Student Assessment Submission and Declaration: An Analysis of BrewDog's Line Management and Sustainability-Driven Organizational Transitions

Student Assessment Submission and Declaration

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Module name and code:	BMA4001-20 Organisational Behaviour & Management
Title:	Motivating Employees to Respond Positively to Organisational Change: The Role of Line Management
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Executive Summary

This report examines how line management at BrewDog can inspire employees in the context of sustainability-driven organizational transitions. The report demonstrates through the lens of Lewin’s Change Model—comprising unfreezing, change, and refreezing—how BrewDog’s pursuit of carbon negativity and sustainability objectives serves as a tangible case study for this model. A thorough assessment of Lewin’s model is presented, succeeded by suggestions on boosting employee engagement as they navigate the sustainability journey.

Introduction to the Organisation

One of the UK’s most rapidly growing craft beer firms, BrewDog was established in 2007. Trying to fight against climate change, BrewDog has taken important strides towards becoming carbon-negative, which includes tree planting, moving to eco-friendly packaging, and lessening its environmental impact. Supporting employees in enforcing environmental changes is significant for ongoing success as the enterprise attempts to reduce its environmental impact. Guillén (2021) highlights that organizational motivation notably responds to employees' explanation of the reason behind their work, which in the case of BrewDog, may resemble the environmental goals of the company.

This report uses Lewin’s Change Model to explore BrewDog’s initiatives, examining the roles of the stages - unfreezing, change, and refreezing - that line management can employ to lead employees through sustainability transitions. BrewDog’s line managers engage in a critical function of assuring that employees not just apprehend the importance of these changes, but also remain motivated to initiate them, particularly within an industry that has long been dominated by unsustainable practices (Ik & Azeez, 2020).

Lewin's Change Model: Overview

The change process that is articulated by Lewin's Change Model includes a structured, three-phase methodology for steering change within an organization. The model is designed to address both the human and procedural aspects of change management:

• Unfreezing: Readying staff for change includes daring to confront the status quo and creating awareness among them of the responsibility they carry for change.

• Change: Moving to fresh ways of working, backed by leadership support, employee engagement, and training.

• Refreezing: Intensifying the adaptations so they become part of cultural practices and keeping a commitment to sustainability in regular operations.

As it is keen to boost its sustainability efforts, this model is of key importance to BrewDog, alongside maintaining employee engagement and motivation.

Application of Lewin’s Change Model to BrewDog

Unfreezing

At BrewDog, the unfreezing phase includes getting employees ready to adopt the company’s sustainability shifts. This means figuring out ways to communicate the seriousness of becoming carbon-negative and tie it to BrewDog’s mission. BrewDog's supervisors have the power to assemble team briefings and workshops to illustrate the favorable environmental influences of carbon-negative behaviors along with the enduring benefits for the business that stem from sustainable strategies.

The difficulty is combatting any opposition that might develop from workers who are accustomed to the current procedures. Srivastava and Agrawal (2020) indicate that resistance to change mainly originates from uncertainty and worry about disruption. To handle this problem, the managers at BrewDog have to generate an open discussion with employees, sharing how these adjustments are associated with BrewDog’s values of innovation and honest integrity.

Guillén (2021) maintains that workers tend to accept change more when they understand what it means. Staff members at BrewDog can receive a demonstration from managers on the direct link between their involvement in sustainability efforts, such as cutting waste or adapting brewing methods, and the firm's purpose to take the lead in ecological responsibility within the market for craft beer. The way that these objectives are stressed by managers shaped by their employee values could spawn a purposeful and urgent energy among team members.

Change

Following acceptance of the requirement for change by employees, BrewDog can progress into the change phase. At this time point, line management needs to support the move towards environmentally sound choices, for instance, by reducing energy use during the brewing process, using sustainable packaging, or participating in carbon offset programs. For these modifications to go forward successfully, employees need to acquire the right skills and information.

Employees can experience higher motivation when going through change if they believe they participate in the decision-making process, says Kalogiannidis (2021). BrewDog allows its line managers to nurture employee involvement by requesting that team members provide suggestions for enhancing sustainability in their positions. As an example, individuals working in packaging can recommend sustainable materials, meanwhile, brewers can look for ways to decrease their water usage.

At this mark, good leadership is of critical importance. A report by Li et al. (2021) indicates that the capability to oversee organizations effectively is of critical importance for maintaining employee engagement during transitional periods. For success in sustainability measures, BrewDog’s leadership teams must engage, which could alter the situation of the entire workforce. Effectively showcasing leadership presence is important for the management of initiatives related to planting trees and improving energy efficiency; it acts as a strong indication of the full dedication of the overall team to sustainability targets.

To retain momentum over the long haul, reaching short-term goals is critical. The team at BrewDog has the skill to convert significant sustainability objectives into actionable steps. It may be regarded as a major success to witness a reduction in plastic utilization by 50% within six months. This recognition of these quick successes indicates that advancements are taking place and backs up employee motivation to keep striving for change (Rai et al., 2021).

Analysis of Strengths and Weaknesses of Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory

Even though Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory offers a proper understanding of motivation in the workplace some limitations can be pointed out. Some criticism can be raised concerning the proposed theory, for example, the fact that the author tried to classify the motives into only two types. And in real-life examples, employees’ needs are much more sophisticated and ever-changing in nature. For example, Herzberg does not consider an individual personal characteristics, ethnic differences, and experiences where for instance what can motivate an employee may not motivate the other employee depending on perceived perception of the situation or place.

Also, Herzberg’s theory presumes that motivators always cause satisfaction, while hygiene factors cause dissatisfaction only. However, there is evidence that hygiene factors such as are capable of stimulating workers, and some claim that they do so particularly when the offer of money is linked to the recognition of professional status (Li et al., 2021). In the case of the healthcare organization, a pay rise might not directly motivate everybody in the organization but the organization needs to give a motivational boost to those employees who might have felt that they are not well paid or they are overworked, especially during the periods of transition.

One drawback, though, is that Herzberg’s theory is somewhat weak in explaining the issue of emotional resistance to change. It is very important to comprehend that change itself is a complex process and it is generally related to such emotional states as anxiety, stress, uncertainty, and so on; all these tend to overshadow both motivators and hygiene factors. The regime would be considered a more general set of actions that line managers need to undertake, including constant checking of subordinates’ readiness as well as ensuring that they are not afraid or stressed given the current process of organizational transformation (Ik & Azeez, 2020).

Analytical Appraisal of Lewin’s Change Model

Although it offers a framework for understanding organizational change, Lewin’s Change Model has constraints that are obvious when viewed through the lens of a dynamic, rapidly growing enterprise, such as BrewDog. The key concern in Lewin’s model focuses on how its straightforward construction assumes that change is executed in a particular three-step framework. BrewDog is, at present, a vital part of an environment that is always altered by changes in the consumer taste profile, regulations, and technology (Ik & Azeez, 2020)

Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model can provide stronger flexibility for the rapid culture at BrewDog. BrewDog might stay motivated throughout its sustainability journey thanks to Kotter’s recommendations about arousing urgency, cultivating coalitions, and attaining early victories. Similarly, the stress that Kotter’s model puts on securing profits and the blending of fresh practices into company culture closely aligns with BrewDog’s important dedication to sustainability over time (Kalogiannidis, 2021).

Although there are a few constraints, Lewin's model continues to maintain its importance because of its dedication to reducing resistance to change and its framework for supervising transition in organizations, from a human lens. For BrewDog, Lewin’s take on preparing employees through the unfreezing process and supporting motivation through clear communication and sound leadership is critically important.

Recommendations for BrewDog

Based on the application of Lewin’s Change Model, the following recommendations can help BrewDog enhance employee motivation during sustainability-driven change:

Enhance Employee Involvement

BrewDog should encourage all its employees to engage with it on sustainability issues through engagement. Some examples include; Creating sustainability coordination committees, and regularly organizing sustainability idea-sharing fairs in the organization where employees come up with new environmentally friendly initiatives for their respective fields. The direct participation of the employees will also guarantee that they are effectively motivated to turn into change agents (Kalogiannidis, 2021).

Enhancement of communication as well as training.

Communications from line management should assure employees comprehend with reasons and application of new sustainable practices to be implemented. This involves regular contact and targeted specialized measures that can help the workers adopt sustainable behavior in their facilities (Guillén, 2021).

Promote and Encourage Sustainable behavior.

Employee stakeholders involved in the sustainability process in BrewDog should also be rewarded through having a recognition and a reward system that is developed. This may need the employment of incentives such as bonuses or promotions or any reward to anyone willing to ensure that the expectations of environmental sustainability of the business are as good as or better than the other party (Rai et al., 2021).

Adopt a More Flexible Approach to Change

Rather than, or in addition to, the best practices outlined above, BrewDog should adopt an ongoing change management model such as Kotter’s 8-Step Model. This will ensure that BrewDog continues to grow in responding to new environmental challenges and opportunities while encouraging employees.

Conclusion

This lost sense of purpose in organizational change can be well understood by applying Lewin’s Change Model to the sustainability management of BrewDog. The roles of those line managers include keeping the employees motivated during the transitional process by preparing them for the change, providing support during the change process, and socializing new changes into the organization. Nevertheless, because sustainability is a complex and ongoing process, BrewDog can turn its attention to more flexible forms of change management. If BrewDog gets to engage the employees effectively, improve communication, fertilize achievements, and the culture that changes for sustainability, then the company will be ready for the sustainability race in the long run.

References

Guillén, M., 2021. Motivation in organizations: Searching for a meaningful work-life balance (p. 254). Taylor & Francis. Https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/47877

Ik, M. and Azeez, A.A., 2020. Organizational green behavioral change: The role of Change Management. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Knowledge, 8(1), pp.34-48. https://ijek.org/index.php/IJEK/article/view/98

Kalogiannidis, S., 2021. Impact of employee motivation on organizational performance. A scoping review paper for the public sector. The Strategic Journal of Business & Change Management, 8 (3), 984, 996(3). https://www.academia.edu/download/70441493/16_IMPACT_OF_EMPLOYEE_MOTIVATION_ON_ORGANIZATIONAL_PERFORMANCE._A_SCOPING_REVIEW_PAPER_.pdf

Li, P., Sun, J.M., Taris, T.W., Xing, L. and Peeters, M.C., 2021. Country differences in the relationship between leadership and employee engagement: A meta-analysis. The Leadership Quarterly, 32(1), p.101458.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1048984320300850

Munna, A., 2021. Strategic management, leadership, and staff motivation: A literature review. International Education and Culture Studies, 1(1), pp.21-29. https://repository.uwtsd.ac.uk/id/eprint/1857/

Rai, R., Thekkekara, J.V. and Kanhare, R., 2021. Herzberg’s two-factor theory: A study on nurses’s motivation. RGUHS Journal of Allied Health Sciences, 1(1). https://journalgrid.com/view/article/rjahs/36

Srivastava, S. and Agrawal, S., 2020. Resistance to change and turnover intention: a moderated mediation model of burnout and perceived organizational support. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 33(7), pp.1431-1447.https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JOCM-02-2020-0063/full/html

Wood, J.M., Wiesner, R., Morrison, R.R., Factor, A. and McKeown, T., 2024. Organizational behavior: Core concepts and applications. John Wiley & Sons.https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=q7EVEQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR10&dq=Organisational+Behaviour+Theories&ots=hNV_9n2Eai&sig=PQTHx_NoBy0rFuw1KeJbwWUdsRs