Change Model Description
Lewin’s Model of Change would be the most appropriate change model for switching from a brick-and-mortar business to e-commerce. To reduce change resistance and ensure everyone is prepared for the transition, the model highlights the significance of unfreezing the organization’s existing condition and preparing stakeholders and employees for the change (Cawsey et al., 2015). The model also emphasizes the importance of integrating new behaviors into organizational culture and practices to change the new norm. This is crucial for the long-term viability of the transition to e-commerce. Using Lewin’s Model, the organization can effectively manage the suggested change and minimize disturbances during the change process.
Change Model Stages
Unfreeze Stage
Three stages make up the model: Unfreeze, Change, and Refreeze. The Unfreeze stage entails educating staff members about the necessity of change and preparing them to accept novel approaches. This could entail conducting conferences or workshops to discuss the suggested modifications and allow staff members to voice their opinions. The staff should be given sufficient time to analyze the material and offer input, and communication should be open and transparent.
Giving workers the abilities, information, and resources they need to adjust to the change is crucial to getting people ready to accept new methods. This could mean organizing training sessions, workshops, or one-on-one coaching sessions to help workers comprehend the new processes and procedures. The Unfreeze stage is essential to the process’s success since it helps lessen resistance to change and ensures everyone is ready and prepared for the shift.
Change Stage
The change stage includes implementing the changes necessary to achieve the intended result. At this stage, the business must carry out the strategies created during the Unfreeze stage and implement the new systems and procedures. To successfully implement the changes, the business must ensure that the necessary resources, such as infrastructure, technology, and human resources, are available. Monitoring the development of change and making necessary modifications are also crucial.
The next aspect, which is especially important during the Change stage, is communication. Employees must be informed of the progress of the change, and any issues or worries that arise during implementation must be immediately addressed (Oluwaseun, 2018). It is also vital to guarantee that the new processes and practices are effective and efficient. Testing and monitoring are required to quickly address any faults or problems that may occur. Generally, the change process’s most crucial and difficult stage is the Change stage since it involves putting into action the adjustments required to produce the desired results, and it necessitates careful planning, resource allocation, and communication.
Refreeze Stage
The Refreeze stage of Lewin’s change model involves incorporating new behaviors and processes into the organization’s culture and procedures to ensure the change becomes the new norm. This stage is crucial to ensuring the change is maintained over time and ingrained in the organization’s culture. The organization must strengthen the new systems and procedures and integrate them permanently into the organization’s culture during the Refreeze stage. This could entail establishing new rules and regulations, giving staff members more guidance and support, and praising and rewarding those who have accepted the change.
The company must also confirm that the updated policies and practices advance its main goals and objectives. The change must be fully integrated into the organization’s strategy, structure, and culture to ensure its long-term success. Feedback systems should also be included in order to track the progress of the modification and pinpoint any areas that need improvement. Overall, integrating new practices into the organization’s culture and processes is a time- and labor-intensive task that is required throughout the Refreeze stage.
Description of Change Project
The change project is a significant effort on the part of the enterprise to switch from traditional brick-and-mortar retail outlets to Internet sales. Due to lockdowns, social isolation measures, and general health concerns, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a substantial change in the retail environment. As a result, more consumers are resorting to Internet shopping. This has hastened the e-commerce movement, which was already accelerating its pace before the pandemic (Bhatti et al., 2020). The project is intended to pinpoint the transition’s primary aims and objectives, comprehend the requirements and interests of relevant parties, and foresee the probable effects of the change.
Before any of the actual changes can be implemented, it is essential to gather and examine the environment within which the enterprise is operating. Stakeholder analysis revealed that the parties most interested in this change are companies, clients, workers, suppliers, and investors. The specific requirements include the need to reduce expenses and the desire for ease, both of which can be satisfied through e-commerce. Businesses might possibly save thousands of dollars by converting to e-commerce, which might persuade them to support the shift. Yet, some stakeholders, such as individuals who would lose their jobs if physical stores closed, might not be in favor of the change.
Power Analysis
Power analysis points to four influences that are relevant to this project: economic, legitimate, expert, and referent. Economic power is represented by companies that control the finances, technology, and infrastructure needed for the transition to e-commerce. Legitimate power refers to laws and policies that the government can use to compel or incentivize businesses to go to e-commerce.
Businesses can receive advice and information on how to successfully migrate to e-commerce from industry groups and media organizations with expert power. Consumers have referent power because they may influence businesses through their patronage and loyalty. The formation of coalitions between these factions could alter the balance of power. In order to increase their combined power, industry associations and consumer advocacy groups might collaborate to campaign for regulations that encourage businesses to transition to online sales.
Force Field Analysis
The force field analysis has showcased future employment losses and the cost of transition as factors against change, potential cost savings, and the need to adapt to changing consumer behavior as factors against it. These are the elements that will decide whether the transformation process is successful (Cawsey et al., 2015). The forces of change might be strengthened if businesses received more resources and support to help with the transition and if employees received assurances regarding their job security. To minimize the forces that oppose change, efforts should be undertaken to educate and teach stakeholders about the benefits of e-commerce. Any concerns might then be addressed through policy or in other ways.
Applying Change Model
Unfreeze, Change, and Refreeze are the three stages of the suggested change model for the move to e-commerce. The first stage entails gradually launching a marketing effort to publicize the transition and raise awareness of the need for change among employees and customers. The second stage entails putting the necessary adjustments into practice to get the intended results, such as choosing the best e-commerce platform and comprehending logistics and shipping. The third step entails stabilizing the organization following the transition, incorporating the new behaviors and methods into the organization’s culture and procedures, and developing a backup plan to keep customers’ trust.
Change Evaluation
Several important variables will affect how well the change initiative is evaluated. Customer satisfaction is one such metric to take into account. Monitoring customer satisfaction with the new online purchasing experience is crucial for assessing the success of the shift to e-commerce. Via a variety of platforms, including social media, email surveys, and customer service encounters, this can be accomplished by gathering and evaluating customer input, such as comments and reviews.
Customer satisfaction surveys are yet another tool for gauging client pleasure. These polls can be used to gauge a customer’s overall satisfaction with the business either immediately following a transaction or after a certain amount of time. Surveys can be designed to collect particular data regarding the customer’s experience and can be carried out via email, text message, or online forms.
The business can track revenue and sales to see whether converting to online sales has increased profitability. The business can assess the success of the shift by contrasting the online sales statistics with the prior sales results from brick-and-mortar stores. It might be deemed a success if the online sales figures are similar to or higher than the prior sales data. The business can spot patterns and trends in customer behavior by evaluating the data over time and then making the appropriate changes to the e-commerce platform (Ikumoro & Jawad, 2019). The business might examine the causes of low sales during a particular season of the year and alter the platform or marketing plan to increase sales during that time.
Barriers to Change
A successful transition to e-commerce necessitates constant assessment, adaptability, and a readiness to accept change. The first obstacle can be competition from well-established e-commerce platforms, which already have a sizable web presence and a committed consumer base. In order to overcome this obstacle, the business must set itself apart by providing distinctive goods and services at affordable prices. The business can find prospects for expansion by conducting market research and examining consumer trends. The more patterns can be identified, the more likely the subsequent decisions are to be accurate.
Building a solid online presence can be difficult as well. The business must make an investment in creating an appealing and user-friendly e-commerce platform that is simple to use and accepts a range of payment methods. It might also need to spend money on digital marketing initiatives to promote the platform and raise consumer awareness of the brand. The business could use surveys, focus groups, and other means of communication to get feedback from staff and customers and assess these challenges (Liu & Yu, 2022). Making data-driven decisions and making necessary strategy adjustments for the business can also be aided by analysis of market trends, competition tactics, and financial performance.
Statement of Learning
This project has taught me some crucial things that I can use in my future work to effect change. First, I have discovered that any change initiative’s success depends on planning and strategy. To ensure a smooth transition, a thorough action plan that describes the objectives, processes, and crucial paths required to achieve the intended conclusion is vital. Also, in order to win their support and reduce reluctance to change, it is critical to recognize and address the needs and concerns of all pertinent stakeholders.
Second, I have learned that it is critical to be adaptable and flexible when working as a change agent. It is conceivable that unforeseen challenges and hurdles will appear throughout the switch from brick-and-mortar to e-commerce, including stakeholder pushback, unforeseen costs, and technical difficulties. Using this strategy enables the change agent to respond to unforeseen problems, assimilate new information, and adapt to changing conditions. In order to ensure the project’s success, it is imperative to be receptive to criticism and ready to modify the plan and strategy as necessary.
Finally, working on this project has taught me the value of teamwork and efficient communication. Many stakeholders must be involved and supportive of change initiatives, and effective and frequent communication is crucial to make sure that everyone is on the same page and working toward the same objectives (Liu & Yu, 2022). For the project to be successful, it is essential for change agents to promote a culture of cooperation and teamwork. I am confident that if I apply these lessons to future change activities, I will be able to lead and manage change initiatives successfully and provide beneficial outcomes for organizations and their stakeholders.
References
Bhatti, A., Akram, H., Basit, H. M., Khan, A. U., Raza, S. M., & Naqvi, M. B. (2020). E-commerce trends during COVID-19 Pandemic. International Journal of Future Generation Communication and Networking, 13(2), 1449-1452.
Cawsey, T. F., Deszca, G., & Ingols, C. (2015). Organizational change: An action-oriented toolkit. (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Ikumoro, A. O., & Jawad, M. S. (2019). Intention to use intelligent conversational agents in e-commerce among Malaysian SMEs: An integrated conceptual framework based on tri-theories including unified theory of acceptance, use of technology (UTAUT), and TOE. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 9(11), 205-235. Web.
Liu, D., & Yu, J. (2022). Impact of perceived diagnosticity on live streams and consumer purchase intention: Streamer type, product type, and brand awareness as moderators. Information Technology and Management, 1-14. Web.
Oluwaseun, O. O. (2018). Employee training and development as a model for organizational success. International Journal of Engineering Technologies and Management Research, 5(3), 181-189. Web.