Question

Describe and contrast how internal or external change agents may best be suited to support change.

Briefly list the pros and cons of each approach.

Answer 1

A change agent is a person who is responsible for the change in the process of an Organisation. These change agents help in carrying out the changes in an Organisation. He should prepare strategies to initiate changes in an organization.There are two types of change agents

1.Internal Change Agent.

2.External Change Agent.

1. Internal Change agent: A person who is already part of an organization who has the power to initiate any change in the Organization and they can utilize changes in the support change process in an organization.

Pros:

• His time period is unlimited.
• He is economical for an organization as he is working in the organization.
• He can also implement the changes in the organization.
• As these agents are part of an organization they are familiar with issues inside the organization and can implement changes with ease

Cons:

• He may not be as efficient as the external agent.
• They are not as specialized as the external agent and they should be guided by the external agent in case of any support change.

2. External Change agent: A person who is not part of an organization and they are hired from the external sources in order to initiate any changes in the organization. They are hired to help the existing members to deal with difficult tasks in an organization. Generally, they work as consultants for the company.

Pros:

• They are specialized in their work when compared to internal agents.
• They are appointed by the organization to perform a specific task.
• They diagnose the problem and plan strategy for the change.

Cons:

• They are expensive when compared to Internal agents.
• He works for a limited period of time for an organization.
• They are familiar with issues inside an organization as they are not part of the organization