Part -1:

Case Analysis: Eastman Kodak: Kodak's Transition to Digital

In January 2012, famous and one of the oldest photography product company, Eastman Kodak filed for Chapter 11 protection in U.S.

Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. According to Robert Burley, an associate professor at Toronto's Ryerson University, although Kodak anticipated the inevitable rise of digital photography, its corporate culture was too rooted in the successes of the past (film-based photography) for it to make the clean break necessary to fully embrace the future.

Kodak was slow to respond to the changing marketing conditions and consumer preferences. Also, over the last several years, the rise of the smartphone further transformed the market, as consumers increasingly preferred to use feature-rich iPhones and Google Android devices over digital cameras.

The main issue behind this case is the problems faced by the Eastman Kodak Company in the process of changing to Digital technology in photo printing. Keeping the recent collapse of Kodak in mind, analyse the given case study and answer the given questions;

• What were the driving forces behind Kodak's decision to transition to digital photography?
• What were the major issues faced by Kodak in the transition process?
• Now that you know what happened to the company, what went wrong at Kodak from the Change Management perspective?
• What would have been potential barrier to change at Kodak?
• What would you do if you were managing a change project at Kodak in a management role?

In addition to reading the case study, you will need to research the company and recent developments leading to Chapter 11 protection in January 2012. Make sure that you cite all the external sources using the Harvard Referencing System.

Answers should be concise and within the scope of the case situation; contained within 3-4 paragraphs each. Assessment Criteria

The following assessment criteria will be used for marking this assessment task. Ensure that you have addressed all of the criteria in your work.

• Responses to the case study shows case comprehension and an understanding of change management challenges faced by organisations
• Identified and discussed forces in external environment that necessitated a change in strategy at Kodak
• Identified and discussed the need for change at Kodak
• Identified and discussed major issues and challenges faced by Kodak in the digital age
• Reponses shows a reasonable degree of research (at least four other sources cited) into Kodak's strategy and change management process
• Researched and discussed Kodak's weaknesses and competitive threats vis-à-vis its strengths
• Provided own views on company's shortcomings and mistakes
• Discussed the change management aspects of failure (e.g. inability to transform and change deep-seated perceptions in past success) in the company
• Researched and discussed potential barrier to change at Kodak that were catalyst in its demise
• Analysed company's situation and provided own thoughts on an effective change management strategy that could have been employed at Kodak
• The case analysis is structured and integrates a number of external sources and analyses with the case study
• Cited external sources using an appropriate referencing system

Part -2:

Team Project: Develop and Present a Change Management Project Plan

Note to Trainers/assessors: As this assessment tasks is project based, this task should be handed out at the beginning of the term to set the project in motion and allow the students to gradually develop the relevant concepts, knowledge and skills in conjunction with classroom learning sessions. Some project time should also be allocated in each session to practice and complete relevant ports of the project. Also, depending on the group size, the case used in the project con be varied (e.g. HP Compaq merger, AOC and Time Warner Merger, Westpac - Creating a sustainable business, and BOC - Promoting Gos & Gear through effective change management etc.) - or something simplistic such as "A local bookstore going online" if required.

This assessment task is being given as a team project. A team of up to four (4) members with diverse skill sets should be formed at the beginning of the project. With a view to use the project to simulate a real-life exercise, groups will play the role of a Change Management Project Team working in the given case organisation/profile. The trainer/assessor can nominate group roles and set the project in motion. Project background and scenario are given below.

Background:

The Wall Street Journal reported in 2009 that Blockbuster Video, whose shares were trading below $1, was seeking advice on how to file for bankruptcy. Blockbuster, at the time, countered that it was only trying to get help to restructure company's debts. Finally on Sept 23, 2010, Blockbuster filed for bankruptcy.

In Australia, Paul Uniacke, who owns and operates the Franchise Entertainment Group, which includes the Blockbuster, Video Ezy and EzyDVD chains, said the Australian Blockbuster chain was separate from the US Company and said that there was no threat to the local business. While in the US, the Blockbuster group was taken over by Dish Network, taking the brand into home entertainment through its cable network, Blockbuster continues to operate in Australia as a traditional video rental store chain. Uniacke also said the Australian Blockbuster business remains better protected against online offerings, such as Quickflix, backed by entrepreneur Simon Backer, and BigPond DVD Rentals, saying the bricks-and-mortar stores offer better returns (Stafford, 2010: Smart Company).

As the market continues to evolve in many different directions with Google, Logitech, Intel and Sony entering the market with Google's open source Google TV software, Apple TV, and a gradually increasing uptake of Telstra's T-Box and Foxtel's Movies on Demand - not to mention the new entrant Red Room DVD that offers cheap DVD rentals through kiosks, the competitive environment for entertainment is becoming increasingly challenging for conventional video rental stores such as Blockbuster and Video Ezy in Australia.

Scenario:

In this assessment task, you and your tram will assume the role of a Change Management Project Team working at the headquarters of the Franchise Entertainment Group. After a month long deliberation, FEG's

board has decided to revamp the company and introduce two new services in a forward-looking strategy to tackle a growing threat of domestic competition;

• Shopping centre Kiosks for DVD rentals
• Downloadable movies through its website that expire after 48 hours

Your team has been given the responsibility to develop a Change Management plan that should include;

• Identify and explain the need for change
• Explain the likely impact of proposed changes on the company and its operations
• Identify change requirements and develop specific and measurable objectives for the project
• An analysis of trends in the external environment using an appropriate tool/technique (e.g. Consumer preferences, technology etc.)
• Competitor analysis (at least two comparable competitors)
• Specify major change requirements in company's operations due to planned changes
• Cost-benefit analysis
• Risk analysis and risk mitigation strategies
• A communication or an education plan to promote the benefits of the change to the organisation
• Perceived barriers to change and strategies to overcome the barriers
• Need for staff training and learning to implement the new initiative
• Strategies for implementing or actioning the change at the company and its stores
• Resources required for implementation of the project (project resources)

You project plan should also include, specific to the project;

• A brief description of roles and responsibilities of the team members
• Team protocols and rules (including measure to deal with non-attendance and non-performance of team members)
• Team dynamics and delegation of tasks

The project should be written in a formal style consistent with common project management practices and expectations. You would have had an opportunity to review sample project plans prior to completing this project and can draw ideas on plan structures from them. The plan must include an executive summary and final recommendations along with all the required parts as mentioned above.

Once you have finished the project, present the key project highlights and features to the class. The class will play the role of the audience (staff). You should also gather audience feedback and include the feedback analysis in the project plan.