Thursday, May 30, 2013

30th Week Journal

Acknowledgement

I would like to extend and acknowledge my sincere gratitude to my lecturer and tutor Dr. Guru Tej for his vital support and encouragement, his assistance and understanding, for his constant reminders and much needed motivation, help and inspiration and all his assistance in the collection of the relevant information and topics for the report.

At last I would like to take this opportunity to extend and acknowledge my sincere gratitude to my family members and all my friends.
Thank you all.

Sunil Manandhar




  

1. Introduction:

This report has been prepared on the case study as per the academic requirements on the module Strategic Choice and Impact. The cases study is based on Faslane, HM Naval Case Clyde in which various aspects of strategic changes analysis which has been occurred.

To analyze the strategic change process Balogun and Hope Hailey’s Change kaleidoscope and Lewin’s Forcefield Analysis was considered change impact.  In other to analyze the internal features of Faslane some analytical tools were used to measure the change such as Mc Kinsey‘s 7S Model and Johnson’s Cultural Web.  To identify the strategic leadership style was compared with Lynch model.


In the case study, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the Royal Navy Decided to partner with Babcock Marine which is a private company at year 2002. The main reason behind the joint venture was considered to reduce the cost and improve their services. The MOD and the Royal Navy targeted to save £76 million in 5years time but the Babcock was successful in achieving the target and also considered the best.




2. Analysis:

Faslane change was successful for the reason that the management team brought people who dealt with change which helped them to implement changes. Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the Royal Navy were managing the Faslane until in 2002 they decided to partner with Babcock Marine (a unit of Babcock International, a private sector company). The major contribution to their success was that Babcock was a company from the private sector where thing were very different such as improved structure, diverse shareholders, strong competitive and etc. compared to the public sector. To decrease the operational cost and quality performance all the management and control was handed over to Babcock which was the major reason for partnership agreement. Successful changes turned Faslane to become home base for the entire UK’s submarine fleet.


3. Change Kaleidoscope

Change kaleidoscope is a comprehensive framework which pulls together and wide range of contextual features and implementation options that require consideration during change. It is a tool to conceptualizing the nature of change. Change Kaleidoscope was developed by Hope Hailey & Balogun (2002). The change kaleidoscope considers eight contextual features.
Three layer of ring with features of change which can be enable or constrain change and innermost ring contains the implementation options.





Fig 3.1: Change Kaleidoscope of Faslane (Adapted from J. Balogun and V. Hope Hailey)






From the above figure 3.1, we can see the Change Kaleidoscope has used to analyze the change context in Faslane. The main object of Faslane was to reduce cost and improved performance at very short period of time of 5 years. From the above figure the word “Revolutionary” that can be used to describe the change process in Faslane as changing the mindset of the staffs.
We observe that given a short time of 5 years to achieve the target of saving cost of £76 million by new management team (i.e. Babcock Marine) was a difficult. The management team compromise of diverse workforce, power and autonomy, skilled employees which had already faced changes. Doing such changes employee’s adaptations to achieve the target was reduced. Low levels changes started to be implemented which seemed too easy.
Babcock Marine, the new management team structure was entirely different in way of working and the scope compare to Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the Royal Navy. At the time of change context, new management emphasized on inward looking. Before the change process was implemented the major focus was on staffs not the people.
During the change process Babcock tried mainly to emphasize on increasing the efficiency without compromising on the quality of service which were provided. Faslane people mindset was changed by bringing skilled employees. There was flexibility to work as the employees were given opportunity to form a team of members and forming a plan. In the team there were mixed of skilled people in which included Navy and Civilians and also reduced. On other hand majority of the staffs had no experience and also not ready for the change. In times of MOD and Royal Navy management style Faslane didn’t feel it need any change in management.
The impact of the change was overcome by the high skilled people and also its capacity was considered positive due to fixed budget of Faslane. Even though there was a short period of time to achieve the target of £76 million, experience and exceptional capability helped to adopt to the change. Due to lack of experience employees were not ready for the change however having negative thought that change would not be beneficial.








4. Lewin’s Force field Analysis:

            Force Field Analysis is a valuable change management tool which evaluates the impact of all forces that influence change. The forces are categorized into two groups driving force and restraining force. Driving force are those which promote and push change where as restrain forces makes change difficult.
Force Filed analysis model was developed by sociologist Kurt Lewin in 1951.










From the above figure 4.1  of Lewin force field analysis of Faslane we can see for and against the change. In the case study stated that MOD was in need for cost saving without compromising the service and operational efficiency. The change was initiated from top level managers with improved quality service which had been expected by the customers. The change was essential due to rising sustainable cost and future vision which lead to diversity growth inside the organization.

On the other side restrain factor is also considered. Employees feared the change would provide no benefit to them. Faslane workforce were thinking and implementing on traditional method. Conservative thinking of the staff about passing time and making money. There was no awareness amongst staffs to save money instead existence of huge spending on the management structure.

Faslane problem was existence of bureaucracy where the staff had limited freedom. These factors lead Faslane to through the change to cut the cost. Mainly the change process was initiated to save the cost by 76 million and also to improve the operational efficiency.
The change process lead to the positive result where it helps to change the working method and the people thinking path in the Faslane. This change brought can be considered revolutionary change because it occurred with the strategy also with culture.









5. Internal Features of Faslane:

We will consider the Internal Features of Faslane with the help of Johnson's Cultural web up to 2001 and next from 2002 to 2010. Also considering the Mc Kinsey's 7S Model is used to consider up to 2001 and from 2002 to 2010.





Fig 5.1 : Johnson's Cultural Web (up to 2002)
                                                                                                                                 




Fig 5.2: Johnson's Cultural Web (2002 – 2010)





McKinsey’s Seven S Model

SEVEN
STRENGTH
WEAKNESS

HARD ELEMENTS


STRATEGY

Ä  Focuses on customer oriented

Ä  Delay in decision making process.

STRUCTURE

Ä  Chain of Command from management level

Ä  Roles and responsibilities are not clear stated.

SYSTEM

Ä  Smooth Management style and Human resources was improved

Ä  Responding late on the customer complaints .

SOFT ELEMENTS

SKILLS

Ä  Mostly staffs were civil servants as they were experienced.

Ä  Traditional method of doing the work and fear of changing process.

STYLE

Ä  Leaders were highly experienced and skilled

Ä  Small number people in bureaucratic benefited.

STAFF

Ä  Faslane engaged 1700 civil service staff.

Ä  Readiness to change was less where infrastructure was major focus.

SHARED VALUES





Ä  Quality service to Navy as committed.

Ä  Ethnocentricity beliefs and resistance to change process.


Figure 6.1 McKinsey’s Seven S Models (up to 2001)










McKinsey’s Seven S Model

SEVEN
STRENGTH
WEAKNESS

HARD ELEMENTS

STRATEGY

Ä  Quality Service with cost saving.

Ä  Low quality service on behalf of cutting cost saving

STRUCTURE

Ä  Flexibility to create their team and develop plans

Ä  Roles and responsibilities of staff.

Ä  Reduction on management layers.


Ä  Hierarchy of the organization can damage by excessive freedom.
SYSTEM

Ä  Expert management teams.

Ä  Change the mindset of people.

Ä  Customer complaints were difficult to manage.

Ä  Immediate change process.

SOFT ELEMENTS

SKILLS

Ä  Staffs were experience of change.


Ä  Babcock Marine was not familiar with the operation of naval base.
STYLE

Ä  Leaders are experienced with change process.

Ä  Potential risk associated with change process is considered.

STAFF
Ä  Over 2000 civil service staffs were engaged in Faslane.

Ä  Staffs are focused more on people than infrastructure and facilities.


Ä  Risk of jobs after reducing the management layer.

SHARED VALUES

Ä  Commitment to reduce cost without affecting the quality of services.


Ä  Babcock being a private company seek to gain more profit and hampers the organization strategy.


Figure 6.2 McKinsey’s Seven S Models (2002-2010)

Johnson's Cultural webs considering Faslane we can see the positive changes in the management style can which helped to achieve the success. Babcock take over by the partnership deed for management had managed to get employee commitment, loyalty and welfare toward the organization. In time when Faslane, which was managed by MOD and Royal Navy it was not considering the good or bad due to huge and complex management structure. Employee used to do their daily work where their plans and ideas were not considered as important as now Babcock considered. Babcock minimized the management layer from seven to four. During old management style decision making was hard where lately implemented which hampered on image of Faslane. There unclear responsibility of the people affected the customer oriented company. Ethnocentric behavior from management level to low level was the problem. Where few people were benefitting from the experience of their leaders due to bureaucratic leaders.

The Faslane had a major changes after the Babcock Marine, a private sector company managed. Change was experienced by bringing  new employees who had experienced the change process and implementation was easy and successful. Babcock brought employees to actively participation. The freedom provided to the employees to create a team and encourage to work on business plan. There was align employees working around common objectives and goal. Being a customer oriented company it  considered people as the asset of the company rather than infrastructures. Management level was reduced from 7 layers to 4 layers where cost was directly impacted. After cutting the layers of work process the management reduced the review period 56 days to 6days. Cut off unwanted jobs and reappointing the jobs which helped the company to obtain its objectives.





Process of change by cutting the jobs could hamper the quality of service which was also the primary objective of the company. Employee were given autonomy such flexibility can create huge loss to organizational hierarchy. At the time of management layer minimization from 7 layers to 4 layers resulted in significant loss of job was encountered. Such factor may consider the employees performance.
Change process initiated by the Faslane was in favor. This changed the organizational complete management style, structure, goals and objectives within the period.


7. Strategic Leadership Style at Faslane:

John Howie the new appointed Managing director of Babcock Marine after Craig Lockhart in 2002. From the new appointed director there was a significant change process. Babcock competitive advantage was experienced in management skill, had different target and from other service sector. We can compare the organization with the help of five members of Successful and effective Strategic model.






7.1 Developing and communicating the organizations' purpose:
Leaders play a major role in an organization. As it has to set the purpose and then communicate them to every part of the organization. Employee was allowed to create a team of their own and work on the common objectives. Encouraged and motivated employees to openly discuss by organizing "the event in the tent".
In contrast, the employees lost their jobs like reducing the layer of management, which lead to discouragement for the employee in putting more efficiency.


7.2 Managing human resources and organizational decisions:

Babcock understood that the change should be started from lower level to obtain success. Babcock managed the human resources by keeping limited and cutting jobs to reduce the cost. There was restructuring decision made by reducing the review period from 56 days to 6 days. Employee were self motivated by making the business plan.


7.3 Setting ethical standards:

Faslane received a huge budget from every year but when the money is not spend on fiscal year amount would be deducted in upcoming next year. Due to fear of deduction of budget the money is waste in an unethical manner. In order to reduce the cost Babcock was given responsibility to manage Faslane.


7.4 Defining and delivering stakeholders:

According to Lynch Model, “Leaders need to maintain good relation with stakeholders inside and outside the organization.”

Babcock target was to save £76 million in 5 years but he managed to make more this shows that he was successful in managing the cost without compromising on quality of performance. Where as many customer satisfaction was obtained where as job cut lead to unhappy employees.


7.5 Sustaining competitive advantage over time:

Managers are responsible to achieve the goal of an organization. Faslane managed by Babcock Marine was successful as per the improving performance and reducing the cost. Babcock introduced the same team effect which was effective in decision making process.  Faslane is expected to become home bas for entire UK submarine fleet.

Now, we can say that they have properly used the Lynch Model and the Faslane foremost achievement on objective was to cost saving and improving the operation which was successful.
Babcock marine was a successful venture with Faslane.



8. Conclusions

From the above analysis we can clear find that the Faslane has been successful in implementing change. The case study show that with the helps of the strategic tools like Change Kaleidoscope, force Field analysis, Johnson's Cultural Web, Mc Kinsey's 7S model can be used to achieve the goals.

The change process was effective implemented with the help of employees and experienced management team. Allowing flexibility to the staffs had helped  to transform te organization to a successful one. It is considered as evolutionary transformation of public sector into private sector.

In 2002 when Babcock took over the company the employee were self motivated by given a chance to explore themselves. Babcock considered its human resources as the major asset of the company. It maintained the clear role and responsibility and management structure was also decreased which lead to cost saving.

The adaptation of change process on Faslane was successful due to unique management system. The management team inside the Faslane has helped to perform and achieve its objectives.













Reference:

Ä  J. Balogun, ‘Managing change: steering a course between intended strategies and unanticipated outcomes’, Long Range Planning, vol. 39 (2006), pp. 29–49;

Ä  Schoemaker. P., Krupp, S., and Howland, S. (2013) Strategic Leadership: The Essential Skills, Harvard Business Review, January-February, pp131-134.


Ä  Johnson, G. Whittington, R. & Scholes. K. (2011) „Exploring Strategy‟, 9thedition, Prentice Hall.

Ä  Babcock International Group PLC (2009), Interim Management Statement Feb 2009. Available at: [Accessed on 14th May 2013]


Ä  J. Balogun and V. Hope Hailey, Exploring Strategic Change, 3rd edition, Prentice Hall, 2009

Ä  Lynch, R., (2009) Strategic Management, 5th Edition, Prentice Hall, chapter 16.

Ä  Hofer, C. W., & Schendel, D. 1978.Strategy formulation:Analytic concepts. St. Paul: West.


Ä  J. Balogun and V. Hope Hailey, Exploring Strategic Change, 3rd edition, Prentice Hall, 2009.

Ä  J. Kotter, ‘What leaders really do’, Harvard Business Review, December (2001), pp. 85–96.


Ä  F. Ostroff, ‘Change management in government’, Harvard Business Review, vol. 84, no. 5 (May 2006), pp. 141–147.

Ä  G. Johnson and K. Scholes (eds), Exploring Techniques of Analysis and Evaluation in Strategic Management, Prentice Hall, 1998.

Ä  Johnson, Whittington and Scholes (2011) Exploring Strategy, 9th Edition, Pearson Education, Chapter 14