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Change Management and Innovation A Review of Qantas Airways Ltd.
Change Management and Innovation: A Review of Qantas Airways Ltd.
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AbstractThe aim of this report is to present the issue of change management and innovation at Qantas Airways Ltd. Qantas Airways is a flag carrier in Australia and the nation’s largest airline company by size of fleet, international destinations, and flights. It faces a challenge when it comes to management of change and innovation. John Kotter’s change management theory is a model that best fits the organizations to facilitate successful change and innovation in its efforts to stay relevant. The report recommends that Qantas Airways makes use of a change management model that pays attention to the changes, its effect on both external and internal stakeholders, the vision, the consequences in the market, and device ways to retain the momentum to ensure that change and innovation go hand in hand to ensure success. It is also recommended that the company adapts the eight stages including urgency creating as a way to alert and motivate employees, establishing need for innovation and change, building a change team, defining the vision, communicating with stakeholders, identification of roadblocks, establishment of goals, and retaining momentum to ensure change is managed.
Table of Contents
TOC o “1-3” h z u Abstract PAGEREF _Toc84158027 h 2Introduction PAGEREF _Toc84158028 h 4Literature Review PAGEREF _Toc84158029 h 4Discussion PAGEREF _Toc84158030 h 4Recommendations PAGEREF _Toc84158031 h 5Self-Reflection PAGEREF _Toc84158032 h 5Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc84158033 h 6Reference List PAGEREF _Toc84158034 h 7
Introduction
Qantas Airways is a flag carrier in Australia and the nation’s largest airline company by size of fleet, international destinations, and flights. An important landmark for the company is its status in the world as the third oldest airline in operation having begun operations in 1920 (Qantas.com, 2021). In the year ending June 2020, Qantas Airways made an underlying profit of $124 million before tax, a 91% reduction from the previous period, and a statutory loss of $2.7 billion before tax including non-cash and aircraft write downs according to IBISWorld (2021). The ASX (2021) recorded its 2021 revenue to be $5,934 million, a 58.4% drop from June 2020. The current share price as per Market Index (2021) is at $5.71, a 0.71% increase from July 2021 where share prices averaged at $4.5. This report will present the issue of employee retention at the organization and provide recommendations for future engagement.
Literature Review
To ensure that changes are present in organizational processes, policies, and strategies, organizations must innovate constantly. Change management relates to implementation of different visions (Hao & Yazdanifard, 2015), while innovation detects and develops new areas in organizational objectives in regards to vision and strategy development (Michaelis, Stegmaier, & Sonntag, 2009). Innovations are disruptive changes that challenge the core capabilities and core rigidness of an organization (Hao & Yazdanifard, 2015). John Kotter’s change management theory is presented by Rajan and Ganesan (2017) as a model that can be used by organizations to facilitate successful change and innovation in organizations. It can be used by Qantas Airways to implement change as the organization intends to readjust and realign its business model to fit to the need to conduct its business more internally as opposed to having international flights. The market demands at the moment call for restructuring in an effort to occupy the domestic market that has grown due to travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
DiscussionThe issue of change management and innovation at Qantas Airways highlights the need for organizations to identify and develop strategies, policies, and new innovations that will enable them to stand out and lead in their respective markets and industries. The issue of change management and innovation at Qantas Airways highlights the need for organizations to identify and develop strategies to manage shifts in the market including reduced or increased demand. The Kotter’s change management theory presents several steps where urgency is created as a way to alert and motivate employees, establishing need for innovation and change, building a change team, defining the vision, communicating with stakeholders, identification of roadblocks, establishment of goals, and retaining momentum to ensure change is managed (Teixeira, Gregory, & Austin, 2017). Qantas Airways is going through changes to its business structure and business strategies, requiring change management theories to be applied in an effort to enable change. This means that management of change and innovation will have to bea conscious decision made by the organization to increase effectiveness.
RecommendationsWithout a doubt, the discussion points out to the important role that change management and innovation play in ensuring the success of an organization. In terms of change management and innovation, Qantas Airways must make use of a change management model that pays attention to the changes, its effect on both external and internal stakeholders, the vision, the consequences in the market, and device ways to retain the momentum to ensure that change and innovation go hand in hand to ensure success. As mentioned by Rajan and Ganesan (2017), the company must adapt the eight stages including urgency creating as a way to alert and motivate employees, establishing need for innovation and change, building a change team, defining the vision, communicating with stakeholders, identification of roadblocks, establishment of goals, and retaining momentum to ensure change is managed.
Self-ReflectionThe learning exercise required me to work as a consultant tackling real business issues for real companies. In the increasingly competitive business environment, it is important to stay aware of what is happening both internally and externally. This exercise has enabled me to appreciate this need for business to stay on top of issues and challenges and to constantly device means to combat these issues using evidence-based best practices in the industry and in theory.
In regard to change management and innovation, I have gained a lot of knowledge on how businesses go about identifying a need for change, then proceeding to innovate new ways to implement the change in line with organizational goals. I realized that there was a lot of gaps in my experience and knowledge relating to how organizations see and interpret change or innovation. I also realized that change and innovation are two independent yet intertwined concepts in business where one calls for the need to use the other and vice versa. I found out that realizing change requires the use of theoretical and as well as practical concepts that are aligned to the structure and needs of an organization.
Lastly, the change in perspective on management of innovation and change has enabled me to see the bigger picture in terms of organizational goals and objectives. I now realize that change is more than a singular event in an organization, but a complex process that has a lot of pieces that must fit for it to be effective in attaining its goal. The theoretical analysis performed has also changed the way I view successful organizations, especially companies like Qantas Airways that have operated since the 1920s. these companies have had to implement a lot of changes in a successful manner, creating a culture of adapting to their environment to stay relevant. I am more aware of the process of change management and innovation.
Conclusion
Change management and innovation are important elements of an organization. They allow a firm to develop and grow relative to the competition in the industry. Employing effective change management models would help an organization to effectively implement and manage change and disruptive strategies through innovation. Qantas Airways has a number of structural and business-related changes and innovation made relevant by a changing work environment. In order to ensure efficiency in implementing the said changes, Kotter’s change management model can be effectively applied to ensure success.
Reference ListASX (2021). Qantas Airways Limited and its Controlled Entities: Preliminary Final Report for FY Ended 30 June 2021. ASX. Available at https://investor.qantas.com/DownloadFile.axd?file=/Report/ComNews/20210826/02412248.pdfHao, M. J., & Yazdanifard, R. (2015). How effective leadership can facilitate change in organizations through improvement and innovation. Global journal of management and business research.
IBISWorld (2021). Qantas Airways Limited – Premium Company Report Australia. IBISWorld. Available at https://www.ibisworld.com/au/company/qantas-airways-limited/32/
Market Index. (20201). Qantas Airways Ltd (QAN). Available at https://www.marketindex.com.au/asx/qan?__cf_chl_captcha_tk__=pmd_Zg5FJiTtwNfQ2GKR7ILuaGsOiykRMwLSOXxDcqYz9ds-1633250011-0-gqNtZGzNAvujcnBszQzR
Michaelis, B., Stegmaier, R., & Sonntag, K. (2009). Affective commitment to change and innovation implementation behavior: The role of charismatic leadership and employees’ trust in top management. Journal of Change Management, 9(4), 399-417.
Qantas.com (2021). About Us. Available at https://www.qantas.com/au/en/about-us.html
Rajan, R., & Ganesan, R. (2017). A critical analysis of John P. Kotter’s change management framework. Asian Journal of Research in Business Economics and Management, 7(7), 181-203.
Teixeira, B., Gregory, P. A., & Austin, Z. (2017). How are pharmacists in Ontario adapting to practice change? Results of a qualitative analysis using Kotter’s change management model. Canadian Pharmacists Journal/Revue des Pharmaciens du Canada, 150(3), 198-205.
Movie and Cultural Review of the Last Samurai
Movie and Cultural Review of the Last Samurai
Introduction
Beside Edward Zwick, no any other director is preoccupied with the intricacy of patriotism, driven to question the imperatives of an America that his protagonists both love and detest.” His movie “The Last Samurai” lies head-on into the realm of his previous bedeviled-hero movies, i.e. “Courage under Fire,” “The Siege” and “Glory.”
Cultural overview/heritage of main character/culture
The Last Samurai is a tale of a former soldier, Captain Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise), a spirited American Calvary combatant burnt-out on pursuing Indians and wracked with guilt over a butcher ordered by his commanding soldier. After recruitment, he travels to Japan by one of his old friend, Sergeant Zebulon Gant with a mission of assisting the Japanese who then need western commanders to help modernize their army. Haunted by horrors he encountered in the US, Algren retreats into the bottle; however, the desire for quick cash, and avoid selling firearms, Algren decides to go east. He heads to Japan to help suppress an uprising of samurai led by Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe), an enigmatic Samurai warlord. Unfortunately, the rebel captures Algren, from where he becomes physically and spiritual healed. Katsumoto is fighting against selfish political interests Omura. Katsumoto wishes to preserve the Japanese culture, lifestyle, and moreso; he wants to protect it from the Meiji emperor’s oblivious move to civilize their country in the western sense (Frederic & Brussat, 2012).
Communication
Much of the film is communicated in Japanese; we witness Algren having difficulties in communicating with people since in this country no one speak English. The dialogue between him and Katsumoto, who knows how to speak English, are simultaneously hilarious and emotive. There is also some use of vulgar language; making the film unsuitable for small children. This language includes use of s-words and gentler swear-words and even God’s name abused several times (SoundtrackUniverses, 2012) .Family roles and Organization
In Samurai, it is the duty men of men to fight and protect the village while women are responsible for performing household duties as well as raising children. When Algren is captured by Katsumoto, he finds himself kept in Taka’s house, the wife of the warrior he had killed. Previously, Taka refuses to nurse Algren and even offers her life, but Katsumoto orders her to do what she is told. The Samurai are firmly organized patriarchy, whereby peasants obey their masters and embrace the warrior values. They also value dignity, harmony and beauty; that is why they resist Omura’s greedy, self-centered intentions to westernize Japanese culture. Taka is also left to raise her two small sons after her husband died in the battlefield (SoundtrackUniverses, 2012) .Workforce Issues
Algren and Gant are hired to train Japanese army about modern firepower. To their disbelieve, colonel Bagley and Ujio send the half-trained troops into the battlefield against Samurai. While fighting, the premature soldiers disintegrated under the fierce attack by the Samurai, and among the butchered include Sergeant Grant. Although, Algren kills several soldiers, he is seized and taken to Samurai by Katsumoto(SoundtrackUniverses, 2012) .
Bio-cultural Issues
As Algren is brought into the samurai village, the villagers become curious and suspicious on seeing the Whiteman, Algren (SoundtrackUniverses, 2012).
High Risk BehaviorsCigarettes and cigars make several appearances throughout the film. To erase the memories of atrocities that happened during the civil wars and on innocent Indians, Algren decides to abuse alcohol. He was commanded by a senior officer to slaughter children, women and other innocent Indians. He is even fired because he came on stage staggering and straying from his speech, moaning about the atrocities he committed on Indians and firing perilously with the Winchester. While healing from his wounds, he begs for alcohol to soothe his body and mind. He; however stops to abuse alcohol when regained his inner-peace and strength with the help of Samurai.
Nutrition
All day long, the peasants work in paddies, where they communally cultivate food for the samurai. The warriors spend their time playing with arrows, bows, and writing poems. At a time, the peasants are interrupt while working, so as to bow, sign of respect, whenever the Samurai pass nearby. One can conclude that the village is a pastarol paradise with traditional Japanese farming (SoundtrackUniverses, 2012).
Pregnancy
While Algren lives with Taka, he develops a growing relationship with her and her family and eventually falls love with her. However, the pair is not seen making love; the play treats their growing affection with the decorum required by the Samurai culture. They briefly kiss, and a tender scene shows Taka romantically dressing Algren for battle. Away, at the emperor’s fortress there is a partially nude statue (SoundtrackUniverses, 2012).
Death Rituals
The Samurai villagers believes in death as the only way to gain perfection. Anyone convicted of “dishonor” is sentenced to suicide death. The wife to a fallen soldier is comforted, rising her two small boys alone that her husband died a “good death.” In his last fight, Katsumoto prefers to commit hara-kiri rather than to be seized since surrendering is not an option to the Samarians. It is an expression of “dishonor” (SoundtrackUniverses, 2012).
Spirituality
Honor is the most valuable component even more than life among the samurai warriors. The Bushido code of behavior and religious belief are clearly and loudly emphasized in Japanese military tradition. The subject about Karma, faith and destiny are seen, and there are pictures showing Japanese performing religious rituals. When Katsumoto commits hara-kiri, claims, with a dying breath, that he has achieved and experienced the perfection he wanted during his entire life. He claims the sword as his soul. The Japanese also the believes the emperor is a “living god.” Algren even confesses that, in his entire experience, in the battlefield, he had doubts with God, but he agrees that there exist something spiritual in Samurai village. Algren even commits himself to Buddhism and stops abusing alcohol. In other words, Algren finds solace in Buddhist religion as well as the Samurai codes; hence carrying himself in an honorable manner while on the battlefield (SoundtrackUniverses, 2012).
Health Care Practices
Algren recovers from the throes of delirium tremens after he was captured by Katsumoto, thanks to the Hiroto family. Initially, Algren’s recuperation becomes problematical due to culture shock and alcohol abstainance (Frederic & Brussat, 2012).
Health Care Practitioners
While, in samurai village, there are scenes showing Algren’s wounds being stitched by a lady. Hence, it is true to conclude that women are responsible for treating wounded and sick warriors through traditional Japanese medicines (SoundtrackUniverses, 2012).
The mixture of small, sweet, wild and terrible deaths make this film appear interesting to many movie fanatics.
Reference
Frederic & Brussat, M. N. (2012). Spirituality and practice: Film review. Retrieved from http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/films/films.php?id=6832.
SoundtrackUniverses (Uploaded). (2012, October 24). [HQ] Hans Zimmer – The Last Samurai Soundtrack – OST – Special Edi. (Video File). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfiAPPUdosg.
Advantages and Disadvantages of a Complex Career Development Model
Advantages and Disadvantages of a Complex Career Development Model
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Advantages and Disadvantages of a Complex Career Development Model
Career development refers to a lifetime developmental experiences process that focuses on looking for, obtaining, and processing knowledge about oneself, educational and occupational alternatives, role options, and life styles (Sue et al., 2022). The opportunities for career succession have proved to be either scanty or do not work at all. According to research by Sharf (2016), career professionals have found that people talk about their current and lack of career opportunities almost every time. With the Krumboltz model, we learn about the development trials to understand why people make their career choices. These decisions also have advantages and disadvantages, which influence views and ideas.
One of the main advantages of having a complex model is that one can match career goals and individual capabilities with opportunities. A well-built career development improves personal development, which develops one’s capability and potential, which later enhances the quality of life and results in achieving career goals and aspirations. Self-development helps one think about long-term goals. However, personal development may affect thoughts and actions, which limits understanding of other topics. The limitations narrow the thinking capacity because one is buried in personal development only. Therefore, they may not discover better and more efficient ways to attain their dreams.
Borrowing from Holland’s theory, it has been found that while developing career paths, people prefer jobs they can be around others which helps in the development of creativity (Zainudin et al.,.2020). They search for a workplace that will allow them to use their skills and abilities while expressing their attitudes and values. The advantage of such a working atmosphere is that people will help one another to be more experts and attain work experience. One significant problem is that it limits external intercession and the scope of advancement.
Reference
Sharf, R. S. (2016). Applying career development theory to counseling. Cengage Learning.
Sue, D. W., Sue, D., Neville, H. A., & Smith, L. (2022). Counseling the culturally diverse: Theory and practice. John Wiley & Sons.
Zainudin, Z. N., Rong, L. W., Nor, A. M., Yusop, Y. M., & Othman, W. N. W. (2020). The relationship of holland theory in career decision making: A systematic review of the literature. Journal of Critical Reviews, 7(9), 884-892.