Question

Review Questions

1- Explain why innovation matters to companies.

2- How can companies manage resistance to change?

3- List and describe the four main change tools and techniques.

Answer 1

1.

To maintain competitive advantage, Innovation matters to companies.
With current innovations, companies will have incremental change that will lower costs
and
Improve functioning & performance.

Innovation involves Technology Cycles and Innovation Streams.

Technology Cycles follows "S" curve pattern-
Slow initial progress
Then rapid progress
and then slow progress again when technology matures & reaches its limits.

Innovation streams include
Discontinuities
Discontinuous change
Technological substitution
and
Dominant design.

2.

Companies manage resistance to change by using following steps-
1. Unfreezing
2. Change intervention
3. Refreezing

3.

The four main change tools and techniques are as follows-

1. Results-driven change:
   The change created quickly, focusing on measurement & improvement of results.
2. General Electric workout:
   A three day meeting where managers and employees from different levels quickly generate and act on solutions to specific business problems.
3. Transition management team:
   Team of people whose full time job is to manage and coordinate a company’s change process.
4. Organizational development:
   This is a philosophy and collection of planned change interventions designed for improving organization’s long term performance.