Question 2

The COVID-19 crisis has had a huge impact on the Civil Aviation, particularly those involves
in the operations of the passenger airlines. The combination of the restrictions on travelling and
state mandate to stay indoors and self-quarantine after travelling to or coming from places
projected as Covid-19 Zone has led to the drastic decline in the demand for air operation. For
the aviation industry, one forecast that can be made with confidence is that the whole industry
will never be the same again thus before the COVID-19 crisis. The hopes of the crisis just
interrupting some few months or even a year of disturbing the normal operations of business
has been done for and deep-rooted strategic changes now is inevitable. To ensure the aviation
industry comes out stronger and able to cope with any new challenges that will arise, there will
be the need to embrace sweeping change in the industry.
One major change identified in the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority is response to the crisis of
the COVID-19 on our business operations was adapting the virtual ways of operations (which
included working from the house and using some electronic medium to communicate and
operate) to improve the social distancing at the office and let the staff of the Authority adhere
to the government mandate on stay in-doors.
To successfully implement this change, a 7- steps systematic approach which is the Luecke 7
steps model to change was implemented for a successful new business operation.

First step: Mobilize energy and commitment by identifying business problems and
solution. To implement any effective change, a clear definition of the business problem is to
be identified. Problem identification itself gives solutions to the most relevant questions
employee may ask: Why should we make changes? The answers to this question lay the
foundation for motivating the employees and must be a convincing answer. Also, informing
the employees why those changes must transpire is not only essential as motivation but also
because of its urgency.
After the problem is defined, the next step is the developing of the solution. Alternate solutions
should be generated and evaluated in relations to the objectives of the change initiative.
Although business problem identification and finding its possible solutions are a must, how
they are identified are equally important. Motivation and commitment to change is at peak
when the employees particularly those will be affected by the change most are involved in
identifying the problems and its solution. Failure to do so could lead in two serious errors; the
problem not being defined properly and the solution being too narrowly down
In the situation of Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, the entire staff of GCAA were asked to go
on mandatory leave except for the Safety Regulation Department who oversaw monitoring the
safety of airline operations. And with the known means of how COVID-19 spreads, the
problem of congestion and means to promote social distancing and working from home were
identified. To satisfy those means, the team came together in introduce the virtual working
from the house, especially to those on mandatory leave and also a shift schedule for the Safety
Regulation department to aid in freeing up space to promote the social distancing. The virtual
platform also helped the member on shift who were off duty to work on some business
operation that were urgent and didn’t require them to be on grounds to solve.

Second Step: Develop a shared vision of how to organize and manage for competitiveness.
After identifying the and finding the solution. The Authority will have to get people involved
and excited. The managers in charge must develop a vibrant vision of where the Authority
needs to go and must be able to communicate that vision to the staffs in a way that specifies
the relevancy and advantage of the virtual operations clearer. In communicating the vision,
they need to be specific on
How the change will improve the business (which are keeping the workers safe and improve
customer satisfaction)
How these improvements will benefit the staffs (Reaching target and new ways to improve
operations with comfort)
The departmental managers there will communicate the vision to all staff members in their
department and doing so also guarantee the staff members the change effort commencing.

Third Step: Identify the leadership. For the change in the Authority to be successful, a strong
leadership must be in place at all levels and not just only the head of affairs. The Leaders of
change such as the Director of Safety Regulation Department and Human Resources much
champion the change in the Authority by assembling the needed resources for the virtual
operations. In the future, if the staff members on mandatory leave are resuming work, the shift
schedule and virtual operation combinations by the Safety Department can be used as piloting
for the change initiative.

Forth Step: Institutionalize success through formal policies, systems and structures. After
the virtual operation have been achieved. Its improvements comparing to the traditional
business operations must be institutionalized through a system, structures and policies to keep
the staffs focused.
Fifth Step: Focus on results not on activities.

The Authority will measure how customer service the change impact on our services rendered
and the achievements. Goals on how to raise our general operations to higher percentage even
amid the COVID-19 will also be set with schedule on when to achieve them. Processes or
activities such as the number of staff members trained to use the virtual system do not matter
ultimately.

Sixth Step: Start change at the periphery, then let it spread to other units without pushing
it from the top

As stated early, changes in the business operations at the Authority will be piloted from the
departmental level specifically the Safety Regulation department to see how effective the
system is as a solution and later be adapted by other departments. Changing the Authority’s
business operations all at once will likely not be success.

Seventh Step: Monitor and adjust strategies responses to problems in the change process

Schedules will be arranged to monitor the sequences and staff members and their operations to
be able to get immediate feedback on the operations so as to be able to develop a strategic
mechanism to respond to those challenges since operations will have to go on.

Question 3

Lewin’s force-field analysis provides an overview of the balance between forces driving
changes in a business and the forces resisting those changes. Kurt Lewin argued that successful
businesses tend to be constantly adapting to their environment and changing rather than being
inflexible.

Driving forces of the Lewin’s force-field analysis simply are those forces that are forces for
change in the organization and the restraining forces are those forces resisting the change in
the organization.

Where there is an equilibrium between the set of forces there will be no change however if the
driving force is greater than the restraining force then changes, and change management
program are likely to proceed and vice versa.

Example of the driving forces can be grouped into internal forces such as need for higher
profits, poor efficiency, need to change culture, change of leadership, etc. and external forces
such as customer demands, competition, legislations and taxes, technological changes, etc.
A degree of resistance is normal since change is disruptive and stressful however resistance
will also slow the achievement of the organizational objectives.

Designing flexible system to accommodate unforeseen occurrences in the business

environments of Annalyse Conglomerate will possibly come with some restraining force that
will resist the change being implemented in the organization. Below are five likely forces that
may militate against the efforts of making the change and proposed solutions on how to
overcome those forces.

a. Most challenges that mostly resist changes are affiliated to misunderstanding in terms
of communication or inadequate provision of information on the changes being
implemented. When employees of Annalyse Conglomerate do not grasp complete
understanding to exactly why and what changes are being implemented, they will either
boycott the change and not give in full support to make it a success as fear of it going
against them and their job.

Restraining force like this can simply be resolved by educating the employees of
Annalyse Conglomerate and proving enough information to make the aware of why
and the importance of the change for the benefits of themselves and the organization.

b. Different assessment to the change.

Lewin’s force-field analysis model indicates that an organization is an open system, which
consists of driving forces and restraining forces. Management of Annalyse Conglomerate
wants to design flexible system to accommodate unforeseen occurrences in the business
environment. However, they are concerned of the forces that may militate against their
efforts. You are hired as a consultant to discuss the five (5) likely forces they may encounter
during change initiatives and propose solutions to overcome such forces.