Managing Resistance to Change

Executive Summary

Change is something which is very constant and affects the everyday life on an individual in many ways and to a great extent but when change is looked at from the organizational point of view it is often resisted by various people involved in the organization especially the employees. Although individuals are willing to accept change and are ready to change along with change when it deals with their personal lives, it is often these individuals who tend to resist change and refuse to accept the change in the organizations. For this purpose a lot of literature on change, organizational change and resistance to change has been studied and this study has revealed a number of theories with respect to change.

It is also to be noted that the change agent should consider the various aspects relating to change management. These aspects would be to see the need for change whether it is necessary or not, to what extent change is needed in the organization and the number of employees engaged in the change process.

For some people resisting change, there may be multiple reasons. Adding to this complexity is the fact that sometimes the stated reason hides the real, more deeply personal reason. You will also need to recognize that people work through a psychological change process as they give up the old and come to either embrace or reject the new.

Managing Resistance to Change:

Literature Review:

Change

Change is inevitable in human life and it is essential for everyone and everything to experience change as it adds up spice and interest in this mundane life. Change is something which remains permanent in this world. The concept of change cannot come to an end as it is a continuous and ongoing process. Change is something that is very dynamic and is seen in all aspects and all surroundings of life -be it in the nature, in the man-made organizations and in the human beings also.

Organizational change

Any change or alteration in the work environment of an organization would refer to organization change. This would bring about a new equilibrium between different components of the organization - technology, structural arrangement, job design and people. When there is a change in an organization it means it would disturb the old environment and equilibrium of the organization and put an end to it and make efforts to develop the new environment and new equilibrium. A small change in the organization would have a significant impact on the whole of the organization - but the impact of change would differ from division to division of the organization (Fred Luthans, 2005).

Factors causing Organizational Change

Change can be caused in the organizations due to external as well as internal factors. The present external environment is a very dynamic environment and any change in the social, political, technological and legal environment will make an organization to change. Apart from the external forces that would bring about an organizational change, there are a number of internal factors within an organization which would necessitate change and these factors include the change in managerial personnel and deficiency in the existing organizational practices (Beardwell and Holden, 1998).

Resistance to Change

Change is something that is very constant and inevitable in organizations although it may not be a continuous process. It is a noted fact that many of the organizations are immersed deeply in transition. As change is an inevitable concept it is also to be noted that resistance to change is also inherent which needs to be reframed and worked upon but not to be eradicated as it is a healthy practice and helps the organizations get suggestions from the resistors of change. It is a part of the learning process for every organization to deal with resistance to change. In order to deal with resistance to change the critical aspects that every organization should consider would be the development of the organization, its productivity and its ability to make the change successful. The concept of resistance to change was introduced as association of homeostasis (Kurt Lewin, 1947; 1951). That is, resistance to change is a tendency exhibited due to social systems to restore their state of equilibrium. 'Even when there is change in the growth and development human beings tend to resist change "(Fine). Resistance is defined as "any conduct that served to maintain the status quo in the face of pressure to alter the status quo" (Zaltman & Duncan, 1977). Another theory defines resistance to change as "employees' behavior that seeks to challenge, disrupt, or invent prevailing assumptions, discourses, and power relations" (p.36) (Folger & Skarlicki, 1999). The other definition to resistance to change is "behavior which is intended to protect an individual from the effects of real or imagined change" (cited in Dent & Goldberg, 1999, p. 34)

Several theories have been proposed to resistance to change and models for describing the same and how the employees are embraced to accept the change, which was proposed by the management, to be implemented into the practice in the organization. Usually, employees resist for the unknown practices or new rules which are dictated by the management and which are feasible according to the point of view of employees working within the organization.

When the companies are in a deceased state and the change is proposed to create new vision and goals within the organization there are various obstacles, the management could find for the prevention of the same. These obstacles could be from the employees, but such type of resistance occurring due to the employees or individuals is rare. Rather, the obstacles mainly arise from the structural point of view or might be due to the way the organization handles the performance appraisal system that makes people to resist the new vision and goals provided by the management (Kotter, 1995).

Example of Change Initiative

A change initiative was taken up by the automaker GM and Chrysler as a viable option for their survival owing to their deteriorated state. The change initiative taken up by the companies was downsizing and lean approach (Chang, 2009).

Downsizing refers to cutting down of employees in an organization. It is a crucial step taken by the organization, when it sees that costs of organization is going overboard due to excess of employees in the organization (Vikas, 2007).

"Lean", is a production practice that considers the