Athleta Improvement and Change Management Project: Workers

Executive Summary

The score of Athleta Company, according to the B assessment, is relatively low. The problem is due to several areas of poor employee treatment. One of them is poor compensation and wages. When employees have not compensated accordingly, they feel discouraged, and this will, in turn, affect the productivity of the organization. Good compensation and wages increase the morale of workers as they feel well appreciated for their work of uplifting the organization. Also, the lack of adequate benefits for workers has a great effect on their performance. Balancing work and time for refreshment is essential for the success of any organization.

Athleta needs to treat its workers well and also train them to work in a way that will lead to productivity. Failure to train workers well leads to poor performance in organizations. Job flexibility has to be ensured in an organization is lacks enough, and full flexibility at the workplace kills productivity. Human rights and labor policy and occupational safety and health are essential in the company. Employees need to be treated right as when they have poor health, and the working condition is not safe, they tend to be unproductive.

The organizational process of change has three phases. They are preparing for change, change management, and reinforcing the change. In change preparation, there is a definition of the strategy as well as clarification of the roles and expectations. The phase of change implementation involves the development of a plan through using Kotter’s model, setting and identifying priorities, scheduling of actions, and communication as well. The final stage entails following and evaluating daily activities and developments, diagnosing gaps, and implementing the right actions when necessary.

Improvement Area: Workers

The current state of the workers’ score of Athleta Company, according to the assessment, is low. The score according to the B assessment is 15.9. The pay of the company is low, and the gap does not offer enough income to employees. The compensation and wages score lies at 2.3. The compensation is poor, and this discourages the employees. This makes the employees feel not appreciated enough and as well derive low satisfaction from their work. This hence increases discontent changes, and therefore there is a problem in the workplace morale (Lazear, 2018). Moreover, low pay is associated with low productivity as people get motivated when they are well compensated for their good and hard work.

Lack of enough benefits for employees hurts their performance. The benefits score of Athleta is at 5.7. Balancing life and work is quite difficult for many individuals. There is a close relationship between family availability and benefits of lifestyle and workers recruitment, performance, and retention as well (Štucers, 2021). Lack of help has a great effect on the overall performance of work and hence has an impact on Athleta, leading to productivity loss and declined retention of workers.

As well, failure to train workers enough affects the well-doing of the organization. Considering the training and education score of Athleta is at 1.5, there is a lack of adequate education, and employee training leads to weak performance and low rates of retention too. Poor performance is one of the negative consequences of failing to offer training to employees. Untrained workers tend to run into serious issues with providing high work quality to Athleta in an effective manner. It is a bit simple. Less training and knowledge leads to low-performance levels in companies.

The worker ownership metrics are at 1.3. This illustrates that the ownership of employees is not linked well enough to better the performance of the organization on average. Employee ownership organizations tend to have more stability and higher rates of survival. Management and worker communication of Athleta Company is also rated at 1.3. Poor communication happens in cases where there is not enough discrepancy between what is said should be done and what is heard. This happens between employees or between a manager and an employee. Poor communication leads to a wrong interpretation of information and hence affecting the productivity of Athleta.

The Job flexibility score is at 2.0, which is also relatively low. Lack of full or enough flexibility of places of work kills productivity. Workers who overwork or strain a lot tend to come to work late the following morning as they have to carry out their home or individual tasks late in the night (Štucers, 2021). Flexibility gives various advantages to workers in a business. When there is no flexibility at the workplace, then there is low employee retention, low productivity, low loyalty of employees, and low engagement, as well

The other area of workers that needs improvement is the human rights and labor policy. The score of this sector is 0.5. This is terribly low. Workers are supposed to operate in a surrounding that is free from violence, harassment, bullying, and discrimination (Štucers, 2021). Failure to follow human rights at the workplace and failure to follow the policies regarding labor discourages workers and makes them feel unwanted. Hence, they tend to be less passionate about work, and their productivity level as well decreases.

Occupational health and safety as well greatly affects workers of Athleta as the score is only 1.0. Health, welfare, and safety issues are key in the workplace. For workers to be fruitful, they have to feel they are taken good care of and are secure at the workplace. When employees have poor health, they will obviously be slow and unproductive in the workplace.

Athleta B Impact report: Workers

Organizational Change Process

Business managers often make the common mistake of presuming that by creating awareness of the requirement for transformation, they have developed a desire to participate in the adjustment. However, one must follow the other. Therefore the process has to be scheduled. A model has to be chosen to guide the process.

Phases for Change Management Process

These three phases are vital in executing the adjustment:

Phase 1: Preparing for change (Preparation, assessment, and strategy development)

Phase 2: Managing change (Detailed planning and change management implementation)

Phase 3: Reinforcing change (Data gathering, corrective action, and recognition)

Implementation Phases Descriptions

The model selected for guiding the transformation comprises the areas of stress and the priorities mentioned in the change phases.

Phase1: Preparing Change

This involves; defining Strategy, clarifying expectations and roles, measuring the organization’s readiness for change, preparing forms and assessments, choosing and assigning leaders, building supportive groups by choosing digested and dedicated employees, identifying departments and hiring new employees, choosing the change model and starting communication (Lewis, 2019).

Phase2: Implementing Change

Implementation of change entails: developing a change implementation plan by tuning to Kotter’s model, identifying and setting priorities and communicating, scheduling actions, and communicating.

Phase 3: Reinforcing Change

Stages in this force entail; following and evaluating the day-to-day activities and developments, diagnosing gaps and managing resistance, implementing corrective actions when necessary, tracking, and communicating.

Preparation, assessment, and Strategy development

The drive of a change readiness valuation is to examine the level of alertness of the circumstances, attitudes, and funds, at all system levels. Besides, the readiness valuation also queries the groundwork of the persons in the business, inquiring if they are flexible to modification or comprehension.

Organization’s readiness for change

After making some inquiries internally and externally, we realized that::

The company has the suitable resources and situations to strengthen the process of change

The company has goals and a clear vision for the expected change

The firm has the inspiration and attitudes to participate in the adjustment and execute it.

Change Model Theories

There are many approaches to administer a change effort. These theories comprise Mc. Kinsey’s 7S Model, Lewin’s Change Management, Kubler-Ross Five Stage Model, Prosci’s ADKAR Model, Kotter’s Eight Steps Model, Roger’s Technology Adoption Curve, and Bridge’s Transition Model.

After investigating the advantages and restrictions of the above models, I decided to choose Kotter’s Eight Step Change Management Model.

Kotter’s Eight Step Change Model.

Dr. Kotter, in 1995, in his book “Leading Change,” launched his Eight Stage Model (Rajan & Ganesan, 2017). This model is a guideline offering a three-dimensional relationship between groups, individuals, and the firm.

Benefits:

Focus on the willingness and acceptance of employees to support and participate as the focus for success

• Clear, step by step guide for the process
• Excellently fits into classical hierarchies and cultures

Limitations:

• The model suggests a “top-down” process. There is no room for co-creations or other forms of participation
• If the stages of grief and individual needs are not considered, it can cause frustration among the employees.

Kotter’s improvement Model

Change Process Implementation Plan

The Guiding Frame

• Planning Sustaining change

Here the problem is identified, the current situation documented, and the priorities clarified. Besides, the ideal situation is visualized, the measurement targets defined, and the changing climate created.

• Engaging and enabling the stages

In this phase, the development plan and schedule are clarified. Moreover, the execution of the project and the program occurs in this phase. Furthermore, the team building and building of leaders, goal setting, and assigning tasks and duties are also done. Brainstorming for supplemental strategies and answers also takes place here.

• Implementing successful change

This phase comprises measuring, recording, and contrasting results, developing short-term successes. Besides, resistance and obstacles are eradicated.

Phase 2: Turning Change Process to Kotter’s Six Stages Model

1. Creating a Sense of Urgency

For this stage to be done, there must be maximum collaboration, readiness, and willingness from many people to make sacrifices (Lewis, 2019). Potential threats have to be highlighted, opportunities identified, honest discussions commenced, and a request to stakeholders, consumers, and the industry to strengthen the goal.

The state of the organization should be determined before conducting this stage as:

• True Urgency
• False Urgency
• Complacency

2. Creating the Guiding Coalition:

To activate change within an organization, a guiding coalition is necessary. The correct structure of individuals, level of trust, and shared vision are crucial to this team’s success. We had four steps required to put together that Kotter offers. A guiding coalition power, expertise, credibility, and leadership.

3. Developing and communicating vision and Strategy

Developing vision carries vital importance for the change process. It simplifies all complexities and every tiny detail on an excellent and developed roadmap which was extremely of help while getting over the most challenging stages of the process.

Vision offers the suitable feel of understanding the purpose for the modification and the methods to monitor. It is like a road map to the destination.

4. Endowing broad-oriented action

Systems of information management have a significant effect on the fruitful enactment of a change vision. Authorizing broad-based act also includes investment in worker and administrative development and training. This is an essential expenditure, not a “nice to have” cost.

Throughout the change process, Athleta did not face any obstacle to interrupt the efficiently flowing processes. The corporation had a disaster team who instantly addressed resolutions to any obstacles if suddenly, any disaster occurred.

5. Making short term successes

During long, exhausting alteration labors, short-term victories are lifeguards for players. Athleta’s executives should establish firm dinners, awards, and jamborees ceremonials to inspire and inspire the workers and managers working as performance advocates. It is also essential to set small successes. These wins have to be attainable, giving small room for disappointment.

6. Consolidating gains and creating additional change

Confrontation is continuously behind the door and waiting for a time to arise in the course and proclaim itself. Thus, the initial phases of transformation are constantly more difficult and mandate to be observant. Therefore, the new performances ought to be escorted with the company’s culture to ensure a durable victory. This is because if it does not work, returning back on track may be dangerous. If a business begins employing modification initiatives effectively and maintains gradually, Kotter advocates that it makes resilient inspiration and opens extra plans.

The consequences of leasing up can be harmful. Serious impetus can be absent when you let up before the work is done, and relapse may quickly follow. The novel behaviors and performs should be driven into the culture to make sure success is long-term. Once deterioration starts, upgrading momentum is a daunting job.

Setting Priorities (Change Areas)

Tradition is an influential power. We retain modification in place by making a novel, supportive, and adequately resilient administrative culture. A Guiding Alliance unaccompanied cannot cause a change in place regardless of how powerful they are. It takes most of the organizations genuinely accepting the new culture to have any chance of accomplishment in the long term.

Staying On Track

It is essential to maintain and keep in check the change process. This can be done by tracking all the day-to-day activities, analyzing the inferences, and implementing suitable actions to aid in the triumph of the change administration process. Obtaining feedback is also crucial in diagnosing gaps and administering resistance to ensure a sustainable change.

References

Lazear, E. P. (2018). Compensation and Incentives in the Workplace. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 32(3), 195-214.

Lewis, L. (2019). Organizational change (pp. 406-423). Routledge.

Rajan, R., & Ganesan, R. (2017). A critical analysis of John P. Kotter’s change management framework. Asian Journal of Research in Business Economics and Management, 7(7), 181-203.

Štucers, A. M. (2021). Approaches to increasing work productivity in an organization.