Change Management and Organizational Culture

By krish on February 08th, 2010  

Competition is the killer in many businesses. But that doesn’t mean an end to business – business success depends on the ability of business to adapt to changing circumstances. Given the fact that business environment is constantly changing and dynamic and that new business organizations keep entering industries while the industry landscape is in a constant state of flux on account of industry dynamics, it is inevitable that business keeps changing and evolving in its pursuit of market leadership and profitability.

However, to change just for the sake of change would not lead the business anywhere. Organizational change has to be systematic, change has to be systemic and change has to be strategic. Business strategy forms the core of business change and the framework within which business objectives need to be achieved. And any change in business has to fall in line with the overall business strategies – and the change has to be done at a deeper level so that it is effective and translates into business success in the market. Superficial changes to business are not only ineffective but are also counterproductive.

Change Management is a separate discipline in itself, in that it takes time and effort for the management to read the situation, identify the need for change, inculcate change in strategic planning and execute the change successfully through the echelons of organizational structure, down till the last employee in the organization. And human behavior is resistant to change – people like to get accustomed to their comfort zones and tend to stick to the status quo. Superficial changes would only lead to resistance from the cadres and in the face of increasing resistance, superficial changes fall back to the status quo. This, in turn, leads to loss of face and loss of credibility of the management, which would have to roll back its proposed changes or leave them unattended, with no follow-ups.

Organizational change has to be at the core of management – and at the outset, employees should be acclimatized to an organizational culture of change. Constant evolution is the name of the game and employees should look forward to change as exciting and filled with career opportunities. Scope for personal growth and professional development has to be incorporated into organizational change management initiatives so that employees realise the value of change.

Any change in the market as part of competitive strategy has to reflect the organizational culture and has to be done in the core of business and has to encompass all parts of the organization to be successful.

Passion for Writing and Business; Post-graduation in Management; Some useful managerial experience and International Exposure; Belief in Risk-taking and in the spirit of the entrepreneur. That's me.

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Marketing Strategies and Brand Management – Tom and Jerry Tales

By krish on February 10th, 2010  

Business likes to build brands that last. But not all brands last the distance or the time to stand firm in the consumers’ minds. It takes more than mere advertising and promotion to establish brands that live on forever, being looked upon fondly by generations together. Successful brands outlive the normal product lifecycle expected of products in a similar category, while they continue to provide high quality consumer service.

There are brands that were founded decades ago and still continue to rock the market – but it’s not that these brands were conceived with the intention of making them last for generations. The idea behind such brand building originally is to produce quality products and give it a tag that appeals to the target market. Consider the example of two of the most famous cartoon characters in human history. As you would have probably guessed, they are Tom and Jerry. Tom and Jerry cartoons are so powerful and all-pervasive that they still resonate among young minds as their favourite pals.

Tom and Jerry cartoon first came to light, showcasing the animated characters as rivals trying to outwit each other, seventy years ago, in February 1940. Since then, Tom and Jerry tales have been part of every child’s dream, tickling them with their funny anecdotes and hilarious crusades. And having been around as the most sought after entertainment brands for seven decades, they still create the same magic that they are used to creating. There are people who have grown up watching the cat fights between Tom and Jerry and there are kids who are just being introduced to the famous characters. And they appeal to people of all ages and make them forget their problems for a brief while that they are on screen.

Coming to think of it, Tom and Jerry haven’t tried to reinvent themselves to match the changing times. The brands haven’t tried hard to stay in tune with the electronic age, apart from the way they have adapted to being seen on the DVD and YouTube channel. But their core value has been around entertaining children and making people laugh. They have stuck to their knitting and have not diversified into unrelated territory. Tom chases Jerry and Jerry hits back – and the Tom and Jerry tales have been simple, extremely hilarious and have stayed focussed on the central theme. And they have consistently delivered value to consumers.

The secret behind marketing success is just that – to be focussed on value delivery and in making sure the brand management is tightly knit around its core. If products can achieve that and appeal to their target market the way Tom and Jerry have done, they would outlive the conventional limits imposed by product lifecycles.

Passion for Writing and Business; Post-graduation in Management; Some useful managerial experience and International Exposure; Belief in Risk-taking and in the spirit of the entrepreneur. That's me.

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