Organizational Change
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One of the many recurring themes in our class dealt with the topic of organizational change. Organizational change refers to the changes that an organization undergoes that affect the goals, aims, and general characteristics of that organization. Every organization undergoes change at some point in their existence, yet the scope of each organization's change varies. There are four types of change that we discussed in detail in the class: these are strategic change, incremental change, transformative change, and crisis change. Strategic change refers to change that is planned by the organization in order to improve specific characteristics within an organization. Incremental change refers to the small chunks of change that affected sub-sections undergo in small parts at any given time. Transformative change refers to a complete organizational change that affects all aspects of the organization. Last but not least, crisis change is change brought about by unfavorable events that alter certain characteristics within an organization. While much of how change is addressed depends on the scope of the change in question, it also depends on the organization itself. Each organization uses different methods of dealing with change that they believe will produce the best results. In the end, this is the goal for the organizations; to build the best organization possible to serve their aims and goals, a mission that requires constant change.
Using this background, I will address the differences and similarities that Operation: Dream, a non-profit organization, has with Harley-Davidson, a for-profit organization.
Using this background, I will address the differences and similarities that Operation: Dream, a non-profit organization, has with Harley-Davidson, a for-profit organization.
Operation: Dream
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Operation: Dream began as a small, weekend experiment for its current director. Since then, however, the organization has grown into a respectable, non-profit organization. If you have never heard of the group, or do not know what the organization does, take a look at my summary page here. To get to this point, the group went through a number of changes. They began small, for instance, nailing down a permanent location for the group to perform their weekend activities. This seemingly small hindrance actually represents a much larger change for the organization than one would think. This acquisition of a permanent site represents initial growth. While this small change should not be classified as crisis change, it is one that was spurred by the growth of the organization and was made in order to accommodate this growth. Changes like this continued into the future, leading to the acquisition of a permanent organization vehicle to transport the kids to and from activities. These small changes merely increased demand for the organization, prompting Operation: Dream to make even bigger changes. Once the organization gained official recognition in 2006, a board of directors was elected, and permanent employees were hired. These groups were designated the tasks of managing day to day operations, allowing the executive director and founder to focus solely on the activities and improving the organization. Around this time, the group held its first annual fundraiser, that is still occurring yearly today. These are all changes that were, once again, prompted by an increase in demand. Operation: Dream has done well thus far to meet the demand of the population, and are continuing to grow. If the past is any indication, these are surely signs of future changes to come.
Harley-Davidson
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Harley-Davidson also began as a small company, with a dream to make a lasting impact on the market of motorcycles. It would appear that Harley-Davidson has done just that. If you have not taken a look at my Harley- Davidson Case Study page, check it out. World renowned for their legendary products, Harley-Davidson has become one of the most recognizable companies in the world. Yet, they did not get to this point without undergoing a significant amount of change. Some of the most recognizable forms of change that can be pinpointed in the Harley-Davidson organization are those undergone by the products themselves. Beginning as a bike fitted with a small, single-cylinder engine, Harley-Davidson motorcycles have become some of the more complex machines available today. On top of this, the customization aspect of each bike has grown to staggering amounts, letting current customers chose nearly every aspect of their bike to fit their wants. The scope of this change is clearly strategic, as it was implemented intentionally by the company to improve their product, and by extension, their organization. Another example of change that Harley-Davidson has been dealing with recently deals with the internal workings of the company. In a guest lecture given by Angie Ziegler, a representative of Harley-Davidson, we were told about a recent internal re-structuring currently occurring in the company. This re-structuring was spurred by a number of things, one of which was another recurring theme in our class, communication. The company, according to Ziegler, was suffering immensely from a lack of interpersonal communication between groups within the organization. The re-structuring was aimed at combating this by implementing a number of features within the corporations system that encouraged interpersonal communication. This change also represents strategic change, as it was implemented purposefully in order to improve the inner workings of the company. With the storied history of Harley-Davidson in mind, there is no doubt that the corporation will continue to make its mark on the motorcycle industry, continuing to implement change as it does.
Conclusion
After the analysis of the types of change each organization endures, as well as how each group deals with said change, there have become clear patterns that differentiate the two. The non-profit, Operation: Dream typically endures the type of change that is spurred by the need to adjust in order to accommodate growing demand. The organization itself rarely implements strategic change, instead, growing steadily as the need for their organization grows. On the other hand, Harley-Davidson champions strategic change, often implementing changes in order to improve the efficiency or quality of their organization. While many would attribute this difference to the size of the organization, I would argue otherwise. Even when Harley-Davidson was just beginning in the early 1900's, the organization still implemented strategic change in order to improve their company. This improvement was necessary for the company to make a profit. This is not a goal of Operation: Dream. Operation: Dream serves its participants and its community, with no intent for profit. It is here that the difference between non-profits and for-profits in terms of change becomes clear. While there are some non-profits who implement strategic change, the majority operate on a need basis with those whom they serve. For-profits, however, implement purposeful changes in order to better their organization and turn the largest profit possible. It must be noted that this is not a bad thing. Harley-Davidson has made a lasting impression on the market and has become extremely active in communities around the world, using their profits to aid organizations that Harley- Davidson approves. It is for this reason that I suggest Harley-Davidson become a contributor to Operation: Dream. Each company is based in Milwaukee and make active efforts to aid the community, and as such make a perfect fit for each other. Nevertheless, the implementation of change within their respective organizations is merely one way in which non-profits and for-profits differ, and is something that must be considered when viewing organizations through a management perspective.
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Information about Harley-Davidson was retrieved from http://www.harley-davidson.com/en_US/Content/Pages/home.html?locale=en_US&bmLocale=en_US and a guest lecture by Angie Ziegler.
Information about Operation: Dream was retrieved from http://operationdreammilwaukee.org/Home.html and an interview of professor McGee Young.
Information about Organizational Change was retrieved from Lecture Notes.
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Do you agree with my findings? Take my survey here and let me know what you think.
Information about Harley-Davidson was retrieved from http://www.harley-davidson.com/en_US/Content/Pages/home.html?locale=en_US&bmLocale=en_US and a guest lecture by Angie Ziegler.
Information about Operation: Dream was retrieved from http://operationdreammilwaukee.org/Home.html and an interview of professor McGee Young.
Information about Organizational Change was retrieved from Lecture Notes.
Survey Created at surveymonkey.com