What Knowledge Can We Gain From the Real-World Example?

Additional Information: Both you and Shawn realize that without significant levels of change, AGC will not survive in its present global environment. It is important to use a change management process to appropriately diagnose the problems at AGC and determine the root causes. You both met with the 12 members of the cross-cultural core team to begin the change process. After the meeting, you and Shawn get together to compare notes and to discuss next steps.

“John told me he wants us to provide him with the details about our change management plan for AGC,” Shawn says.

“Sure,” you say. “A PowerPoint presentation like we did last time would probably work well. I think we could cover everything in 10–12 slides (plus title and reference slides) with speaker notes of 200–250 words per slide.”

“John wants to see a step-by-step plan with explanations,” he says. “He was fairly specific in an e-mail about what he wants. I can forward it to you so we can both be on the same page.”

“Okay,” you say. “I’ll look for that so I can put the presentation together.”

Later that afternoon, Shawn’s e-mail arrives with the following list of components that must be covered in the presentation:

• A step-by-step plan for change management and justifications for each step
• An analysis of the current state of AGC. (i.e., What are the problems in this company that have led to the development of Shawn’s team?)
• A list of the potential benefits you can expect from the change management plan
• The reasoning behind the need for a diagnosis of AGC and why it is considered one of the most critical components of the team’s plan
• An explanation about the diagnostic process that was applied and the type of data that was collected

In addition to John’s list, you determine that the following questions must be addressed, as well:

• What would happen if the diagnostic step was not conducted?
• What would happen if the diagnostic step was poorly researched and evaluated?
• What types of data will be gathered, from whom, and how will they be analyzed?
• Based on all diagnostics conducted for this organization, what have you determined to be the potential root cause (or causes) of its existing problems?

As you work on the presentation, you realize that it can be enhanced with real-world examples of other organizations that had problems competing in a global setting. As you conduct your research, you wonder if any of these examples directly related to the appropriate management of global human capital. This question prompts two other questions that you decide should also be included in the presentation. You type the questions out and send the following list to Shawn:

• What knowledge can we gain from the real-world examples?
• How can we apply this knowledge to AGC?