Response towards change

Editor's Notes

• #4: Types of Change: Continuous or Incremental Change b) Radical/Transformational Change Evolution or revolution
• #8: Kubler-Ross – seminal work On Death and Dying in 1969. This described her work with terminally ill patients and the different psychological stages that they went through in coming to terms with their condition. Clearly this research as considered to have major implications for people experiencing other types of profound change. Kubler-Ross realized that patients – given the necessary conditions – would typically go through five stages as they came to terms with their prognosis. The stages were denial, anger, bargaining, depression and finally acceptance.
• #9: Green Hotels Association - change in 1993. After a trip to Germany, Patricia Griffin and President of Association returned with an idea the way hotel guests treated bath towels. How could one person initiate a change that would impact thousnads of hotel guests?. It began with the printing of a small card that would hang on the towel rack in hotel guests room. The card, which you may have seen while travelling essentially says: Each day we use millions of gallons of water and tons of detergent in hotels to wash guest towels that have been used only once. Decide for yourself. A towel on the rack means: “I will use it again.” A towel on the floor or the tub means: “Please exchange” By 2005, “green hotel Association” guest cards could be seen in more than 150,000 guest rooms. Hotels are reporting signicant savings in water, utility and detergent costs. This change has helped conserve water and reduce operating expenses while protecting our environment.
• #10: Cultural Resistance - occurs when the values and beliefs of an organisation are challenged. People live by these ‘norms’ and it may be important to tread carefully around these issues. An example would be where it has become custom and practice for someone to be sent on specialised training after being in a particular job for a number of years. On their return their expectation may be that they will gain further promotion. If management decide this tradition is no longer efficient or effective there may be considerable repercussions in trying to change it. Social Resistance - occurs when changes threaten to affect relationships. The changes may appear to damage existing non-formalised social groups or teams which people want to protect. Or the changes may challenge existing norms, for example, it may be accepted that the organisation does not impinge on peoples ‘free time’. A manager who decides to hold training sessions at the weekend may meet considerable opposition. Organisational Resistance - occurs when the changes seem likely to impact on formal arrangements accepted as the norm for example status differentials and reporting lines. May arise when changes threaten peoples power and influence. Psychological Resistance - involves selective perception. Change is seen as fundamentally detrimental which leads to conservatism. Perhaps the way that change has been handled in the past can lead to cynical viewpoint being taken. ‘We’ve tried it before and it didn’t work’ or ‘Last time we did this 25 people lost their jobs’ are not unusual responses to change proposals.
• #13: Individual Level – Changes at the individual level are therefore designed and implemented to help the organization to move in its new direction. Blind resistance – A small minority which are simply afraid and intolerant of change. Two kind of response : i) to provide as much reasurance as possible. ii) allow time to pass, they need time to get used to the new idea. 2. Political resistance – Persons believe that they stand to lose something of value if the change is implemented such as loose of one’s power base, job, status, income and etc. 3. Ideological resistance – Some people believe that the planned change is ill fated or in violation of deeply held values. The Resistance comes from honest, intellectual differences, beliefs, feelings or philosophies that are different. * Individual coping with change – Three ways to help organizational members deal with change of ending and letting go: surrender, the no man’s land and a new beginning (Bridges, 1986) Group Level – serves as the context and locus for (a) the interface between the individual and organization, (b) the primary social relationships and support of the individual employee, and (c) a determination of the employee’s sense of organizational reality. Turf protection and competition – The work group, function, department or business unit is fighting for survival. Closing ranks- Their argument and feelings that the employer was attempting to destroy their identity and function. Changing allegiance or ownership – A group may opt for becoming a separate entity and formally departing from parent organization. Demand for new leadership – The group leader is not capable of dealing with a change effort or the group leader is capable but the followers in the group revolt as a way of resisting the change. Both situation suggest group leader should be replaced. System Level – A planned process to bring about large scale organization change including heavy use of involvement and participatory activities. Revolution becomes at best evolution – Only some components of the organization are changed, the old culture is too powerful & the bureaucracy is too pervasive. Insufficient sense of urgency – Many people in organization lack the motivation to tackle an organization change process because they harbor disbelief about need, serious skepticism and lackadaisical attitude. “ This Too Shall Pass” - A function of history, the response shows more apathy than it does active resistance. Diversionary tactics – A strong desire on the part of organizational members to sabotage the effort for change. Lack of followership – Followers collude and conspire with one another to find fault with the leader. * Coping with responses to change at the larger-system level – a) Describe briefly the kind of the leadership that will attract followers. b) the deep structure must be changed such as new leadership with different mission/strategy etc.
• #14: Individual Level – Changes at the individual level are therefore designed and implemented to help the organization to move in its new direction. Blind resistance – A small minority which are simply afraid and intolerant of change. Two kind of response : i) to provide as much reasurance as possible. ii) allow time to pass, they need time to get used to the new idea. 2. Political resistance – Persons believe that they stand to lose something of value if the change is implemented such as loose of one’s power base, job, status, income and etc. 3. Ideological resistance – Some people believe that the planned change is ill fated or in violation of deeply held values. The Resistance comes from honest, intellectual differences, beliefs, feelings or philosophies that are different. * Individual coping with change – Three ways to help organizational members deal with change of ending and letting go: surrender, the no man’s land and a new beginning (Bridges, 1986) Group Level – serves as the context and locus for (a) the interface between the individual and organization, (b) the primary social relationships and support of the individual employee, and (c) a determination of the employee’s sense of organizational reality. Turf protection and competition – The work group, function, department or business unit is fighting for survival. Closing ranks- Their argument and feelings that the employer was attempting to destroy their identity and function. Changing allegiance or ownership – A group may opt for becoming a separate entity and formally departing from parent organization. Demand for new leadership – The group leader is not capable of dealing with a change effort or the group leader is capable but the followers in the group revolt as a way of resisting the change. Both situation suggest group leader should be replaced. System Level – A planned process to bring about large scale organization change including heavy use of involvement and participatory activities. Revolution becomes at best evolution – Only some components of the organization are changed, the old culture is too powerful & the bureaucracy is too pervasive. Insufficient sense of urgency – Many people in organization lack the motivation to tackle an organization change process because they harbor disbelief about need, serious skepticism and lackadaisical attitude. “ This Too Shall Pass” - A function of history, the response shows more apathy than it does active resistance. Diversionary tactics – A strong desire on the part of organizational members to sabotage the effort for change. Lack of followership – Followers collude and conspire with one another to find fault with the leader. * Coping with responses to change at the larger-system level – a) Describe briefly the kind of the leadership that will attract followers. b) the deep structure must be changed such as new leadership with different mission/strategy etc.
• #15: Individual Level – Changes at the individual level are therefore designed and implemented to help the organization to move in its new direction. Blind resistance – A small minority which are simply afraid and intolerant of change. Two kind of response : i) to provide as much reasurance as possible. ii) allow time to pass, they need time to get used to the new idea. 2. Political resistance – Persons believe that they stand to lose something of value if the change is implemented such as loose of one’s power base, job, status, income and etc. 3. Ideological resistance – Some people believe that the planned change is ill fated or in violation of deeply held values. The Resistance comes from honest, intellectual differences, beliefs, feelings or philosophies that are different. * Individual coping with change – Three ways to help organizational members deal with change of ending and letting go: surrender, the no man’s land and a new beginning (Bridges, 1986) Group Level – serves as the context and locus for (a) the interface between the individual and organization, (b) the primary social relationships and support of the individual employee, and (c) a determination of the employee’s sense of organizational reality. Turf protection and competition – The work group, function, department or business unit is fighting for survival. Closing ranks- Their argument and feelings that the employer was attempting to destroy their identity and function. Changing allegiance or ownership – A group may opt for becoming a separate entity and formally departing from parent organization. Demand for new leadership – The group leader is not capable of dealing with a change effort or the group leader is capable but the followers in the group revolt as a way of resisting the change. Both situation suggest group leader should be replaced. System Level – A planned process to bring about large scale organization change including heavy use of involvement and participatory activities. Revolution becomes at best evolution – Only some components of the organization are changed, the old culture is too powerful & the bureaucracy is too pervasive. Insufficient sense of urgency – Many people in organization lack the motivation to tackle an organization change process because they harbor disbelief about need, serious skepticism and lackadaisical attitude. “ This Too Shall Pass” - A function of history, the response shows more apathy than it does active resistance. Diversionary tactics – A strong desire on the part of organizational members to sabotage the effort for change. Lack of followership – Followers collude and conspire with one another to find fault with the leader. * Coping with responses to change at the larger-system level – a) Describe briefly the kind of the leadership that will attract followers. b) the deep structure must be changed such as new leadership with different mission/strategy etc.