Leading change at Corus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Leading change at Corus - Essay Example Leadership effort must therefore support and build organization members particularly employees to understand leadership agenda in managing change and play their role within the sphere of their activities (Black & Hal 2002, p. 91). Implementing change sometimes require sense of urgency. Of great importance is to understand change, drivers and barriers of change and identify strategies and initiatives geared towards leading change effectively. This study explores and examines changes that have occurred at Corus, how the company has managed them, barriers that have been faced concerning change and reasons for the changes. Corus Tata Steel Group is world’s sixth largest producer of steel. Corus forms part of the group in Europe being the second largest producer of steel in Europe with approximately  £12 billion annual revenue. Corus produces over 20 million tons annually in U.K. and in Netherlands. The company has global network of service centres and sales offices employing about 42,000 staff across globe (Corus, 2010). Corus has been a leader in supplying steel to various markets across the globe. Long Products Business is Corus’ business unit that manufactures steel in France, Scotland and England. The three units produce various steel products that range from wire rod to steel plate to steel rail. Key markets for the Long Products Business include engineering, construction, mining, machinery, earthmoving equipments, fastening, rail and ship building. Continuous improvement gives business a competitive advantage enabling it to stick ahead of its competitors and also increase market share. Good use of experience and skills enables organizations to enhance better products and processes. In the context of Corus, the company uses continuous improvement to drive new and innovative products development and meet customers’ needs (Corus, 2010). Continuous improvement practices have enabled Corus to solve problems that face its steel works and win great contracts. Continuous improvement practices coupled with the dynamic market environment gives forth to new products development and changes in the business process across the company’s divisions and department. Corus is thus challenge to come up with a way of managing the inevitable change. External environment operated in keeps on changing and businesses are challenged to respond on time and appropriately to the changes faced in order to secure their competitiveness. Change management requires support from various business stakeholders including management, employees, shareholders and suppliers among others. Suc h cooperation ensures that the changes made remain embedded to the shaping of the firm. In the context of Corus, the company launched a culture plan through the Corus Strip Products or the CSP team in UK (Corus, 2010). This plan focused on change management and was dubbed ‘The Journey’. The aims of the company were to address wide business challenges and how people carried out work. The plan focused on beliefs and values of the organization members as well as suppliers and partners. The eight core values defined by the plan guides Corus and offer its members the guiding principles. CSP Journey outlined behaviours and values that Corus expected members to follow and encouraged them to remain accountable. Some of the issues the plan aimed at eliminating included tragic accidents occurring on site among other safety and health issues. CSP Journey underpins the company’s culture and has given Corus U.K. a positive approach.