Information Systems and Organisations

1. Information Systems and Organisations Lecture11: IS and Organisational Change

2. Scope and Coverage • This unit will cover: • Change challenges • Change management concepts and models • IS enabled organisational change

3. Learning Outcomes • By the end of this unit students will be able to: • Appreciate the challenges of changing organisations • Understand good change management approaches • Be equipped to help plan IS related business change

4. Contents • Barriers to change • Change in organisations • Change models • IS and organisational change • Emphasis – People , Technology and Organisations

5. What Makes Change Difficult? • Organisations – barriers to change • Existing working practice (processes) • Existing political structures and balances • People unwilling or unable to change • Limitations of Technology • Poor change process and/or poorly managed

6. Working Practices • Human tendency to ‘stick to what we know’... • Saves time and effort • Saves time learning something new • Personal Interests • A job • Position and Influence • Political Power • Economic Benefit

7. IS Can Disturb the Status Quo Technology Capabilities Organisational Capabilities O T Culture Skills Systems Values Agendas Infrastructure Technology Functions Applications P Job Content Processes New Applications Organisational Relationships

8. signification domination legitimation Interpretative scheme facility norm communication power sanction Influencing Change – Structuration 1 Technology Capabilities Typical organisational change focus How interpreted? Composition? Response? What is possible? Influencing? Individual ‘owned’ tasks? When to use? With who? Group ‘owned’ tasks?

9. signification domination legitimation Interpretative scheme facility norm communication power sanction Influencing Change – Structuration 2 Technology Capabilities Necessary for effective and successful change How interpreted? Composition? Response? What is possible? Influencing? Individual ‘owned’ tasks? When to use? With who? Group ‘owned’ tasks?

10. Lewins 3 Stage Model • Unfreeze – Change – Refreeze • A systematic process to address change • The following urls contain further detail • http://mindfirepress.com/uploads/Lewin_s_change_model_INTERFACES_2001.pdf • http://www.solonline.org/res/wp/10006.html • Incorporates Force-Field-Analysis (example next slide) • http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTED_06.htm

11. Analysis involves scoring forces for and forces against a change. In the example, forces against slightly exceed those for the change (TOTALS 11 versus 10) (In reality, the relative strengths of the forces will change over time, making dynamic assessment necessary.) Change management needs to take actions that increase and strengthen forces for..... reduce or eliminate forces against

12. IS and Change • We have seen the extent to which IS have the capability to influence change to organisations • Managers who introduce new IS need to plan for organisational change. Otherwise the change that occurs when new IS are introduced may be unexpected and not deliver the benefits anticipated

13. IT Enabled Business Change • At all stages, the approach is iterative rather than linear Align business and I.T. goals Define business improvement Design business change Implement Business change Deliver benefits Manwani, S (2008), Fig 2.1. Page 14

14. Lynchpins of Change • Align goals, strategy and resources--- Plan to deliver and measure benefits Align business and I.T. goals Define business improvement Design business change Implement Business change Deliver benefits Adapted from , Manwani, S (2008), Fig 2.1. Page 14

15. Organisational and IS Alignment • Alignment of Strategies • Resources • Processes • Planning • Measurements of success • Management and Governance • Understanding by IS/IT of the business and by Business of IS/IT capabilities

16. Delivery of Benefits • Start project/initiative/change planning with anticipated business Benefits • Work backwards toward necessary business and IS change • Remain flexible • Aim to deliver business benefits incrementally (quick wins)

17. Iterative Change – Agile Project Management • Flexible Planning • ‘Living’ Documents • Informal Interaction • Dynamic Structure • Customer Interaction • Small outcomes delivered incrementally

18. Making a Change With IS • A new IS will not, in itself, change the organisation • Attention needs to be paid to, People and Organisation as well as Technology • Different perspectives on the organisation need to be taken, not just the Machine/Structure but the Organism/Context • Stakeholders ,Culture and Politics are all important

19. IS and Change – A Reflection • In attempting to put all the detailed qualitative and quantitative results reported, one perception is thrown into sharp relief. This is that attempts to employ information technologies to accomplish changes in working practices within organisations are fraught with difficulty. Technology can provide new capacities and capabilities, but co-operative work output results from a rich interaction of human and technological factors. Managers who seek a change in organisational culture and practices cannot therefore rely upon information systems to provide a "technological fix“ • Slightly adapted from Hassall (1999), Page 214

20. References • Manwani, S (2008) IT Enabled Business Change; successful Management ISBN-13: 978-1-902505-91-6. British Computer Society • Hassall, J C, 1999, Developing Performance Models for Co-operative Information Systems in an Organisational Context, Doctor of Philosophy, Aston University, July 1999.

21. Lecture 11 – IS and Organisational Change Any Questions?