Case Study:

Assessment II
MGN505
Consulting and Change management Mohammad
Altamimi - N8703671
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Table of Contents
1. Introdution.......................................................................................................................................................2

2. Case study: Description and Implications.........................................................................................................2

3. Situation: Assessment & Diagnosis...................................................................................................................3

4. Suggested Change Vision..................................................................................................................................5

5. Possible Interventions..........................................................................................................................................5

System-Strategy...................................................................................................................................................5

System-Shared Values:.........................................................................................................................................6

System-Skills:........................................................................................................................................................6

System-Style:........................................................................................................................................................6

6. System-Shared Values......................................................................................................................................6

7. Intervention design and implementation.........................................................................................................7

8. Cultural and ethical implications......................................................................................................................9

9. Personal reflection...........................................................................................................................................9

10. Conclusion..................................................................................................................................................10

11. References..................................................................................................................................................10

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1. Introdution
This report is an attempt at scenario planning to acess the impact of automation on the workforce in the near
future, i.e. 20 to 30 years down the road. In the first part of this exercise we explored some of the primary
drivers of change in the workplace such as Geo-politics, demographics and technology. Out of these technology
seemed most likely to be the most disruptive.

In this report we will focus more closely exploring the implications of the rapid and convergent state of cutting
edge computing and robotics technologies, on the workplace and in particular the workforce. Using change
management theory, we will try to bridge the gap between the current state and desired future state.

Several Change Management Models were explored to determine which may suit this particular assessment. In
particular Kotters 8-Step (Kotter, 2011) and Peters and Waterman’s 7S model (Peters & Waterman, 1982)
seemed most apt, the latter was thus adapted for analysis and review.

As part of this exercise I will reflect upon my personal experiences and learning, achieved from the unit
MGN505.

2. Case study: Description and Implications

In the case study, we discovered that the convergence of technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and
Advanced Robotics will act as a highly disruptive force in the workplace (McKenzie, 2013 ; PWC, 2017). While
this has numerous implications in the realm of HRM; AI enhanced Human Capital Management (Felthan, 2013),
AI enhanced learning (Williams-Grut, 2016) and increasing telecommuting (Totterdill & Exton, 2014), are most
relevant to be explored as change management cases.

Felthan (2013) discusses how companies such as LinkedIn and ADP are helping to automate administrative HR
services such as Recruitment and Payroll. While these are likely to cause redundancies they can potentially
improve the bottom line of larger organizations while opening the door to smaller organizations to improve
recruitment and payroll services through automation.

The rapid development and resulting convergence taking place among technologies such as big data and
artificial intelligence, is likely to cause more and more Human Recourses Management functions to be
automated or at the very least enhanced through the use of Data and AI assisted analysis.

HR professionals along with almost all staff in an organization will thus have to be educated on the purpose,
design and use of AI enhanced ‘RoboAdvisors’ (Williams-Grut, 2016). The Apple App Siri and the Google App will

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in the near future be considered obsolete as advances in both AI and Data Management-Sharing, will lead to the
development of far more intuitive, fast and infinitely more resourceful digital assistants.

3. Situation: Assessment & Diagnosis

Any situational diagnosis should start with the collection of facts and data. Relevant and optimized data and
information, provides change managers a solid and quantifiable and thus comparable set of variables. In
particular performance gaps can be ascertained and resultant analysis may lead to the development of
interventions.

When conducting organizational analysis, preferred sources for data collection include; qualitative and
quantitative questionnaires, observations and interviews with key stakeholders (McFillen, 2013). As we are
currently conducting future scenario planning, our sources will draw primarily on academic sources. Harvey and
Brown (2006) advocate the use of a Performance Gap Analysis, as it helps to identify the areas and extent of
change required, resulting in effective intervention design.

In this case we will be conducting the diagnosis using Peters and Waterman’s (1982) 7S model. This model
integrates the so called hard elements such as Strategy, Structure and Systems with the softer elements such as
Shared Values, Staff, Skills and Style. The image below outlines the 7S and their interdependent nature.

The current state of Technological convergence is leading to ever accelerating change (Kotter, 2011. Para 2) and
acceleration in the rate of change will lead to exponential shifts in the workplace. Implications for HR

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professionals necessitate the study of; Strategic, Structural and Systemic issues as well as all of the Soft elements
such as; Shared Values, Skills, Staff and Style needed to flourish in the future workplace.

Technological Convergence may be categorized as type of systemic change. This is because it primarily affects
the systems of work and task performance in the workplace. We will be exploring the impacts of the above
factors in performance gaps, prioritizing issues and evaluating interventions in the table below.

Priori
Diagnosis Current Desired Future Fit Analysis Alternative
ty
This issue needs to
Deep analysis and There is large misfit
be raised in offices
Very few functional knowhow with few
System- and boardrooms and
organizations are of the external and organizations High
Strategy HR professionals can
prepared internal impacts of strategy prepared
act as champions of
tech. convergence for the impact
change
Most current
Structural change
organizations
Highly flexible, will have to be
struggle with
grapevine structures gradual but these
Functional continuous change
System- with higher issues must be taken
structures are and make little use Low
Structure interdependency into consideration
most popular of cost-effective
among continuously today to be
external
changing teams effectively tackled
consultancy and
tomorrow
data pools
Rapid This misfit is likely Society as a whole
Automation is Technological to result in a needs to be
System- generally viewed convergence is dichotomy in reeducated to Med
Shared negatively esp. if generally accepted society and the understand the to
Values it causes large and resulting workplace of the urgency and High
scale opportunities availed Unenhanced vs the magnitude of
redundancies AI Enhanced impending change
Most workers labor will need to be
Ideally all workers A large gap exists
make insufficient retrained to prosper
must have high tech but can be
System- use of in the AI enhanced
proficiency and be AI conveniently High
Skills productivity era but will need
enhanced or will be bridged using a
enhancing cultural change to
replaced by AI RoboAdvisor
technology succeed
Staff needs to be
Currently staff labor and The economic
transitioned
need a low level administrative jobs impact on society is
gradually with
of technical will be completely likely to be
System- retirees replaced
knowhow and whipped out and devastating unless Med
Staff with AI and newer
specialized skills replaced by robots the transition is
workers retrained in
to perform most and Artificial managed
newer tasks and
jobs Intelligence appropriately
functions

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There is a large HR professionals are

HR professionals HR professionals will
misfit between the in dire need of
have failed to need to be AI
productivity orientation and
System- make use of data enhanced and make
software available training in the use of High
Style and analytics to full use of
to HR professionals Data, analytics and
perform their RoboAdvisors to do
and their ability to AI enhanced HR
tasks and retain their jobs.
fully utilize it Info. Systems
Sources: Cookson, 2016; Frey et al, 2016; Kristal, 2013; Williams-Grut, 2016; McKenzie, 2013; PWC, 2017

4. Suggested Change Vision

Blanchard (2007, pg. 23) states that an effective vision must have the following 3 characteristics; A Relevant
Purpose, A snapshot of the desired future and Clear values that guide daily behavior. Suggested vision for the HR
Profession;

“Take a leading role in studying the effects of technological convergence, help educate the masses and train the
workforce to be able to harness this new technology for the benefit of society as a whole and esp. working age
individuals.”

5. Possible Interventions
An effective intervention is one which; A) Fits the needs of the organization, B) Is evidence based and draws on
causal knowledge of intended results and C) Transfers the ability to manage change to organizational members
(Waddell, Cummings & Worley, 2011. Pg 154).

Waddell (Waddell, Cummings & Worley, 2011) suggests that an interconnected system be used for diagnosis
and the design, implementation, evaluation and redesign of change interventions. This facilitates the diagnosis
influencing the interventions and vice versa. This is important because if a properly designed and implemented
intervention fails to achieve the change goals, the diagnosis can be reassessed.

Similarly problems with design and implementation can be assessed independently and appropriate changes
made. As this report focuses on the impact of tech. convergence on the HR Profession, organizational
intervention design may not be completely relevant. We will thus continue to use the 7S model to identify and
evaluate the most high priority interventions.

System-Strategy: AI’s strategic adoption is something that is still in its infancy, esp. if one considers
non high-tech firms (MIT Sloan Management Review, 2017). Adopting AI and technological convergence as a
competitive advantage will involve preparation on the Structural, Cultural, Skills and Operational levels
(Parameshwara, 2017).

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Once initial analysis has been undertaken, organizational wide awareness programs should be introduced. These
can help generate ideas and volunteers for pilot projects that can act as the initial foray of the organization into
implementing AI on a miniature level. As AI is a field under rapid development, such projects can act as a data
source and lab, where the organization can experiment and fine tune its strategy for the future (Bowman, 2016).

System-Shared Values: This is possibly the biggest misfit of all. Automation is seen as a threat to
average 57% jobs, across OECD countries (Frey et al, 2016; Cookson, 2016). It is thus likely to cause intensify
competition for jobs and bring about a hyper-stressed and in cohesive work environment (Kristal, 2013).

Jobs provide material comforts and psychological gratification, the absence of which can force the general
population to upheaval (Gibney, 2017). Sense Giving (Steigenberger, 2015) help shape ideas & emotions about
specific issues. As this is such a far reaching issue a society wide guiding coalition needs to be formed to analyze
the situation and develop strategies to influence policy through collective dialogue with all stakeholders and
directed Imagineering (Singh, 2013).

System-Skills: “Our growing understanding of human judgment, reasoning and choice” has led us to
analyze and predict what people do well or badly (Schoemaker and Tetlock, 2017). Building the right Human-
Machine interface is likely to be a pivotal step (Reeves et al, 2016), towards the adoption of deep learning and
the use of RoboAdviisors. As each human is unique, AI enhancements will need to be developed, which quickly
access each users learning style, existing knowledge bank etc.

System-Style: HR Professionals are one of the least likely functional groups to make use of big data and
analytics (Higginbottom, 2014. Para 6). This primarily seems to stem from cultural dislike for tech. among HR
people. Sales/Marketing, Finance/Accounting and IT staff is well versed in the aforementioned productivity
tools. Reversing this trend requires strategic cultural change.

6. System-Shared Values
Unlike forecasting, scenario planning focuses on identifying trends, rather than predicting the future
(Hoshmand, 2010). It is also important to fully understand the implications of “hypothetical scenarios” for all
stakeholders (Bowman, 2016, p.81) and stakeholder consultation should be an integral part of any change
intervention design (Richards, 2012).

As such, I feel that Sense Giving (Steigenberger, 2015), targeted at the system to shared values misfit is the most
urgent intervention at this time because;

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1) Technological Convergence is an issue of such paramount importance in today’s world that it needs to
be tackled correctly on both the national and international levels.

2) Developments in AI remain slow compared to expectation. While structure, skill and style gaps will have
to be tackled in the future, cultural change and preparation should be the first priority, even when
adopting a strategic approach to Automation Adoption (Parameshwara, 2017).

3) Successfully surpassing change requires emotional acceptance of change. This will then enable rational
inquiry and adaption to novel circumstances. Human resistance proves to be the biggest Achilles heel of
most change management projects (Keam, 2014).

4) By satisfy the cognitive and emotional needs of stakeholders, HR professionals can act as champion of
change (Levay, 2010). The sense giving exercise will lead to more comprehensive, congruent and smooth
change.

7. Intervention design and implementation

While it is important to identify the drivers of change any projections are at best approximations of the possible
future (Chermack, 2004). As such interventions must be significantly flexible and should be continuously
adapted to changing scenarios.

Waddell (2011) suggests; Having a clear purpose or desired future in mind, Evaluating and choosing the best
implementation method with the audience in mind, Evaluating Intervention effectiveness through feedback and
behavioral observations. Change managers in current circumstances can play a highly positive role by acting as
facilitators of knowledge transfer and management (Blanchard, 2007). The following figure outlines the process
for Implementing Interventions (Waddell, 2011).

A summarized version of the implementation plan is outlined in the chart on below.

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8. Cultural and ethical implications

One of the most important cultural and ethical dilemmas created by the above course of action will be finding a
balance between innovation and unemployment levels. If societies are too protective of the workforce, they are
likely to be overtaken by other nations, in technological and economic terms (Villanueva-Miranda, 2016). On the
other hand if private enterprises are too aggressive in adoption, spurred by profits, the economy could suffer
irreplaceable damage through reductions in demand and consumption of goods and services (Frey et al, 2016).

Futurists like Elon Musk (Clifford, 2016), who are in favour of the Adoption of AI, have dubbed unemployment as
‘leisure time’, essentially a better situation than gainful employment. This view assumes that Corporations or
Governments will guarantee a minimum standard of living, which is superior to the one available today to the
gainfully employed. This view is somewhat naive considering that, governments around the world are struggling
with record debt (Phillips, 2015) and cutting back on public services and welfare programs.

A more reasonable scenario is presented by Google’s Research Director, who suggests that people take time to
learn these technologies so they can discover their unique talent (Nordvig, 2017). A switch towards greater self-
sufficiency and entrepreneurship is a more realistic one to make and one that can be facilitated by future
circumstances.

Due to reasons explained in the first paragraph, the most feasible way to proceed with automation would be to
have a global coalition and governing body, to ensure that the same standards and laws are applied everywhere.
This course of action has its own pitfalls, as countries with strong lobbyists can sway decisions, in a global court.

9. Personal reflection
This change management exercise was a pleasant and engaging, learning experience for me. As an international
student, I was also apprehensive before I started by degree. I could reflect on many of the concepts we were
taught in class and relate them to my experiences.

One of the concepts that I could relate to was the sudden onset of grief, which occurs when one realises the
extent of change and needed adjustments. This was soon replaced by acceptance and then adaption. I made
new friends here and became part of a new social group. Slowly but surely my apprehension was replaced by
the excitement and vigour I first felt when I had the idea of studying this program.

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I am also very grateful to this unit for making me aware how things are constantly changing and esp. the
monumental and disruptive changes that technological convergence that developments in AI and robotics are
likely to bring.

On a personal level, I feel I have become more reflective and perhaps slightly more self-aware. I mention this
because I feel it is a positive change, which will facilitate my personal journey towards betterment.

10. Conclusion
Technological Convergence is an issue that presents both great opportunities and great problems. Judging from
the pace of technology adoption in this age, one can assume that development in AI and Robotics and the
merger of the two is likely to accelerate. Driverless cars are but one of the countless applications that such
technology can achieve.

Society as whole, needs to wake up to the dangers and the opportunities, such changes present. HR
professionals and Change mangers have the potential to act as facilitators and help smoothen the transition
between the present and the future.

11. References:
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Cookson, C. (2016). AI and robots threaten to unleash mass unemployment, scientists warn. Retrieved from;
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Clifford, C. (2016). Elon Musk: Robots will take your jobs, government will have to pay your wage. Retrieved
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your-wage.html

Felthan, (2013). 4 HR Technology Trends for 2050.

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Frey et al (2016). TECHNOLOGY AT WORK v2.0. The Future Is Not What It Used to Be. Citi GPS: Global
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Harvey, D & Brown, D. R. (2006). An experiential approach to organization development (7th. Ed.). Upper Saddle
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Parameshwara, A. (2017). Executive Guide to Artificial Intelligence. Retrieved from:

http://www.datasciencecentral.com/profiles/blogs/executive-guide-to-artificial-intelligence

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Melbourne, VIC: Cengage Learning Australia

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Williams-Grut, O. (2016). Analyst thinks lots of people will use online 'robo advisors' to invest — and Facebook
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