Resistance to Change in an Organization

¶ … Coping with Change

Change is a process that occurs everywhere though many people are generally reluctant to embrace the concept. One of the major reasons for difficulties in accepting or embracing change is that humans are creatures of habit and adhere to daily routines. Consequently, when change occurs, people's activities and thought patterns are interrupted. While understanding and coping with change is an important part of daily life, embracing the concept is relatively a difficult process for many people. Actually, this process is characterized by resistance to change due to internal and external factors. Some of the major reasons why individuals are resistant to change include self-interest, lack of trust in management, lack of understanding, low tolerance for change, and varying assessments of the need for change. Regardless of whether the resistance is fueled by internal or external factors, individuals need to develop an appropriate plan for overcoming that resistance and embracing the concept.

A Situation involving Resistance to Change:

Human beings have a tendency to resist change even when the change contributes to growth and development, increased productivity, and greater efficiency (Baker, 1989, p.53). In most cases, resistance to change occurs in the workplace because changes in an organization affect the individuals within the organization. Moreover, individuals within an organization resist change because of fear of unknown based on the potential impact of the change on their job performance, relationship with co-workers, and other job related issues.

An example of a situation involving resistance to change in the workplace is a recent scenario at a community-based organization that carries out empowerment programs for young people. The employees in the organization used to work in traditional offices and without clear structures regarding their respective roles in the organization. The management asked the employees to move to a modern building that used open landscaping and introduced a document with details about the role of every employee in the organization. The move to a new building and clarification of roles represented environmental and structural changes that could significantly modify procedures for accomplishing work. A couple of weeks before implementing this organizational change, the management provided detailed information to the employees about the change. During the process, the management also requested for feedback from employees on what they felt about the change.

While most of the employees responded positively regarding the change, some of them had difficulties in embracing it. They provided differing assessments of the need for change and argued that they preferred working in the traditional office and with the existing structure. In addition to providing differing assessments, they also raised concerns on whether the change could accomplish the desired objectives. Robert Smith, an employee, argued that implementing the change was seemingly expensive and would affect the organization's ability to conduct its empowerment programs effectively. He also stated that the existing working structure enabled them to spend more time with young people, through which they were effective in their empowerment initiatives. Therefore, the introduction of a new working structure would affect their ability to spend more time with these young people and become effective.

Evaluation of the Resistance to Change:

The resistance to movement to a new building and introduction of new working structures at this organization was mainly caused by differing assessments of the need for change. These differences in assessments can be attributed to internal and external factors that contribute to resistance to change. According to Lunenburg (2010), some of the most common internal and external factors that contribute to resistance to change include uncertainty, concern over individual loss, economic changes, people problems, and administrative procedures (p.2). In this scenario, Smith's reason for resisting the move to an ultra-modern building and new working structure was due to uncertainty and concern over individual loss. He expressed the uncertainty by arguing that the organizational change could not lead to the accomplishment of the desired results. His concern over personal loss was demonstrated in his preference for the existing mode of operation and organizational culture. He assumed that this change could result in loss of the personal freedom he had while working through the existing mode. Therefore, Robert Smith's resistance to change was caused by internal factors.

Overcoming that Resistance:

The community-based organization needs to develop an effective plan to overcome the resistance to change as expressed by Robert Smith and other employees. This plan should focus on addressing some of the major internal and external factors that contribute to that resistance. The most appropriate strategy for overcoming that resistance would require the use of Kotter's theory for change. Moreover, the plan needs to address the most common rationale for resistance to change such as self-interest, lack of trust in management, low tolerance for change, differing assessments of the need for change, and lack of understanding (McVay, p.301).

Based on Kotter's theory for change, the first step in overcoming the resistance is to change is through establishing a sense of urgency and compelling reason of the need for the organization to move to an ultra-modern building and new mode of working. This process should involve establishing the benefits and reasons for the change in light of its contribution to accomplishing organizational goals. Secondly, the organization's management should create a power coalition to lead the process. This coalition should consist of members from the top management, supervisors, and representatives of employees and other stakeholders.

The third step would involve developing a new vision of the building and new working structure and how this vision would be realized through implementation of the change. Once these three steps have been accomplished, the organization should communicate the vision to all employees and the respective role in its accomplishment. The communication process should be accompanied by providing opportunities for the power coalition and all employees to act on the vision. Together with the coalition, all employees should be encouraged to be creative and take risks while moving to the ultra-modern building and new mode of working. Employees who demonstrate improved performance in moving toward the new vision should be rewarded based on their involvement in the process. These short-term wins could be the achievement of specific goals while working in the new building and mode of operation. The final steps in the implementation of change are combining enhancements, re-evaluating the changes, and making adjustments as well as continually linking the change to organizational success.