Case Study and Practical Tools

System Map
Force Field Diagrams
Illustrative Case Study

Questions

1. What do you think the key problems are

for your case organisation?

2. What action steps would you take to deal

with the identified problems?

3. Can you foresee any difficulties in

implementing this?
Some Practical Tools

System Map
Force Field Analysis
 BULGARIAN RADIO’S NEW PROGRAMME POLICY

Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) is being taken as an autonomous organisation

that is self-directing and self-organising.

BNR is facing changes that derive from its environmental, and that it must respond
to if it is to survive.

Internal/external dimensions relating to new programme BNR policy

 External Factors

The NCRT:
 As a controlling supervisory body for BNR it has no clear-cut
functions

Competitive environment:
 Consists of tens, even hundreds of privately owned radio stations,
some with national or regional network coverage.
 BNR and its programme schemes implement predefined tasks, with
functions that are different from their competitors.
 NCRT should by nature act as buffer against pressure exerted by the
institutions on national radio.

Budget:
 A problem in that it is subsidised by the state.
 Sponsorship and advertisement represent a negligible source of self-
financing as they are constrained by law.
 Some programmes have been denied both government subsidies and
advertisements (e.g., adverts in the news edition are prohibited).

Problem situation:
 BNR perceives it self as autonomous and self-organising and self-
determining
 The national radio is subsidised by the state while serving either
state or public interests.
 Current practice is that government provide finance, but demands
BNR guidance by government
 Confusion as to where national and public interests lie
 Internal Factors

Task:
 To produce such programmes which will serve national and public
interests in the broadest sense.

Hierarchical role relationships:

 E.g., employees directly involved in the production and broadcast of
programmes.
 A two-way issue.

Human resources:
 Implementing programme change will inevitably result in
interpersonal and intergroup clashes.

New Technology:
 Provides a structural problem impacting on methods of working
 Staff qualification requirements will change.
 The technical base is limited and below the permissible levels.
 Technology cannot be renewed because
1. The limited state subsidies;
2. There is a large reconstruction and technological
refurbishment scheme currently in progress, and consuming a
substantial part of badly needed additional state subsidies.
 Communication Issues

Synergy between
Listen to competitors different staff
Internal groups
communications

Better internal communications Continuous surveys

horizontal & vertical of public opinion

Round-the-clock
feedback from audience COMMUNICATION
technical & technological
problem/solutions renovation
Monitor competition.
Surveys from agencies Improved team
working

Bad communication between Improve relationships

Management & staff between generations

More interactive ‘on air’

live broadcasting Improved technology
Improved technology

Public information Improved work

hot-line gathering Insufficient communication coordination
between different departments
at BNR

Improved technology
 Professionalism Issues

Improved technology
Evaluation criteria Continuous training

Schemes for motivating

Schemes for staff
tasks
Journalistic work

Relate journalistic Lack of new and

process to Western creative ideas
equivalents
PROFESSIONALISM
problems/solutions
Dynamic radio
presentations
Recruitment through
proper evaluation
Optimize technical
procedures

Journalists’ work reduce

re-assessment bureaucracy

Introduce a scheme introducing

for staff stimulation Optimize staff quality new technologies
through teamwork
 Absence of personal motivation for professional development

Driving forces
Training Pressure on top Divert routine Lobby for new Introduce Current laws
management in other areas laws for more rating control enforcement
freedom

Absence of personal motivation for professional development

Irrational use of Lack of Lack of personal Political Self-censorship

newly acquired skills motivation interest pressure
schemes
Restraining forces

Summary Discussion

Note on training as a driving force.

 The irrational use of the knowledge gained from training is a restraining

force.

 For example, when some kind of training is given to people, no senior

managers show any interest in the newly acquired skills, nor in the benefits
that those people may contribute in fresh knowledge.

Pressure on top level managers as a driving force

 Pressure must be applied on managers at the top level of management to

improve financial motivation.

 Pressure groups such as trade unions, may be an option. We strongly

believe this is an effective means that will contravene the restraining force
at that level, and induce those players to produce incentives for the creative
staff (e.g. adequate remuneration).
Quality versus quantity

 Quantity has always been rewarded at the cost of quality. One solution may
be to introduce rating control as driving force.

 Rating control may be the moving vehicle to overcome personal inertia

which is slumbering in each one of us, but may be eradicated by means of a
scheme aimed at diverting long standing routines into different areas, i.e.,
personal change management.
 Reduced income and increased expenditures on radio productions.

Driving forces
Modernise the Need for Need for highly Rise in competition
technical base motivation qualified staff

Reduced income, Increased expenditures

Budget constraints Shrinking advertising market Legislative restraints Fear of change

Restraining forces

Summary Discussion

Restraining forces

What could be done to budget constraints?

 We could lay down an argument to motivate and justify the growing
expenditures on radio productions.

Fear of Change
 We may provide some corrective measures. In response to fear of change,
the setting we’ve anticipated is to provide information from the relevant
departments, teaching for self-readiness aiming at modifying the negative
attitude toward change.

Driving forces

Modernization of the technological base

 Technological renewal that will be compatible with the method of
programmes delivery, and radio production in general. The new
technologies will require new qualifications, and for that reason we’ve
suggested that new courses be put in place, seminars, and self-training.

Meeting the challenge of rising competition

 Achieving new journalistic ideas in response to the more demanding
audience.