LEAD FPX 5220 Assessment 2 Assessing Priorities and Planning for Change

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Capella University

LEAD-FPX 5220 Leader as Change Agent

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Date

LEAD FPX 5220 Assessment 2 Assessing Priorities and Planning for Change

Abstract

A reliable IT infrastructure supports organizational growth by improving communication, protecting business information, and coordinating operations across departments. Strategic technology planning is especially important for companies experiencing rapid growth, as outdated systems can reduce productivity, compromise data security, and disrupt customer service. XYZ Corporation, a gaming company that experienced significant business expansion, illustrates the consequences of failing to modernize its IT infrastructure. As its gaming portfolio and workforce grew, the company continued relying on technology that could no longer support its operational demands. These limitations eventually resulted in technical failures, data loss, customer complaints, and a six-month operational shutdown.

This paper examines the organizational challenges that contributed to the crisis, evaluates internal and external factors driving change, and applies Lewin’s force field analysis to assess readiness for organizational transformation. Recommendations include upgrading IT infrastructure, establishing reliable backup and disaster recovery systems, hiring qualified IT professionals, and strengthening leadership accountability. These changes are essential to restoring operational stability, improving customer satisfaction, and supporting sustainable organizational growth.

Change Challenge: Organizational Growth and IT Infrastructure Failure

Organizational change is inevitable, but the way leaders anticipate, manage, and implement change significantly influences business performance. XYZ Corporation, a gaming company experiencing rapid expansion, demonstrates how inadequate infrastructure planning can undermine organizational success. As the director of finance, I observed how the company’s technological limitations affected financial operations, employee productivity, and customer satisfaction.

Initially, XYZ Corporation operated with three games and a small data center containing approximately four servers, routers, firewalls, storage systems, and server racks. Five employees managed the company during its early stages. Although this infrastructure was sufficient at the time, it was not designed to accommodate substantial business expansion. The company’s leadership continued using the existing systems despite increasing operational demands and the need for more advanced technology.

Between 2001 and 2005, XYZ Corporation experienced considerable growth. Its gaming portfolio expanded from three games to 15, while its workforce increased from five to 215 employees. Revenue rose from $500,000 in 2001 to $3.5 million in 2003 and reached $7.5 million in 2004. The company attracted customers through engaging gaming content, responsive customer service, and a cash shop that offered costumes, avatars, and equipment customization.

LEAD FPX 5220 Assessment 2 Assessing Priorities and Planning for Change

Despite these achievements, the company’s IT infrastructure did not evolve alongside its business operations. In April 2005, customers began reporting problems with server connectivity, unexpected disconnections, missing avatars, and purchased items that did not appear in their accounts. Internal operations also deteriorated. Employees experienced email outages, insufficient network storage, login difficulties, and the loss of important business records.

The situation became more serious when the company lost three years of accounting data and project files created by its creative and design departments. Without a reliable backup server, recovering the missing information became extremely difficult. These failures exposed the risks of operating without appropriate infrastructure planning, data protection measures, and technical expertise. Ultimately, XYZ Corporation had to suspend operations for six months while IT consultants assessed its systems and implemented technological improvements.

Lazor (2020) emphasizes the importance of IT infrastructure in facilitating organizational communication and reducing operational inefficiencies. XYZ Corporation’s experience reinforces this principle by demonstrating that technology must support both current business activities and anticipated growth. Its failure to invest in appropriate infrastructure transformed a manageable modernization requirement into a major organizational crisis.

Factors Driving Organizational Change

Organizational change is influenced by internal and external forces. External forces include technological developments, market competition, globalization, and changing customer expectations. Internal forces include leadership decisions, workforce capabilities, organizational culture, and strategic priorities. Understanding these factors helps organizations identify why change is necessary and how to implement it effectively.

External Factors Driving Change

Technological Advancement and Digital Transformation

Technology is a major driver of organizational change, particularly in industries that depend on digital platforms and continuous service availability. Gaming companies require reliable servers, adequate storage capacity, effective cybersecurity controls, and scalable systems to deliver consistent customer experiences. As digital technologies evolve, organizations must evaluate whether their existing infrastructure can meet changing operational requirements.

Jan and Veronika (2017) discuss the importance of anticipating developments and adapting to changing market conditions for long-term organizational success. XYZ Corporation failed to apply this principle because it lacked experienced IT personnel who could recognize infrastructure limitations and communicate the need for modernization to leadership.

As the company expanded its gaming portfolio, its servers and storage systems became increasingly inadequate. The resulting outages affected customers and disrupted internal processes, including accounting, communication, and project management. Hiring IT consultants became necessary to diagnose the problems and establish a more reliable technological foundation.

The experience demonstrates that digital transformation should be a proactive business strategy rather than a response to a crisis. Regular infrastructure assessments, capacity planning, software updates, and disaster recovery testing could have reduced the likelihood and severity of these failures.

Globalization and International Market Demands

Globalization creates opportunities for businesses to reach international customers, diversify revenue streams, and compete in new markets. However, international expansion also increases operational complexity and requires organizations to consider different customer expectations, time zones, service requirements, and technological demands.

Morris (2013) explains that globalization can expose organizations to new markets and learning opportunities while encouraging broader strategic thinking. As a subsidiary of an international company, XYZ Corporation had access to a potentially wider customer base. Nevertheless, its leadership focused primarily on North America and failed to adequately consider its Asian customers.

This limited perspective weakened the company’s ability to plan for international growth. A technology strategy designed around one market may not adequately support a geographically distributed customer base. Global operations require dependable infrastructure, scalable service delivery, coordinated communication, and contingency planning.

To address these challenges, XYZ Corporation should align its IT investments with its international business objectives. Leadership should evaluate regional customer demand, service availability, infrastructure capacity, and opportunities for expanding into additional markets.

Accelerating Customer Expectations and Business Growth

Customer expectations continue to evolve as digital services become faster, more accessible, and more reliable. Gaming customers expect uninterrupted access, responsive platforms, accurate transaction processing, and timely delivery of purchased digital items. Organizations that fail to meet these expectations risk losing customer trust and competitive advantage.

Morris (2013) describes how interconnected forces can accelerate change and amplify its effects. XYZ Corporation illustrates this relationship through the simultaneous growth of its workforce, gaming portfolio, and customer base. Expanding from three to 15 games while increasing its workforce from five to 215 employees created demands that the original infrastructure could not accommodate.

The company’s leadership underestimated the speed at which operational requirements were changing. Instead of adapting its systems as growth occurred, management allowed technological limitations to accumulate until they disrupted essential business functions.

A sustainable response requires continuous monitoring of system performance, customer feedback, and business growth. By identifying capacity limitations early, XYZ Corporation can prioritize upgrades, maintain service quality, and respond more effectively to future market demands.

Internal Factors Driving Organizational Change

Leadership Vision and Strategic Planning

Leadership plays a central role in identifying organizational risks, allocating resources, and establishing priorities. Effective leaders must recognize when existing systems no longer support organizational objectives and communicate the need for change before problems become critical.

At XYZ Corporation, leadership failed to develop a long-term technology strategy that reflected the company’s growth. Although revenue and staffing increased substantially, investment in IT infrastructure did not keep pace. This disconnect suggests that management prioritized immediate operating needs over long-term resilience and sustainability.

A lack of strategic planning can also create uncertainty among employees. When leaders do not explain organizational goals or establish clear priorities, departments may struggle to coordinate their activities and respond to emerging problems. XYZ Corporation needed stronger executive oversight, a clearly defined modernization plan, and measurable objectives for improving technology and operations.

Leadership should establish a formal governance structure for IT investments, including regular infrastructure reviews, risk assessments, and accountability for implementing corrective actions. These measures would help ensure that technological decisions support the company’s broader mission and financial objectives.

Workforce Skills and Organizational Readiness

Employee knowledge and technical expertise are essential to successful organizational change. Although existing employees may understand daily business operations, they may not possess the specialized skills required to design, maintain, and secure complex IT systems.

XYZ Corporation relied on employees without adequate IT backgrounds to establish and maintain its initial infrastructure. This approach may have been practical during the company’s early development, but it became increasingly unsuitable as operations expanded. The absence of experienced technical personnel limited the organization’s ability to identify infrastructure risks and implement preventive solutions.

Staren and Eckes (2013) discuss the challenges associated with organizational change and the importance of addressing resistance. Employees may experience uncertainty when new technologies, responsibilities, or working methods are introduced. However, appropriate communication, training, and leadership support can help employees understand the purpose of change and participate more effectively.

XYZ Corporation should recruit qualified IT professionals and provide relevant training to employees whose responsibilities will be affected by new systems. Clearly communicating the reasons for modernization can also reduce uncertainty and encourage cooperation throughout the organization.

Identifying the Required Organizational Change

XYZ Corporation needs a comprehensive IT modernization strategy supported by stronger leadership, appropriate staffing, and effective risk management. The central problem is not simply outdated equipment; it is the absence of an integrated approach to technology planning and organizational growth.

The company should replace or upgrade aging hardware, strengthen network and storage capacity, implement reliable backup systems, and establish disaster recovery procedures. It should also evaluate whether its infrastructure can support international operations and increasing customer demand.

These changes would address immediate operational weaknesses while preparing the organization for future expansion. Reliable technology would improve communication, reduce downtime, protect financial and creative records, and strengthen customer confidence.

LEAD FPX 5220 Assessment 2 Assessing Priorities and Planning for Change

Successful implementation will also require changes in organizational decision-making. Technology investments should be treated as strategic business priorities rather than discretionary expenses. Leadership must evaluate the long-term costs of system failures alongside the initial costs of modernization. Although new infrastructure and qualified personnel require investment, preventing major disruptions can protect revenue, productivity, and the organization’s reputation.

Staren and Eckes (2013) note that organizational change can generate anxiety and resistance. Consequently, XYZ Corporation should communicate the reasons for modernization, explain its expected benefits, and involve relevant employees in planning and implementation. This approach can strengthen organizational readiness and improve the likelihood of sustained adoption.

Readiness for Change and Heightening Awareness

Preparing an organization for change involves recognizing the urgency of the problem, identifying the resources required for improvement, and addressing factors that may prevent progress. XYZ Corporation must understand that continuing with an inadequate infrastructure creates ongoing operational, financial, and reputational risks.

Leadership should communicate the consequences of the existing system failures using documented evidence, including customer complaints, service interruptions, data losses, and the costs associated with the six-month shutdown. This information can help employees and executives understand why modernization is necessary.

The company should also establish a clear vision for the future. That vision should include dependable gaming services, secure business information, efficient internal communication, and scalable technology that supports international growth. Defined goals and measurable performance indicators would allow leadership to evaluate progress and maintain accountability.

Lewin’s Force Field Analysis Approach

Lewin’s force field analysis (FFA) provides a structured method for examining the factors that support or resist organizational change. The approach helps decision-makers identify the forces influencing a proposed change and develop strategies to strengthen supportive factors while reducing barriers. Mak and Chang (2019) applied force field analysis to examine factors influencing environmental strategy adoption in the hotel industry, illustrating its usefulness for analyzing organizational decisions.

The process involves five main steps:

1. Identify the proposed organizational change.

2. Identify the driving forces that support the change.

3. Identify the restraining forces that may prevent or delay it.

4. Develop strategies to strengthen the driving forces.

5. Develop strategies to reduce or eliminate the restraining forces.

For XYZ Corporation, the proposed change is a comprehensive modernization of its IT infrastructure and related management practices. Three major driving forces are technological advancement, globalization, and accelerating business and customer demands.

Driving Force 1: The Digital Revolution

The digital revolution is a significant driving force because XYZ Corporation depends on technology to develop games, deliver online services, process purchases, and manage internal operations. Customers expect stable connections, fast performance, and reliable access to purchased content. Employees also require dependable systems for communication, accounting, file storage, and project coordination.

The company’s existing equipment could not support these demands as its business expanded. The resulting failures demonstrated that maintaining outdated infrastructure created substantial operational risks.

However, modernization may be restrained by the cost of new equipment, limited technical expertise, and employee concerns about adopting unfamiliar systems. Management may also underestimate the long-term financial consequences of delaying investment.

XYZ Corporation can strengthen this driving force by presenting a business case that compares modernization costs with the potential costs of downtime, lost data, reduced productivity, and customer dissatisfaction. Phased implementation, employee training, and clearly defined performance goals can help reduce financial and operational barriers.

Driving Force 2: Globalization

Globalization is another important driving force because XYZ Corporation operates within an international business environment and serves customers beyond North America. International expansion creates opportunities to increase revenue, diversify markets, and reach additional gaming communities.

Nevertheless, globalization may be constrained by limited executive support, insufficient knowledge of international customer needs, and an organizational culture that prioritizes domestic operations. Without a clear international strategy, the company may struggle to coordinate services across regions or respond effectively to changing demand.

To address these challenges, leadership should develop a global technology strategy that considers regional service requirements, infrastructure capacity, customer expectations, and operational continuity. Collaboration between executive management, technical personnel, and customer service teams can help ensure that international business objectives are reflected in infrastructure decisions.

The company should also establish measurable international performance goals. These could include service availability, customer satisfaction, response times, and the reliability of transactions across supported markets.

Driving Force 3: Accelerating Change

Accelerating customer expectations and business expansion create pressure for XYZ Corporation to modernize quickly. The growth of its portfolio from three to 15 games and its workforce from five to 215 employees demonstrates how rapidly operational requirements can change.

However, rapid implementation without adequate planning can introduce additional risks. Limited budgets, competing priorities, insufficient staffing, and the complexity of replacing existing systems may delay modernization. Attempting to change every system simultaneously could also disrupt operations.

XYZ Corporation should therefore adopt a phased implementation strategy. Critical systems should receive priority based on their impact on customer service, financial operations, and data protection. Each phase should include testing, employee training, performance evaluation, and contingency planning before the next phase begins.

This approach would allow the company to respond to urgent operational needs while maintaining control over implementation costs and minimizing disruption.

Recommendations for Sustainable Organizational Change

XYZ Corporation should implement a coordinated strategy that combines infrastructure modernization, workforce development, leadership accountability, and long-term risk management. Replacing outdated equipment alone will not prevent future problems unless the company also improves the processes used to maintain and evaluate its technology.

Upgrade IT Infrastructure and Establish Redundant Systems

The company should assess its current infrastructure and replace equipment that cannot support present and anticipated business requirements. Modern servers, scalable storage, reliable networking equipment, and appropriate security controls would improve system performance and support continued growth.

XYZ Corporation should also establish redundant infrastructure or an appropriate secondary recovery environment. A second physical data center may be suitable depending on business requirements, budget, and recovery objectives. Alternatively, a properly designed cloud-based or hybrid disaster recovery solution may provide an effective option.

The company should maintain regular backups of accounting records, customer information, project files, and other critical business data. Backups should be protected against unauthorized access and ransomware, and recovery procedures should be tested regularly. Merely creating backups is insufficient if the organization cannot restore its information when needed.

Recruit Qualified IT Professionals

XYZ Corporation should employ experienced IT personnel who can manage infrastructure, assess technological risks, and plan for future growth. Depending on organizational needs, these responsibilities may include network administration, cybersecurity, systems maintenance, cloud services, and disaster recovery.

Qualified professionals can help leadership make informed decisions about technology investments and establish maintenance procedures that reduce the likelihood of unexpected failures. The company should also define clear responsibilities for monitoring system performance, managing incidents, protecting data, and maintaining documentation.

Strengthen Leadership and Change Management

Executive leadership must recognize technology as a strategic business investment. Leaders should communicate the reasons for modernization, establish priorities, allocate adequate resources, and monitor implementation progress.

A formal change management plan should identify affected departments, anticipated risks, employee training needs, and communication responsibilities. Employees should have opportunities to ask questions, report concerns, and participate in testing new systems.

Dallas (2015) emphasizes the challenges leaders may encounter when presenting and implementing organizational change. At XYZ Corporation, a well-supported business case can help address objections about cost and demonstrate how modernization contributes to organizational resilience, operational efficiency, and long-term profitability.

Develop a Long-Term Technology and Risk Management Plan

The company should establish a technology roadmap aligned with its business objectives for the next three to five years. The roadmap should include scheduled infrastructure assessments, capacity planning, cybersecurity reviews, data retention policies, and disaster recovery exercises.

Leadership should evaluate the effectiveness of these measures using indicators such as system availability, incident frequency, recovery time, data loss, customer complaints, and IT-related operating costs. Regular reviews would allow the organization to identify emerging problems and adjust its strategy before failures affect essential operations.

Evaluate Outcomes and Sustain Improvements

Sustainable change requires continuous evaluation rather than a one-time infrastructure upgrade. XYZ Corporation should review implementation outcomes, gather employee and customer feedback, and compare actual performance against established objectives.

The organization should document lessons learned from the shutdown and use them to improve future planning. Regular training, technology reviews, backup testing, and leadership oversight can help make continuous improvement part of the company’s organizational culture.

Conclusion

XYZ Corporation’s experience demonstrates how inadequate IT infrastructure and weak strategic planning can threaten organizational performance during periods of rapid growth. The company’s expansion from three to 15 games and from five to 215 employees created operational demands that its original systems could not support. Subsequent service disruptions, customer complaints, and significant data losses ultimately contributed to a six-month shutdown.

Technological advancement, globalization, and accelerating customer expectations created external pressure for change, while insufficient leadership planning and limited technical expertise contributed to internal weaknesses. Lewin’s force field analysis provides a useful framework for understanding these driving and restraining forces and developing practical strategies for improvement.

To achieve sustainable organizational change, XYZ Corporation should modernize its IT infrastructure, implement reliable backup and disaster recovery systems, recruit qualified technical personnel, and strengthen leadership accountability. A phased implementation strategy supported by employee engagement and measurable performance goals would help minimize disruption and encourage lasting adoption. By treating technology as a strategic organizational asset, XYZ Corporation can improve operational resilience, protect business information, strengthen customer satisfaction, and establish a more sustainable foundation for future growth.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main organizational change challenge facing XYZ Corporation?

The primary challenge is an outdated IT infrastructure that cannot support the company’s rapid growth. Insufficient technology planning and limited technical expertise contributed to service interruptions, lost business data, reduced productivity, and a six-month operational shutdown.

Why is IT infrastructure important for organizational success?

IT infrastructure supports communication, data management, customer service, financial operations, and business continuity. Reliable infrastructure helps organizations operate efficiently, protect information, respond to customer needs, and scale their services as demand increases.

What factors drove the need for change at XYZ Corporation?

The major external factors were technological advancement, globalization, and increasing customer expectations. Internal factors included inadequate leadership planning, insufficient technical expertise, and a failure to align technology investments with business growth.

How does Lewin’s force field analysis support organizational change?

Lewin’s force field analysis identifies the driving forces that support change and the restraining forces that may prevent it. Organizations can use this framework to strengthen supportive factors, address barriers, and develop a more effective implementation strategy.

What recommendations would help XYZ Corporation prevent future IT failures?

The company should modernize its infrastructure, establish redundant systems, maintain and test secure backups, recruit qualified IT professionals, strengthen cybersecurity, and develop a formal disaster recovery plan. Regular performance monitoring and long-term technology planning would further reduce operational risks.

How can leadership improve employee readiness for change?

Leadership can improve readiness by explaining why change is necessary, communicating expected benefits, providing training, involving employees in implementation, and addressing concerns openly. Clear responsibilities and measurable goals can also strengthen accountability and encourage adoption.

Why is disaster recovery planning important for growing businesses?

Disaster recovery planning helps organizations restore critical systems and information after technical failures, cyberattacks, or other disruptive events. Regularly tested recovery procedures can reduce downtime, limit data loss, and help protect customer trust and business continuity.

References

Dallas, H. J. (2015). Mastering the challenges of leading change: Inspire the people and succeed where others fail. John Wiley & Sons. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/capella/reader.action?docID=4043016

Jan, D., & Veronika, T. (2017). Examination of factors affecting the implementation of organizational changes. Journal of Competitiveness, 9(4), 5–17. https://doi.org/10.7441/joc.2017.04.01

Lazor, D. (2020, September 21). IT infrastructure matters much more than you think. Lazor Point. https://www.lazorpoint.com/insights/bid/396690/it-infrastructure-matters-much-more-than-you-think

Mak, A. H., & Chang, R. C. (2019). The driving and restraining forces for environmental strategy adoption in the hotel industry: A force field analysis approach. Tourism Management, 73, 48–60. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261517719300123

Morris, L. (2013, July 18). The driving forces of change. Innovation Management. https://innovationmanagement.se/2013/07/18/the-driving-forces-of-change/

Staren, E., & Eckes, C. (2013). Optimizing organizational change. Physician Executive, 39(3), 58–60. https://search.proquest.com/docview/1349951321