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Leading Change for High Performance

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Submitted By ljoyran
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Case Study: Leading Change for High Performance

Joyce Rance
GM504-0319-0429-01N
Organizational Excellence and Change

March 27, 2014

Professor
Dr. Laurie Cure

Summary of the Case Christina Gold, CEO of Western Union has proposed a change to unify the U.S. operations with its international division and to have both act as one entity, thus a regional structure with three main divisions: the Americas; Europe, Africa, the Middle East and South Asia Pacific to meet the needs of its’ global clientele. However, leaders in the U.S. are reluctant to give up the control of product lines, while regional leaders favor the decentralization of the two operations. Gold, who is knowledgeable in geography and diverse cultures understands that each region has to be treated differently and wants to be assured the right leader would be placed in the right position to match responsibility with authority and cultural understanding. Regional leader responsibility would include profit and loss with no decrease in revenue (Konrad & Mitchell, 2005).
Major Issues Gold wanted to lead Western Union from a product line to a geographical aligned organization through a major structural change that would support the company’s six core strategies; 1) develop a global brand, 2) enhance global network distribution, 3) expand adjacent markets, 4) develop leaders with in the organization, 5) increase productivity, and 6) execute service excellence (Konrad & Mitchell, 2005). To effect these changes, would require putting trust in the lands of leaders who may not be well versed with the standards of operations. The U.S. centric of Western Union would have to give up control over marketing and their product lines, leaders in the U.S. are reluctant to give up control of their product lines (Konrad, Mitchell, 2005). Further, Gold is concerned with

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