Consultation of Change Management Theory

Question: Discuss about the Consultation of Change Management Theory. Answer: Introduction: Organizational learning is a systematic and continuous process that happens through various strategies like knowledge management (KM) and process consultation. Organizational learning is quite important and plays the utmost role in encouraging innovation in organizational practices (Jimenz-Jimenz, Martnez-Costa and Sanz-Valle 2014). Nevertheless, competition is always there in between companies representing the same industry. In such situation, it is important that organizational learning process is continuous in nature and takes the help of essential process that includes like knowledge management (KM) and process consultation (Chiva and Habib 2015). Knowledge management and process consultation are often believed to be as representing the same surface; however, they evidently differ to each other in terms of their conceptual and theoretical background. Knowledge management is more of an internal organizational process which is under the control of the management. On the other side, process consultation is an external process where the clients management team does not have such controls as in case of the knowledge management (KM) (Giniuniene and Jurksiene 2015). This assignment is purposefully aimed at understanding the relationship between KM and process consultation in regards to the extent of their similarities and differences. Both of the processes have the similar meanings; however, both of which represent a very different process. KM is an internal organizational process whereas process consultation is about taking the help of an external consultant. Understanding knowledge management (KM) and process consultation: Knowledge management (KM) and process consultation are different to each other in terms of orientation; however, they have some similarities as well. The fact can also be understood from the types of KM which are being divided into two segments like tacit and explicit. Tacit is that saved in the brain. Employees and other members of the organization to learn new things based on their capability of understanding of the resources to be used for the purpose. The thing that they learn on a continuous basis they keep this stored in their mind. They also share such knowledge with their colleagues, so that, knowledge sharing is facilitated. Knowledge sharing does also contribute to the organizational learning process (Hussein et al. 2014). The tacit form of knowledge is that documented in files or software. Such documents can be used for educating others. The training process is one of the examples of a tacit knowledge where trainers based on the documented materials in the form of excel sheet or others share the knowledge with the trainees (Hussein et al. 2014). Process consultation is that received from external consultants. In times of anxiety and circumstances when firms do not have the solutions nor they have such resources to respond to the urgency, they approach consultants. The discomfort experienced due to the circumstances is known as cognitive dissonance (Jimenz-Jimenz, Martnez-Costa and Sanz-Valle 2014). Jimenz-Jimenz, Martnez-Costa and Sanz-Valle (2014) explained that when an organizational approach is motivated to change, cognitive dissonance occurs at the organizational or the management level. Kong (2015) explained it that in troublesome cases, the anxiety level of the organization must be high to the learning anxiety; otherwise, there is no point of going for a change. There should indeed be a resistance to change. Explaining process consultation: Process consultation can be frustrating and worrying also at times. Consultants are hired for the organizational development (OD) process. However, clients usually do not have any direct control over consultants. The consultants interact with senior managers or the bosses of clients. However, probably they do not seem to be as carrying any fair relationship with each other. Clients may not necessarily obey the demands or any commandments of the consultants. On the other hand, consultants are not also required to consider the demands of the client. Hence, they both exist in a state of negotiation (Lord, Dinh and Hoffman 2015). At times there may be a need to go for pushing the consultants; however, clients may not. The demands may also be negotiated from the OD consultants (Lord, Dinh and Hoffman 2015). The fundamental role of consultation is often viewed as a specialist that provides consultation service to their clients to help them move for a change . They are called upon at times when clients face the challenge and have no resources within the organization to respond to the urgency. The OD consultants in such situations are supposed as a helping resource that with their resources and strategy making skills can actually help their clients. However, the OD consultants must have a deeper understanding of the organizational learning process to prove their existence justified. They need to be well versed with various important theories like culture, change, learning and systems. This is required to make use of the most influential involvement for the particular client they assist (Real, Roldn and Leal 2014). Similarities between process consultation and (OL) (KM): Process consultation is similar to organizational learning and the knowledge management in some regards. Organizational learning is based upon a continuous exchange and sharing of different forms of knowledge. Organizational learning takes through both tacit and explicit kind of KM. The tacit gets developed through the personal experience of theoretical and practical resources. The theoretical resources may include resources like academic theories and concepts. On the other side, practical resources include observing the senior member while working on a project or listening carefully to the senior managers while they are delivering a speech. The explicit form of KM as discussed earlier is developed through documented files in different ways such as through training (Rikkerink et al. 2016). Process consultation has the very similar meaning concept to the organizational learning and the knowledge management. The OD consultants take the help of the resources which they have gathered from extensive researches on the subject matter. The knowledge sharing is also the part of OD consultants which is why they are able to sustain their existence. This is just similar in concept to the tacit form of KM. The OD consultants help their clients through documented strategies and have a proven track record for assisting the very same way. The assistance provided to clients in such way is a just similar to the explicit form of KM. The explicit form of knowledge as explained earlier is transferred to the target audience through various modes of training (Schilling and Fang 2014). Differences: The OD consultants and the concept of knowledge management (KM) differ to each other in regards to their working principles and the procedures. The working procedures of OD consultants involve but are not limited to like interacting with the clients with their proposals for work. They have documented strategies for dissimilar scenarios. The proposal is required, so that, the client has clues on what is happening. The way they interact with their client is different to how explicit form of knowledge is conveyed at the organizational level. They do not do it through training instead; they provide necessary tips and strategies to the client (Schneckenberg, Truong and Mazloomi 2015). At the organizational level, no negotiation is there while it is being delivered through training. However, negotiation always exists in between the consultants and the client. At some point in time, consultants seem to be negotiating while on some other point in time, the vice-versa. Analyzing process consultation: As per the current perspectives, the process consultation has now more considered as a companion to its client. The client and consultation are now required to work together while supporting the each other's needs. In this course of action, OD consultants must have the capability to work with individuals, groups and the organizational dynamics. Consultation is understood as a supportive relationship between clients and the consultants. This means the consultants must necessarily be able to understand the importance of collaborative work. According to Kong (2015), process consultation is essentially about building a relationship by continuous efforts being given to different kinds of intervention with the clients. There is a need for improvement in the constant interaction, association and circumstances to make necessary choices. As opined by Jimenz-Jimenz, Martnez-Costa and Sanz-Valle (2014), the process consultation is outdated now. It has taken a dif ferent shape. It is now not just limited to giving consultation to clients but, it has improved significantly. The consultants now need to use the different models as well to enhance their capability as consultants. They need to make the changes and must possess the skills as such the innovation and the entrepreneurship. Creativity is what expected now from consultants, so that; they could provide solutions that are unique and hard to be realized by clients. Clients need to feel the importance of consultants, so that, bonding between them could be strong (Jimenz-Jimenz, Martnez-Costa and Sanz-Valle 2014). The choice of intervention strategy relies on the clients and their needs. They approach consultants based on their needs. The consultation process is not just a set of techniques it is more than this. Consultants may need to understand the appropriate intervention strategy in regards to the situation. If they are not being able to do so, then the stage can be referred to as technical ineptness. Technical ineptness is an ethical dilemma that becomes evident when consultants use the intervention strategies which they are not experts in. moreover, consultants in such cases become clueless on proving the required solution to clients (Real, Roldn and Leal 2014). This is the one point where research works suggest that consultants must have an understanding of the appropriate intervention strategy and need also have the requisite amount of researches on the relevant models. This also suggests that consultants need to keep on learning which is very similar to what organizational learning (O L) and knowledge management (KM) mean to organizational development (OD) (Real, Roldn and Leal 2014). Consultants can have the innumerous kinds of expertise; however, they need to make obvious certain skills to help them effectively engage in the operational development (OD) consultation process. Those certain skills are technical, consulting and interpersonal skills. The technical skills are an indication of the expertise that the consultants have. The interpersonal skills denote how capable the consultants are in managing their relationship with the clients. These skills include listening, the capability to communicate and provide assistance. Consulting means effectively being through with the different phases involved in the consulting engagement. This includes problem solving, diagnosis, and evaluation. The interpersonal and the consulting skills are of more importance for consultants as these only improve the consulting relationship with clients (Chiva and Habib 2015). The importance of interpersonal and consulting skills can be understood from various facts. One of such facts h as identified the roles of consultants as friendly co-pilot (Chiva and Habib 2015). This means consultants need to play a role of friendly co-pilot which keeps on identifying issues until it reaches to the final intervention. The relationship that they build up with clients helps consultants understand exactly what the situation is (Schneckenberg, Truong and Mazloomi 2015). Forming a relationship with clients is essential as it facilitates the exchange of information between consultants and the clients. Nevertheless, until and unless there is a clear and evident exchange of information between consultants and clients, results may not be the way to being desired so (Schneckenberg, Truong and Mazloomi 2015). Some may argue that consultants are just the change agent which transfers their skills to clients. However, their roles vary and develop throughout the consultation process due to the changing demands of clients. The process consultation model has defined the consultants role one of assisting the clients to grow to be an adequately proficient diagnostician (Real, Roldn and Leal 2014). Once clients are able to comprehend and own the causes of the problem they are likely to own the solution also. According to systems theory, the consultants role is one that assists facilitating organizational learning by improving the clients capability for identifying solutions that are sustainable, continuing and effective (Lord, Dinh and Hoffman 2015). Consulting Process and Theoretical Models: The Process Consultation Model encourages a deep bonding with clients where consultants are able to understand the issue and are able to communicate or make clients realize the root cause the appropriate solutions for the same. The model emphasizes the development of self-capability using which clients can be able to find out and own the solutions also (Schein 1997). The Flawless Consultation Model recognizes the role of consultants as of a mediator that transfers the required expertise in context to a given problem to the client organization. It promotes the deepening of the relationship between clients and consultants (Lapalme and Conklin 2015). The Action Research Model identifies three important factors in assisting the clients issues. Those three factors include action, evaluation and critical reflection. Consultants and clients jointly facilitate the action research in identifying the problems, prioritizing the problems, promoting the methods of examining the root causes and discovering suitable actions that most efficiently and logically resolve the issue (Waddell et al. 2016). Consultant services may also fail: One of the examples of failures is when McKinsey could not effectively reform the NHS. McKinsey has provided consulting services to NHS over the years. However, it could not change anything and have failed to dislodge the dampened British administration an inch. The fact is being derived from one book on the performance of McKinsey. McKinsey had been providing assistance to both the governing body of the NHS and companies that expected to yield from the modifications (Campbell et al. 2014). The other example includes the same consultant McKinsey which had advised Railtrack that eventually collapsed. McKinsey had advised Railtrack to cut down on the infrastructural investments. Instead of continuous fixes, Railtrack was advised to fix issues on an ad hoc basis. It was then claimed that the advised strategy caused a number of lethal accidents. It subsequently had lead to the liquidation of Railtrack (Campbell et al. 2014). The examples of failure have shifted the focus from the role of consultants to factors that cause them to fail. Moreover, clients need to first analyze whether their expectations are realistic. If that is not so then there is no point of scope for hiring any consultant. Causes of failure: Basically there are three identified reasons that cause consultants to fail. Those reasons are underprivileged reporting, inadequate information and alteration of scope (Schilling and Fang 2014). Poor reporting is one of the reasons that make the project to fail. Some clients do not interfere with what the consultants are doing. They just assume that consultants have the adequate knowledge using which consultants can efficiently handle the challenge. However, this is not true as also being evident from concepts already highlighted in this paper. Consultants and clients need to have a bonding, so that, consultants are able to go deep insight the matter and identify the root cause. Together they both can reach a solution which is also the ultimate goal of the consultation process. Hence, clients are also left with the solution using which they can attain their desired goal (Schilling and Fang 2014). On the other hand, poor reporting is a way to no bonding between con sultants and the clients. Hence, the collaboration which is according to the Process Consultation Model is a quintessential element may be missing in between the consultants and the clients (Schein 1997). Inadequate information is another reason behind the fail projects. Sometimes it happens that the client gets a proposal from a consultant. In the proposal report, the client may have highlighted their potentials and the achievements. However, that information may not be a complete one. Such information may have inadequate proofs of consultants capability. Additionally, some clients have perceptions that they have given the project to a right party. Hence, they do not feel it necessary to interfere with the consultant's work. Such practices may lead to a project failure. It is readily advisable that clients are sure enough the consultant they are hiring. Clients need to make a double or even triple inspection of the validity of the evidence provided by a specific consultant. This may help clients prevent any failure (Giniuniene and Jurksiene 2015). Alteration of scope is the other reason which may cause the project to fail. Sometimes this may also be the scenario that client changes t heir mind halfway through the consulting process. Now, the client comes up with a very new outcome. Hence, the halfway process centered on a different outcome is of no mean now. A reshaping of strategy is then the need for the new requirement. It is just the wastage of someones capability, time, cost, and the research process. Hence, the project may be a failure (Jimenz-Jimenz, Martnez-Costa and Sanz-Valle 2014). Interpersonal and the effective communication skills according to the Process Consultation Model are of significant importance to such case. The interpersonal skills help to form a relationship of understanding between clients and consultants. Hence, there are fewer chances of miscommunication which is one of the essentials for a change of scope. Therefore, it is evident that consultation process is similar in concept to organizational learning (OL) and knowledge management (KM) in regards to the expectations that clients have from consultants. However, organizational development (OD) consultants differ to KM process in an organization in terms of their working principles. At the organizational level, KM is promoted to help its members be able to perform their responsibilities. It is how they promote competitive learning strategies. However, OD consultants have a different principle for learning. They learn to keep them acquainted with the wide range of skills to open up a range of opportunity for them. The range of opportunity means the diverse kind of clients. It is also being found in this study that consultants need to have the interpersonal, technical and the consulting skills. Interpersonal skill is essential because it facilitates a significant bonding between consultants and clients. Consulting denotes the ability to effectively manage the different phases of consultation. Technical skills are being supplied to clients. Consultants need to ensure that they do not mess up with some issues which may end up the project is a failed case. Those few common issues are poor reporting, inadequate information and alteration of scope. 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