Corus: Overcoming Barriers To Change

CORUS: OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO CHANGE

COMPREHENSIVE CASE


Read the case ‘Corus: Overcoming Barriers to Change’ and answer the questions that follow.

a. Analyze the type of change being introduced at Corus. [05 Marks]Corus Strip Products.

UK is implementing a change over the gradualist paradigm, they established milestones or intermediate steps for take measure of the advanceand the “quick wins” also the kind of change is transformational and proactive this is a reorientation that is focus on people and culture.


b. Identify and comment on the imperatives [factors], both internal and external, that have moved Corus towards change. Which among these was the ‘tipping point’? [10 Marks]
o Internal
i. Poor delivery
ii.Competitiveness
iii. High wastage
iv. Low staff morale
o External
i. New competitors
ii. Changing customer requirements
iii. New technology meant customers expected higher specifications
iv. Perception of the steelmaking industry within the community tended to be negative.


The “tipping point” in thiscase is the economical factor.

c. What barriers to change existed at Corus? Analyse the approaches Corus used to overcome these barriers. [10 Marks]
o Barriers
i. The attitude of “this is the way do things around here”
ii. Ageing workforce
iii. Knowledge transfer process
iv. Rewarding system
o Overcome the barriers(202,203,204)
i. Change how we go about things
ii. Work closely with employees
iii. Implementing new values
iv. Shock tactics
v. Culture change
vi. Focus on helping employees who are willing to accept assistance to improve their performance, rather than taking disciplinary action against them poor behaviour.In general, Corus is using an appreciative inquiry or positive change that provide special attention and involvement of key stakeholder, particularly “staff”. Corus, decided to use a gradual change though it might be more expensive but Corus is interested on positive change and sustainable change. Corus is implementing the stakeholder strategy named “building a coalition of supportivestakeholders who will be prepared to work together to support change”. This strategy is based on communication and a shared vision highlighting mutual benefit. At the same time, the door is open for any group of stakeholder to align this new vision.
Corus is working hard to manage resistance to change. In order to avoid or mitigate resistance to change, Corus is using three main strategies:education and persuasion, participation and involvement, Negotiation an agreement, and facilitation and support (Zaltman and Duncan, 1977; Nadler, 1993; Kotter and Schlesinger, 1979, as cited in Hayes, 2100, pp. 153, 201, 202).

d. Comment on Corus’s domain of organizational activities that represent its ‘deep structures’. Do these structures lead to loosely coupled fields or tightly coupled fields?Explain how couplings may affect change at Corus. [10 Marks]

The organizational culture that is rooted in the people’s abilities, customs, experience and practice represent the deep structure that prevent and counteract the efforts to change in the organization. Before the on-going change process, Corus has a lose couple field structure where people were not accountable.
Corus isworking without values that support their activities and this lack of values is reflected in an increment in the accidents in the work field.
The Journey is focus on the implementation of a new set of values that permit build a tightly coupled field that permit build a solid basis to a sustainable change an the inner and extern factors of the competitiveness advantages of this company....