change management. Lack of financial resources creates a barrier and creates difficulties for making a new change plan for M;S (Stone, 2009).
f) Structure: Structure of the organisation is also a big problem for developing new relationships and it also create a big challenge for developing the creating the working relationships and developing the capabilities of the workforces (Jobber, 2010). g) Culture: Culture of the organisation is also important in the change plan such as existing culture may not be interested in changing something new but if the organisation can create a strategic fit with the new cultural changes than they can be successful in the competitive market (Edward and Rees, 2010).
h) Power: Power can also create the problem for developing some new changes such as sometimes leaders can take the initiatives for making some new changes or create a power conflicts in the organisation. M;S needs to be careful about these issues if they want to control the power differences (Jeremy, 2009). From the above discussions it was found that change management can be a big challenge for M;S but they need to create a good plan for reducing the possible challenges of the change management process.
Process of reducing the challenges: M;S needs to apply some strategic decisions if they want to reduce the possible challenges of the change management process such as the following:- a) Creating customer’s engagement: M&S needs to increase the customer’s engagement with the customers by talking more with the customers and by evaluating the consumer’s demand. They can evaluate the consumer’s demand by identifying the expectations and by making a good segmentation planning. Effective segmentation planning will consider about the consumer’s demand and find out the possible challenges that may create more sales (Stone, 2006).
b) Cultural Variables: M&S also needs to think more about the cultural variables such as they need to identify the demand from the customers and need to create the culturally adaptable variables. In this green issues programme they can consider some cultural factors by creating awareness programme in the cultural festivals. They can make some discounted offers for several cultural programmes and create an interest in consumer’s mind (Dessler, 2008).
c) Developing the workforces: By developing the workforces such as developing their skills, level of competence, their ways of decision making and capabilities of taking high pressure can also help to develop an effective change management plan. They need to consider about the employee’s feedback and if they can successfully considers the feedback from the employees than they can make a good change management plan for M&S.
d) Strategic planning: By creating the strategic planning M&S can identify the possible problems or it can help them to develop a contingency planning method for improving the service quality. Strategic planning also considers about obstacles to make the gain the market share or reducing the potential challenges from the customers (Jobber, 2010). Before implementing the change plan M&S needs to identify the problems and they need to develop their planning perfectly for creating success history.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, change management is a big challenge for M&S when they are going to increase their sales or want to be competitive in a challenging marketing environment. Change management will consider about several issues such as consumer’s demand, cultural factors, effective segmentation and positioning plan. It is required to increase the awareness programme of the new product so that it can create more customers’ demand for M&S. In order to reduce the challenges of change management M&S needs to reduce the options into the minimum level and they need to increase online advertising programme. By evaluating the resistance to change M&S can also reduce the possible barriers of change process and accelerate sales frequently.
References :
1. Jenny P., and Hossam I., (2000) “New developments in innovation”, Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 15 Issue: 8, pp.795 – 811
2. Jeremy G., (2009) “Building corporate social responsibility into strategy”, (European Business Review), Vol. 21 Issue: 2, pp.109 – 127
3. Jobber, D. (2010), Principles and Practice of Marketing, (6th edition), McGraw-Hill, UK
4. M&S, (2011), Investing the change plan for M&S, (online), adapted from, http://www.marksandspencer.co.uk, [accessed on 10.12.11]
5. Stone, B. (2006), “Successful Direct Marketing Methods”, (5th edition), NTC publishing, Lincolnwood, Illinois, USA.
6. Ayse S., (2003) “Internal change agents’ view of the management of change problem”, Journal of Organizational Change Management, Vol. 16 Issue: 5, pp.480 – 496
