resistance to change - organizational change and development - manu melwin joy
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Resistance to ChangeOrganizational Development
Prepared By
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Manu Melwin JoyAssistant Professor
Ilahia School of Management Studies
Kerala, India.Phone – 9744551114
Mail – [email protected]
Resistance to Change
Three Factors
Organizational Resistance
Group Resistance
Effort to block new ways of doing things
Individual Resistance
Individual Resistance• Individual sources of resistance to
change reside in basic human characteristics such as perceptions, personalities & needs.
• Reasons of individual resistance:• Economic Reason –The
economic reason of resistance to change usually focus on:
• Fear of technological unemployment.
• Fear of reduced work hours & consequently less pay.
• Fear of demotion & thus reduced pay.
Individual Resistance
• Fear of Loss- When a change is impending, some employees may fear losing their jobs, status particularly when an advanced technology is introduced.
• Security – people with a high need for security are likely to resist change because it threatens their feeling of safety.
• Status quo- change may pose disturbance to the existing comforts of status quo.
Individual Resistance• Peer Pressure- individual
employees may be prepared to accept change but refuse to accept it for the sake of the group.
• Disruption of Interpersonal Relation- employees may resist change that threatens to limit meaningful interpersonal relationships on the job.
• Social Displacement- Introduction of change often results in disturbance of the existing social relationships. Change may also result in breaking up of work groups.
Group Resistance• Organizations, by their very nature
are conservative. They actively resist
change. Reason of organizational
resistance
• Resource constraint: resources
are major constraints for many
organizations. The necessary
financial , material & human
resources may not be available to
the organization to make the
needed changes.
Group Resistance
• Structural inertia – some
organizational structures have in-
built mechanism for resistance to
change. Eg in bureaucratic
structure where jobs are
narrowly defined & lines of
authority are clearly spelled
out, change would be difficult.
Organizational Resistance
• Organizational resistance means the
change is resisted at the level of the
organization itself.
• Some organization are so designed
that they resist new ideas, this is
specifically true in case of
organization which are conservative
in nature.
• Majority of the business firm are
also resistance to changes.
Organizational Resistance
• The major reason for organizational
resistance are:-
• Threat to power
• Group inertia
• Organizational structure
• Threat to specialization
• Resource constants
• Sunk costs
Communication • Highest priority and first strategy for change• Improves urgency to
change• Reduces uncertainty (fear
of unknown)• Problems -- time
consuming and costly
Minimizing Resistance to Change
Communication • Provides new knowledge and skills• Includes coaching and
action learning• Helps break old routines
and adopt new roles• Problems -- potentially
time consuming and costly
Minimizing Resistance to Change
Training
Communication • Increases ownership of change• Helps saving face and
reducing fear of unknown• Includes task forces,
search conferences• Problems -- time-
consuming, potential conflict
Minimizing Resistance to Change
Training
Employee Involvement
Communication • When communication, training, and involvement do not resolve stress• Potential benefits–More motivation to change– Less fear of unknown– Fewer direct costs
• Problems -- time-consuming, expensive, doesn’t help everyone
Minimizing Resistance to Change
Training
Employee Involvement
Stress Management
Communication
• When people clearly lose something and won’t otherwise support change• Influence by exchange--
reduces direct costs• Problems– Expensive– Increases compliance, not
commitment
Minimizing Resistance to Change
Training
Employee Involvement
Stress Management
Negotiation
Communication
•When all else fails• Assertive influence• Firing people -- radical
form of “unlearning”• Problems–Reduces trust–May create more subtle
resistance
Minimizing Resistance to Change
Training
Employee Involvement
Stress Management
Negotiation
Coercion