Overcoming Resistance

to Change

Learning Objectives (part 1 of 2)

Identify forces within individuals and

organizations that cause resistance to

change.

Recognize strategies that can increase

motivation to change.

Learning Objectives (part 2 of 2)

Diagnose forces driving and resisting

organization change.

Experience reactions to a change situation.

Toys Are Mattel (part 1 of 2)

The toy industry is going through radical

change.

Mattel has history of nearly falling apart every

decade since the 1970s.

Toys Are Mattel (part 2 of 2)

CEO Eckert moving Mattel to redefine core

business.

• Better control inventory

• Streamline manufacturing

• Develop more toys in-house.

Expand overseas as toys mature in the U.S.

Change and Reinvent (part 1 of 2)

Many organizations being forced to radically

change.

Organizations face major challenge in

managing change.

Change and Reinvent (part 2 of 2)

Organizations need capacity to adapt quickly.

People are focus of most serious challenges.

Large scale changes often incur significant

problems and challenges.

Changes on Personal Level

Set patterns of behavior.

Defined relationships with others.

Work procedures, and job skills.

Changes on Organizational Level

Policies.

Procedures.

Organization structures.

Manufacturing processes.

Work flows.

Life Cycle of Resistance to Change (part 1 of 5)

The response to change tends to move through

a life cycle of 5 phases:

Phase 1.

Only few people who see need for

change.

Resistance appears massive.

Life Cycle of Resistance to Change (part 2 of 5)

Phase 2.

Forces for and against change become

identifiable.

Change more thoroughly understood.

Novelty of change tends to disappear.

Life Cycle of Resistance to Change (part 3 of 5)

Phase 3.

Direct conflict and showdown between

forces.

This phase probably means life or death

to change.

Life Cycle of Resistance to Change (part 4 of 5)

Phase 4.

Remaining resistance seen as stubborn.

Possibility that resisters will mobilize

support to shift balance of power.

Life Cycle of Resistance to Change (part 5 of 5)

Phase 5.

Resisters to change are as few and as

alienated as were advocates in first

phase.

Major Factors AffectingSuccess of Change

Advocates of

change

Degree of change

Time frame

Impact on culture

Evaluation of

change.

Figure 6.1Change Factors

Advocates of Change

Person leading change program is often most

important force for change.

Internal or external OD practitioners may be

brought in to assist.

Degree of Change

Is change minor or major?

The greater the degree of change, the more

difficult it is to implement.

Time Frame

Greater chance of success if change is gradual

and in longer time frame.

Some organizations only chance for survival

depends on radical change introduced swiftly.

Impact on Culture

The greater the impact on existing culture,

the greater the resistance and difficulty to

implement change.

Evaluation on Culture

Standards of performance developed to

measure change and impact on

organization.

A Change Model (part 1 of 5)

Two major considerations in organizational

change are:

Degree of change.

Impact on organization’s culture.

Figure 6.2Change Model

A Change Model (part 2 of 5)

Quadrant 1

Minor change, minor impact on culture.

Resistance will be at lowest level and success

will be most probable.

A Change Model (part 3 of 5)

Quadrant 2

Minor change, major impact on culture.

Some resistance can be expected.

A Change Model (part 4 of 5)

Quadrant 3

Major change, minor impact on culture.

Some resistance is likely.

Good management can probably overcome it.

A Change Model (part 5 of 5)

Quadrant 4

Major change, major impact on culture.

The greatest resistance can be predicted.

The probability of success is low.

Driving Forces Toward Acceptance of Change

Driving forces are anything that increases

organization to implement proposed change.

Driving forces include:

• Dissatisfaction with present situation.

• External pressures toward change.

Momentum Toward Change

Once change underway, certain forces tend to

push change along.

Those involved probably become committed.

When money is committed to start a change,

organization likely will want to continue.

Change in one part of organization may set off

chain reaction in other parts.

Motivation by Management

Manager or advocate of change becomes

motivating force.

Top management’s encouragement can

motivate change.

Our Changing World:Globalization of World’s

Business?(part 1 of 3)

Globalization has occurred for hundreds of

years but recently experienced exponential

growth.

Our Changing World (part 2 of 3)

Reasons for Increase Include:

• Improvements in communications and

transportation.

• More efficient global banking systems.

• Surpluses in capital in US, Japan, Europe.

• Worldwide lowering of trade barriers.

Our Changing World (part 3 of 3)

Statistics of globalization include:

• By 2000 number of MNCs above 63,000.

• 1,000 largest MNCs account for 80% of

world’s industrial production.

• MNCs are based all over world:

US 37%. Japan 21%. Europe 25%.

Also based in developing countries.

Restraining Forces Blocking Implementation of Change

(part 1 of 2)

Uncertainty regarding change.

Fear of unknown.

Disruption of routine.

Loss of benefits.

Restraining Forces Blocking Implementation of Change

(part 2 of 2)

Threat to security.

Threat to position power.

Redistribution of power.

Disturb existing social networks.

Conformity to norms and culture.

Driving Forces and Restraining Forces Act in Tandem

Effective change programs increase driving

forces and decrease restraining forces.

Force-field analysis model (see Ch 5) is useful

way to view driving and restraining forces.

Strategies to Lessen Resistance(part 1 of 2)

Education and communication.

Create a vision.

Participation and involvement of members.

Facilitation and support.

Negotiation and agreement.

Strategies to Lessen Resistance(part 2 of 2)

Leadership.

Reward systems.

Explicit and implicit coercion.

Climate conducive to communications.

Power strategies.

OD In Practice: How Dupont Shortened Its Stove-pipes (part 1 of 3)

Industrial Polymers Division (IPD) shows how

DuPont can change.

Products “out-dated.”

Problems included low morale and low

productivity.

Top and middle management understood need

to improve.

OD in Practice (part 2 of 3)

Only major change would improve division.

Forces for change included:

People aware of average performance.

They had desire to turn things around.

Widely held belief that survival of division and

personnel hung in balance.

OD in Practice (part 3 of 3)

Vision statement was developed by employees.

Plans made to implement team efforts and self-

management.

No customary “stove-pipe” hierarchy of

supervisors and no formal departments.

Keywords and Concepts

Driving forces - increases client system to

implement proposed change.

Employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) -

grant stock or stock options to broad section

of employees.

Gain sharing - reward system that recognizes

value of specific group.

Knowledge-based pay - reward system based

on the knowledge or skills a worker has.

Open-book management - employees see

company’s financial records to analyze

problems for themselves.

Power strategies - technique for lessening

resistance to change that uses power

structure in an organization.

Profit-sharing - uses the performance of

business to calculate employee pay.

Restraining forces - forces that block

implementation of a change program.