...Concord Bookstore: Implementing Organizational Change 1 Concord Bookstore Gail Bernal HCS/587 3/3/14 John Istvan Concord Bookstore: Implementing Organizational Change 2 Implementing Organizational Change Change in any business is inevitable and needs to be taken with open arms. There are times people are comfortable in their position and are not receptive to the change process. The change process also needs to be implemented with open communication and the ability to hear constructive criticism and act on it. All sides need to be able to voice their opinions and be open minded to take any opinions and incorporate the ideas into the master plan if necessary. The Tales of Woe at Concord Bookstore describes how the owners of a bookstore in a New England town decided to change their business format in an every changing technical age of times. The way the owners went about implementing the change process was not done fully. The following will discuss some areas that were not completed. The writer feels the main process that was handled incorrectly was the turnaround process. “Turnaround looks at a company’s assets and seeks to manage them in a new way in order to stabilize cash flow, shore up the balance sheet, and maximize shareholder wealth.” (Spector, 2010). As employees of a company the focus usually is not about the bookkeeping aspect like how much profit was incurred today. The one thing that an investor will look at is...
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...The Concord Bookshop and the Change process Tara Buckenmyer HCS/587 March 17, 2014 Carol Rohrback Organizational Change and the Concord Bookstore Change is inevitable for business owners. External forces like technological advances and consumer demands often places financial hardship on a company. The success of online shopping has forced bookstore owners to become creative in competing with Internet companies. To remain competitive and maintain viability, bookstore owners must be able to adapt quickly and implement organizational changes. Organizational change means introducing a new enterprise resource planning system to co-ordinate and standardize internal process (Spector, 2010). Businesses often turn to strategic renewal changes to improve profit margins and customer relations. An independently owned bookstore, The Concord Bookshop, underwent organizational change processes that led to failure. The Concord Bookshop The Concord Bookshop was a thriving bookstore in Boston, Massachusetts, until national bookstore chains and the availability of online shopping affected its financial status. To improve the store’s financial position, the owners represented by a board president, elected to implement organizational changes. The owners no longer wanted to use a three-way management system. They elected to demote the existing managers into different positions and hire a new general manager. This came as an abrupt surprise to the current employees. Employees...
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...Concorde Bookstore Organizational Change Process In todays unstable economy, many companies are under economic pressure. In an effort to grow and survive, many businesses goes through the process of reorganizations such as takeovers, downsizings, and joint ventures. These changes present new challenges and requires cooperation from the management and employees. Every person affected must learn to work together or suffer the consequences. The purpose of this paper is to describe the faces of organizational change process and identifiy the organizational change process that Concord Bookstore management failed to complete or implement that led to the failure of change process. According to Spector (2010), organizational change is the introduction and adoption of a new concept or system to improve the company’s financial situation and service productivity. This change is often cause by several events such as new technology, labor disputes, or loss of revenue that inable the company to sustain current business practice (p. 3). With the case of Concorde bookstore, the management recognizes the company’s inability to compete with the online giant bookstore like Amazon.com. Prior to implementing changes, the organization must consider and utilize the three faces of change: turnaround, tools and techniques, and transformation. Organizational leaders may choose to use one or two options, but for a change to be effective, all three approaches must be considered. Turnaround phase...
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...The Concord Bookshop and the Change process Kelly Collinsworth HCS/587 September 3, 2012 Ginger Weatherston, BS, MAS Introduction Change is inevitable for business owners. External forces like technological advances and consumer demands often places financial hardship on a company. The success of online shopping has forced bookstore owners to become creative in competing with Internet companies. To remain competitive and maintain viability, bookstore owners must be able to adapt quickly and implement organizational changes. Organizational change means introducing a new enterprise resource planning system to co-ordinate and standardize internal process (Spector, 2010). Businesses often turn to strategic renewal changes to improve profit margins and customer relations. An independently owned bookstore, The Concord Bookshop, underwent organizational change processes that led to failure. The Concord Bookshop The Concord Bookshop was a thriving bookstore in Boston, Massachusetts, until national bookstore chains and the availability of online shopping affected its financial status. To improve the store’s financial position, the owners represented by a board president, elected to implement organizational changes. The owners no longer wanted to use a three-way management system. They elected to demote the existing managers into different positions and hire a new general manager. This came as an abrupt surprise to the current employees. Employees to the proposed...
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...Concord Bookstore Organizational Change Brian Steensen HCS/587 March 18, 2013 Virginia Weatherston, BS, MAS Concord Bookstore Organizational Change The 64-year- independent Concord bookstore underwent a period of upheaval created by the owners of the store not considering how the change in management without consulting the current staff and management could produce negative feedback from the employees. The owners showed that they need to improve their understanding of how organizational change should occur to produce positive outcomes (Spector, 2010, p. 2). The situation the owners were responding to was the increase in competition from chain bookstores and Internet sales. They did not get the employee’s or the current management staff any notice the change was coming by just telling the staff that a new general manager would be put into place who would take the over the responsibilities of the three person management team currently in place. This led to resignations by the three managers and five other senior employees’ with a total of 73 years’ experience at the bookstore. This had an adverse community reaction regarding its effect on the bookstore. Owners maintained that this change was necessary because of financial considerations (Spector, 2010, p. 2). This paper will key in on the failure of the owners to initiate effective, phased change process that would have decreased the resignations of key staff. Ignoring the different Phases of Change The turmoil...
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...Concord Bookshop HCS/587 December 10, 2012 David Harrell Concord Bookshop Concord bookshop was an organization that had challenges. This paper entails the description of the Concord bookshop and its organization. Organizational change process is explained along with Lewin’s Change Model phase; unfreezing, change, and refreezing. The phases of Lewin’s Change Model that Concord did not implement at the time of the change will be described also. The Concord bookshop was an independent bookstore company that implemented a change during a time when the competition booksellers were chain bookstores and Internet books sales (Spector, 2010). The hire of a general manager caused conflict between the Concord owners and the employees the way the change was presented. Concord owners were set with their decision (Spector, 2010). The company did not listen to the employee’s concerns and told the employee’s the company will do it the way of the company and if he or she did not like it, it was his or her choice to continue or not with the company (Spector, 2010). The employee’s believed they were unimportant and dispensable; this led to the employee’s quitting. Lack of proper change implementation by the owners led to conflict and resistance from the employee’s. The Concord owner’s did not use the organizational change process or the strategic renewal approach. Strategic renewal helps to redefine the relationship with the employee’s. The organizational change process...
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...Change is an inevitable part of any organization. Organizations are faced with the challenge of choosing how to correctly handle the organizational change process. Establishments have two options when it comes to the change process they can choose to handle the change with organization and proper planning or they can choose to implement the change without ensuring proper planning or implementation. Many theoretical models have been established to ensure that organizations have references to use when implementing change in an organization. Below Kurt Lewin’s change model will be explained and used to analyze the change that occurred several years ago at successful independent bookstore called Concord Bookshop. The Concord Bookshop is a 64-year-old independent bookstore in New England that underwent big changes. Kurt Lewin was a psychologist who studied change implementation. Lewin’s change model includes three phases the unfreezing, changing, and refreezing stage. The first stage in Lewin’s model is the unfreezing stage. In this stage the individual or individuals are proposing a process to change and have to provide the individuals affected with an understanding of why this change is necessary. Nancy Borkowski (2005) states that the unfreezing stage is when the, “workers involved in perpetuating resistance acquire an understanding of variances that exist between current practices and behavior and desires activities and behavior” (p.384). This stage did not occur during the...
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...Concord Bookstore University of Phoenix Creating Change within Organizations HCS587 David Harrell 16 January, 2012 * The Concord Bookshop is a small town bookstore with a 64-year history and a cultural appeal enjoyed by the citizens of the town. In recent years the economic environment created fierce competition for the bookstore, coupled with a need for innovative technology meant a need for restructuring. The financial status of the bookshop was in grave distress. Fearing financial ruin the board members made a unanimous decision to implement significant changes. However, the board did not take the necessary steps of including the appropriate stakeholders in the change process and obtaining employee support. Several phases of organization change were not executed during the Concord Bookshop discussion, which ultimately led to the failure of the company. Strategic Renewal The board did not consider the employees talent, capabilities or experience as an important component to achieve the future goals of the bookstore (Spector, 2010). The residents of Concord frequented the bookstore, yet the board did not seek customer or employee support for their vision. Appropriate consultation may have saved the bookstore from financial despair. By failing to see the importance of stakeholder input and implementing changes before any valuable dialogue took place led to the gradual destruction of the bookstore. Strategic renewals are required by companies...
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...Concord Bookshop Organizational Change In today’s unstable economy many organizations are under tremendous pressure to advance and survive. The Concord Bookshop is one of these small organizations that needed to make a change to better compete with the innovation of their competitors. With the rise in larger bookstore chains and Internet sales the small bookstores future is uncertain. Without some interventions the bookstore would not survive. The implementation of a new organizational model will ensure that the company survives and becomes profitable. Strategic renewal requires organizational change, reinvention, invention, and redesign of business process and organizational structure (Spector, 2010). Kurt Lewin’s change three stage model offers an effective approach to strategic change. In the first stage of the theory, which is the Unfreezing. In this stage group members become dissatisfied with the status quo (Spector, 2010). The second stage of the theory which is moving. During this stage the group members alter their behaviors and patterns (Spector, 2010). The final stage is refreezing. It is during this stage that the group members institutionalize the new patterns of behavior into a new status quo (Spector, 2010). In the final stage of Lewin’s theory this is when lasting changes are implemented and become permanent. In the case of Concord Bookshop the board recognized that it needed to compete with the large bookstore chains and book sales on the...
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...Organizational Change and the Concord Bookshop Organizational change is a process by which a business makes changes to improve themselves. The world is constantly changing and evolving and businesses need to find a way to keep up. How businesses manage change varies depending on what type of business it is. The model of change developed by Kurt Lewin in the 1950s consists of three stages of change-unfreeze, changing, and refreeze (Medley & Akan, 2008, p. 485). An example of organizational change is the Concord Bookshop. The Concord Bookshop is a 64-year-old bookstore in New England (Spector, 2010). The owners found it necessary to makes changes because of the current market for book sales. The change was not well received by the staff and conflict developed between the owners and the staff. “For strategic renewal to be effective, organizations need to do more than announce a new strategy. Leaders need to align internal processes, structures, and systems with demands of the new strategy” (Spector, 2010, p. 3). Phases of Organizational Change Kurt Lewin’s model of change consisted of three stages of change. The first stage is the called the Unfreeze, the organization accepts change is required. “To prepare the organization successfully, you need to start at its core – you need to challenge the beliefs, values, attitudes, and behaviors that currently define it” (Mind Tools, 2010, p. 2). The second phase people accept change will happen. “In order to accept the change...
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...Concord Bookshop Paper HCS/587 Organizational change is a process by which a business makes changes to improve themselves. The world is constantly changing and evolving and businesses like healthcare industry need to find a way to keep up. How businesses manage change varies depending on what type of business it is. The model of change developed by Kurt Lewin in the 1950s consists of three stages of change: unfreeze, changing, and refreeze (Medley & Akan, 2008, p. 485). An example of organizational change is the Concord Bookshop. The Concord Bookshop is a 64-year-old bookstore in New England (Spector, 2010). The owners found it necessary to makes changes because of the current market for book sales. The change was not well received by the staff and conflict developed between the owners and the staff. “For strategic renewal to be effective, organizations need to do more than announce a new strategy. Leaders should align internal processes, structures, and systems with the demands of the new strategy” (Spector, 2010. p.3). Phases of Organizational Change Kurt Lewin’s model of change consisted of three stages of change. The first stage is the called the Unfreeze, the organization accepts change is required. “To prepare the organization successfully, you need to start at its core – you need to challenge the beliefs, values, attitudes, and behaviors that currently define it” (Mind Tools, 2010, p. 2). The second phase people accept change will happen, “In order to accept...
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...Introduction It’s like a family quarrel that nobody wants and nobody knows how to stop. The Concord Bookshop, a 64-year-old independent store regarded as one of the best in New England, is beset by a bitter clash between owners and staff. The conflict puts pressure on the store at a time when independent booksellers are reeling from competition from chains and the Internet. Eight of Concord Bookshop’s employees, including the trio of top managers, have quit or given their notice. The staffers’ years of service add up to 73. The three managers, including [the] general manager have worked at the store for a total of 34 years. Meanwhile, a group of outraged local authors . . . has fired off a letter to the owners supporting the staff. The precipitating event was a surprise announcement last month by the owners a group of three families represented by a board led by President Morgan “Kim” Smith of Concord—that a new general manager will be hired. No one was laid off, and no one’s salary was cut. Yet many of the staff were outraged at the de facto demotions, as well as by what they saw as the owners’ immovable stance. “We asked for a meeting with the whole board,” says [a departing staff member]. “We presented our concerns, and they thanked us for our input and said, ‘We’re going to do it our way, and if you don’t like it, each of you will have to make up your mind as to how to proceed.’ Something in me died, the fragile alchemy that made it such a great place to work had...
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...Concord Bookshop Paper HCS/587 Concord Bookshop Paper The Concord Bookshop was a thriving entity that provided many forms of literary materials to the community of New England. This 64 –year-old business began to experience a major slump because of the new innovative ways that literature can be obtained. Since the inception of this bookstore, much has changed in the industry as it pertains to the way books are printed. Technology has afforded many readers the ability to purchase a digital print of a book instead of actually buying a book or purchasing the book online at a fraction of the cost. This technique caused the bookshop to lose customers as well as money. To counteract this development the owners decided to implement some changes. The Phases In order for any organization to implement change, there are certain phases that employees should be walked through. Failure to do such will result in an atmosphere of further resistance. Though resistance is inevitable when it concerns change in the workforce, it has a way of escalating when the phases are not incorporated into the plan. Three phases that should be implemented in the revamping of an organization is turnaround, tools and techniques, and, transformation. The first phase, which is involves a turnaround deals with the improvement of an organizations finances. In improving finances there is an evaluation as to what is causing the decrease in the financial aspect of the organization. In this...
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...The Phases in the Organizational Change Process HCS/587 October 14, 2013 The Phases in the Organizational Change Process Spector (2010) stated “organizational change is typically initiated in response to a trigger event or a shift in the environment that precipitates a need for altered strategies and new patterns of employee behavior” (p.18). According to Spector (2010), to understand and analyze the dynamics of change it is important to sort out and distinguish the different approaches that can be taken. In chapter one Spector gives the reader insight into the Concord Bookshop, a bookstore that is in the process of implementing new changes. Spector (2010), states that “for the Concord Bookshop, the increasing penetration of online booksellers into the store’s market space triggered the requirement for strategic renewal” (p.18). Kurt Lewin developed a change model to assist organizations such as the Concord Bookshop with changes. There are three steps in Lewin’s...
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...The Concord Bookshop and Strategic Renewal and Strategic Renewal Kathryn Wagner HCS/587 March 25, 2013 Pamela Young Hobbs The Concord Bookshop and Strategic Renewal The Concord Bookshop has a 64-year history of providing patrons with quality customer service and a more personal atmosphere than modern bookstores and online markets. Employees have remained loyal giving over 73 combined years of service. Board president Morgan “Kim” Smith represents the three families that own the store. Smith made a “surprise announcement” stating a new general manager was to be hired (Spector, 2010, p. 2). According to Smith, the store’s “dire financial situation” and an inadequately functioning “three-way management” were the reasons behind this decision (Spector, 2010, p. 2). When outraged employees and management voiced their concerns, they were told, “If you don’t like it, each of you will have to make up your own mind as to how to proceed” (Spector, 2010, p. 2). As a result, many employees have chosen to resign. Authors and loyal store patrons who view the bookstore as a “community resource and not just a bookstore” are also upset by the conflicts and changes (Spector, 2010, p. 3). Phases of Organizational Change The businesses of today face many challenges such as “rapid and dramatic change,” keeping pace with the demands of new technologies, predicting consumer expectations, and “shifts in workplace demographics and values” (Spector, 2010, p. 3). Recognizing that these...
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