resistance - change

8/8/2019 Resistance - Change

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Interesting a word we often use to signal an uncertain mix of

danger and opportunity. If we wish to enjoy more of the

opportunity and less of the risk we need to understand that

change is better. Those who know why changes come waste

less effort in protecting themselves or in fighting theinevitable. Those who realize where changes are heading are

better able to use those changes to their own advantage.


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Traditional View

Alternative View


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View Basic Idea Main Cause Evaluation PoliticalPerspective

Solution

TraditionalInevitable

and naturalreaction to

change

Employeesinsecurity

and need forstability

Illegitimatebehaviordirected

against mgt

Managementemployees

are opposingparties

Informing &exerting

pressure tocomply tochanges

Alternative

Reactionthat variesper changeand can beprevented

Changeapproachthatexcludesemployeesfrom change

Understand-ablebehaviorexpressingconcern forthe orgn. &commit-ment

Mgt &employeesare partiesthat can worktogether inrealizingchange

Makingchange acollabora-tive effortof all stakeholders


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Change

ActiveResistance(Try aggressively toundermine change)

PassiveResistance(Resistance not onthe surface)

Conformity(Just do theminimumthat isrequired toavoidsanctions)

Commitment(Takeownership of the changeprocess andmake changeshappen)


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Real and perceived threat to their self-interests.

Misunderstanding due to lack of information or inaccurateinformation.

Lack of trust in senior levels.

Different assessments of the same set of data.

More investment in the status quo.


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Technical Resistance (Rational factors)

Political Resistance (Disruption of existing power structuresand interest groups)

Cultural Resistance (Individual and organizational mindsets)


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Includes more rational reasons.

Habits and inertia - Individuals are used to old ways of doingthings and are not comfortable with new approaches.

Lack of Understanding - People may not understand implicationsof change and perceive that it might cost them much more thanwhat they will gain.


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Difficulty in learning new skills To cope with change,individuals are required to develop new skills and behaviour.They may be unable to make the necessary transitionemotionally.

Sunk Costs - People have invested time, attention and energy inlearning certain ways of doing things. People are not surewhether these skills will be valued in future.


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Response to the disruption of the existing power structure andcoalitions.

Parochial Self-interest - Happens when individuals think they willlose something of value as a result of change.

Focus is on self-interests than on organizationalinterests.


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Can take several forms:

Fighting publicly. Going underground and undermining change efforts.

Different assessments among individuals and those initiating thechange.

Individuals affected see more costs than benefits.


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Results from individuals having different mindsets andperspectives.

Selective Perception - reality perceived differently.

Fear of letting go - old ways are predictable .


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3

Sabotage

4

Submerge

1

Struggle 2SubmitVisibility of R

O p e n

H i d d e n

De ree of Resistance

Active Passive


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3

Negotiation

4

Co-operation

1

Domination 2InfluencePower Balan

People

L o w

H i g h

Goal A reement

Low High


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1. Education and Communication

2. Participation and Involvement

3. Facilitation and Support

4. Negotiations and Agreement

5. Cooptation

6. Explicit and Implicit Coercion


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Communicate & educate people beforehand.

Involves one-to-one discussions, presentations togroups , or memos and reports.

Requires good relationship between initiators and resistors.

Credibility / Trust of the change initiator must beestablished for education and communication strategy towork.


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Participation leads to commitment.

Involve potential resistors in the design and

implementation of change.But if participation is not managed properly, it can lead topoor solutions, and also consume enormous time.

This strategy is not appropriate when change has to be

made quickly .


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Includes providing training in new skills, and emotionalsupport.

But it is time consuming .


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Offer negotiated incentives to potential resistors.

Danger is that it might create an impression that allaspects of the change programme are open tonegotiation.


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Pay careful attention to use of information; Consciousstructuring of events.

One common form is offering resistors a desirable role in thechange programme.

If people who are being co-opted feel that they are beingmanipulated, they may respond very negatively.


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Forcing people to accept change by threatening themexplicitly or implicitly.

Very risky process.


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APPROACH COMMONLY USEDIN SITUATIONS

ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

Education &Communication

Where there is alack of informationor inaccurateinformation &analysis

Once persuaded,people will oftenhelp with theimplementation of the change

Can be very timeconsuming if lotsof people areinvolved

Participation &involvement

Where theinitiators do nothave all theinformation theyneed to design thechange, and whereothers haveconsiderablepower to resist

People whoparticipate will becommitted toimplementingchange, and anyrelevantinformation theyhave will beintegrated into the

change plan.

Can be very timeconsuming if participatorsdesign aninappropriatechange

APPROACH COMMONLY USED ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES


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Facilitation &

Support

Where people are

resisting becauseof adjustmentproblems.

No other approach

works withadjustmentproblems as well.

Can be time

consumingexpensive & stillfail.

Negotiation &Agreement

Where some oneor some group willclearly loose out ina change, andwhere that grouphas considerablepower to resist.

Sometimes it is arelatively easy wayto avoid majorresistance.

Can be tooexpensive in manycases if it altersothers tonegotiate forcompliance.

APPROACH COMMONLY USED ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES


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Manipulation & Co-optation

Where othertactics will not

work, or are tooexpensive.

It can be relativelyquick &

inexpensivesolution toresistanceproblems.

Can lead to futureproblems of

people feelmanipulated.

Explicit & ImplicitCoercion

Where speed isessential, and thechange initiatorsposses

considerablepower

It is speedy andcan overcome anykind of resistance

Can be risky if itleaves people madat the initiators.

resistance - change

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