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:
- Apply the Cycle of Change Model to the Caterpillar case study, that is,
- 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?
- 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?
- Deliver the change: Describe the process by which Caterpillar delivered the change (project management, e.g.).
- Prepare for the change: Discuss Caterpillar’s change management process; how were the company’s people and culture prepared for such a massive transformation? .
- How was the change propagated throughout the organization?
- 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?
- 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.
- Related to Item #2, what did Caterpillar do particularly well in terms of following the Cycle of Change Model sequence?
- 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:
- Organizational Change;
- Organizational Transformation; and/or
- 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:
- 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).
- 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?
- 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?
