Card Swipe Case Study

BRITISH AIRWAYS CASE STUDY ANALYSIS

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British Airways Case Study Analysis Tom Gorgol (MGT351) Organizational Innovation and Change Colorado State University – Global Campus Dr. Janice Spangenburg December 14, 2014

BRITISH AIRWAYS CASE STUDY ANALYSIS British Airways Case Study Analysis Change is inevitable in any organization and managing such change can be a daunting task for any organization, which is why an organization needs to be cognizant of the aspects of change and the dimensions in which is entailed (Marques, 2008). The key to successfully manage change is to properly implement the right tools and strategies that will gain the greatest desirable outcomes. There are numerous theories and change management models, and the key is to recognize which theory or change management model will work best during a transformational period (Palmer, Dunford, & Akin, 2009). This paper will analyze the case study of British Airways (2003) and the negative outcome that ensued as a result of the implementation of an employee “card swipe” system that monitored when employees clocked-in and clocked-out of work (Palmer et al., 2009). This analysis will identify the change perspectives that were present (organizational development, sense-making, change management, contingency, and processual) and how these perspectives eventually led to the employees going on strike. Additionally, this paper will also provide recommendations, from a consultant perspective, based on the lessons learned from the change perspectives, as well as provide insight as to which perspectives led to the employees strike. Change Perspectives When dissecting the issues that arose, as a result of the implantation of the swipe card process, the first change perspective that comes into play is the overall organizational development. For British Airways (BA), the ultimate goal was to modernize the organization by “improving the efficient use of staff and resources” (Palmer et al., 2009, p. 240). As with...