The concept of Change needs to be revisited in the Indian context. Traditionally the concept of change and change management in organizations has been associated with improving productivity, often driven by growing competition. In the context of a robust and growing economy, though, change is necessitated not by threat but because of opportunity.

There is a growing set of ambitious promoters and senior managers looking to exploit the vast and diverse opportunity presented today in India. The challenge for them is to create an organization which is able to relentlessly adapt to a changing set of requirements. It is through this Prism of Opportunity (and at times, the seeming lack of it) that we explore the concept of Change in the Indian environment.

The ability to rapidly change should be a part of the DNA of a successful organization. This “organizational agility” stems from three main sources: an energetic & passionate workforce at all levels, clarity in the vision & organizational alignment and robust processes & systems to support growth and change. Companies that find the right mix of these elements will capture opportunities and grow beyond the reach of a traditionally well-managed, but static, organization.

In this issue, we have covered a variety of topics related to organizational transformation and change management. We discuss themes like disruptive innovation, the process of change, cultural transformation, and change in executive attitudes. We also focus on the details of some transforming management practices like changes in reward programs, managing the legal implications of change, performance management and employee engagement.

We highlight the story of Genpact, an organization that was able to look beyond its assured (captive) revenue model and transform themselves to exploit the massive outsourcing opportunity. It takes vision, leadership and organizational vigor to move out of a comfort zone – a transformation that has less to do with guarding your bastion and more with conquering new ground.
From this issue onwards, we include a newly designed and branded feature, People Matters Spotlight. This in-magazine supplement aims to bring information, analysis and data about key People Management aspects for decision makers in the organization. In this first feature, the focus is on HR Outsourcing, where we bring to you new trends, a collection of service providers and the results of our survey of senior managers on HR Outsourcing in India.

We hope that our efforts to widen the spectrum – in terms of concepts and industry participants – and bring the most complete, up-to-date and practical information will ultimately contribute to your development and your organization’s success.