Understanding Change in an Organization
INTRODUCTION
“Somebody once said: ‘The only one who likes change is a wet baby’” (Mariotti, 1996, p. 30). We as human beings are always resistant to change if we are comfortable with surroundings and ourselves. We do not like to be challenged with change because of fear of the unknown. “Resistance is a natural reaction to change” (Maurer, 1996, p. 75). In order to fully change an individual’s style of thinking and working, we must understand the theory and techniques in order to break down the barrier of resistance.
REASONS FOR RESISTANCE
There are several reasons for resistance to change from employees These reasons include fear of the unknown, threatening job security, bad timing, lack of resources, no personal gain, and fear of incompetence. Individuals that are resistant to change fear the unknown when they do not know how it will affect their lives and the changes it will bring. The perceived threat to job security is a factor that will cause resistance. People who think that the change may cause them to lose their job will oppose it. Bad timing also plays a major role in the sense that temporary circumstances may suggest that change should be postponed. At many times corporations may be unsuccessful with change because of lack of resources. This includes skills, abilities, finances, knowledge and staff needed to implement the change. Employees may also be resistant because they have no perception of personal gain with the change. People who think that change will not benefit them personally and fairly are certain to resist it. And last but not least, one of most important resisters to change is fear of incompetence. Some people may fear they will not be able to handle the...
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...essfully with the end product of change efforts (Stone, 1995).
REFERENCES
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Armentrout, B.W. (1996, January). Have your plans for change had a change of plan? HR Focus, 73(1), p. 19. Fisher, A.B. (1995, April 17).
Making change stick. Fortune, 131(7), 121-123. Grimaud, A.E. (1994, July/August). How to overcome resistance to change: The “7M Model”.
Canadian Banker, 101(4), 36-37. Iskat, G., & Liebowitz, J. (1996, August). What to do when employees resist change. Supervision, 57(8) , 57-58. Stone, F. (1995, October).
Overcoming opposition to organizational change. Supervisory Management, 40(10), 9-10.
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For many, change is a cause for ignorance. Most of us fear the idea of change. When one is faced to deal with c...
Kotter, J. P., & Schlesinger, L. A. (2008). Choosing strategies for change. Harvard Business Review, 86(7/8), 130-139.
Kegan, R. & L. Laskow Lahey. (2009). Immunity to Change: How to overcome it and unlock potential in yourself and your organization. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Press.
Kegan, R., & Laskow Lahey, L. (2009). Immunity to change. How to overcome it and unlock the potential in yourself and your organization. Boston: Harvard Business Press.
Change is the only constant in life. And therefore it should be understood as part of a continuing work in progress that calls for a much broader canvas that seeks out competing voices, and works with the resulting ambiguities, contradictions and tensions of messy reality (Graetz, F. & Smith, A., 2010). In this submission I try to show that organizational change is majorly based on the environment surrounding it much more than the desire of the members or change agents working in that organization. This view diverts from that of Lippitt, (1958) who suggests that implementing planned organizational changes successfully depends on premeditated interventions intended to modify the functioning of an organization. It also diverts from the traditional approaches to organizational change that generally follow a linear, rational model in which the focus is on controllability under the stewardship of a strong leader or ‘guiding coalition (Collis, 1998). In this discussion therefore, comparison made between the different philosophies of change and I try to show that successful change implantation largely depends on an organizations appreciation of what goes on around it rather than what they have planned as a strategic direction.
Change usually comes with resistance in any workplace because change disrupts the employees’ sense of safety and control (Lewis, 2012). Kurt Lewin (1951) created a three step process for assisting employees with organizational Change (Lewis, 2012). The three stages are Unfreeze, Change and Refreeze. These are the steps to a smooth transition for change within organizations. Further, these steps are not possible without good communication from upper Management through line staff. Communication was consistently listed as an issue in surveys conducted by the department.
Change is a fundamental element of individuals, groups and all sorts of organizations. As it is the case for individuals, groups and societies, where change is a continuous process, composed of an indefinite amount of smaller sub-changes that vary in effect and length, and is affected by all sorts of aspects and events, many of which cyclic are anticipated ones. It is also the case for organizations, where change occurs repeatedly during the life cycle of organizations. Yet change in organizations is not as anticipated nor as predictable, with unexpected internal and external variables and political forces that can further complicate the management of change (Andriopoulos, C. and P. Dawson, 2009), which is by itself, the focus of many scholars in their pursuit to shed light on and facilitate the change process (Kotter 1996; Levin 1947; et al).
The purpose of this paper is to discuss organizational change and the management of that change. I will talk about the different drivers of change, the factors a leader needs to weigh to implement change effectively, the various resistances a leader may encounter while trying to implement change, and how various leadership styles will effect the realization of change. I will also discuss the knowledge I have gained through the completion of this assignment and how I think it might affect the way I manage change in my workplace.
S, Rawat 2001, Organisational Change and Forces Prompting Change, Academic Paper Review, Shovoong viewed on 2nd April 2011, on http://imgs.shvoongstatic.com/images/2011/_v_070420111027/scp.PNG">
Kotter, J. P & Schlesinger, L. (2008). ‘Choosing strategies for change’. Harvard Business Review, July-August, 130-139.
Miller, D and Friesen, P (1980) ‘Momentum and revolution in organisational adaptation’, Academy of Management Journal, 23/4: 591-614
Individuals, when faced with any major change, will be inevitably resistant and will want to preserve the status quo, especially if they think their status or security within the organization is in danger (Bolognese, 2010). Folger and Skarlicki believe that organizational change produces skepticism in employees, which makes it problematic and possibly even impossible to contrive improvements within the organization (as cited in Bolognese, 2010). Therefore, management must understand, accept and make an effort to work with resistance, since it can undermine even the most well-conceived change efforts (Bolognese, 2010). Furthermore, Coetsee states that for organizations to achieve the maximum benefits from change they must effectively create and maintain a climate and culture that does not support resistance and rewards acceptance and support ( as cited in Bolognese, 2010). Therefore, it is important to understand what resistance is and how to reduce the effects of resistance.
Implementing change in the workplace is a dynamic process. Although change itself can be controlled and limited to some degree, innovation is substantially even more dynamic. This dynamic, unpredictable process introduces vulnerability, which can lead to employee frustration. Just as the scenario addresses, many individuals become motivated at the thought of change and innovation; however, the change does not occur due to resistance or other obstacles. Much of this resistance arises from the unpredictability and vulnerability of the process. Managers must be able to prevent or manage resistance by using tools and strategies to smooth the process.
Middlebrook, B., Caruth, D., & Frank, R. (1984, Summer 85). Overcoming Resistance to Change. Management Journal, 50(3), pp. 23.
Individuals go through a reaction process when they are personally confronted with major organizational change (Kyle, 1993; Jacobs, 1995; Bovey & Hede, 2001). Within this process there are four phases that it consists of: initial denial, resistance, gradual exploration, and eventual commitment (Scott & Jaffe, 1988; Bovey & Hede, 2001). Resistance to change is the initial area to focus on. The issues of organizational change and resistance to change have received a lot of attention over the past decade (Macri, Tagliaventi & Bertolotti, 2002). The perceptions of individuals play a fu...