Topic > Organizational Change at Enron - 1845

Introduction"Change is difficult because people overestimate the value of what they have and underestimate the value of what they might gain by giving it all up" (Belasco & Stayer, 1993). Is “too big to fail” an accurate term in today's economy, or does it depend on a company's ability to undergo change and reinvent itself? More than a decade ago, it seemed almost impossible that the seventh largest company in the United States, Enron, would decline so quickly. As a change agent, I will analyze Enron's demise, conceptualize the reasoning behind their inability to undergo change, and evaluate what changes would have to occur to prevent the company from moving forward. Bankruptcy Case SynopsisThis essay reviews the background of Enron, identifies key issues in its demise, what changes should occur, and an assessment of the effectiveness of the change. The background discusses how Enron was formed, employee demographics, the organization's strengths and weaknesses, mission statement, and culture. I then identify what went wrong with Enron at the individual, group, and total system levels. There were flaws at every corner as in Enron: mission, strategy, structure and culture were all going in the wrong direction. After identifying the problem areas, I suggested that there should be actions for change, which are revolutionary: at the total systems level, at the group level and at the individual level. I also discuss the best way to implement these changes and the driving forces for and against the desired change. Part of identifying where this change needed to be implemented included incorporating a phase model, where the change could be implemented in a more structured way. There are various roles and responsibilities associated......half of the job......, R. (1993). The flight of the buffalo: flying towards excellence, learning to let employees lead. New York: Hachette Book Group, Inc.Biggs, S., & Helms, L.B. (2007). The practice of American public decision making. New York: M.E. Sharpe, Inc. Bradley, R.L. (2008). Capitalism at Work: Business, Government, and Energy. Salem, Massachusetts: M&M Scrivener Press. Burke, W. W. (2014). Organizational Change: Theory and Practice, 4th edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.Fox, L. (2003). Enron: Rise and Fall. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Garsten, C., & Hernes, T. (2009). Ethical dilemmas in management. New York: Taylor & Francis Group. Swartz, M., & Watkins, S. (2003). Power Outage: The Inside Story of Enron's Collapse. New York: Random House, Inc. Wheelen, T. L., & Hunger, D. L. (2008). Strategic management and corporate policy: concepts and cases. New York: Pearson.