Theoretical Background of Change Management and Sustainability in Organizations - Essay Example

SUSTAINABILITY IN PRACTICE By Location of the Sustainability in Practice Theoretical background of Change Management and Sustainability in organizations Modifications and trends characterize the current business environment. Dess (2012) notes that change continues to be a central point and regular part of the company lexicon as it navigates through re-structuring, innovations, globalization, new legislations and organizational culture. Ideally, change is a non-negotiable element in the life of organizations as well as the business entities. Apparently, the change dictates the way things must be carried out in the organization to ensure success. According to Feireiss (2008), the modern businesses must consider a change in formulating strategies in their endeavors. Corporations position, align and strengthen themselves around the change, experience, missed opportunities and learn from the wasted resources. Due to the various changes in the business environment, sustainability of enterprises is entirely relevant to the modern corporations. Glover (2001) believes that the changing space and environment may have adverse impacts on the performance of the organization. As such, initiating and designing more integrated sustainability practices by the organization is an important element in remaining competitive. The long-term success is the primary focus of every business of which the sustainability strategies serve to support. Pugh and Mayle (2009) explain that sustainability is quite critical in building a competitive 21st-century organization. However, the long-term success focused by the various firms comes through treating sustainability with great efforts in incorporating strategic changes and innovations in the business. According to Goodall (2012), companies that view change as a form of significant adaptation in ensuring sustainability apply a strategic approach called change management. Change Management is a focused, principled and a disciplined framework that considers all the dimensions of the enterprise that critically influences the aspects of change and innovation within the dynamic business environment. Ferrell et al. (2015) explains that, change management approach identifies what needs to be fixed, aligned and engaged to realize the projected success. Arguably, the method or the model takes the best part of the behavioral thinking at the organization. The management makes the most vital decisions and uses design concepts to craft the roadmaps that address all issues surrounding the successes of the corporation. In fact, Feireiss (2008) supports the idea that sustainability theory rotate on the framework of integrated decision-making in ensuring the projected success of the organization. Ideologically, the focus on policy or strategy integration is a central component of evaluating sustainable growth and development to the modern organizations. Subsequently, the insightful strategic way of doing things work under the compelling assumption that, an individual have the capacity to change what they do. The assumption extends that one can significantly improve their efforts to influence the performance of the organization. According to Wheelen and Hunger (2012), the individuals use the change management to ensure modalities in respect of economics, social and cultural perspectives. In fact, the change management encourages collaboration between people, experts and tools to guarantee a sustainable business in the change responsive environment. Glover (2001) agrees that as companies explore initiating sustainable initiative in the enterprise more integrated and strategic levels should be the focus of the organization. More importantly, change management should be treated as the framework that reinforces efforts towards achieving the desired results. Ideally, change management enables organizational alignment through navigating complexities, balance uncertainties, manage conflicts and mobilize cultural shift to leverage the change. Even though, sustainability can be seen to oscillate between strategies and decision making, most researchers see it as a way of ensuring a sustainable environment. From the economics perspective, the approach attempts to price the environment via frameworks that adheres to fiscal controls and incentives (Pugh Mayle 2009). The natural environment is entirely assigned an economic value and protected against harmful human activities such as pollution and resource depletion. Any organization must be willing to pay both the internal costs as well as external costs. The environmental resources must remain exploitable under the sustainable circumstance. In general, sustainability ensures resource and energy efficiency. According to Dess (2012), sustainability quadruples the use of the scarce resources and provides for the drastic reduction of production costs to maximize the revenue returns to the organization. Apple Inc. Background Apple is a multinational corporation that manufactures and sells a wide selection of hardware, electronic devices, software and other variety of consumer goods. According to Apple (2013) business reports, Apple is the current leading world Corporation in the sale of telecommunication gadgets. The Company was founded in California State in the United States at around 1976. Since its establishment, it stagnated a bit but has spontaneously grown to become the most successful organization in the field of personal computing and networking. The organization’s success is attributed to the late CEO, Steve Jobs, who personally transformed the organization into a giant producer of computers and telecommunication gadgets. Ideally, Steve Jobs is remembered in the history of the organization by revolutionizing the personal electronics market. Via some radicle innovations and changes the corporation came up with products such as iPod, iPhone, iPad, and Notebook. Being the originators of the new technology in the business place, Apple gained the advantage of making the first move that no other electronic organization can have. Even though, other corporations such as Samsung have copied their technology also to produce smart electronic products; they are not able to gain the competitive edge in the market as that of the Apple Corporation. The Apple products have the largest market share in the U.S. local market as well as the foreign markets. Externalities and the Corporation’s Product Lifecycle Even though, Apple Corporation has the first move advantage in the world electronics market; the products are challenged with several externalities that Apple must consider to ensure sustainability of its variety products on the market. Thompson, Strickland, and Gamble (2007) argued that just being the first in the marketplace is not an enough tenant to remain on the top forever. Ideally, consumers have a lot of expectations from the organizations from time to time. Being the first company to produce the current mp3 player and first firm to combine it with a cellular device and internet connectivity ranks the organization highly and prestigious among the consumers. According to Thiele (2014), the level of prestige of Apple must be maintained in the perception of the customers. As such, it must be seen to upgrade and update its product from time to time in meeting the changing customer needs in the market. With the changing times, In Jauhari (2014) explains that consumers are seen to demand and buy environmentally friendly products that suits their needs and wants. Additionally, the products must retain high quality and at competitive prices. In essence, for Apple to maintain the high performance then it must be seen to work with these consumer concerns as well as maintain high-quality standards. While accomplishing the consumer demands and wants; Apple must also retain the competitive advantage as well as be prestigious in the marketplace. Sustainability Initiative at Apple Inc. Regardless of its superior performance at the business place, Apple Inc. Management acknowledges the role sustainability can play in maintaining the successfulness of the organization. Ideally, the team understands the opportunities that sustainability can create to them. Apple uses sustainability to its advantage in remaining highly competitive and in retaining the largest market share (Coyle 2015). First, the organization implements a green environment sustainability strategy. In an aim to reduce impacts to the environment through the use of packages and harmful materials, the Corporation manufactures numerous personal computing gadgets. These outputs are lighter, slimmer and more efficient devices than those of the competitors. For instance, Apple has come up with the new Generation iPad and MacBook Air that are more slim and efficient in operations. On the other hand, Apple has remained innovative and upgrades its products every time to match the changing consumer needs in the market. Apple Inc. Employees are well trained in change management, and strategic management. Ideally, this incorporates an innovative culture in the corporation that ensures new products are developed to suit the customer needs. Thiele (2014) explains that, in the recent past, to dismiss the believe that only Steve Jobs could design and develop new products for Apple, the organization has created a new watch that improves consumer experience as well as fits their needs. The recently developed watch has the capability of receiving notifications, text messages, and SMS. In support of the product, the organizations explained that the use of smartphone has become dominant without giving consumer space to breathe. Instead of removing the smartphone device from the pocket every time to see notifications and texts, the consumers can now on do that with a twist of the wrist. That is convenient even in the meetings as well as other important functions. It just proves that innovation culture is a sustainability strategy adopted to ensure its long-term success in the electronics industry. In fact, without maintaining innovation in the face of the changing technological environment may significantly reduce the consumption of the organization’s products in the stiff competitive market. Sustainability in Apple Inc. As the electronic industry becomes intensely competitive, sustainability remains a growing concern to the Apple Corporation. In maintaining the competitive advantage and the proper organization’s reputation, Apple conforms to the various legislations imposed by governments and international laws. Essentially, the Corporation possesses policies and procedures concerning sustainability at the organization. More importantly, its policies and regulations are based on the Triple Bottom Line theory. Arguably, about the Society, Apple Suppliers must adhere to the Apples Supplier Code of Conduct of 2013. This code enshrines policies and principles in dealing with employees, maintaining fair and safe workplace and some environmental considerations that the suppliers of the organization must ensure. There is an established on-site audit to ensure adherence to the code of conduct. Also, the organization accepts appropriate action plans where necessary in assisting and maintaining the Code of Conduct standards. From the environmental perspective, Apple has some policies to ensure sustainability by creating a healthy environment as required by the government legislation as well as international regulations (United States 2011). For the organization to maintain this, sustainable business practices are implemented in the organization. According to Apple (2013) reports, Apple in all its aspects of production abides by the environmental requirement. In the recent production of MacBook and Pro, the stringent Energy Star 6.0 requirement is met, and the product achieves the EPEAT Gold rating. On the other hand, the Corporation has drastically reduced the amount of materials used in packing its variety of products. For instance, the new generation iPad and MacBook can boast of almost 80% less packaging as compared to the previously Apple produced products. The products are much thinner to reduce packaging space and materials. In fact, the company has taken steps to phase out the use of harmful materials in its production line to ensure they produce environmentally friendly products. Ideally, most of the recently manufactured Apple products are made through the use of recyclable products of material efficient and packaging designs. The sustainability strategy is reflected in this products and is at the heart of design and production at Apple Inc. Again the organization has focused on the reduction of energy use. The newer generation iPad have smaller batteries helping in reducing energy consumption while tripling the performance of the product and maintaining its up to 10 hours battery life on call. According to Coyle (2015), Apple has in the recent past invested heavily to achieve the 100% renewable energy to decrease production cost as well as carbon footprint. In essence, the Corporation has implemented some social and environmental sustainability policies to ensure the less use of energy in their various locations. They have ensured lesser use of energy in most of their corporate facilities and data centers. Recommendations Description Even though, Apple has tried to maintain its sustainability through numerous approaches; still there is need to incorporate more strategies to ensure it retains its competitive advantage and prestige in the market. The Corporation has entirely concentrated in ensuring environmental sustainability forgetting the most important aspect that is the human element. Ideally, Apple should incorporate corporate social responsibility in its sustainability business practices. According to Wheelen and Hunger (2012), Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) plays a greater and vital role in the growth and development of the firms. Ideally, Apple should set a certain percentage of its annual revenue to allot to the community and societal activities. Impact of the CSR Recommendation Even though, most organizations may perceive CSR as an expensive sustainability strategy, it has a greater role to play in the growth of sales of products. More importantly, Thiele (2013) reveals that people or consumers tend to have a strong attachment to companies that give back to the society. The company products create a substantial impression on the perception of the users by participating in the corporate social responsibility initiatives. It means that the product consumption to that particular organization significantly increases thereby increasing revenue returns to the business. Through CSR, Apple’s products will retain their prestige and earn more competitive advantage compared to those of the competitors. Apart from this strategy having significant benefits to the organization, it significantly helps in improving the lives of people in different communities and societies. In fact, it serves as a way of paying back for the use of environmental resources including human resources as well as the physical resources. Conclusion In summary, sustainability is the only way through which organizations can become competitive and maintainable in the long run. Apple applies various sustainability strategies to maintain their competitive advantage as well as their success. 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