Assignment Cover Sheet

Course/Unit Information
Course Strategic Change Management
Unit No.
Unit Name SCM
Unit code J4YM04
Batch

Instructor Information
Name
Phone
Email

Assignment Information
Full/ Part Assignment
Date Assignment Issued
Date Assignment Due
Turnitin Class ID 31634611
Turnitin Enrollment Key USW1010

Student Information
(To be filled by the student prior to submitting the assignment)
Name
Email

Date of Submission

Student Assignment covering form is an integral part of the assignment document and should
be submitted along with all submissions.
 Student Declaration

I, , hereby confirm that this assignment is my own work and not copied or plagiarized.

It has not previously been submitted as part of any assessment for this qualification. All the sources,

from which information has been obtained for this assignment, have been referenced as per Harvard

Referencing format. I further confirm that I have read and understood the Westford School of

Management rules and regulations about plagiarism and copying and agree to be bound by them.

Attached is the Turnitin report for reference.

Students Signature :

Students Name :

Date :

Turnitin Report :
 Learning Outcomes and Assessment Feedback

Module Code & Title Strategic Change Management

Module Learning Outcomes
LO1 Critically analyse the nature and context of change in organizations
LO2 Explore the issues and challenges during change management in organizations
LO3 Critically review the impact of leadership on change management
LO4 Design a change management process for an organisation
Assessment Types Marks Marks Achieved
TASK 1 – Project Report
Executive Summary 5 3
Introduction to Change Management 20 16
Resistance to Change 15 12
Leadership and Change Management 15 13
Recommendations and Conclusions 15 11
TASK 2 – Oral Presentation
Change Management Process 30 23
Total 100 78
Overall Grade DISTINCTION
Date
Summative
Feedback:

Overall Feedback The overall assignment is Good. The learner has prepared a
on current work report on the main principles of change management and
with emphasis on Evaluated the scope of change management in the organization.
how the student The learner has Critically analyzed internal and external
can further influences on change in organizations and has discussed the
improve in
stakeholder management during a change management process.
future.
The learner has analyzed the different mechanisms by which
potential barriers to change may be overcome. The learner has
analyzed research and theory on the process of leadership in
change management and has evaluated different leadership styles
for taking individuals and teams through the process of change.
The learner has discussed on monitoring and evaluation
framework model for managing a change initiative. The learner
has supported the credibility of this report with the ‘Turnitin’
score. Harvard Referencing Format is good and should be
followed likewise for all future submissions.
 Internal Verification Report
Internal Verification Done By Date
Assignment Brief
Assessors Decision

The following grading criteria will be applicable for the course, Strategic Change Management

Marks Grade
70 to 100 A - Distinction
60 to 69 B – Merit
50 to 59 Pass
40 to 49 Fail with Resubmit
0 to 39 Fail with Retake

General Guidelines
Please read the instructions carefully and tick the checkboxes
☐ Complete the title page with all necessary student details and ensure that the signature of the
student is marked in the declaration form.
☐ All assignments must be submitted as an electronic document in MS Word to the LMS (Use
10 Tahoma script).
☐ Assignment that is not submitted to the LMS by the prescribed deadline will be accepted
ONLY under the REDO and RESIT submission policy of Westford.
☐ The results are declared only if the student has met the mandatory attendance requirement of
75% and/or a minimum of 50% under extenuating circumstances approved and ratified by
the Academic Director. The student has to repeat the module (with additional fees
applicable) if the attendance is below 50%.
☐ The assignment should not contain any contents including references cited from websites
like [Link], [Link], [Link], [Link]
☐ Submit the assignment in a MS Word document with the file name being:
First Name Last Name_ abbreviation of the subject.
Example: John Smith_BBE.

Quick reference Checklist for the Students before submitting the assignment:
1. Adherence to the deadline of submission date
2. Original cover sheet and format retained
3. Student information and signature intact
4. Font style and size used as instructed
5. Harvard Referencing System and Citations are strictly followed
Assignment Strategic Change Management

Learning Outcome 1: Critically analyse the nature and context of change in organizations
 PC 1.1: Critically discuss the main principles of change management
 PC 1.2: Evaluate the scope of change management in an organisation
 PC 1.3: Critically analyse internal influences on change in organisations
 PC 1.4: Critically analyse external influences on change in organisations
 PC 1.5: Critically examine stakeholder management during a change management
process.
Learning Outcome 2: Explore the issues and challenges during change management in
organizations
 PC 2.1: Critically discuss the impact of organizational resistance on a change initiative
 PC 2.2: Critically analyse the different mechanisms by which potential barriers to
change may be overcome
 PC 2.3: Critically examine the significance of interventions to the change process
 PC 2.4: Discuss how you would select the appropriate intervention style for a change
initiative
Learning Outcome 3: Critically review the impact of leadership on change management
 PC 3.1: Critically analyse research and theory on the process of leadership in change
management
 PC 3.2: Critically evaluate different leadership styles for taking individuals and teams
through the process of change
 PC 3.3: Critically evaluate the models for managing change
 PC 3.4: Critically discuss the leader’s role in applying change management models in a
business context
Learning Outcome 4: Design a change management process for an organisation
 PC 4.1: Determine the change vision for an organization
 PC 4.2: Assess the readiness of an organisation for a change initiative.
 PC 4.3: Design a change management process for an organisation.
 PC 4.4: Create a monitoring and evaluation framework model for managing a change
initiative
 PC 4.5: Critically discuss how a monitoring and evaluation framework can be used to
assess whether a change initiative has been a success.

Assignment Task 1 - Project Report [70 Marks]

Scenario:
Choose an organization, preferably where you are working or familiar with, understand the
standard operating procedures of your chosen organization and find suitable information
related to the Strategic Change Management strategies.

You need to apply key concepts of Strategic Change Management to answer and justify the
questions following the scenario given below:

Organizations worldwide had a great impact facing challenges and uncertainties during the
Covid-19 triggered Pandemic in 2020 which lead many organizations to close down their
operations or/and adapt to disruptive alternatives and made a number of organizations to
undergo change management strategies to compete and survive in the turbulent market
conditions. Companies are striving for continuous improvement and trying to manage the
changes effectively and efficiently in the present hard economic times.

If you have been given an opportunity to act as a CHANGE MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT

and implement changes in your chosen organization, what steps will you take into
consideration while implementing the change management process in the following tasks given
below. Prepare a Project Report of 5000 words that addresses the following questions:

1. Executive Summary [5 Marks]

You should summarize your report briefly (hopefully no more than one page of A4 paper).

2. Introduction to Change Management [20 Marks]

Introduce the chosen organization and critically discuss the concept of change management in
detail with reference to four principles, concepts or theories and its importance in the chosen
organization. You need to demonstrate a critical understanding of the different perspectives in
change management such as contingency perspective, resource dependence and population-
ecology perspectives. Next, you must evaluate the scope of change management in an
organisation. Furthermore, you need to critically analyse the internal processes and external
environmental conditions that influence the change to cope up with the challenges posed by
the Covid-19 triggered market scenario. Also, you need to undertake a critical examination of
the different principles, practices and perspectives involved in successful stakeholder
management during the change management process.
3. Resistance to Change [15 Marks]
What kind of resistance would the organization face during the change management process?
You need to critically reflect upon the why change in organizations is met with resistance and
how it impacts the organization. You will also critically discuss the resistance at individual,
collective and organizational level and the key reasons for the same. Furthermore, you need to
critically analyse and demonstrate the different ways in which the organization can overcome
the resistance to change, using practical justifications to back up your analysis. Also, you will
critically examine the different types of interventions and discuss how you have selected the
appropriate intervention to apply for the particular change management process in the chosen
organization.

4. Leadership and Change Management [15 Marks]

What is the role of leadership during the change management process? You need to plan and
undertake a literature review and critically analyse of atleast 10 relevant academic articles that
discuss research and theory on the process of leadership in change management. You may
include up to three secondary literature reports on the theories and process of leadership in
change management. Furthermore, you need to critically evaluate atleast 7 different leadership
styles such as autocratic, authoritative, pacesetting, democratic, coaching, affiliative and
laissez-faire and identify the suitable approach to successfully leading individuals and teams
through the process of change in the chosen organization by giving an evidence based
justification for your choice.

5. Conclusions and Recommendations [15 Marks]

You should summarize the main findings, including their implications, and provide
recommendations that directly relate to this analysis.

Assignment Task 2 - Oral presentation [30 marks]

You need to take on a consultant’s role and use the chosen organization in Task 1 for designing
the change management process and make an Oral Presentation on the same.

You must determine how the organisation should respond to the change stimulus outlined in
Task 1 and work up a vision of what that change (and what success) would look like and the
expected benefits for the organisation. The concepts and ideas contained within this vision
should be represented in diagrammatic/pictorial format. Next, you need to apply analytical
tools and models to assess the readiness of the chosen organisation to respond to the change
stimulus. This may include reference to the culture of the organisation, the strategy, the risks
involved and the organisation’s risk appetite, and also internal and external factors and
stakeholders as discussed in Task 1. Further, you must critically evaluate at least four different
change management models (from Lewin’s Change Management Model; McKinsey 7-S
Model; Nudge Theory; The ADKAR Change Management Model; Kübler-Ross Change
Curve; Bridges’ Transition Model; Satir Change Model; Kotter’s theory and Maurer 3 Levels
of Resistance and Change Model; Deming Cycle (PDCA)), giving the positive and negative
features of each and choose the appropriate model(s) and strategy for change management in
the organization. You will design the process for putting the change initiative in place giving a
description of the process,
what needs to be implemented,
who needs to carry out the change and
the timelines involved. In this process, it is necessary to demonstrate a critical understanding
of the role of leadership in applying the appropriate change management model(s).
Furthermore, you will design your own monitoring and evaluating framework to be used for
managing a change initiative and critically discuss how this monitoring and evaluation
framework can be used to demonstrate that intended outputs and outcomes have been achieved.

Important Guidelines for the presentation are as follows: -

1. Learners are requested to use PowerPoint presentations (Atleast 10 slides) to make the
presentation.
2. This is an individual presentation; learners are requested to prepare and present Task 2
individually.
3. There is no specific structure as such for the presentation, any structure can be followed
and the learners are encouraged to be creative at the same time to make the presentation
academically relevant.
4. Learners should present their findings to a group of their peers, who are acting as the client
organisation’s senior management team.
Performance Descriptors

Performance descriptors indicate how marks will be arrived at against each of the above
criteria. The descriptors indicate the likely characteristics of work that is marked within the
percentage bands indicated.
(70-100%) (60-69%) (50-59%) (40-49%) (0-39%)
Work of an Work of a good Work of a pass Fail Fail
outstanding standard standard (Resubmission (Resubmissio
standard allowed) n not allowed)
Executive Exemplary Competent Basic Weak Poor
Summary (5 summarization summarization summarization summarization summarization
marks) of the report. of the report. of the report. of the report. of the report.
Introduction Exemplary Competent Basic Weak Poor
to Change compilation compilation compilation compilation compilation
Management with detailed with sufficient with sufficient with sufficient with sufficient
(20 marks) background on background on background on background on background on
concepts of concepts of concepts of concepts of concepts of
change change change change change
management management management management management
and its impact and its impact and its impact and its impact and its impact
on the chosen on the chosen on the chosen on the chosen on the chosen
organization. organization. organization. organization. organization.
Mature links Sound links Average links Superficial links Sketchy links
made between made between made between made between made between
relevant ideas, relevant ideas, relevant ideas, relevant ideas, relevant ideas,
theories and theories and theories and theories and theories and
practice in practice in practice in practice in practice in
change change change change change
management. management. A management. A management. management.
Extensive range sufficient range very limited An insufficient No relevant
of relevant of relevant range of range of sources are
sources are sources are relevant sources relevant sources identified or
identified and identified and are identified are identified used. No
used. An used. An and used. A and used. A perspective is
argumentative evocative descriptive vague presented in
perspective is perspective is perspective is perspective is the
presented presented in the presented in the presented in the interpretation
demonstrating interpretation of interpretation of interpretation of of scope of
originality and scope of change legislations scope of change change
creativity in the management related to scope management management
interpretation of related to the of change related to the related to the
the scope of chosen management chosen chosen
change organization. related to the organization. organization.
management Negligible chosen Repeated errors Too many
related to the errors in organization. in referencing or errors in
chosen referencing or Evident errors in grammar or referencing or
organization. No referencing or syntax.
 obvious errors grammar or grammar or grammar or
in referencing or syntax. syntax. syntax.
grammar or
syntax.
Resistance to The work The work A reasonably The examination The
Change (20 thoroughly examines the well of the scenario examination of
marks) examines the scenario and examination of and how the scenario
scenario and how resistance the scenario and resistance to and how
how resistance to change how resistance change resistance to
to change manifests in the to change manifests in the change
manifests in the organization. manifests in the organization is manifests in
organization. The outcomes organization. not done well. the
Highly practical are good. Some The outcomes The outcomes organization is
justifications are sound are obvious. are sketchy. The not well done.
provided to justifications are Considerable justifications The outcomes
overcome provided to justifications are provided to are poor.
barriers to overcome provided to overcome Failure to
change. barriers to overcome barriers to provide
Illustrations and change. barriers to change are justifications
Tables are Illustrations and change. weak. to overcome
properly Tables are Illustrations and Illustrations and barriers to
captioned. captioned. Tables are not Tables are not change.
necessarily captioned.
captioned.
Leadership An exceptional A good analysis A basic analysis A weak analysis A poor
and Change analysis of the of the literature of the literature of the literature analysis of the
Management role of is developed. is developed. is developed. literature is
(20 marks) leadership in Summarizes and Descriptive Mere developed. No
change shows sound presentation of compilation of synthesis of
management synthesis of the the literature information. the literature
process is literature information. Includes no information.
developed. information, Limited identification Identification
Summarizes and including identification and analysis of and analysis of
shows insightful identification but no analysis gaps. No linkage gaps is absent.
synthesis of the and analysis of of gaps. is established No linkage is
literature gaps. Good Average linkage among the established
information linkage is is established different among the
including established among the leadership styles different
identification among the different and its impact leadership
and analysis of different leadership styles on change styles and its
gaps. Strong leadership styles and its impact management. impact on
linkage is and its impact on change Repeated errors change
established on change management. in referencing or management.
among the management. Evident errors in grammar or Too many
different Negligible referencing or syntax. errors in
leadership styles errors in grammar or referencing or
and its impact referencing or syntax. grammar or
on change grammar or syntax.
management. syntax.
No obvious
errors in
referencing or
 grammar or
syntax.

Change An ability to The work The work There may be No application

Management successfully demonstrates a demonstrates a little evidence of of theoretical
Process (20 synthesize willingness to competence to an ability to principles to
marks) theoretical question and to explore issues apply theoretical change
issues into explore issues and to principles to management
practice and and to synthesize change process in the
design the synthesize theoretical management chosen
change theoretical perspectives and process in the organization.
management perspectives and practical chosen Conclusions
process in the practical application organization. unrelated and
chosen application within change Conclusions confused or
organization. within change management unrelated to the illogical and
Ideas are management process in the scenario. unsubstantiate
presented in a process in the chosen Lessons learned d. Lessons
succinct manner chosen organization. either superficial learned either
and conclusions organization. Some helpful or lacking. superficial or
are well Some conclusions and lacking.
reasoned which meaningful acknowledgeme Possibly no
have relevance well-reasoned nt of lessons real attempt to
to the scenario. conclusions and learned. address
attention given assignment
to lessons brief in respect
learned which of actual
have relevance questions
to the scenario. asked.
Recommenda Well-organised, Well-organised, Reasonably Poor Assertions
tions and logical, fully logical, well-organised, organisation; little related to
Conclusions supported by supported by logical, gaps in evidence,
(15 marks) evidence, evidence, generally reasoning; some frequently
conclusions conclusions supported by obvious illogical or
clear and arise fairly clear and evidence, conclusions arbitrary;
from arise from conclusions omitted for the conclusions if
results/discussio results & fairly clear and list; other presented are
n; practical and discussion; arise from conclusions not disorganized;
feasible, with practical and results & especially alternatives
clear feasible, with discussion; driven by the not
consideration of clear practical and findings but considered; no
change consideration of feasible, with un from ‘common real
management change clear or weak sense’. No real understanding
issues. management consideration of implications and of the need to
Recommendatio issues. change recommendation draw
ns driven by Recommendatio management s weak and conclusions,
good deductions ns driven by issues. incoherent. implications
from findings. decent Recommendatio and
deductions from ns not always recommendati
findings. driven by good ons from
deductions. results.
 (70-100%) (60-69%) (50-59%) (40-49%) (0-39%)
Work of an Work of a good Work of a pass Fail Fail
outstanding standard standard (Resubmission (Resubmissio
standard allowed) n not allowed)
Presentation Excellent Good Average Poor preparation No preparation
(30 marks) preparation and preparation and preparation and and planning of and planning
planning of planning of planning of content with of content
content which content with content with poor which has not
was well good basic organization as been
organised. organization. organization. well. Weak organized.
Confident Strong delivery Average delivery of the Poor delivery
delivery of the of the delivery of the presentation of the
presentation presentation presentation slides. presentation
slides. slides. slides. Presentation slides.
Presentation Presentation Presentation flow was ok, Presentation
flowed well, flowed well, flowed well, with some flow was poor,
without with hardly any with very less hesitation or with lots of
hesitation or hesitation or hesitation or pauses by the hesitation or
pauses by the pauses by the pauses by the learner or pauses by the
learner or learner or learner or confusion from learner or
confusion from confusion from confusion from the audience. confusion
the audience. the audience. the audience. Content of from the
Content of Content of Content of slides was a bit audience.
slides was clear slides was quite slides was cluttered and Content of
with uncluttered clear with average with demonstrated slides very
text and highly uncluttered text uncluttered text very little cluttered and
technically and technically and the technical demonstrated
competent with competent with technical competence no technical
exceptional good graphics or competent with very less competence
graphics or diagrams that demonstrated use of graphics with no use of
diagrams that were all relevant was average as or diagrams that graphics or
were all relevant and helped to well with some were relevant diagrams that
and helped to put point across. graphics or and helped to were relevant
put point across. The link diagrams that put point across. and helped to
The link between were relevant The link put point
between analysis and and helped to between across. The
analysis and recommendation put point across. analysis and link between
recommendation was strong and The link recommendation analysis and
was clear and justified with between was sketchy and recommendati
justified with evidence. analysis and justified with on was unclear
evidence. Questions were recommendation some evidence. and no
Questions were responded to was average and Response to justification or
responded to adeptly and justified with questions was evidence
adeptly and showed good reasonable weak and provided.
showed knowledge of evidence. showed Response to
outstanding findings of Response to superficial questions was
knowledge of investigation. questions was knowledge of poor and
findings of average and findings of showed no
investigation. showed basic investigation. knowledge of
knowledge of findings of
findings of investigation.
investigation.
1.0 Executive Summary
In this difficult situation of Covid-19 pandemic, we were all vulnerable to the virus and sanitary protocols
like the wearing of masks, social distancing and temperature check were being done by each and every
one. The coaching system also has known some changes because of the situation such as adopting
individual coaching, using partition screen between Learner Driver and Instructor and most importantly
sanitizing of those parts of the interior and exterior of the vehicle which may be touched by both
Instructor and Learner Driver. Such measures were obviously meant to build trust of the Learner
Drivers.

In this paper, we have gone through the Four Principles of Change. An analysis of the internal process
of SWOT was also done that is the Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of IQ Driving
School. Furthermore, an analysis of external environment like PESTLE breakdown was being carried
out regularly. PESTLE Analysis which consists of the Political Factors, Economic Factors, Social Factors,
Technology Factors, Legal Factors and without forgetting the Environmental Factors to ensure the
company is on the right track.

We also evaluate four Change Interventions:

 The Kurt Lewin’s Strategy
 The Kotter’s Strategy
 The McKinsey’s 7S Strategy
 The ADKAR Strategy

The latter was selected on the basis of the size of our business activity. Proper awareness and
knowledge sharing compel our business to be a learning organization. The Driving School activity has
to be managed with tact. The Director is a leader of leaders, a manager of managers.

His leadership style will be that of someone with full knowledge, yet humble enough to share leadership
with instructors who act as the ones implementing the change effort with learner-drivers. His style of
communication is open, direct, promoting collaboration and understanding rather than imposing one’s
rules on others.

His purpose and that of his instructors ought to be that of winning trust, particularly at times of health
and safety threats.

2.0 Change Management

2.1 Introduction
IQ Driving School teaches aspiring car drivers all the skills they need to be confident and safe on the
road. The company employs four highly-experienced driving instructors that teach, based on the level
of competency, the following skills:
 On the road driving
 Rear parking
 Parallel/box parking
IQ Driving School, led by the Director Mr Iqbal Aubdool for the past 25 years, strives everyday to be
the best driving academy on the island of Mauritius. Today, the driver services offered is limited to
areas of Port Louis and its vicinity. The company aspires to spread its reach to the different areas in
the country and could eventually study the option of franchising its services.

2.1 Concept of change management

Change in business is an unescapable event. Given its inevitable nature, effective change management
is one of the key architects of project realization. Lack of proper change management often results in
chaos and all sorts of complications for the business.

The concept of change management exists since 1951 when Kurt Lewin presented his model of change
management. Since then, the concept has progressed. To be more precise, change is defined as “a
procedure of reshuffling of people, resources, and culture” (Carr et al. 1996, cited in Al-Sedairy, 2001).
Whereas, change management is defined as “the act of monitoring the organizational change process
by means of proficient management” (Al-Sedairy, 2001).

2.2 The Four Principles of Change

Principle 1: Understand Change
To foster the benefits of the change successfully, you need to identify the benefits yourself. So, think
about:
• Why do you have to change. What are your key goals?
• How will the organization benefit from the change?
• How will the change have a positive influence on people?
• How will it affect the system that people operate?
• What must be done for the change to be achieved successfully?
It is also very important to consider what the negative outcomes would be if the change were not done.
For a change to be implemented, there has to be enough disapproval with the old way of doing things.
But people also must show a confident feeling that the new approach will make things better – and
that there's a clear way to get the expected results.

Principle 2: Plan Change

Effective change doesn't just materialize by coincidence, and any strategy you adopt has to be suitable
for your organization. Not all organizations manage change projects in the same way. Some use very
rigid change strategies, while others are more receptive and compliant in their approach.

Principle 3: Implement Change

So how exactly will you process the change?

As we are all aware, there are various strategies that you can select to put your change into preparation.
Kotter's 8-Step Change Model, for example, describes how to bring a sense of determination into your
actions, so that you create momentum and inspire everyone to support your changes.

Principle 4: Communicate Change

Communication can be a do-or-die element of change management. You have to be very clear and
relevant with the change that you are going to apply, so people realize what you are expecting from
them and why they must do it.
It is very important to communicate the changes that you're planning to your organization's operation
or concept statements. It will help people see how the change positively influences the "entire
perspective" so that they can have a motivating and shared vision of the future.
Also be sure to practice good stakeholder management. This will ensure that you give the right people
the right message, at the right time, to get the support that you need for your project.

2.3 Different perspectives in Change Management

Managing change can be viewed from different angles. First and foremost, there is the BIOLOGICAL
approach, which considers change from a living organism perspective that is born, then grows and
matures, and finally dies.

A basic principle in business theory is that success of organisations depends on its resources, more
particularly on how less dependent they are on external resources (RESOURCE DEPENDENCE
PERSPECTIVE). Hence, to grow, a company acquires resources from the environment. The more it
changes and obtains new tools, new locations, new talent or facilities, the more influence it gets and
the more control. One, for example, can venture to acquire a supplier or a customer in a particular
market or even headhunt a specific new recruit.

Another important theory that requires our attention is the POPULATION ECOLOGY PERSPECTIVE that
“seeks to explain the factors that affect the rate at which new organizations are born in a population
of existing organizations”. This follows the concept of survival of the fittest: the one that innovates and
renews its offering tends to live longer. Otherwise, it shall die – either fast or slow or is euthanized.
The organization invests in such resources that will allow it to survive longer than competitors.
2.4 Analysis of internal process - SWOT

Strengths
 Our instructors’ age ranges between 30 to 40 years. Thus, they are very flexible to changes being
brought.
 All Instructors have already done their Booster Dose Vaccine
 We have done Car Wrapping with “We are Covid Safe” to reassure the public
Weaknesses
 Sanitizing of Driving School Cars after each and every lesson cost us time thus reducing the number
of lessons
 Learner Drivers who already had their Driving Test scheduled are postponing same as they are
reluctant to come for Driving Lessons
 Decline in Number of Lessons resulted to Decline in Income
Opportunities
 Individual Coaching were being done to reduce the spread
 Getting Interest-free Loans from the Local Authority
 Use of modern technology – like virtual driving or simulation
Threats
 Significant decrease in purchasing power of customers – Learning how to drive may not be an
immediate priority
 High Risk of Contamination – learner-drivers may affect the health and well-being of instructors
and vice-versa
 Risk of further lockdowns

Analysis of external environment - PESTLE

On a regular basis, in June and January of each year, IQ Driving School’s staff together with the
Director, brainstorm on any such external factors in the macro-environment that can impact the
company’s performance. Upon the outbreak of the pandemic, the PESTLE analysis was again updated
with little statistical information, available then, so that it could act as a guide for deciding on the way
forward.

Political Factors
At first, political factors were studied. At the start of 2020, the threat of Covid-19 was not taken as a
serious threat by the authorities as the priority was on forming the newly elected government.
- Elections had just taken place in December 2019 in Mauritius. Political stability was expected in 2020
onwards as the same Prime Minister was re-elected. Taxation policy was to be announced in June 2020.

- Driving in Port Louis region is taught in an open area known as Champ de Mars, where access is free.
Contingency plans were discussed: what if? What if, the local government decides to charge us access
or simply does not give us access. Alternatives were discussed and noted.

- With few cases of Covid, the country was closed for almost three months. Total lockdown was
imposed. Work Access Permit (WAP) was issued but for IQ Driving School, it did not serve any purpose
as learner-drivers could neither move out in public legally nor were they even interested to do so.

Economic Factors
Next comes the Economic factors, that normally would include ingredients like major foreign currencies
performance, the country’s GDP, inflation rate, petrol prices, the CPI index, etc.
- Exchange rate – The three major currencies – USD, GBP & EUR - were thought to be stable at the
start. The interest rate remained untouched.

- Economic Performance of Mauritius – With an economic growth rate of 3.6% in 2019, it was expected
that further progress is on the way as Foreign Direct Investment was MUR 18.5 bn. GDP kept increasing
(graph below refers) and inflation rate was capped at 0.5%.

However, economic activity was down. Factories were closed. Among the many worrying aspects was
the balance deficit as government expenditure was relatively high from 3rd quarter 2019 onwards.

- Youth Unemployment – As IQ Driving School’s main target market was young people between the
age of 18 to 25, purchasing power of this segment of the market was important to note. Unfortunately,
unemployment in Mauritius was rising to almost 9% in start of 2020. With borders being closed in
March 2020, there could be more hotel personnel being laid off as tourism sector got crumbled.

- Consumer Price Index – As at December 2019, the CPI was at 103.3. In March 2020 onwards, prices
of many products were increased significantly. Government control was implemented but it was not
enough. Price of household products still keeps rising.

Social Factors
In addition to the economy, IQ Driving School’s team also share observations on social factors that can
affect the business. We ask ourselves questions on customer preferences, gender roles, leisure
interests, etc.
- Migration & overseas study – Young people, aged 18, used to complete higher education locally in
November each year and almost 20% go abroad for further studies in the forthcoming year. IQ Driving
School must always tap on this market segment right after the examinations.

- Sustainability concerns – More and more young people are concerned with the ecology and would be
ready to support driving schools that show interest in environmental protection. Teaching in automatic
hybrid vehicles can attract more customers.

- Gender roles – The gender roles are evolving in Mauritius. However, there still are a few customers
that request ladies to be taught by ladies only.

- Leisure interests – Youngsters, aged 18, tend to already have a smart phone with internet connection.
They mostly interact on Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram & Tiktok.

Technology
Technology is fast disrupting our habit – the way we live, work and play. With sanitary precautions in
place, technology was the best alternative to communicate to one another.

- Maturity of mobile technology – Whatsapp & Messenger have become top media to communicate with
our target market. IQ Driving School identified the use of this app to send precautionary messages to
its potential learner-drivers. Facebook was also used to keep in touch with future prospects.

- Technology risk – With the whole world going through major disruptions, the risk of Whatsapp not
offering its service free-of-charge was studied. Telegram mobile app was also advised to be a good
alternative. Otherwise, good old SMS was still there.
- Latest technology-based innovations – Virtual driving was also researched and findings did not
convince us that it could replace real on-road driving lessons.

Legal Factors
In May 2020, the Mauritian government enacted the Quarantine Act & the Covid-19 Act - both were
essentially there to prevent the spread of Covid-19 virus and to protect the health of the population.
Anyone found not following the authorities’ protocol in public would be fined heavily and could even be
sentenced to imprisonment.

Environmental factors
Last but not least comes the ecological factor. Questions to be asked are: how polluting is our activity?
Are we promoting disposal of waste correctly?

- IQ Driving School conducts regular servicing of its vehicles. Therefore, our cars do not directly
contribute to air pollution. However, the use of petrol is still there. One can look into the opportunities
where financial institutions offer facilities of green loans to buy electric hybrid cars.

- As a matter of principle, all instructors are required to teach eco-driving techniques to learner-drivers,
thereby saving fuel and money.

Successful stakeholder management

This methodology provided guidance in the identification of a project's key stakeholders and through a
graphical display of the stakeholder community, ensured awareness of the key stakeholders as the
project moved through its various stages from initiation to closeout. The methodology incorporates five
steps: identify, prioritise, visualise, engage, and monitor.

It is therefore essential to facilitate the continuous improvement and development of tools and
processes that support stakeholder relationship management (SRM) in organisations. This is best
achieved through exposure of the ideas to researchers and practitioners. The stakeholder relationship
management maturity approach to assisting organisations successfully implement a stakeholder
"mindset" or culture, has been developed to the level described in this paper through a process of
reflection, action research and continuous improvement.

3.0 Resistance to change

With Covid-19 impacting IQ Driving School’s activity, a number of change initiatives will have to be
brought in so as to build the trust of learner-drivers back. There could be much resistance from both
instructors and students. It is important to understand the ‘why’ of resistance so as to deal with it.

Diagnosing Resistance to Change (RTC)

People resist because of a feeling of discomfort they feel when the change is presented to them. Kotter
and Schlesinger (1979) did a detailed analysis some 40 years back and summarized four main reasons
why people individually resist change. These are:
1. Self-interest
2. Inertia
3. Different reading of situation
4. Misunderstanding

Self interest arises when employees perceive a threat to their status, job security or financial position.
They oppose any such change that affect their own personal interests, particularly if they are not very
loyal to the organization.

Inertia normally refers to a certain reluctance to change by certain people who simply are not tolerant
to change. Often times, this is the case when a business is successful. Therefore, employees ask: “why
change?” or “We are good the way we are!”

Another cause of resistance is when there is a difference in one’s evaluation of what is best for the
business. Between the chosen solution and the dropped alternative, there could be a situation where
different people have different assessment of what will bring efficiency in the organisation. Hence, this
difference in appraisal causes resistance between team members, managers and even board members.

Misunderstanding is another major cause of resistance. People refuse just because they do not
understand or because they did not have enough information to understand. Sometimes, this happens
when there is a lack of trust in superiors and change sponsors.

Group-level dynamics – another source of resistance

In addition to individual motives, resistance to change also arises from group dynamics. This can be
broken into two different types: (1) Collective-level or (2) Organisational level
Collective-level resistance takes place when people join hands together and raise a common voice
in an organized manner. The common action of resistance is usually considered as a serious threat to
any change effort. Trade unions are typical examples of this.
Organisational-level resistance takes place when one division feels threatened by either another
department or simply becomes obsolete. At instances of joint-venture or take-over or privatization or
nationalization, the whole company resists. Its power is generally very strong. It can go in the media
and even at national or international level.

3.1 Overcoming Resistance

According to Kotter & Schlesinger (2008), there are six general ways to overcome resistance to change.
Below is a summary of all six of them:

Whether it is an individual that one has to deal with or a group, one has to be very sensitive to people’s
feelings, state of mind and actual job skills. This will enable one to choose the right way to proceed.

Education
Overcoming resistance is smoothly done by educating people about it in advance. Communicating
one’s ideas helps people see the logic of a change effort. The education process can involve one-on-
one meetings, group presentations, email explanations or in-office memos. A practical justification for
that would be the following:
 In an effort to implement a new online appointment system based on a mobile app at IQ Driving
School, one must request the system supplier to conduct a practical training for instructors,
explaining the way it is to be manipulated. A little user manual for quick reference can be
printed and provided to each of them.
Such an education plan can be ideal when resistance is foreseen based on lack of information. Its effect
is more long-term and demands that people come with an open-mind.

Participation
When an employee resists and feels lonely to adopt a new process, he or she is just shouting for
someone to extend a helping hand and support him or her. Change agents who initiate a new project
must ensure to involve the likely ‘resister’ in some aspect of the design of the change at the very first
stages. With a participative change effort, the initiator listens to the people and uses their advice. To
illustrate:
 When IQ Driving School required instructors to sanitize the car after every lesson, the Director
invited instructors and past learner-drivers to come and give their opinions on how same will
be done practically. Some of their recommendations were taken on board.
When change agents feel that they do not have all the information, or when they need the whole-
hearted commitment of fellow colleagues, involving them makes total sense.

Facilitation & support

A sure way to deal with potential RTC is by being supportive. This may include giving staff extra time
to adapt to the required change effort. Support may mean lending an ear to the employee and advising
them without necessarily agreeing to their resisting feeling. An example for that would be:
 At times of Covid-19, staff of IQ Driving School were anxious about them not receiving their
wages as there were no driving lessons. They could have left the company to seek new
employment elsewhere. To keep them connected to us, the company extended a Covid loan
as a support to instructors. This ensured that they are comfortable and feel positive about
the organisation.
The basic downside of this method is that it can be time-consuming and costly.

Negotiation and agreement

A good way to deal with resistance – whether group-level or individual - is to negotiate and offer
incentives to potential resisters. In many organisations today, change initiatives are done in sequences,
one merging into the next, without gaps. Soon, people get so tired, irritated and stressed with the
situation that their burnout compels them to join trade unions to express their resistance to further
change programmes. As HR Managers and Directors are required then to deal with union members,
they ought to be good negotiators. Some might opt for ‘divide and rule’ tactic to deal with group-level
resistance. However, this can backfire if not done with tact.
Management then agrees to change the person’s position or department. One may be more flexible by
providing a day-off or a change in role within the same unit. The above are mere practical justifications
of agreements reached between change agents and change targets.

Manipulation and co-optation

When other attempts fail, managers are compelled to resort to covert attempts to influence
subordinates. One such means is the use of ‘staff manipulation’, that is, someone at the company level
uses such tactics as to control someone else. It involves “the very selective use of information and the
conscious structuring of events” (Kotter, 2008).
One popular form of manipulation is co-optation. Co-opting an individual is giving him or her an enviable
task in the concept or for the change to be implemented. For example:
 A company manager knowingly promises the post of Assistant to a staff so as to make her
comply without giving any pay rise. This ensures quick participation and less resistance.

Explicit and implicit coercion.

Last but not least, managers often resort to coercion when faced with resistance. Here, essentially,
staff are forced to accept a change by explicitly or implicitly threatening them (with the loss of jobs for
example) or by actually firing or transferring them. As with manipulation, using coercion is a risky
process because inevitably people strongly resent duress or other forms of force and corporate violence.

Successful organizational change efforts are always characterized by the skillful application of a number
of the above approaches, often in very different combinations. However, successful efforts share two
characteristics: Managers employ the approaches with a sensitivity to their strengths and limitations
and appraise the situation realistically (Kotter & Schlesinger, 1979).

3.2 Types of interventions

Change intervention – Kurt Lewin’s prescription
According to Lewin, change or movement can only occur when the first step in the process of changing
behavior has been the unfreezing of the existing situation. Ultimately, for the new behaviors to stick, a
third, refreezing step is vital.

The first step of Lewin's model shows us how to reduce barriers to change and increase the probabilities
of an effective change attempt.
It is a change model linking three steps: unfreezing, changing and refreezing. For Lewin, the
procedure of change involves creating the perception that a change is needed, then moving toward the
new, desired level of behavior and, finally, solidifying that new behavior as the norm.
Kurt Lewin developed a change model involving three steps: unfreezing, changing and refreezing.
The model represents a very simple and practical model for understanding the change process. For
Lewin, the process of change entails creating the perception that a change is needed, then moving
toward the new, desired level of behavior and finally, solidifying that new behavior as the norm. The
model is still widely used and serves as the basis for many modern change models.

Change Intervention – Kotter’s Strategy

It is a process designed to help leaders successfully implement organizational change. It is very popular
because it provides an easy-to-follow roadmap for change managers, even if they aren’t
experts.
Kotter outlines eight steps that businesses should take to overcome such obstacles and effectively
implement large-scale changes.
Following these steps will guarantee that your company is not just well prepared but also seriously
committed to adopting changes.

Change Intervention - McKinsey’s 7S strategy

The McKinsey 7-S Model identifies seven components of an organization that must work together for
effective change management: Structure, Strategy, Staff, Style, Systems, Shared Values, and
Skills.
The McKinsey 7-S Model is a useful framework for people performing various roles within an
organization because it acknowledges that there are aspects of organizational change that affect each
component of the organization differently.
The first step when using this model is to understand the components that make up your organization.
Once you’ve identified these parts, you can assess how each of them is currently functioning and where
you might face the problems which need to be tackled in order to ensure achieving success.

Selected Intervention - ADKAR

The ADKAR Model of Change Management is an outcome-oriented change management method that
aims to limit resistance to organizational change.

This change model has five stages: Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability and Reinforcement.
As per the ADKAR change management model, awareness and desire aim to move you out of the
current state, where change is needed but has not yet begun. Knowledge and ability occur during the
transition, and reinforcement focuses on the future.

One of the most helpful aspects of the ADKAR Model is that its five sequential goals identify areas of
resistance. For instance, is someone unable to change because they do not understand why it needs
to happen (Awareness), or do they not understand how to make the change (Knowledge)? You will be
better prepared to guide them through a stage once you figure out which step someone is stuck on.
4.0 Leadership & Change management
Leaders play an essential role in any change management project. Organizational leaders are the ones
that employees look to, day after day, for direction, support, and cues on where they need to direct
their efforts. A leader’s role in change management is primarily to communicate with his or her people
in such a way that they willingly buy-in his or her change initiative. This type of communication is one
that is open, clear and honest, full of humility and empathy, irrespective of the size of the change effort.
In case of IQ Driving School, we need to look at such people who lead both staff and students, at times
playing a behind-the-scene role and removing hurdles and barriers so as to enable his/her people to
easily adapt to the change imperatives. In order to identify the different styles, traits and roles of
leaders in change management, an analysis of different secondary research studies was conducted.
4.1 Literature review & Literature reports.
According to Ganta & Manukond (2014), a leader ought to be the person acting as a “change agent
that can manage an organization or manage the process of organizational change more effectively.”
Organizations “need the presence of a leader’s capacity to persuade individuals through their
organization’s vision and mission in order to create the precise change,” explained Marai in his PhD
thesis (2008). The early scholars believed that leaders were born with certain physical traits that
distinguished them from non-leaders. William Sheldon (1989 – 1977) discussed in his work, ‘The
Varieties of Human Physique’ how certain ‘body type’ characteristics like size of one’s eyebrows, length
of one’s nose or someone’s chin shape determine whether the person is a delinquent or a charismatic
leader. This work was later overtaken by other studies on personality traits rather than physical ones.
In 1985, Bernard Bass enhanced the concepts by explaining what transformational leadership is all
about, as well as how it impacts follower motivation and performance. The extent to which a leader is

transformational, is determined, in terms of his influence on the followers. The followers of such a
leader trust, admire and respect their Head. In addition to this admiration, it is highly important, for a
change to be sustained, that the workers “believe that it will bring benefit to them” (Ikinsi, 2014).
The ‘self-gain’ aspect is indeed a co-requisite for long-term personal and organizational success. Many
scholars and experts state that, at this stage, the mission of the leaders gains more and more
importance. Leaders’ role is therefore primarily focused on pointing to a common goal to motivate
workers by using his/her convincing ability (Töremen, 2002).

In our context of a driving school, leadership needs to also take into account “students” as an entity
that needs to be managed. Students, unlike staff, easily experience fear, uncertainty, stress and anxiety
when faced with changes. This is when the leader must know how to play a very subtle role. Dunlap
& Goldman (1991) describe a different leadership style known facilitative leadership, where the
leader promotes the collective ability of a school to adapt and solve problems so as to improve
performance of students. Here, one cannot control every element but can guide and direct the energy.
According to Goldman, Dunlap & Conley (1993), facilitative behaviour of leaders is demonstrated
by the following signs:
1. Creatively overcoming resource constraints of time, funds and information;
2. Maximizing human resource synergy by building leadership skills in one’s teams;
3. Maintaining sufficient awareness of staff activities to provide feedback, coordination and conflict
management
4. Spanning boundaries to create intra-school and community networks that provide recognition
5. Practicing collaborative politics that emphasize one-on-one conversation rather than large meetings
6. Through these behaviours, modeling and embodying the school's vision.

According to NaveedUddin (2018), when an organization's leader drives the subordinates in the
right direction and motivates them to persistently enhance and advance, the organization's
performance will definitely grow even though the business environment could be complex.
Report
From the above literature review, two types of leadership styles were researched: transformational and
facilitative. A brief report on each of them is discussed below:

Under a transformational leader, because of his exceptional qualities, the subordinates are ready to
change and work harder than originally expected. Such output occurs because the transformational
leader offers his employees added value worth more than just working for self-gain - an inspiring goal
and a remarkable identity. The leader transforms followers through his or her charismatic influence,

rational stimulation and individualistic consideration. Bass (1985) identified three ways in which
leaders transform followers:
 Increasing their awareness of task importance and value;
 Getting them to focus first on team or organizational goals;
 Activating their higher-order needs.

On the other hand, in an educational context where training is offered, the Principal or the Director acts
as a facilitative leader. His role is that of an enabler (Prestine, 1991). He or she shares power with
subordinates. Teachers are empowered because in their classes, they are leaders too. In the driving
school context, instructors deal with adult learner-drivers. Therefore, the leadership style tends to be
very much facilitative, as coined by Dr. Joseph Murphy (1994).

4.2 Leadership styles

1. Autocratic
Autocratic leaders decide without seeking the opinion of anyone who reports to them.
This leadership style is hardly effective and leads to low job satisfaction. However, this type of
leadership can be effective in emergency circumstances when quick decisions are to be taken.

2. Visionary
Organizations oriented towards creativity and innovation are best assisted by tapping the
aptitudes of visionary leadership. Visionary leaders are inborn with problem solving skills. These
“big picture” scholars can not only see what’s conceivable, but they can also efficiently
communicate it to their team.

3. Pacesetting
A pacesetting leader always leads by example. They fix high norms for themselves hoping
others to follow. An enthusiastic team always aiming high performance who treasure constant
progress will prosper under the command of a pacesetting leader.

4. Democratic
Like the affiliative leadership style, a director who adopts the democratic leadership style places
a high value on the experience, competences, and diversity of their team.
Democratic leaders are outstanding listeners, and they build confidence in their leadership by
developing the collective knowledge of their team. They are leader-breeders; by permitting
 lower-level employees to apply authority, thus preparing them to be effective for higher
responsibilities.

5. Coaching
A coaching leader spends lots of time and energy on recognizing and developing the distinctive
strengths of each member of their team. The coaching leadership style is like democratic and
affiliative leadership, but coaching leaders emphasize more on the growth and achievement of
individual employees.
6. Affiliative
Affiliative leaders try to build emotional connections with their team members and direct
reports. This leadership style adopts a people-first approach before profit and believe the team
always comes first. This style is all about consolidating trust within the team and nurturing a
sense of inclusion to the organization. Affiliative leaders are effective at motivating low morale,
improving communication, and generating a harmonious atmosphere for the employees.

7. Laissez-faire
"Laissez-faire" is a French term translated to English as "let them do." A Laissez-faire leader
has full trust in their workers to do what they’re expected to do and interferes very rarely in
their task and goals.

The Laissez-faire leader is very common in business start-ups, where the leader has full
confidence in their team to make sure that the company’s overall strategy is executed.

5.0 Conclusion & Recommendations

In the light of this report, drafted in the context of a global pandemic, many organisations of all sizes,
in particular the driving school business were forced to make rapid changes. Covid-19 created chaos in
all spheres of life. Some activities like schools, shops and offices managed to go digital and work from
home. However, driving schools could not teach on-road practical lessons in virtual mode. The only
way out was to wait and see!

Once the Mauritian government allowed the public to circulate, driving school business picked up with
strict sanitary protocols. Sanitizer use was compulsory. Temperature check before starting lessons was
a must. Found without a face mask, people were fined! These deep adaptive changes demanded people
in general to question their prior personal habits and values and required our instructors to alter their
practices. No question asked: we adapted.

As the Change Consultant for IQ Driving School, we advised COMPLIANCE to RULES set by the
authorities. We recommended to do extra efforts to win people’s TRUST and people’s HEARTS.
The ADKAR model tremendously helped us to implement the changes. Details of the different steps
have been elaborated in above sections. To lead such a project, the role of the leader was crucial. The
Director of IQ Driving School needed to be very patient and firm in his action. The qualities of good
school leaders, Head Masters/Principals/Vice Chancellors/Deans were researched. They were all found
to be effective communicators.

In conclusion of this paper, it is highly recommended that specific studies be performed for driving
school instructors and managers. As change agents and change sponsors, their leadership style must
be empirically studied. For the sake of this report, facilitative leadership style for the sponsor was
found to be fit for purpose and transformational leadership style was appropriate for instructors.

6.0 References

Abbas, T. 2021, Types of Resistance, URL:

[Link]

Alqatawenah, A. S., 2018, Transformational leadership style and its relationship with
change management, Business: Theory and Practice, 19, 17-24.
[Link]

Bass, B. M., 1985, Leadership nd performance beyond expectations, New York, Free Press

Dunlap, D. & Goldman, P., 1991, Rethinking power in schools, Educational Administration Quarterly,
27(1), pp5-29

Ganta, V. C. & Manukond, J. K., 2014, Leadership during change and uncertainty in organizations,
International Journal of Organizational Behaviour & Management Perpectives, 3(3), 1183

Goldman, P., Dunlap, D. & Conley, D., 1993, Facilitative power and non-standardized solutions
to school site restructuring, Educational Administration Quarterly, 29(1), pp69-92

Ikinci, S. S., 2014, Organizational Change: Importance of Leadership Style and Training,
Journal of Management & Organisation Studies, v.1, No. 2, p122

Marai, F., 2008, Effect of transformational and reciprocal leadership on human resource
performance in Jordanian pharmaceutical industries companies, PhD thesis, Amman, Jordan:
Amman Arab University for Graduate Studies.

Murphy, J. & Louis, K. S., 1994, Reshaping the Principalship, 52p

NaveedUddin, M., 2018, The role of effective leadership in organizational change

management, International Journal of Research in Advent Technology, v.6, No. 5

Prestine, N., 1991, Completing the essential schools metaphor: Principal as enabler, American
Educational Research Association, Chicago.

Töremen, F., 2002, The hindrances for change in education organizations and their reasons,
Journal of Social Sciences Fırat University, 12(1), pp185-202.