Environmental Pressures for Change Essay

Of the environmental pressures for change, I believe hyper competition and market decline were the pressures experienced by Intel. The reason I believe this is because in the case study Barrett talked about its rival Micro Devices and how he felt the competitiveness that was among them. In the reading it states, â€Å"Barrett felt that in this competitive and segmented market, Intel needed to be reorganized to make it more nimble (Palmer et.al, 2009). When you think about it, some of the greatest challenges that are faced by leaders of today are the ability to stay competitive. There are constant disruptions that can be seen and it is up to the company to avoid them or keep them under control. Barrett recognized that he needed to make a move so his competition would not run over him. In the study, reorganization was a main point as Barrett was involved in many during his first three years. I believe Barrett saw this reorganization as a way to get ahead of the competition and to look at new opportunities. In reference to market decline, Barrett and Intel tried to handle what was happening. Since 9/11 the industry was affected in a major way, and the decline of the economy was one of the big reasons. Intel was now getting worried about Micro Devices being able to produce a faster chip. Internal Pressures for Change Based on the internal presures at Intel, I feel that growth was the one Barrett was facing. From the case study, Barrett was consistently dealing with internal pressure. He was always trying to reorganize his projects and some employees were seeing that he was starting many projects without completing the ones that he started. It was being referred to as â€Å"shuffling execs like cards† (Palmer et. al, 2009). While dealing with the growth change, Barrett had intentions to change some of the culture that the company was all about. In my opinion he saw growth as a way to renew his job satisfaction. Even though this was not a new organization, I think Barrett felt that he would try and bring a different type of feel to the company;one that would allow for the internal challenge of growth to be met head on. Limits to Change I believe there are limits to the change that can be accomplished at Intel due to the fact that Barrett was taking on and trying to incorporate too many changes without following through on a single one. In his own mind I feel he was always trying to reach that next place that would take Intel to the top of software. What I feel he did not understand was when you are dealing with limits to change at Intel, it has to involve the decision making team as a whole. At that point different members of the team are there to handle the limits to change with proper communication. They do this by answering questions as well as the objections before they are put into effect. If this is not completed with good communication, then there will be a struggle for change which limits organizations in a poor way. Managers and the Pressures that Lead to Change For managers and leaders alike, pressure that lead to change could sometimes be overwhelming. To have a understanding of the pressures a manager must accept that change needs to be an effective system that the cuture of the organization embraces from the start. A reason for this is to keep the motivation at a high level at the same time knowing what drives your employees to reach that level. Change is stressful enough but when you incorporate it into the workforce, it gets even more challenging. That is why having a clear and personal understanding of the pressures why allow managers to manage the pressures that lead to change. Responding to the challenges is what employees do well, and it is the change that can rasie doubt throughout the workplace. Motivation continues to be a key factor that gives managers an upper hand when it comes to having success with an organization. Lack of motivation will prove costly in the end and envitably lead to pressures fof change. Most people are motivated by the same types of things, whether it is success, happiness or money. To manage the pressure for change, senior leaders need the commitment or buy in from the staff in order for an effective change to occur. References Palmer, I., Dunford, R., & Akin, G. (2009). Managing Organizational Change. New York: Mcgraw-Hill Irwin.