Module 4 discussion
Organizational
Transformation
We hear and read a lot these days about “disruptive”
leadership, best described as an extreme form of the transformational style we
read about in the background readings. A fairly typical experience is that a
company’s Board of Directors appoints a new CEO with limited experience in its
industry, but an excellent track record in another industry. The vision behind that appointment is that
this “organizational athlete” can bring some lessons from his/her previous
employment experience to the company and, in a relatively short time, mobilize
major changes in culture, processes, and operations that result in significant
improvements in performance and, perhaps, a repositioning of the company in
terms of its customer and public perspectives.
Layoffs and some senior executive departures and replacements are also
often elements of the transformation recipe.
However, pulling off that disruption successfully is never
easy and frequently fails. A
contemporary example of disruption is the 3G group in Brazil that has acquired
Anheuser-Bush, Kraft Foods, and Heinz, replacing senior executives and
dramatically reducing costs by closing less efficient processing plants and
cutting back on travel expense. The jury
is still out on whether and how this effort will pan out.
Perhaps you have been involved in a successful or failed
transformation. Use that experience in
addressing these questions. Otherwise,
some internet research on the concept of “organizational transformation” and
“disruptive leadership” should generate other examples.
• What are some of the barriers to organizational
transformation?
• What does it take to either overcome or minimize the
effects of these barriers?
• Can you think of successes or failures in efforts to
transform a company?
Discussion expectations are for students to post each week:
a response to the questions posed and at least two or three substantive replies
to the contributions of fellow students or the class instructor. “Substantive” implies more than simple
agreement or other one-liners: explain your position, offer an example, and
provide at least some external referencing in each module. The best examples of discussion contributions
provide some depth – compose a coherent paragraph or two, offer some
originality, and demonstrate an understanding of the concepts covered in the
module. Proofread what you have written before publishing it.
