Implementation of major organisational change process in NamPower for improved customer service. Paper presented at the 1st Namibia Customer Service Awards & Conference, 2014

Abstract

Reliable and affordable energy is vital for economic growth and development and, therefore, for improvements in wellbeing for all; but also for poverty alleviation, especially for the rural majority in Namibia. In this country NamPower is charged with generating, transmitting and trading energy, and therefore is critical to achieving the socio-economic aspirations of the country as presented in Vision 2030. For NamPower to deliver on the expectations above, the management of the organisation must move with time – as both production technology and demand for energy change rapidly – which would make planning and implementing organisational change an important component of NamPower’s management style. This paper attempts to identify the factors that must be taken into consideration for the implementation of major organisational change at NamPower to be successful. The study adopted a mixed research design, using both qualitative and quantitative data. Survey questionnaire (with both closed- and open-ended questions) was used in interviews with three categories of staff members of NamPower. Kotter’s (1995) eight-step change model provided the basis for many of the questions in the questionnaire. The answers to the closed-ended questions were captured in a 5-point Likert scale, which ranged from ‘strongly disagree’ to ‘strongly agree’. The main findings of the study were that though the management of NamPower established the need for change through discussion, persuasion, and encouragement, presented a clear vision of where NamPower would be after change, and developed strategies to guide workers towards change, individual risk-taking, which contributes to making change successful, was not encouraged and the benefits that will accrue to workers from change were neither discussed nor even communicated. Also, though the reward system sometimes recognised individual initiative, effort and achievement, it was not seen by the majority to be fair because it did not often recognise rank. These clogs in the wheels of change need to be removed for NamPower to be an excellent service provider.

Description

Namibia Customer Service Awards & Conference (1st: 2014 Nov.: Windhoek)

Keywords

NamPower - Customer service - Namibia, Customer service - Namibia, Organisational change - Namibia, Change - Organisations, Namibia Customer Service Awards & Conference, 1st, 2014, Windhoek

Citation

Mulele, M. M., & Mensah, S. (2014). Implementation of major organisational change process in NamPower for improved customer service. Paper presented at the 1st Namibia Customer Service Awards & Conference, 2014