IMPLEMENTATION OF CHANGE
Assignment Overview
As our focal technology for this module, we will consider the evolution of corporate wellness programs. The technologies associated with promotion of “corporate wellness” (in itself a concept that has many different definitions and varieties) are generally fairly broad in range and capable of being introduced into practice in many different ways. It is certainly desirable to have technologies that can be adapted effectively to particular organizational situations during their implementation; but if there are certain elements of the technology that will only be effective if they are implemented in a particular kind of way, then a flexible orientation can easily introduce enough error into the process that the positive effects of the technology are not realized.
It is extremely difficult to separate failures in implementation from failures in the technology itself. Moreover, since implementation problems tend to become fairly contentious issues in organizational politics, there are likely to be wider repercussions felt throughout the system. Organizational life is further complicated when one attempts to separate bad decisions from those made about negative things, or separate bad decisions from the good in a complex situation where a number of people in several places are making decisions simultaneously.
Our case here involves looking at corporate wellness interventions as examples of technologies where implementation is absolutely critical, and how you get to a new equilibrium is as important, if not more important, than the content of the equilibrium itself. We will consider these issues both from an implementation (bottom-up) perspective as well as from a strategic (top-down) perspective, and try to see how these two perspectives hopefully complement each, other but can easily wind up in conflict.
Case Assignment
Prepare a 5- to 7-page paper in accordance with the following Assignment Expectations on the topic:
“Strategy and implementation of corporate wellness programs”
You should begin your paper by reviewing the general idea of corporate wellness and the knowledge base underlying its popularity and value. You should then assess how companies make strategic decisions about putting such programs in the place, and how that strategy is then translated into an effective or ineffective implementation process. Discuss how, during implementation, programs are shaped in different kinds of ways, some better than others. You should include your paper with a couple of paragraphs outlining your own recommendations on how companies can more effectively integrate overall innovative strategies with local change management, under conditions of uncertainty and risk.
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