Chapter 09 - Linking Vision and Change

Chapter 9
Linking Vision and Change
Learning Objectives
On completion of this chapter you should be able to:
Appreciate how approaches to vision and change differ, depending on the
image held of managing organizational change.
Identify the attributes of what makes a meaningful vision.
Have a good understanding of how the context in which a vision is developed
relates to the meaningfulness of the vision.
Understand different techniques and processes for developing vision.
Articulate why some visions are less effective than others.
Appreciate why some visions may fade over time.
Outline current arguments concerning the relationship of vision to
organizational change.

Chapter Summary
Effective change is often linked to the presence of a well-established vision. Conversely, a
lack of vision is frequently associated with unsuccessful change and organizational
decline. The image one has of managing change influences the role one expects vision to
play in the change process. Vision is often confused with other terms such as mission
statements, goals and values.
Images
Director

Link Vision and Change

Vision is something that is essential to producing successful organizational
change. It should be articulated early on and it is up to leaders to do this.

Navigator Vision is important but not necessarily able to be achieved because of competing
visions that exist among various organizational parties and stakeholders.
Caretaker Vision is in many ways immaterial to the way change will proceed. Change is
rarely the outcome of visionary actions
Coach
Vision is something that is important and is more likely to emerge through the
facilitation skills of the change leader interacting with his or her followers,
shaping their agendas and desired futures.
Interpreter Vision is the ability to articulate the inner voice of the organization that which is
lived, be it core ideology or values, and that underpins the identity of the
organization.
Nurturer Vision is emergent from the clash of chaotic and unpredictable change forces.
Visions are likely to be temporary and always in the process of being rewritten.
The content of meaningful vision has sparked considerable debate. Some consideration
has been given to attributes, its style, and how it is differentiated from mission and
organizational values. Selected examples of these from the text are:

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An effective vision is said to have:

A cognitive component focusing on achieving outcomes.
An affective component helping to motivate people and increase commitment
to the change.
Generic characteristics of vision may include:
Possibility
Desirability
Actionability
Articulation
The internal capacity of members of the organization to resource the change and accept the
need for change affect the vision and the reaction to vision.
Three components of vision are:
Why the change is needed
The aim of the change
The change actions that will be taken
Visions as Stories: Creating vision stories allows a vivid description of the change to
which people can relate. Levin maintains that stories are more effective than simple vision
statements because people can imagine themselves and their actions in the future
Relationship of Vision to Mission and Goals: Vision is often confused with other terms
such as mission statements, goals, and organizational values. All these terms refer to
something that provides direction and identifies change actions that are needed. Goals and
objectives refer more to results that are desired without necessarily referring to the actions
needed to achieve this. Whereas vision usually paints a picture of the future and is
inspirational, mission statements are more purposive and instrumental in outlining what
needs to be done.
Relationship of Vision to Market Strategy: Some writers argue that if they are to create
competitive advantage, vision and strategy must be unconventional, often counterintuitive,
and differentiated from those of other companies. It has been argued that having a wellspecified market vision such as this helps to identify how the company will grow and
compete.

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How Context affects Vision

1. There are four organizational contexts in terms of their ability to produce visionary
change that should be considered. These are:
a. Rigid organizations are classified as those that have little in the way of
available resources and lack acceptance of the need for change.
b. Bold organizations have low resources but high acceptance of the need for
change. They are characterized by more organic structures and being less
rule-bound.
c. Overmanaged organizations have high resource availability but little
acceptance of the need for change. Associated with a more stable
environment and dominated by past practices that are seen to have worked
well and to remain relevant, they are limited in their ability to accept the
need for a new vision.
d. Liberated organizations are those where visionary processes are likely to be
most successful.
2. A vision will take in an organization depending on whether there is a contextual
trigger that alerts people to the need for a new vision.
3. The national and cultural context in which the organization is embedded is also
important.
Processes by which vision emerges
There are a number of approaches to creating vision which include:
Crafting the vision: this can be leader-dominated, pump-priming or facilitated.
Questions that help to develop a vision: this can be done through an intuitive,
analytic or benchmarking approach.
Connecting the vision to the organizations inner voice: this connects the vision
to the underlying values and beliefs that are held within the organization.
Visions fail for a number of reasons including being too specific, too vague, too
unrealistic, or just inadequate. A vision must be able to adapt over time; dominant visions
will be those that outlast others that may be present within the organization.
There are three key debates that link vision and change.
Does vision drive change or emerge during change?
Does vision help or hinder change?
Is vision an attribute of heroic leaders or of heroic organizations?

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Is Vision an Attribute of Heroic Leaders or of Heroic Organizations?

Vision Is an Attribute of Heroic Leaders:
Some writers claim that successful strategic organizational change will only occur
when it is led effectively. The vision has to be clear, compelling, challenging, and
credibleit also has to be reflected in the expressions and actions of the leader
who is articulating it. Charismatic leaders secure images in their followers and
enact their visions through four processes:
Framing is the art of managing the meaning of followers, getting them to
accept the visions interpretation and meaning by stressing its importance
and aligning it with followers values.
Scripting extends framing, building upon it by coordinating and integrating
more specific sets of ideas and actions.
Staging is the selection of symbols, artifacts, props, and settings for
reinforcing the vision.
Performing refers to enacting the vision. This occurs through
exemplification of required behaviours and promotion of themselves and
their vision.
Vision Is an Attribute of Heroic Organizations
It is a visionary company that will last the distance, irrespective of its leadership.
Vision consists of a core ideology which defines what the organization stands for
it becomes the core purpose and envisioned future of the organization.

Case Study Discussion:

Role of Vision at Mentor Graphics
1. How would you describe the way vision was used at Mentor Graphics?
This analysis can help students understand why vision is necessary and how it can
be best created. Discussions in this area look at the way vision was initially used to
interpret Mentor Graphics position and role in the marketplace. Later on, the vision
became a reflection of market fads and had no real use or meaning this is an
important point to realize. The less useful the vision became the more distanced
employees and customers felt from the organization.

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2. Did it strengthen or weaken the company? How? Why?

This question asks students to highlight positive and negative aspects of the visions
used at Mentor Graphics. Although some may view the changing vision as having
strengthened or weakened the company there are arguments for both sides.
Removing the focus from the core competencies weakened the companys vision.
This resulted in management not being able to make sound business decisions.
Using a consultant may have also weakened the identity of the organization for
employees by removing them completely from the process of creating the vision. It
strengthened the company by eventually renewing focus on the core business at
Mentor Graphics and where they wanted to be. The process of creating a new
vision led the organization full circle and re-emphasized why they are in business.
3. Of the reasons covered in this chapter relating to why visions may fail, which ones
are applicable to Mentor Graphics?
Students could discuss the many reasons why visions fail from the text and analyze
their applicability to this case. Some reasons are as follows:
Irrelevant: over time the vision became increasingly irrelevant to the
employees of Mentor Graphics
Holy Grail: the six boxes vision could not allow the company to change
with the times it restricted how management was able to respond to
change.
Too abstract: the customers did not understand the companys vision which
made it difficult to relate to Mentor Graphics.
Little participation: the vision was instigated and appeared to be largely
created by the president of the organization this meant there was little
participation in the process of creating the vision by employees and other
management.
Too vague: the vision was too vague for employees to relate to, which leads
to the failure of the vision.
Too unrealistic: being unrealistic, as well as being irrelevant and vague,
does not allow employees to relate to the vision nor believe that it can be
achieved.
Applicability of vision over time: the vision at Mentor Graphics did not
stand the test of time. The number of times that the vision changed at
Mentor Graphics meant that its applicability was undermined by its
excessive evolution. One can therefore question whether the vision
statements at Mentor Graphics were really visionary.

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4. Discuss issues of vision content, context, and process in how vision was introduced
and changed at the company. What emerges from this?
For this question students should be able to differentiate between the
characteristics of vision, the relationship vision has with the organizational culture
when it is articulated, and the process through which it is developed and modified.
The different stages of vision from this case study give a variety of insights into
how these three issues affected the vision. Themes center around the following:
Vision Content: Two major components of vision cognitive and affective
highlight the characteristics of vision.
Initially vision at Mentor Graphics was focused on outcomes to build
what customers would buy, or to beat Daisy
Over time this became too abstract and focused neither on change
outcomes nor on motivating staff.
Vision Context: Four generic features that relate to how vision was
introduced and changed at Mentor Graphics are as follows.
Possibility: towards the end of the case study vision was positioned to
encourage more innovative practices, but employees were unable to
relate to the vision and the innovative possibilities it suggested.
Desirability: the need for a new vision came from employees, but it did
not draw on their values and norms.
Actionability: the later visions did not make necessary actions clear.
Articulation: the way vision was communicated did not create a clear
vision of where the organization was headed because it had little to do
with the actual business.
Process of Introducing and Changing Vision: One classification for this
process is outlined in Table 9.7 of the text. This highlights five different methods
for creating vision. Mentor Graphics can be evaluated on each of these.
Telling: management creates the vision and passes it onto the staff
because of this employees lacked a connection to the vision and they
could not identify with it.
Selling: The frequent change in vision would suggest that managementinitiated visions were not sold to the staff if this were the case there
would have been evidence of staff or customer buy-in to the new vision.
Testing: There appears to have been little in the way of testing or
providing feedback channels for new visions. The final stages of change
suggest, however, that some feedback was given and that it was taken
into account, as their initial vision of building things that people would
buy was taken up again.
Consulting: There is little evidence of creative input given by other
staff members in the process of creating change.
Co-creating: As with the previous method, there is little evidence of the
alignment of vision within the organization.

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5. Based on what happened in this company, what are the implications in terms of the
three debates about vision discussed in this chapter (whether vision drives change
or emerges during change, whether vision helps or hinders change, and whether
vision is an attribute of heroic leaders or heroic organizations?)
By using these debates to stimulate discussion, students become aware of the three
key debates that link vision and organizational change. These debates illustrate
how this association influences the process of change. The key issues that emerge
in each of these debates are listed below.
Vision drives change or emerges during change:
Vision appears to have driven change initially, then it seems to have
emerged during change at Mentor Graphics.
It can be assumed that Mentor Graphics became more influenced by
external pressures over time.
It seems that Mentor Graphics employees rely on their vision for
motivation and direction this is more common when vision drives
change rather than vice versa.
Vision helps or hinders change:
Vision was used to help change and enhance organizational
performance creating more focused outcomes for Mentor Graphics.
Later modifications of vision disrupted the ability to make sound
financial judgments and hindered change. It made Mentor Graphics
blindly focus on the future. The existing resources of the company were
overlooked as they were thought to be too conventional.
Vision as an attribute of heroic leaders or heroic organizations:
Langeler was successful in framing and communicating the vision
initially. He became the heroic leader of the organization.
Mentor Graphics was not a heroic organization in the sense that it did
not have an embedded vision that was lasting. It is interesting to note,
however, that the organization reverted to its original vision suggesting
that the inner voice of the organization may have had an influence.
6. Of the six change images outlined in Table 9.1, which images of vision can be
applied to this case study? What lessons emerge from this?
This question can be used to encourage students to work through each of the
images of change and find the applicable points in the case study. The case would
suggest that the director image is most dominant but ask students to look beyond
this. This will increase their understanding of the multiple images that can be
applied to every situation.

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Tables from the Text

The following provides a brief summary of the key points in each of the tables in the text.
TABLE

Table Heading

Page

9.1

Images of Managing Change and How They Relate to Vision

the six images of change management are detailed - how they link vision
and change.
differing images focus attention on different change issues. Recognizing
what each image brings into focus will help students be aware of the
limitations of each image.

9.2

Definitions of Organizational Vision

the selection of various definitions of vision highlight the complexity
of the term and the ease with which this term can be mis-understood.
students should be encouraged to realise that vision does not mean the
same for everyone and understanding this fact can help them work with
others who may hold differing opinions.

9.3

9.4

9.5

9.6

9.7

Characteristics of Good Visions

summary of some academics definition of vision which can

be used to aid the formulation of a vision.

these different characteristics of visions could be used as a

litmus test for an organizations vision statement.
Examples of 2007 Vision Statements
students would be well-served in adding to the list of vision statements
from other organizations.
a second step is to use the lists of characteristics in Table 9.3 to assess the
success of the vision.
Visions as Story-Telling
tools to create a vision are important in change management
the importance of buy-in within the organization is critical as this will
help in the formulation of a vision that will speak internally to employees
as well as represent the organization externally to the market.
Whats the Big Difference?
the difference between vision, mission, philosophy, goals and strategy is
often not clear and has resulted in poorly constructed vision statements.
Different Philosophies for Creating Vision
the technique for creating a vision can vary.
the actual technique chosen for formulating a vision sends a message
through the organization that could support the change program or work
against it.

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251
to
252

253

255

256

257

258

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Chapter 09 - Linking Vision and Change

TABLE
9.8

9.9

9.10

9.11

9.12

9.13

9.14

9.15

Table Heading

Page

The Vision Process

how to create a vision is a guide.

the aim of this table is to equip the student to work with an

organization to create a vision.
Be Specific: Alan Lafley at P&G

example of vision used in Proctor and Gamble

this table should be used to guide how vision is used to

refocus the core business in an organization with a broad range of
contextual issues.
When Vision Fail
there are a range of reasons for the failure of a vision statement.
the descriptions in this table can be used as a guide for what not to do
in the formulation of a vision and an indicator of what could be wrong
with a vision that seems to be ineffective.
A lack of shared vision?

This is a short, humorous story to illustrate how important

communication and relating actions to vision is when creating vision
Louis Gerstner on Vision
this short story on vision illustrates the need not just for a vision but also
for its execution
challenges students to be sure of their reason(s) for developing a vision
statement before starting on the construction of a vision for an
organization.
a vision statement needs to be related to the organization and effort needs
made to keep them congruent
Vision at Merck
Merck is a good example of an organization that has a complete vision
which encapsulates the core ideology and an envisioned future.
this is an example for students to use for comparison with vision
statements from other organizations.
Chapter Reflections for the Practicing Change Manager
the aim of this section is to crystallize the lessons learned from the
chapter and for the student to understand more about their own approach
to change.
outcome of reviewing these reflections is to have clearer understanding
of the nature of vision statements and how to assess their quality.
answering these questions individually and then discussing their answers
in a small group will help students to understand their comprehension of
the method for formulating a vision for an organization.
Additional Case Studies
supplementary cases for further study.
more details on these cases are provided below.

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263
266

267

267

271

277

278

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Video
The Charlie Rose Website
http://www.charlierose.com/home
An interview with Bruce Wasserstein, Chairman and CEO of Lazard, looks at vision and
using vision to promote organizational change. A section of this video could be used to
illustrate a real example of vision used in an organization. Students could discuss their
view of the vision expressed and how it could be modified.
Exercises and Answers
EXERCISE 9.1 (p. 256)

Finding the Vision Wow Factor

Purpose
Identifying the attributes of what makes a meaningful vision statement is an important
skill for the change manager. This exercise gives students practice in critically assessing
vision statements.

Options/Techniques/Requirements
Format:

Individually or in small groups.

Materials:
Table 9.3 Characteristics of Good Vision (p. 255) and Table 9.4 Examples of
2007 Vision Statements (p. 256)
Flip chart/easel and paper for group work
Time Required:
Time for the exercise is approximately 20 minutes once the vision statements have been
collected.
Undergraduate:
Students work best in small groups for assessing vision statements. They can start by
assessing the statements in Table 9.4 and then turn their attention to the vision statements
that they have collected to assess.
MBA/Executive:
Students with professional experience will have more exposure to a variety of vision
statements. The instructor can review one or two examples of vision statements from Table
9.4 in the lecture and then have students work individually or in small groups to complete
the exercise. To extend this exercise, students can be asked to include vision statements
from not-for-profit, charity groups, aid agencies, educational institutions, as well as ones
from their own companies, where appropriate.

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Potential Problems and Helpful Hints

Students may try to judge the value statement by how they feel about the
product or company: they need to be sure that they are assessing the vision, not
the company (although these are linked).

Debriefing
Start the debriefing by introducing two unusual visions statements and have the class as a
group work through the process of assessing the vision statements using the frameworks.
Spend some time on how the approaches to vision and change differ, and how the context
in which a vision is developed can influence the meaningfulness of the vision.

Guidelines for Answers to Questions

The answers to the questions in the exercises will need to be assessed according to the
experience and education level of the students. The answers given here are only a
guide.
1. Find the vision statements of 10 different companies that you are interested in. You can
get these either from annual reports or from online searches. If you prefer, take the vision
statements outlined in Table 9.4.
Students can start by working through the vision statements from Table 9.4 and then assess
others that they have found.
2. Choose two different frameworks from Table 9.3.
3. Assess the vision statements in relation to the two frameworks.
The answers to this question should be assessed according to the frameworks that are
selected.
4. What are your conclusions about each of the visions? Do they have the wow factor?
Why?
The answer(s) for this question should relate to the students responses to Question 3, and
be supported by their reasons.

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EXERCISE 9.2 (p.261)

Whats the Business Press View on Vision Statements?

Purpose
This exercise is designed for the student to assess the way the business press write about
vision statements when a company is undergoing a time of change. First, they need to
realize that they cant trust all they read. The ability to interpret statements made in the
press and form their own opinion is an important skill for the student. This skill is also
needed for when they are working in a change situation, as the press can influence the
attitude of other stakeholders. An important factor to remember is that in most large
organizations the change process will be examined by others outside the organization who
may find fault. The match between vision and the current change may need to be
considered during the change process, and may require the introduction of a new vision
statement. This is a practical exercise to move students from theory to having some skill in
their identification of the match between vision and the way an organization can be
perceived from the outside during the process of change. The exercise also gets students to
think about the common-sense understandings and assumptions that exist in the public
domain about the way change is linked to vision.

Options/Techniques/Requirements
Format:

Individually or in groups of two to four students.

Materials:
Revise Table 9.1 Images of Managing Change and How They Relate to Vision.
Flip chart/easels and paper for group work.
Access to business magazines and/or press articles online.
Time Required:
The longest time will probably be in finding the articles. However, this will vary according
to the expertise the students have in internet searches. Time required for the actual exercise
will vary according to the number of articles that are reviewed. Expect students to take
approximately 15 to 20 minutes per company.
Undergraduate:
Students should have little trouble completing this exercise.
MBA/Executive:
Students should have little trouble completing this exercise.

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Potential Problems and Helpful Hints

Students who have not taken the time to critically analyze articles in the press
may find this exercise challenging. They will be helped by the instructor
analyzing an article on vision and change in class time and working through the
questions.
Students may need to be reminded that assessment of the success or failure of a
change attempt will depend to a certain extend on who is reporting the change,
and the timing of the assessment.

Debriefing
The debriefing takes students through the difficulty of completing a change program when
the process is watched externally and critiqued (often) publicly. The process of change in
an organization affects many aspects of the business and it is important that external
images are monitored (as well as the more obvious internal images). Students should be
encouraged to give examples of what they learned through this exercise, especially in
relation to their views on the relationship or importance of vision to change.

Guidelines for Answers to Questions

The answers to the questions in the exercises will need to be assessed according to the
experience and education level of the students. The answers given here are only a
guide.
1. Locate up to half a dozen recent articles from the business press that discuss vision in
relation to specific companies going through organizational change. The change could be
growth, decline, or some form of restructuring. (Hint: Use an electronic database search
to assist you in locating relevant articles.)
2. How does each commentator link vision to the change?
The answer to this question should outline the way the article links the vision statement to
the change in the organization. The answer will often include statements around the
change being visionary, lacking vision, having the wrong vision and the like.
3. Is vision an explanatory variable for understanding why a change succeeded or failed?
Students need to incorporate more than a yes or no in answer for this question. They need
to explain why they think it is an explanatory variable. Better answers will acknowledge
the complexity of the process of change and factors that influence it.
4. How would you rate the tone of the article in relation to vision: positive, neutral, or
negative?
When a student rates the tone of the article, although a subjective answer, they will need to
support their reason with examples.
5. What overall message would a reader receive about vision after reading the article?
This answer should run along similar reasoning as for Question 4, yet consider the overall
picture, weighing up the individual statements that stand out as positive/neutral/negative
with the tone of the whole article. A poor answer would be if the student answers briefly in
absolutes of good or bad.

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6. To what extent are the articles similar in perspective? Are there any points of
difference? How would you explain these?
The answer to this question is a compare and contrast response. Students can list the
similarities and differences and then explain.
7. How influential do you think such articles are on the managers who read them?
Given their experience, MBA/Executive students are likely to answer this question with
more sophistication and reasoning than the answers given by undergraduates. Answers
should include comments about: the writers reputation as a business analyst or
commentator; the reputation of the magazine/newspaper and the typical target audience;
what other information is available and if this is of similar opinion to the other
publications, or is it totally different, etc.

EXERCISE 9.3 (p.272)

Interviewing Followers
Purpose
This exercise is designed for students to gain an understanding of the range of perspectives
employees have on the link between vision and the process of change. The aim is to
broaden students knowledge about the role of vision in producing change, and the
different reactions of recipients of change to vision and vision statements.

Options/Techniques/Requirements
Format:

Individually or in groups of two students.

Materials:
a few vision statements for students to give as examples while interviewing (if
needed) if employees are not sure what a vision statement is.
students should have a copy of the vision statement for the company the
employees work for, as some employees may not know the vision.
Time Required:
The longest time for this exercise will be spent in organising and conducting the
interviews. Each interview, once arranged by the student, will take about 15 to 20 minutes
depending on the level of information the employees have about a change. The time
required after the interviews are completed is approximately 30 minutes, unless the
exercise is to be submitted for formal assessment.

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Undergraduate:
Students may need help in gaining access to employees due to their limited professional
experience. It would be preferable for these students not to try to interview employees in a
company where their contact is through a manager or owner, as the employees may feel
pressured to give the right answer, and be concerned about a lack of confidentiality.
MBA/Executive:
Students with professional experience are likely to have enough contacts to be able to
readily find employees to interview. It may be better for them to approach someone
outside their own company as employees in their own company may feel pressured to give
the right answers.

Potential Problems and Helpful Hints

Depending on the way that the interviews are approached, there could be some
issues of confidentiality where employees are concerned that the information
will be presented to others in the company and this will affect their
employment. Students will need to comply with university ethics regulations
and the instructor should outline these to students.
Students need to make sure that their comments and questions are kept in
everyday language as appropriate for employees (and the industry) they are
interviewing, and not use jargon.
Students may feel that an interview was unsuccessful when an employee didnt
know much about the change situation. The information from this situation is
very useful as it tells a lot about the internal communication system in the
company and the structure of the change. Students should be encouraged to
assess this type of response from What would you expect an employee in this
position to know?
Undergraduate students may find it difficult to gain access to a number of
employees from the one company.

Debriefing
The emphasis in this debrief is on the way the change and vision was seen from the
employees perspective. Students should be encouraged to consider employees (aka the
recipients) when managing change, as employees are the ones that can make or break a
change. Students should be encouraged to think through the implications of vision for
managing organizational change and strategies that they might utilize.

Guidelines for Answers to Questions

The answers to the questions in the exercises will need to be assessed according to the
experience and education level of the students. The answers given here are only a
guide.
Your task is to interview three different employeesthey can be in the same or different
organizations. Get them to think back to an organizational change that they experienced
and ask the following questions:

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1. Were they presented with an organizational vision about the change? If so:
What was it?
What effect did it have on them?
Did they participate in developing the vision?
To what extent did the vision motivate them toward engaging in the change?
How central do they think vision is to achieving organizational change?
2. If your interviewees were not presented with an organizational vision, ask them the
following questions:
Would a vision have helped them participate more in the change?
How central do they think vision is to achieving organizational change?
The answers to these questions should reflect thoughtfulness on the part of students in
their reporting of the interview. Any statements made should be supported by examples
and explained.
When you have completed your interviews, compare and contrast your responses. What
general conclusions emerge regarding the relationship between vision and organizational
change from the point of view of your respondents?
Students are required to compare and contrast their responses and then make some
concluding statements.
What do you learn from this exercise?
This will be a personal assessment of what the student learnt, and how they will apply this
to their future approach to change management.
EXERCISE 9.4 ( p.276)

Delving into Your Organizations Vision

Purpose
This exercise is designed for students to apply their skills to assessing the vision of an
organization they are currently working in (or the university they are studying at). Using
the framework from Collins and Porras,1 they are to analyze the vision and arrive at
various conclusions.

Options/Techniques/Requirements
Format:

Preferably individually.

Materials:
Table 9.13 Vision at Merck (p.277).

Collins, J. C., and Porras, J. I. 1991. Organizational vision and visionary organizations. California Management
Review 34(1): 3052.

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Time Required:
This can be done outside of class as an assignment or in class time. The amount of time
spent will vary depending upon whether individuals have prepared prior to class and then
use the class time to compare and contrast their answers in groups. In the latter situation,
at least 40 minutes will be needed for the group work.
Undergraduate:
Students may have some difficulty in determining the impact of the change in the
organization and this could be helped by the instructor explaining an example in class
time.
MBA/Executive:
Students with professional experience are likely to have enough experience to answer all
the questions without assistance from the instructor.

Potential Problems and Helpful Hints

No real issues.

Debriefing
The debriefing should ask students to give their opinion of the approach to assessing a
vision using the framework of a core ideology and envisioned future. Some examples
could be given in class, and students asked for comments. Ask students to work out a
vision statement for the class that would capture the aspects of this approach.

Guidelines for Answering Questions

The answers to the questions in the exercises will need to be assessed according to the
experience and education level of the students. The answers given here are only a
guide.
1. Choose an organization at which you are currently working or with which you are
familiar (alternatively, choose the university at which you are currently studying).
2. As set out in Table 9.13, Collins and Porras depict vision as composed of core ideology
(core values, purpose) and envisioned future (big hairy audacious goals [BHAGs] and
vivid descriptions).
3. Identify your organizations vision in these terms. You may wish to do this by examining
company documents, talking to others, and reflecting on your own experiences.
The answer to this question should include the vision statement and thoughtful
consideration of the parts of the vision according to Collins and Porras model. Comments
on the vision should be assessed in relation to the vision and any information that is
provided by the students to substantiate their claims.
4. To what extent does this vision help to drive change in your organization? How?
5. To what extent is this vision espoused and in use? How can you tell?
The answer to these two questions will require students to form an opinion on what they
believe and support it with examples from experience, information such as reports, or
articles from the press.

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Chapter 09 - Linking Vision and Change

EXERCISE 9.5 (p.277)

The Great Debates

Purpose
This exercise is designed for students to apply their knowledge of vision statements and
debates about the centrality of the role of vision to organizational change.

Options/Techniques/Requirements
Format:

Two teams of four or

Two debating teams (four people in each), with each side of the debate
supported by a research team that identify the issues involved, and find
examples to support the ideas etc.

Materials:
Managing Change Text
Flip chart/easel and paper for group work
Time Required:
Time for the class exercise is approximately 35 minutes for debate preparation and 25
minutes for the actual debate (each speaker is allowed two and a half minutes for their
speech), followed by a debriefing 10-15 minutes.
The research can be completed by the teams over the week prior to class, and those in the
debating reams could be given a further few days to formulate their speeches if there is to
be no class time allowed for this part of the process.
Undergraduate:
Students may require some help in preparing the material for the debate. However there
are usually a number of students who are experienced in public speaking or debating who
will be willing to participate in the debate.
MBA/Executive:
Students with professional experience are usually experienced in expressing their ideas in
a public format. They may work to win the debate by showmanship, rather than by
concentrating on the quality of their information.

Potential Problems and Helpful Hints

Encourage all the students to participate. The research teams will be fairly big and
one way to ensure that most students participate. The research teams may be split up
into smaller groups which gather information for specific aspects of the vision
debate. This information could be submitted as a report for assessment, while the
ones who are in the debating teams are assessed on their presentation of the debate.

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Chapter 09 - Linking Vision and Change

Debriefing
A quick summary on the board of the main points of the debate could be completed at the
finish. The aim is to ensure that all relevant information is covered. If there are any ideas
missing from the class discussion, the instructor can add them and ask students to explain
their importance.

Guidelines for Answers to Questions

The answers to the questions in the exercises will need to be assessed according to the
experience and education level of the students. The answers given here are only a
guide.
Debate one or more of the following statements:
That vision is crucial in achieving successful organizational change.
That vision is an overrated concept.
That visionary leaders hinder organizational change.
That the success of a vision depends on the cultural context in which it is used.
The debates should have a balance of factors for and against the statements given above,
and cover the main points of the chapter. The better responses would have examples of
vision statements and make some effort in assessing their impact in a change management
process.

Additional Case Studies (p.281)

Pastor Karl at the Whitney Avenue Congregational Church
OConnell, D. (2005) St. Ambrose University The CASE Journal Volume 1, Issue 2
(Spring 2005).
A new pastor arrives at a congregational church with his own vision for the church. His
vision is not immediately accepted, and due to the power structures in the church, he has
little authority to implement it. Thus he must adopt a shaping image of change and help
his parishioners construct and enact a new vision for the church. This case provides an
example of the facilitation approach to vision crafting.
Boman Communications
Lundholm, E. & Haywood-Farmer, J. (2006) Richard Ivey School of Business
This case tells the story of a Swedish marketing communications firms president, and the
vision which he cannot seem to make people understand. The marketing communications
sector is changing, and his vision takes advantage of it, but still the president runs into
numerous frustrations. This case could also be used to illustrate communication strategy in
Chapter 10.

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Chapter 09 - Linking Vision and Change

Circus Oz (A)
Stockton, H. & Phills, J. (2006) Stanford Graduate School of Business
In 2002, Circus Oz was an Australian government-funded traveling circus facing the
prospect of dwindling government financing, and needed to turn elsewhere for money. The
circus general manager was under pressure to hire a director of development who could
secure private funding to keep the operation afloat. Unfortunately, hiring this person at the
market rate would undermine the organizations vision and egalitarian culture, where
every employee made about the same amount of money. This case illustrates the potential
dangers that occur when linking vision and change.
Are the strategic stars aligned for your corporate brand?
Article
Hatch, M.J. & Schultz, M. (2001) Harvard Business Review
While this is a corporate branding article, and not a case, it sheds more light on the
concept of vision, and how vision interacts with image and culture within an organization.
Specifically, gaps between your companys vision and image, or vision and culture, are
common, and the knowledge gleaned from this article can render them avoidable
FNB Metro: Waking up to Change
Ortlepp, K. & Gordon-Brown, C. (2004)
Wits Business School, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
The First National Bank (FNB) used the commonality of shared vision and values to help
break down racial barriers among employees. The next step taken by FNB management
was to try to embed this culture across the business but this was not so successful. This
program was attempted after the company had been through a period of rapid and
extensive change. What could be done to continue to build the vision?
Nokia and MIT's Project Oxygen
Henderson, R. (2004) Harvard Business School
The Nokia case examines the use of vision to change its activities into a new arena.
Management believed the shift was necessary as cell phone and internet technologies were
converging. The company was mobilized to focus its R&D towards this area. The case
explores What are the possible business models? and How can a vision facilitate the
development of a business change?
Classic Case
Bob Galvin and Motorola, Inc. (A)
Case & Teaching Note
Gentile, M. under the direction of Jick, T.D. (1987) Harvard Business School
Paul Galvin founded the Galvin Manufacturing Company 1928 which later became
Motorola. His son, Bob Galvin, became CEO of the company in 1964 after working his
way up the corporate ladder from stock clerk. By the 1980s the company was faced with
an inability to respond quickly to customer needs and lacked the flexibility to adjust to the
rapid changes occurring in the industry. Market competition was placing increased
pressure on the company, and there were internal issues relating to management
(complexity of lines and authority and multiple layers of management). Changes needed to
occur for Motorola to continue to succeed. The case covers the complexity of the changes
that needed to be made and the reticence of senior managers to implement the change,
although they believed change was needed. This is an excellent case examining the
difficulty of implementing change in a large company where the threat to business is
imminent, yet the solution is complicated and requires major investment of time and
money.

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Chapter 09 - Linking Vision and Change

Classic Case
Charlotte Beers at Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide (A)
Case & Teaching Note
Ibarra, H. & Sackley, N. (1995) Harvard Business School
Organizational turnaround of a company is a complex and often-lengthy process involving
business processes and implementation struggles as well as the more important change
of attitudes for both management and employees. Charlotte Beer was the first outsider
CEO in the company and the case takes the student through some of the debates of the
senior managers in the formulation of a vision for the company and the reality of making it
work. The case ends with a description of the decisions faced by Beer in the reorganization of Ogilvy & Mather in the process of change.
Follow-ups to the above classic cases
Bob Galvin and Motorola, Inc. (B)
Case & Teaching Note
Gentile, M. under the direction of Jick, T.D. (1987) Harvard Business School
This case takes a look at the situation through the eyes of Galvin after his speech to the
1983 Officers Meeting. It is a short study on the issue of having others catch the vision
and can be read with the approach of trying to understand how Galvin could have made
the situation clearer to the other managers. This case could be used to have students think
of how Galvin could have communicated in alternate ways to management in order to gain
more support for the changes he saw were necessary. This case can also be used with
Chapter 11 as a stand alone case if enough background information is given.
Bob Galvin and Motorola, Inc. (C)
Case & Teaching Note
Gentile, M. under the direction of Jick, T.D. (1987) Harvard Business School
The implementation of the change occurring at Motorola continues through phases 2 and
3. This case details the reactions of some managers and helps to bring into clearer focus
their reaction as they try to successfully manage their own division and lead their
employees. This is a good multiple perspectives case that can be used to look at change
through the eyes of managers one by one and then as a group. It is important for students
to understand that not all changes in a company will be accepted, supported or understood.
The process through which the company does change is neither mechanical nor
predictable as it involves people, interests and inter-relationships.
Charlotte Beers at Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide (B)
Case & Video Supplement
Ibarra, H. & Sackley, N. (1995) Harvard Business School
The changes at Ogilvy & Mather led by Charlotte Beer involved a massive re-organization
of the company. Two years after the change was initiated, this case reviews the success
of the change and describes what progress has been made by the CEO. This case is a good
follow up for students to read once Case A has been completed. Students should be
encouraged to make a decision on what they think would happen at the end of the first case
and then use Case B to see what actually happened. If the second case is used, it would be
beneficial if time is taken in class to have students understand that the aim is not to
guess what happened after Case A ends. The idea is to see how many different ways a
case can be interpreted, using the information available in the first case to support their
position. It is important to emphasize that what happened at Ogilvy & Mather as described
in Case B may not be the best result possible given the circumstances.

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