Reflection 2: Insights from Infosys's Change Management | Môn Managing Organizational Change - Trường Đại học Quốc tế, Đại học Quốc gia Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh

lOMoAR cPSD| 58504431
UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST OF ENGLAND SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
MANAGING ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE UMODML-15-3 COURSEWORK QUESTION:
Critically evaluate the implementation of a specific case of organizational change. Building on
this, reflect on what you can personally learn from this case analysis about change
management and how you might benefit from these insights in the future.
Student’s Name: ……………………………………….
Student’s UWE-ID: …………………………………… WORD COUNT: 3068 Declaration: lOMoAR cPSD| 58504431
I declare that the coursework submitted is my own work and has not (either in whole or part)
been submitted towards the award of any other qualification either at UWE or elsewhere. I
have fully attributed/referenced all sources of information used during the completion of my
assignment, and I am aware that failure to do so constitutes an assessment offense. Introduction
With the megatrend of globalization and rapid technological advancement, it is increasingly important
for organizations to build up the capacity to quickly respond to environmental pressure to secure its
business success. According to Wesley (1996), in order to survive and thrive in a world where change is
the new constant, businesses need to let go of their secure traditions in exchange for untried paths into lOMoAR cPSD| 58504431
the unpredictable future. With that in mind, the purpose of this essay is to use multiple change
management theories to analyze the successful case of a company adopting an innovative organizational
change to maintain a competitive edge in the marketplace which is Infosys – an Indian IT multinational
corporation. Furthermore, from the extensive research of the organizational transformation success
story in part 1, some critical reflections will be made regarding the lessons learned throughout the case
study, its possible practical applications and how it will benefit the writer in the future. In doing so, this
essay will draw on several change management frameworks and theories to discuss the contributing
factors to the effective organizational change management to encourage changes and reduce resistance to changes among employees.
A success story of change management - The case of Infosys Infosys – A brief overview
The company chosen for the case analysis is Infosys Ltd., an IT company based in Bangalore, India, with
its core business domains including information technology, business consulting and outsourcing digital
services. The company operates through various industries and segments such as retail, financial
services, manufacturing, communication, hi-tech and services, with a market cap of 40.6 billion dollars
and a headcount of more than 204,000 staff as of 2020 (Forbes, 2020). Known as the global leader in the
next-generation digital services and provision of end-to-end business solutions, when facing with various
change drivers, the company is also very quick to adapt to changes and constantly reinventing itself to
be able to compete in the global market.
Recognizing the needs to change
According to Palmer, Dunford and Akin (2009), organizational changes are sparked by various external as
well as internal drivers. Anderson and Anderson (2001) also identify seven drivers of change categorized
into external and internal forces. External drivers include the need to
change so as to meet the changing demands of stakeholders or the changing business environment such as
fully comprehend and appreciate what it
changing political, economic, legal, technological and environmental conditions. Meanwhile internal factors
meant due to the lack of internal
are trickier to articulate, such as organizational culture and style of management. In the case of Infosys, the
communication. Instead of embracing and
drivers to change come from both factors. Regarding external factors, Information Technology, the industry
spreading the spirit of innovation, teams
that Infosys operates in, is a very disruptive and constantly evolving sector (Lyytinen and Rose, 2003), and
often worked in silos, which greatly
the world of competition becoming even fiercer with the advent of several new technologies and game
undermined collaboration and the culture
changers. For the company, the management realized that they need to renew their core business. Internal
building from within (Verghese, 2017).
drivers also play an important part in triggering the organization change for Infosys. Although innovation
Instead of blending innovation into their way
has always become a part of the company’s core culture, it was observed that Infosys employees did not
of working, project teams seemed to only lOMoAR cPSD| 58504431
tick the box without a consistent approach and standard. Knowing that in this day and age, change is a
matter of survival, in 2014, Infosys hired Dr. Vishal Sikka, the first non-founder CEO, who has highlighted
the challenges met by Infosys and introduced the vision to reinvent the company’s core business and
continue to foster a culture of life-long learning and innovation with the programme Zero Distance, which
applies Design Thinking to the organization culture and requires employees to create innovative solutions
in their projects (Mendonca, 2017).
Change Implementation – Kotter’s 8-step model
Organizational changes have long been the topic of interest for many academics and practitioners
(Appelbaum, 2008). Many theories have been proposed to analyze the approaches to dealing with change
management in firms. For this case study, Kotter’s 8-step model in transforming an organization will be used
to analyze the changing process and management in Infosys. Kotter (1995), a professor at Harvard Business
School and a reputable management expert, has introduced the Eight-Step Model of Change in his book
“Leading change” based on his research of several organizations undergoing the process of change. The
eight steps include creating a sense of urgency, forming a powerful coalition, creating and communicating
a change vision, encouraging actions, creating short-term wins, sustaining acceleration and
institutionalizing changes. This approach is based on the argument that change is a sequence of events that
must be effectively managed and nearly 70% of change initiatives fail because of the fact that most
organization took lightly the process
Commented [NVAT1]: How is it relevant to the external drivers – weak A – C
Commented [NVAT2]: Weak A – C of preparation and management (Kotter, 1996). lOMoAR cPSD| 58504431
As shown in the theoretical framework, Kotter’s organizational change model consists of eight steps and
Commented [NVAT5]: Clear T A linkage
the analysis will also take into account these eight parts accordingly to identify the change management
process of Infosys during the implementation of Zero Distance. Create a sense of Urgency
According to Kotter (1995), the very first step for preparing change is to make sure there is a sense of
urgency is prominent and that complacency level is kept as low as possible. In doing so, management should
Commented [NVAT6]: What is the project about
highlight the effects of an absence of change and make it visible. In an interview with Shruthi Bopaiah, actually?
Associate Vice President at Infosys, at the beginning of the process, the top management has soon realized
the challenge of having no consistent standard and approach for business innovation although innovation
has always been put at the core value of the company, and the lack of effective communication among
employees (Verghese, 2017). The changing business landscape also means that collaboration and
innovation need to be embedded in the company’s culture, and this need for change was underpinned in
the company’s vision to stay ahead of the competition (Verghese, 2017). Form a powerful guiding coalition
Commented [NVAT7]: Good T - A – C linkage
After acknowledging the need for change, Kotter (2012) mentioned that a change is more likely to be
successful when led by a powerful guiding coalition with powerful titles and experts. Infosys’s Zero Distance
project was managed by the CEO himself who drove the agenda and invested considerable amount of time
in engaging the people and articulating the project’s vision. Furthermore, throughout the process, one
specific team was embedded in the project management: the internal communications team. This team
was in charge of vision branding, conceptualizing ideas and employee engagement by collecting and
processing their feedback on board. By doing so, the coalition is powerful enough to guide the
transformation process from a confined organizational spot to the company as a whole. It can be observed
that Infosys had a strong start in preparation for change since without such cooperative coalition, it would
be difficult for firms to deal with resistance and reluctance to change (Shurrab and Zec, 2013). Create a Commented [NVAT8]: Citation? vision
Having a vision that is easy to promote and clear to understand is also a critical part of guiding Communicating the vision
transformational process in the right direction (Kotter, 1996). In Infosys, it is the CEO who devised a vision
Once the vision has been laid, the next step
of renewing the company business by fostering and highlighting the importance of innovation, learning and
is to communicate it to all the stakeholders.
sharing of knowledge, with the focus on being closer to technology, closer the end users and closer to
This is a critical phase as communication if
delivering additional value (Konnanath, G., n.d). By defining a powerful vision that is embedded in the
badly managed can lead to disruption in the
culture of the company, it became easier for managers to devise a viable strategy to communicate,
organization and resistance to change
empower and incentivize employees to eliminate the change resistance.
(Dawson and Andriopoulos, 2017). Ansoff
Commented [NVAT4]: Clear structure
(1990) argues that resistance to change can
incur additional cost and delays to process of
change which are hard to anticipate (Maurer,
1996). As a result, it is essential for organizations to devise a sound lOMoAR cPSD| 58504431
communication strategy which oversees all the forthcoming challenges regarding culture change coming
Commented [NVAT10]: Good T – A – C
from the employees. For Infosys, internal communication played a fundamental role in articulating and
percolating the vision and principles of Zero Distance to all employees across roles and levels. Although Empower others to act on the
there was some skepticism and confusion among staff in the initial phase regarding how changing would vision
benefit them and whether these plans would work, the internal communication department had addressed
Any implementation of a major change
the issue swiftly by leveraging various communication channels, ranging from both traditional and non-
requires actions from people (Kotter and
traditional means of communication such as emails from top management, media coverage, knowledge
Cohen, 2012). Besides all the communication
sharing blogs, and internal TV platforms. By doing so, the message of Zero Distance was communicated and
efforts, the initiative to engage Infosys staff
absorbed widely thanks to the wide and in-depth coverage using every available channel. Such timely and
in sharing their innovations also motivated
effective communication strategy allow employees to gradually adapt to change process, eliminate
others to implement Zero Distance. The
resistance and avoid pitfalls of failing to getting messages across change agents (Kotter, 2012).
teams that were assessed by CEO and top
However, it is interesting to note that the most impactful communication initiative that contributes to the
managers earned a sense of pride for being
success of the project was a very novel and engaging approach: The Zero Distance project reviews led by
chosen, and other teams started to seek that
the top management. In this project, different project teams had a chance to present their work where they
coveted spot. By encouraging and showing
came up with innovative business solutions in front of thousands of Infosys staff and receive feedback
employees how their innovations can make
directly from the CEO. This is a very bottom-up approach which aligned with Infosys’s vision of taking actions
an impact, more project teams began to
at grassroots levels and can be classified as a participative means of communication – a communication
adopt Zero Distance concept and work hard
process that actively engages employees in a two-way direction (Russ, 2008). It is a contrast to the
to showcase their solutions for clients so as
programmatic or a top-down approach which is one-way and more rigid that might foster employee
to be featured on the company’s intranet.
disengagement in exchange for wider dissemination of information. Although participatory communication
can be effective in minimizing resistance, Russ (2008) argues that it can be resources-demanding and Create short-term wins
success might only be secured assuming that all employees want to participate in the change process. The
In order to validate change’s efforts as well as
complex logistics of planning and creating these sessions as well as the amount of time over several months
to maintain a sense of urgency throughout
the CEO had to spend to host video conferences and webcasts so that everyone could participate once
the change process, Kotters (2012) argues
again confirmed that statement; however, with a powerful multinational in leading change and innovations
that short-term wins should be ensured. In
like Infosys, the advantages clearly outweigh the limitations.
Infosys, a reward system and a robust
Commented [NVAT9]: Clear provision of evidence
recognition platform were created to reward
outstanding teams and top performers such
as the quarterly MVP awards, or the awards
for teams with most client testimonials for
their Zero Distance project. By doing so,
Infosys was not only successful in
encouraging its staff in participating in
change process, but also boosting employee
motivation, as Maslach et al. (2001) argues
that the lack or recognition could result in
job burnout, proper reward and recognition lOMoAR cPSD| 58504431
is a necessary incentive for employee engagement.
of an organization’s ability to implement
Consolidate improvements and change
creative ideas and translate creativity into innovation (Verghese, 2017).
Kotter (1995) also argues that even after small successes were found, it is important not to fall into the
pitfall of creating the impression that the work has been done for the employees or the whole change
management efforts would be wasted. Instead, improvements should be consolidated and innovation Critical Reflection –
practices should be constantly reinvented. In the case of Infosys, the company came up with a framework
for seeking improvements and exploring ways to deliver additional values, from identifying room for Lessons drawn from
improvements, contemplating which improvements to make, figuring better ways to do things, and
disseminating knowledge. Thanks to such efforts, in the span of a few months, Zero Distance became a Infosys’s successful
recognizable movement within the company, and project leaders worked collaboratively with their team to
make sure innovation works and cutting edge solutions were delivered to clients. Institutionalize new change management approaches
Ciulla (2008) believed that the study of
To complete the journey of organizational change, it is important to embed the vision of change in the
leadership requires a fusion of horizons in
company’s culture in order for change to exert a lasting effect (Kotter, 1995). By making and ensuring
where we analyze the past to understand
innovation from the ground up, the implementation of Zero Distance brought about several benefits,
the present and apply to the future. The
including the increased creative confidence and the willingness to go the extra mile to deliver excellent
successful case of organizational change by
services. Most importantly, Zero Distance has become an integral part of Infosys’s culture, which, according
Infosys has provided me with valuable
to Tushman and O’Reilly (2002), the heart
lessons on both organizational and
Commented [NVAT11]: How actually – weak A
individual level that will benefit myself in the
future. On a personal level, analyzing
Infosys’s success in confronting employees’
resistance to change gives me deeper
insights into the theoretical mechanism
behind the initial resistance to change. This
can be further explained through the
Carnall’s model of coping with change
(2007), which walks us through 5 phases
which are change denial, defensive stance, discarding, change adaptation and
Commented [NVAT12]: Good T – A, weak C Commented [NVAT13]: Citation?
internalizing change as a part of normal
behavior. Personally, I am a typical risk
adverse person who is very skeptical to new
things and reluctant to adopt changes.
When being exposed to novel ideas and
changing needs which suggest instability
and unpredictability, by understanding our
natural coping mechanism, I now know that lOMoAR cPSD| 58504431
resistance is not always fundamentally bad, but a rational reaction to the arrival of a change (Ford and
Commented [NVAT14]: Good T – C
Ford, 2009) and I should take it seriously to explore the underlying causes of resistance to channel it into
a more positive change energy.
Regarding change management on an organizational level, studying Infosys helped me understand the
paramount importance of communication in encouraging and promoting changes in an organization as
well as minimizing resistance to change from employees (Kotter and Schlesinger, 1979). By devising a sound
communication strategy which is suitable for the organization’s management style and culture, the effects
Commented [NVAT15]: Explanation/citation for this
of communicating messages will be further reinforced and amplified. In the case of Infosys, a participatory approach?
approach was applied to involve all stakeholders by soliciting their inputs and engaging them in the change
process in contrast to the top-down programmatic approach which is more instructive, instrumental aimed
at gaining employees’ compliance (Russ, 2008). This approach is perfect for Infosys since the company’s
core culture is built on innovation and its work environment mostly consists of people who are smart,
proactive and having strong willingness to join hands in making changes. However, it will be less effective
when there is the need to clarify the company’s vision as well as to reduce the uncertainty in the direction
of change. In this case, a top-down and one-way approach is proved to be more effective (Turton, 2015). Commented [NVAT16]: Good C
Therefore, in change management, instead of fixing on one familiar approach to communicating changes,
it is advisable that we should be more flexible and take into account several aspects surrounding the
organization such as style of management, hierarchical structure, stages at which change management
process are taking place as well as the available resources. Failing to communicate with employees will
necessarily cause the change process to stifle (Kotter, 2012). I also learnt that change communication,
besides a clear and powerful message of vision, must be delivered through the right mediums in the right
way. To assimilate the vision of change across its company, Infosys made a special task force with
members of internal communication team and utilized all available channels of communication, with
both formal and informal methods of communication. It also went as far as to invent a novel initiative
that engaged direct participation from employees through the Zero Distance project reviews that
empowered employees to get involved in changes process and made them feel a sense of control and
ownership (Russ, 2008). Moreover, with regular connection and exchanges with employees, the internal
communication team could access holistic view of changes that are taking place in any part of the
organization so as to make timely intervention when necessary.
Lastly, through the case of Infosys, I have come to understand the importance of having a strong company
culture. Hofstede (1980) argues that culture can affect organization in a twoway process, in which
employees bring to work their societal culture, while the firm’s organizational culture in turns influences
an individual’s assumptions, core values, attitudes and ethics. By implementing Zero Distance program
broadly across the company and embed this project’s spirits into the firm’s culture as an introspection
into Infosys’s mission statement and its essence of existence, this vision of organizational change will
resonate with everyone in the company while its culture will continually encourage its people to preach 'personal' lOMoAR cPSD| 58504431
innovation in every action and move.
Commented [NVAT17]: Good T – A – C Conclusion
In conclusion, through the framework of Kotter’s 8-step model, the essay analyzes the successful
organizational change of Infosys, while also drawing on multiple organizational theories to explain the
inherent resistance that occurred in the initial stage of change and point out the importance of effective
change communication in assimilating change visions across change agents and major stakeholders.
From the success story of Infosys in integrating the new change system into the company’s culture and
core business, some critical reflections have also been made on the writer’s experience with changes and
how the success story of Infosys has provided practical implications when dealing with changes in the future. References
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