CHANGE MANAGEMENT

Executive Summary

Change is challenging since it calls for an organisation to transform from its existing condition to

one that supports organised and structured processes. Like in other organisations, any changes

could encounter opposition, which emphasises the significance of efficient change management.

Without change management, it would be difficult for a company, a team, or a person to go from

the existing state to the desired one. The well-known fashion retailer Pledge for Cotton (PfC)

established its first shop on London's Oxford Street in 1987. The first clothing store in the UK to

offer moderately cost, nicely designed apparel was PfC Clothing, which quickly gained

popularity in London. The Oxford Street establishment drew clients from all social strata. The

report will highlight the change management in Pledge for Cotton.

Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4

Case Diagnosis.................................................................................................................................4

Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................8

Reference.........................................................................................................................................9
Introduction

Change is challenging because it demands an organisation to move from its present condition to

one that embraces organised and structured procedures. Like other organisations, any changes

could encounter opposition, highlighting the necessity of efficient change management (Galli,

2018). Without change management, it would be difficult for an organisation, a group, or a

person to go from the present state to the desired one.

Pledge for Cotton (PfC) is a going brand in fashion which has its first store in the Oxford street

of London in 1987 (Sockalingam, 2018). PfC Clothing was the first fashion retailer in the UK to

offer stylishly designed clothing at reasonable rates, and it had an immediate hit in London.

Customers from many walks of life were drawn to the Oxford Street shop (Sockalingam, 2018).

Due to its connection to Lady Cotton, PfC became a popular destination for socialites in London

to purchase and wear their wares. Gail worked hard to promote the clothing employing stylish

celebrities in order to further enhance its appeal across class lines.

PfC had reached all of the UK's main cities within the first 10 years and afterwards reached all of

Europe (Sockalingam, 2018). As the firm expanded, a formal organisational structure as well as

the hiring of managers and generalist and specialised workers were needed to run the company

(Sockalingam, 2018). Although it was somewhat more expensive, she actively encouraged and

supported cotton producers to switch from conventionally produced cotton to organic cotton

cultivation since organic cotton was consistent with PfC's ideology and dedication to the

wellbeing of the less fortunate.

Case Diagnosis

Most harmful pesticides, even when used properly and in accordance with label directions, are

often used by cotton producers, harming humans, animals, and the environment. Cotton is still

hand-picked in many nations, which exposes anybody working in cotton fields to extremely high

quantities of harmful chemicals (Jayatilleke and Lai, 2018). Once the chemicals have

contaminated the water supply, they may also have an impact on other members of the

community. Exposure to pesticides can cause birth deformities, reproductive problems,

dementia, paralysis, weakened immune systems, and even death (Jayatilleke and Lai, 2018).

Despite taking up only 5% of the area utilised for crops, cotton accounts for 54% of all pesticides

used annually in India, which is home to more than one third of the world's cotton producers

(Sockalingam, 2018).

Toxic pesticides are not utilised in organic cotton, which also uses composted manures and cover

crops in place of synthetic fertilisers, creative weeding techniques in place of herbicides, and

helpful insects and trap crops in place of insect pest management (Cameron and Green, 2019).

Organic farming preserves energy, enhances soil fertility, safeguards groundwater, prevents

erosion of the topsoil, and safeguards the health of women and children, who are frequently the

primary labourers on cotton farms (Zheng et al'., 2019). Following the switch to organic cotton,

PfC-affiliated cotton farmers also became among the first Indians to support the Fair Trade

Cotton movement, which aims to create a transparent textile supply chain that complies with

social and legal criteria.

Employees at PfC admired, trusted, and had faith in her. She put a high priority on employee

welfare, created a culture of trust, and introduced flexible working for all staff long before her

time (Zheng et al'., 2019). PfC also made significant investments in the training and development
of their employees through programmes like Best Employee of the Month, which also covered

part-time retail employees (Idris et al., 2018). She was adamant that two key competitive

advantages that set PfC apart from its rivals in the fiercely competitive retail sector were an

engaged workforce and a focus on CSR.

Additionally, it has internship agreements with a number of nearby colleges in London for

fashion design students, allowing students from low-income households to participate in paid

internships with Gail and her team of designers (Zheng et al'., 2019). PfC collaborates closely

with charities that give out unsold merchandise to those in need of clothing. Over the years, her

commitment to employee well-being and CSR has elevated PfC's image and set it apart from its

rivals through a strong sense of brand identification and loyalty (Zheng et al'., 2019). Channel 4

aired a programme about PfC's history in 2003 and hailed it as a role model for 21st-century

businesses because of its exceptional capacity for development and profitability while

maintaining social responsibility in every community it worked in.

Despite having a nurturing, paternalistic leadership style, Gail had a strict control over the

business and made all important decisions with Benito's participation (Idris et al., 2018). Despite

being on the board of directors and having management expertise, Franco and Maria rarely

participated in the company's strategic leadership and decision-making (Anwer et al., 2019). The

twins were enraged and became even closer as PfC continued to be mostly a Benito and Gail

enterprise. However, a severe split developed between the sisters in 2000 when Gail asked Maria

to go to Paris to finalise the plans for PfC's first store there (Anwer et al., 2019). Since that time,

the twins' once-shared intimacy has been replaced by ambition and unhealthy competitiveness as

they vie for Gail's favour in order to become the company's future CEO.
The twins' joy at finally being able to take control of PfC quickly turned into pain. Despite

having a lot of commercial knowledge, neither Maria nor Franco had any actual experience

leading the firm strategically (AlManei et al., 2018). Additionally, they found it difficult to

handle the size of the obligations they had to handle. They only really started to understand the

magnitude of Gail's contribution after she retired. Despite their earlier conflict, they came to the

realisation that they needed to set their differences aside and start cooperating (AlManei et al.,

2018). With the exception of developing strategy together, the twins separated the duties that

Gail had previously filled.

The design team experienced the frustration of the leadership vacuum first. Maria was given the

responsibility of overseeing the design process, but she hardly ever made herself available to the

design team (Fyshchuk and Evsyukova, 2020). Knowing that the Bangladeshi manufacturer will

need fresh designs in a few months, the team was eager to begin work on the next new line. They

were completely at a loss since they had relied on Gail for the motivational ideas she had brought

back from her trips (Fyshchuk and Evsyukova, 2020). Finally, the team requested a meeting with

Maria and suggested that the senior team members take turns going to fashion shows to help PfC

with their ideas.

Both store managers and staff members began to feel cut off from PfC's head office. They had

grown accustomed to Gail's regular updates, frequent visits, real concern for the welfare of the

workers, and deep interest in the shops, their window displays, and their item display, which she

brought with her from her trips to many places (Akbar et al., 2019). Maria, on the other hand,

seldom went to the stores and when she did, it was obvious that she was doing it as a duty; she

also showed little interest in the ideas of the store managers or the worries of the workers (Akbar
et al., 2019). Maria had a protective and authoritarian behaviour when questions and problems

were brought up.

PfC quickly lost its appeal due to its ugly designs and drab storefronts. PfC posted a loss in 2010

for the first time ever in its existence, and the deficit persisted throughout the next three months

(Klein et al., 2022). All prior investments in the neighbourhood, including the paid internship,

were gradually terminated due to escalating financial difficulties (Klein et al., 2022). Franco,

who was now in charge of PfC's supply chain, also informed the Bangladeshi clothing

manufacturer that PfC would no longer be supporting its after-school programmes (Klein et al.,

2022), kindergarten, and crèche facilities. He also said that PfC would review the financial

agreement that Gail had negotiated, and that if the manufacturer didn't agree to the new terms,

PfC would look to find another manufacturer.

Conclusion

Because it requires an organisation to change from its current state to one that supports organised

and structured procedures, change is difficult. Any changes might face resistance, just as in other

organisations, underscoring the importance of effective change management. It would be

challenging for an organisation, a group, or an individual to transition from the current state to

the desired one without change management. Pledge for Cotton (PfC) is a popular fashion

company that opened its first location on London's Oxford Street in 1987. PfC Clothing was the

first fashion shop in the UK to sell reasonably priced, attractively designed clothing, and it

became popular in London right away. The Oxford Street business attracted customers from all

walks of life.
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