Module 4 | Business & Finance homework help

Case Assignment 

For the Module 4 Case Assignment, you will use the Cycle of   Change Model to evaluate the organizational transformation process of a   familiar company: Caterpillar, Inc.

Read the following case study about Caterpillar’s   organizational transformation. As you read through the case, be sure that you carefully   consider how the various steps in the Cycle of Change Model were employed by   Caterpillar as it undertook its massive—yet immensely successful—organizational   transformation. Essentially, Caterpillar “wrote the book” as to how major organizational   change should be successfully accomplished.

Neilson, G. L., & Pasternack,   B. A. (2005). The cat that came back. Strategy+Business.   Retrieved from https://www.strategy-business.com/article/05304?gko=56862
 

  After reading the Caterpillar change case study, respond to   the following in a well-written 5- to 6-page paper:

1. Apply the Cycle of Change Model to the   Caterpillar case study, that is,   
   1. Direct the change: Minimally, describe the   process by which Caterpillar determined the nature and scope of the change   needed. Did the organization explicitly state what the expected outcome(s) of   the transformation would be? How well was the change articulated? 
   2. Drive the change: How was the company’s new   vision made known? What was the process for “driving” and energizing people   involved with and responsible for the organizational transformation? 
   3. Deliver the change: Describe the process by   which Caterpillar delivered the change (project management, e.g.).
   4. Prepare for the change: Discuss Caterpillar’s   change management process; how were the company’s people and culture prepared   for such a massive transformation?                     . 
   5. How was the change propagated throughout the   organization?
   6. What benefits/ value did Caterpillar realize   from the organizational transformation process? Were the outcomes consistent   with the benefits that were contemplated at the outset of the planning   process? 
2. With the understanding that Caterpillar’s   transformation was tremendously successful, provide your impressions   concerning the extent to which Caterpillar adhered to the Cycle of Change   Model.
3. Related to Item #2, what did Caterpillar do   particularly well in terms of following the Cycle of Change Model sequence? 
4. Conclude your paper by providing   recommendations as to what Caterpillar might have done differently to improve   the organizational transformation.

The following sources may also be helpful to you in the   completion of the Case assignment, as it provides very current background on   Caterpillar. 

Hymen, J. (2017, July 18). 3   reasons to be bullish on Caterpillar (CAT) ahead of earnings. Nasdaq.   Retrieved from http://www.nasdaq.com/article/3-reasons-to-be-bullish-on-caterpillar-cat-ahead-of-earnings-cm817686

Caterpillar ranks #47 on Fortune’s   “Most Admired Companies” list, and is ranked #59 on the 2017 Fortune 500 list:

Caterpillar. (2017). Fortune. Retrieved from http://fortune.com/worlds-most-admired-companies/caterpillar/

Module 4 – SLP

For the final SLP in this course, you will be given a fair  degree of latitude to explore some aspect of Organizational Change and  Transformation. The SLP for this module requires that you visit the library,  and that you choose a chapter from a textbook or a journal, trade magazine, or  newspaper article that is of interest to you, and that is related to some  aspect of organizational change and transformation.

You will then choose some portion of the chapter or article  that is of interest to you, briefly summarize the contents of what you have  read, and then apply the contents of what you have read to some aspect of your  personal life and/or workplace (remember that organizational change theory  extends beyond organizations, and that it applies to personal changes as well  as changes that occur in the workplace).

Be  creative! Use your imagination and critical thinking skills as you consider how  change theory you read applies either to your person or to some workplace  experience you have had. Importantly, you have flexibility to choose your topic  and its application, so long as you can demonstrate that you are able to  effectively apply the theory/ concepts you have read to your personal or  organizational life. 

Visit the library, and perform a search using one or more of  the following keywords: 

1. Organizational Change;
2. Organizational Transformation; and/or
3. Change Management.

After choosing and reading some aspect of a book chapter or  article that is of particular interest to you, respond to the following in a  well-written 3- to 4-page paper:

1. Summarize  what you have read from the article or chapter you have selected. Be sure to  cite specific concepts that are applicable to the personal or work experience  you have selected for this module (one page).
2. What did the author say that was particularly  relevant and/or of particular significance to the past personal and/or work  experience you have selected? Why did you select this particular chapter or  article? 
3. How have the organizational change and  transformation concepts you have selected informed your personal or work  experience? What new understanding or insights do you have after having had  applied these concepts to your personal or work circumstances?