...1. CASE STUDY Cheryl Ways and Agilent Technology’s Layoffs Cheryl Ways, a 30-year-old IT professional, took a call at around 9 p.m. on October 15, 2001, from her husband, who rang complaining about her still being at work and asking her when she was coming home. Most of her co-workers had already left for the day, but she worked on for another half hour before shutting down her computer and heading out of Agilent Technology’s empty building. What’s remarkable about this story is that Cheryl had been told three weeks earlier that she was soon going to be laid off. So what was she doing, still working hard for the company putting in long hours just before being finally let go? Ways was one of 8,000 staff at Agilent Technology who were cut from the firm during 2001 and one of 2 million people throughout corporate America who lost their jobs that year. A technology and electronics manufacturer and maker of measuring and testing equipment, Agilent Technologies was spun off from Hewlett-Packard during 1999. Hewlett-Packard was known for its “precept that workers will give their best if they’re treated honestly and listened to” and this philosophy was emulated by Agilent. Maintaining an open style of communication through e-mails, meetings, and other media, senior management openly acknowledged that downsizing went against the embedded HP way of caring for staff. Prior to commencing downsizing, Agilent tried other solutions to their business woes. Faced with a 23...
Words: 2151 - Pages: 9
...Analysis Expectations “Case Study Cheryl Ways and Agilent Technology’s Layoffs” July 20, 2011 Introduction In 2001 Agilent Technology a World Premier Measurement company started losing money changes where in order to keep the company going. The strategic plan was started by deciding to maintain open communications with their employees. They needed to cut cost so they implemented a 10% pay cut. To cut cost they also tried to reduce the use of external consults. Staff where told to limit travel time and any discretionary spending. The last step was the inevitable laying off of employees. Communications played a key role in their change. They communicated using every tool they had in their arsenal to let managers and employees know what was going on with the company. They sent out email, face-to-face meetings, brainstorming meetings, and also had public-address system speeches. They utilized a publication called InfoSparks that came out bi-weekly to also communicate with staff. All this communication made employee understanding to the changes that where happening. Agilent was able to maintain moral throughout the company through open communication. While the changes where taking place they always communications their core values and what they believe in so employee believe that the company has a purpose. Analysis In the case study of Agilent Technology some images of change management are pretty obvious. The first is Cheryl ways even though she was...
Words: 835 - Pages: 4
...Analysis Expectations “Case Study Cheryl Ways and Agilent Technology’s Layoffs” July 20, 2011 Introduction In 2001 Agilent Technology a World Premier Measurement company started losing money changes where in order to keep the company going. The strategic plan was started by deciding to maintain open communications with their employees. They needed to cut cost so they implemented a 10% pay cut. To cut cost they also tried to reduce the use of external consults. Staff where told to limit travel time and any discretionary spending. The last step was the inevitable laying off of employees. Communications played a key role in their change. They communicated using every tool they had in their arsenal to let managers and employees know what was going on with the company. They sent out email, face-to-face meetings, brainstorming meetings, and also had public-address system speeches. They utilized a publication called InfoSparks that came out bi-weekly to also communicate with staff. All this communication made employee understanding to the changes that where happening. Agilent was able to maintain moral throughout the company through open communication. While the changes where taking place they always communications their core values and what they believe in so employee believe that the company has a purpose. Analysis In the case study of Agilent Technology some images of change management are pretty obvious. The first is Cheryl ways even though she...
Words: 330 - Pages: 2
...what to do, and implementing the changes with minimal negative reaction are key managerial skills, especially in these increasingly turbulent times. The course will provide: - An overview of change management processes and types of changes - A knowledge of the drivers of change - Models of improving and rebuilding organizations - A variety of factors which affect successful change management - Some live stories of organizational change efforts - An opportunity for the students to frame their own orientation to change management COURSE REQUIREMENTS The course grade will be based on: Group Assignment (30%) Individual Assignments (20%) Final Exam: Case + Test (40%) Participation (10%) Group Assignment A. Analyze and present the case study of organizational change that is assigned to your group. This assignment is intended to provide an opportunity to analyze an actual change process through a systematic and concrete application of the theories you have learned so far. You are expected to apply the readings and class experience to provide an analysis. 1. Put yourself in the role of the decision makers and identify the situation they are faced with 2. Describe the change process 3. Bring in more information about that...
Words: 950 - Pages: 4
...communication processes will vary depending on the stage and type of organizational change. Chapter Summary The way change is communicated is central to its success. Many problems can disturb the process of communication – message overload, message distortion and message ambiguity. Language, power, gender and emotion can also impact the communication of change. How change managers perceive their role in communicating change will vary; for example, their ability to shape rather than control information about the change will vary depending on their image of managing change. This chapter outlines the variety of strategies that managers can use to communicate change including contingency approaches. It explores dilemmas underlying different change communication strategies such as whether you can communicate too much, how the strategy is linked to the type of change and the phases of a change and whether the strategy acts to “get the word out” or to get “buy-in.” Finally, it discusses options concerning the different media which can be used in the communication of change and the different “richness” attached to different media sources. Case Study Discussion: Cheryl Ways and Agilent Technology’s Layoffs 1. How would you describe Agilent Technology’s communication process for dealing with downsizing? Students realize from this case that even if...
Words: 4047 - Pages: 17
...Managing Organizational Change A Multiple Perspectives Approach Managing Organizational Change A Multiple Perspectives Approach Ian Palmer Richard Dunford Gib Akin Boston Burr Ridge, IL Dubuque, IA Madison, WI New York San Francisco St. Louis Bangkok Bogotá Caracas Kuala Lumpur Lisbon London Madrid Mexico City Milan Montreal New Delhi Santiago Seoul Singapore Sydney Taipei Toronto MANAGING ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE: A MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES APPROACH Published by McGraw-Hill/Irwin, a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY, 10020. Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written consent of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., including, but not limited to, in any network or other electronic storage or transmission, or broadcast for distance learning. Some ancillaries, including electronic and print components, may not be available to customers outside the United States. This book is printed on acid-free paper. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 DOC/DOC 0 9 8 7 6 5 ISBN 0-07-249680-0 Editorial director: John E. Biernat Senior sponsoring editor: Kelly H. Lowery Editorial assistant: Kirsten L. Guidero Executive marketing manager: Ellen Cleary Senior project manager: Lori Koetters Production supervisor: Debra R. Sylvester Design coordinator: Cara David...
Words: 2427 - Pages: 10
