Planned Change
Planned Change
Shameka Constant HRM420 H2WW November 9, 2012 In application 2. 1; Planned Change at the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, The San Diego Unified port district needed to transfer operations from the San Diego Airport to the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority (SDCRAA) due to the creation of the newly established organization. This was to occur in part of operating Airports within San Diego County.
Thella Bowens; a senior director of the Aviation Division, was selected to oversee the transfer and was selected to become the Executive Director of the SDCRAA and oversee the transition (p. 2 Cummings &Worley).Bowens contemplated managing the start up of the SCRAA and played a vital role in making the transition occur as well as developing a plan and handling legal and regulatory issues that may arise during the transition. The model of planned change that was used in the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority case included the Action research model. Within this model comes a continuous process of problem identification, consultation with expert(s), data gathering and diagnosis, feedback to client or group, joint diagnosis, joint action planning, action, and data gathering after action.The Action Research model was used throughout the transition due to identifying the problem which was transitioning into a newly developed organization.
Thella Bowens became the Executive director of this operation due to her knowledge and experience and therefore guided the transition. Bowens also established a team with seven of her colleagues to become members of her Airport transition team called “Metamorphs” to assist with data collection, influencing directors, and displaying effective communication while thinking outside the box (P. 2 Cummings &Worley). Bowens organized the transition from gathering the Metamorphs to developing a strategy that incorporates employees within the transition and makes them feel like they are a key asset to the transition as well as training employees within their new position.After developing a team to assist Bowens with the transition, a transition plan was made.
This plan was to minimize disruptions to customers and service, minimize airport, and non airport financial impacts, and to properly address and resolve all legal and regulatory issues. (P. 2, Cummings & Worley) Bowens also showed her approach to the transition through the Action Research model by data collection and diagnosis. Bowens conducted data collection by developing the transition plan by using the Metamorphs to establish new or parallel functions for the SDCRAA and highlight any issues related to the start up of the organization and the start up of particular functions. Angela Shafer-Payne, then director of Airport business and Administration assisted Bowens in leading team building activities to assist employees with the transition.
While going along with the transition, three peer reviews were held to offer advice on whether to add any other critical and/or missing components to the transition (Cummings &Worley P. 33). The three reviews were held with people who were experts and had already gone through a Transition. This included meeting with a peer review panel and focusing on human resources development of the new organization, and the IT department because of technology being a significant part of the transition as well as the organization.All of these strategies are a part of the action research model due to Bowens gathering data, providing and receiving feedback from her aviation team as well as employees, and providing a diagnosis of how to make the transition run smoothly. Bowens also held change management sessions for employees which became a part of action research model as well.
Due to the broad participation of the employees within the organization and Bowens structured approach to the transition. The action research model was correctly chosen for this case.The case incorporates many components of this model including; involving the people that are affected by the change so they become co- investigators into the reasons for the change and participating in analyzing the change and its current reality, developing a plan that helps the transition remain on schedule, and provides a continuing process for the transition. A diagnostic team was in force by using key individuals including Bowens who have to support the implementation of change.The situation in this case varies from other models of organizational development due to the different activities involved with each framework.
Lewins change model focuses on the process of unfreezing, moving, and refreezing, and the positive model focuses on initiating the inquiry, inquiring into the best practices, discovering themes, envisioning a preferred future, and designing and delivering ways to create the future (p. 25 Cummings &Worley).These models do not focus solely on the case but provide other alternatives to change not represented within the case. Thelma Bowens could be described as the organizational development practitioner. Bowens developed the transition plan, collected data along with employees, conducted feedback and peer reviews, and acted as the organizational leader within the organization.
Bowens also sided with persons knowledgeable of transitioning and sought the project throughout the entire process.Bowens exhibited OD practitioner traits by becoming the decision maker, having training within her field, and developing organizational design within the new organization. With the help of Thelma Bowens and the employees of the SCRAA, the organization was able to transition effectively and efficiently and enabled Bowens to become the President and CEO of the organization. References Cummings, T. & Worley, C. (2009).
Organization development & change. Mason, OH: Thomson South-Western
