Russia's Socio-Political and Economic System

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2. Transition – Once change is initiated, the organization moves into a transition period, which may last for some time. Adequate leadership and reassurance is necessary for the process to be successful

The new head developed relationships with managers on all hierarchical levels, who were important for successful change implementation and convinced them of the necessity of change.

The Agency launched several new youth camps. It involved existing employees and new staff working together and managing these events. It allowed the new employees to gain practical experience and to acquire new skills.

3. Refreeze – After change has been accepted and successfully implemented, the company becomes stable again, and staff refreezes as they operate under the new guidelines.

The Agency replaced the top management team, right after the organization passed through several strategic changes. New top team members brought important prior experience from their former organizations into the Agency.

In addition to making operational and strategic changes, the organization also changed its approach to the implementation of technology, by targeting various youth social groups. It set up social media profiles in all famous social networks and launched a personal automatic information system to inform young people about its events, competitions, and grants.

Moreover, the Agency altered the set of its events and developed more products, and even broadened them globally. The Institute made the rebranding of its main event (youth camp) and divided it into 5 separate events in different locations throughout Russia.

III. Assessing the success or failure of the change management effort

Success.

First, as the reorg began, the new head shared with employees a new sense of mission. The greatest achievement was to offer the company’s employees a new sense that their work has real meaning.

Prior to the restructuring, employees lacked a positive sense of purpose, with the result being low morale and weakened employee engagement. Although Microsoft’s future looks brighter as a result of the still-ongoing reorg, perhaps its greatest achievement has already been realized: to offer the company’s employees a new sense that their work has real meaning.

Second, the Agency developed a Youth Development Strategy of the Russian Federation which will be ongoing until 2025. This document set out how the government, working with families and communities, can nurture young people in developing the skills and attitudes they need to play a positive role in society, now and in the future.

Third, the Agency diversified the set of its events, which became acceptable to different groups of young people in Russia, in all of their diversity such as the social, economic, cultural and ethnic characteristics.

Forth, the organization adopted and implemented new technology, which helped them to communicate with their target audience more efficiently.

Failures.

First, the Agency couldn't overcome the "Komsomol curse". Agency leaders were not ordinarily chosen because of their commitment to spearheading reform or because of their track record in leading large-scale change efforts. Rather, they were appointed on the basis of their political connections. Also, agency leaders hired their staff based on their personal loyalty rather than professional skills. As a result, HR planning remained on the same low level.

Second, once a person is selected to lead an agency, he/she usually had only a limited amount of time. Because of bureaucratic procedures, the appointment process occupied the first months. Also, because of political intrigues, the average tenure of political appointees was around 24 months, tempting top agency officials to concentrate on policy reforms that could be enacted quickly, instead of on a time-consuming organizational revamp whose results might not be around for seeing.

Third, rules governing such areas as procurement, personnel, and budgeting, which were originally adopted to prevent public-sector wrongdoing, created workplaces that were significantly less flexible than those in the private sector. And legal doctrines intended to keep agencies’ activities inhibited initiative.

IV. Identifying lessons learned that can be applied in another context.

The strategy of the public organization can get blurred or lost as political priorities shift and agency leaders come and go. Even in the best of situations, a strategy is subject to varying interpretations.

Before adopting one of the many change management approaches and models, an organization must first figure out why it needs the changes, how the changes will benefit it and what’s the most aspect of work should be changed in the first place or why previous efforts wouldn't successful?

Many agencies' reformers view that transformation process is rush changes, and fail to pay careful attention to the steps necessary to get from “here” (current agency status) to “there” (improved performance). Creating a road map is the necessary step.

Some features of public organizations may never go away. But if agency leaders figure out how to court support among key stakeholders, rededicate employees to an agency’s true mission, undertake reform so comprehensively that resistant elements are unable to subvert it and lay the groundwork for next steps so clearly and systematically that progress continues when leadership changes hands.

Public-sector employees often stay at their agencies for a long time, typically much longer than their agencies’ leaders. And many have watched change-efforts come and go. However, they can be helpful to a leader seeking change because those employees know a lot about an organization. Agencies' leaders can gain operational knowledge and the employee support needed for it to succeed.

The engagement of all staff in a changing process, their participation, understanding, and contribution to future goals could be productive even in traditionally hierarchically structured and bureaucratic organizations.

Implementing enterprise-wide information technology can lead a positive impact on productivity, job satisfaction, and other work attitudes.