Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Practice Exam

Which stage in Kotter's 8-stage process involves making sure changes are ingrained in the company culture?

1. Empower people

2. Cultural Change

3. Leaders develop a vision

4. Communicate this vision

The correct answer is: Cultural Change

Making sure changes are ingrained in the company culture is a crucial aspect of sustaining the improvements made during the change process, and this is captured in the stage of Cultural Change in Kotter's 8-stage process. In this stage, the focus is on embedding the desired changes into the fabric of the organization’s daily operations, values, and behaviors, ensuring that new practices are not just temporary solutions but rather a stable foundation for the future. When changes are integrated into the company culture, they are more likely to be adopted by employees at all levels, leading to a stronger commitment to the new ways of working. This could involve developing new norms, adjusting hiring practices to align with the cultural changes, and ensuring that the company's values reflect the changes made. By doing so, the organization can prevent regression to old habits and maintain momentum for continuous improvement. The other stages, while important for the overall change process, do not specifically focus on establishing culture. Empowering people involves providing staff with the resources and authority to enact change, while developing and communicating a vision are foundational steps that precede the cultural integration phase.