Riordan Manufacturing Management Change Plan
MGT 301

Section I: Change Management Plan
Identify the current formal and informal power structures in the organization. How might the power and political structure of the organization affect employee behavior?
The formal power structure in the organization consists of the top management staff run by the President & CEO, followed by the Executive Assistant, Senior VP-R&D, and the Chief Operating Officer. The informal power structures would be the employee work force and their ability to generate profits for the company. The power and political organizational structure might affect employee behavior on how strict the company is on its standards and regulations. When the employee is supervised and reviewed on the performance then the employee might feel the responsibility to keep up and do a good work in order to keep the job and generate good reviews. According to Robbins and Judge (2013) organizational structure is defined as how a job tasks which is formally divided, grouped and coordinated. There are six key elements; work specialization, departmentalization, chain of command, span of control, centralization, decentralization, and formalization. Riordan Manufacturing operation is based on the effective bureaucratic structure this standardized processes effective in the ability for all 500 employees to be synchronized at the same level regardless of the hierarchy. The manufacturing plants are divided in three different specific manufacturing plants in Georgia they produce plastic parts. In Pontiac, Michigan they specialize in specific parts, and in Hangzhou, China they produce plastic fans. Identify the most appropriate and effective organizational structures for Riordan Manufacturing that will help them accomplish their planned changes.
The most appropriate and effective organizational structure for the company is one that takes employees into consideration and values their input. A good tool to do this is by having them answer survey on their experience working for the company and asking if there is anything the company can do to exceed in the business world or how to make the work environment more comfortable in order for the employees to perform better and feel valued at their work place.
What are the potential effects of this selected structure on employee behavior?
Employees are affected by change. They are affected by everything that occurs within the organization. Change is not always good in terms of overall effect on employees. However, when change occurs and the employees feel that their concerns were heard and they were able to have input into some of the changes especially in the areas that affect them directly, then you will see an increase in morale. Productivity will increase and the employees will feel ownership for the products they produce or the output of their hard work. A less bureaucratic and formal organizational structure can have very positive effects on the workforce, however the structure should still be a strong one with that ability to provide the stability that the employees need to develop and grow within the company. Employees need to be able to trust and have confidence in their work environment and in their management.
Identify characteristics of the company’s culture. What are the potential influences of the corporate culture on employee behavior?
A company’s culture is in many ways its foundation. A strong culture can resist change, yet a weak culture can allow too much change and does not provide a stable platform for organizational growth. A company needs to be open to suggestions and not adverse to change if it benefits the company and employees and can be termed an innovative and risk taking organization. The organization also needs to exhibit attention to detail type culture where employees are encourages to be creative and to explore better ways to do things and provide the input to management however still maintaining the quality and standard of the company. The employees need to feel that their ideas and/or concerns are heard and addressed if necessary. The employees should be rewarded when they exceed while maintaining a safe and healthy environment. On the other end the employees need to feel that their spiritual needs are being met. Not referring to religion, but to recognition of what makes each and every employee different and recognizing and celebrating the differences. A culture of a company should celebrate diversity. Overall the organization wants to achieve their financial goals, allow the employees the freedom to think outside of the box, recognize their differences, but still maintain a strong organizational structure and work ethic.

Identify the potential sources of resistance to change and develop strategies to manage resistance to change.
Employees are a very important source that will resist change. As the culture is the foundation of the company, employees are the pillars that hold up the roof. Resistance to change can begin at the employee level but can quickly build to be a huge barrier in the progress and continued growth of a company. Disgruntled employees are a virus ready and willing to spread and can create at the very least a glitch in the cog. Another very common change that can cause a ripple in a well-oiled machine is technology and keeping up with all the new upgrades. Employees are very resistant to change in technology and yet this aspect of any company is vital to progress. The company needs to develop a vehicle to allow employees to vent, or at the very least present their issues anonymously, privately, or in group forum. They need to feel that they will not be ridiculed or punished for speaking up. The company also needs to be willing to constantly train employees on new and innovative technology and make them feel that they will be given the proper time to learn and become proficient. Change is difficult in any situation. Change at work is more stressful.
Recommend a strategy to implement the changes over the next 12 months.
Describe how you will evaluate the success or failure of the planned change.
Section II: Communication Plan
Create a Communication Plan for the proposed change covered in the Change Management Plan. In the Communication Plan, complete the following:
Select the most appropriate channels to communicate the change to the employees, and explain why you selected these channels. The integration of a new system is a change that can create fear, and challenges.
For the implementation of an effective communication plan Riordan Manufacture will have to use the strategy from the top down. Riordan success was built on the President and CEO, Dr. Michael Riordan as the leader of the organization his message to his employees, and customers will be able to breach the gap of skeptics and hesitation. The communication plan has Mr. Riordan attending town hall meetings in all of his manufacturing plants. In addition, to the use of technology, email, video version of how simple and effective the new system will be can create an environment of enthusiasm.
Identify the potential barriers to effective communication and strategies for overcoming the barriers.
Develop a message for one of the selected communication channels. In the message, complete the following:
Identify those areas affected by the change.
The selected communications channels involve face to face meetings at all the manufacturing sites. The changes will affect all employees, not only the first line workers but management as well. Everyone employed by the company will be invited and asked for their input. This type of communication although challenging, also gives the audience or in this case the employees a feeling of honesty and trust. A town hall meeting can be taped for those than cannot attend and viewed at their leisure on the company intranet. The management team will present a more caring and attentive attitude and should field questions and remain to meet and greet any employee that feels the need to approach them. The agenda will include current status of the company and the goals we would like to achieve. It will involve initial talks about the actions that have to be considered or taken and a potential schedule.
Message:
We are here today to discuss the global changes to the organization that have many of you concerned. We hope that during today’s meeting, you will feel that you understand the reasons for the changes and how it will or will not impact you as an employee. We want you to know that we have taken all the suggestions and issues from the hotline and have tried to address the most relevant or urgent issues during this meeting today. This video will be taped for those that miss the live meetings and for those that want to review the discussions held today.

Establish the need for the change.
The economic condition of the world today has caused a downfall in the market and has of course had a domino effect on has prompted the management team to analyze the overall operations in order to streamline the processes. We are taking all the current roles and positions into consideration and at this point in time we do not foresee layoffs or a reduction in force. However, there will be changes and you will be kept abreast of all the latest and current information as we proceed through this transition.
Create a sense of urgency around the change.
Outline next steps in the change process.