Green Mountain Resort Group Case Analysis

By: Nick Duin, Juan G Martinez Jr., & Veronica Rodriguez

Devry University, Managing Organizational Change

Professor Gerardo Chaljub

13 July 2014
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1. Which of the six change images discussed in this chapter can be identified in the

assumptions about managing turnover that were held by?

a. Gunter?

In the case of Gunter, the change image that can best is Image 1 – Change Manager as

Director. This best matches up with Gunter because he wanted to have the ability to have

complete control over the actual turnover rate within the scope of his organization.

Gunter viewed the turnover rate as having a negative impact on the organization. With

the navigator image, the control is still seen as the crux of the management actions.

However, at the same time, there are also a variety of external factors that will affect the

turnover rate. This means that, despite Gunter doing everything he can to attempt to

minimize the turnover rate himself, there will still be other situations that will arise that

he cannot control that will contribute to the turnover rate. Therefore, Gunter wanted to

be at the control of a situation that he ultimately could not find a viable solution to as he

attempted to find different solutions to keeping the turnover rate low but was unable to do

so.

b. The hospitality literature?

The hospitality literature ultimately plays the role of a navigator. This is due to the fact

that the literature had identified turnover as a chronic problem that the industry continues

to endure and made a number of suggestions as to how to help reduce the effects of

turnover.

c. The consultant?

For the consultant, the change image that would be the best match is number 4 – Change

Manager as Coach. Due to the fact that Gunter, upon explaining the situation to the
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consultant, had done everything that he could to change the environment of the company

in order to reduce the turnover rate without success, the only thing that the consultant

could do is come in as a coach and do his best to find a way to effectively help Gunter

turn things around. One of the first things that the consultant did was explain to Gunter

that turnover can actually be a positive instead of being perceived to be a negative. In

addition, the consultant also made the attempt to inform Gunter that he had to look at

everything differently than he currently was. The consultant was able to accomplish this

by showing Gunter that his organization was already creating excellent and talented

employees that were ready to move forward into higher responsibilities within the

organization.

2. How did these assumptions influence prescriptions for dealing with “the turnover

problem”?

These assumptions helped to influence the prescription for dealing with “the turnover

problem” by enlightening Gunter to see what his organization was able to offer his

employees. These helped Gunter to see the true value of his organization as a top

training organization in which any person that is employed by Green Mountain can have

the opportunity to gain an immense amount of knowledge about hospitality. From there,

the employees would have the opportunity to move forward with their careers in a faster

pace due to the knowledge and experience that they received.

3. Choose another change image and apply it to “the turnover problem.” To what new

insights does it lead?

Another change image that could be applied to “the turnover problem” would be number

5 – Change Manager as Interpreter. This particular change image helps the manager
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make sense of the current changes that are affecting his organization to the extent that

they would be able to understand the necessary changes that are coming. The higher

turnover rates mean that the organization has adequately prepared their employees to take

on additional challenges. The interpreter image is prominent in Karl Wieck’s sense

making theory of organizational change as he suggested that there was a central focus

that was needed on the structuring process and flowing where the organizational work

will occur. By adopting this perspective, the perception could then become one in which

the organizations are developing an ongoing state of accomplishment and re-

accomplishment with the organizational routines continuously undergoing different

adjustments in order to become more receptive to the changing circumstances. This

might not make sense at first, for the organization, but they would be able to interpret

why the turnover has happened and the positive results that have come from this

situation. Among the positives from this turnover has been that the organization has

transitioned into one of the top prospective companies in which other resorts will come

looking to gain new employees from because of the success of their high level training

program.

4. What conclusions do you draw from this about the statement at the start of the

chapter that “if we only draw upon one particular frame, then this will take us away

from thinking about what is going on from an alternative perspective”?

The statement is definitely very powerful as it provided the perspective of the differences

between being closed-minded and being open-minded. This statement showcases that if

a person is only thinking of the one task that is in front of them, they are very much

limited from seeing everything else that is going on around them. If people took the time
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to think outside the box, and look at everything that is taking place around them instead

of what they are specifically working on, then they can become more creative and

motivated to succeed and have the potential to move into better positions within the

organization.
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References

Akin, Gib, Dunford, Richard, and Palmer, Ian (2009). Managing Organizational

Change: A Multiple Perspectives Approach. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.