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If strategic ch ange is important, why do some people find it difficult to accept and what are the consequences of this for the change process? How can these difficulties be overcome given the problems associated?

Change in any corporate organization can be either a boon or a curse depending on how it is handled. It is a well noted fact that no matter the size or structure of any organization there comes a time where change is required. Whether it is to enhance the organization and aid in its growth, rescue it and stop a decline, introduction of something new to the Market to gain or regain relevance or increase market share. Another reason for change is sensitizing employees or adjusting attitude to fit with corporate culture."Individuals, groups, and organizations must be motivated to change. But if people perceive no performance gap or if they consider the gap un-important, they will not have this motivation. Moreover, they will resist changes that others try to introduce, " Bateman and Zeithaml explained. There are a number of common reasons that people tend to resist change. These include: inertia, or the tendency of people to become comfortable with the status quo; timing, as when change efforts are introduced at a time when workers are busy or have a bad relationship with management; surprise, because people's reflex is to resist when they must deal with a sudden, radical change; or peer pressure, which may cause a group to resist due to anti-management feelings even if individual members do not oppose the change. Resistance can also grow out of people's perceptions of how the change will affect them personally. They may resist because they fear that they will lose their jobs or their status, because they do not understand the purpose of the change, or simply because they have a different perspective on the change than management. The first reason for employees resisting change is the individual s personal predisposition to change. Some individuals naturally exhibit rebellious characteristics. They are normally averse to the status quo. This could be due to their desire to be recognized by their peers, a need to just be different or just the knowledge that they could be seen as leaders in the organisation. Whatever their reasons may be, practically every organisation will have an individual or individuals who are inherently averse to changing trends.

Secondly a resistance to change could occur due to the elements of surprise and the fear of the unknown. This is usually caused when there are barriers to communication in the organisation. Where there is a lack of free flow of communication especially from the top down, employees end up becoming antsy, uncomfortable and fearful. Where there is the lack of the free flow of

communication rumours and untrue stories and ideas could emerge to fuel the already existing fear and discomfort.

Also when there is a general atmosphere of mistrust there could be a resulting resistance to change. The emergence of an environment of mistrust is another factor that can be influenced by a lack of the dissemination of accurate information. The responsibility lies with top level management to communicate clearly about their mission, vision and objectives concerning the organisation. It also behoves on them to clearly outline the roles of each employee so that there is not an overlap of responsibilities which could lead to some staff believing that their roles were being encroached upon. In line with this the management would have to have a firm human resource management policy which strives to match the objectives of management with that of the staff.

The fear of failure is another factor that contributes to a resistance to change. This situation usually arises when the staff member has an inbuilt belief that their inability to execute any task would lead to an acutely negative outcome. Some staff members could feel incapacitated by this fear which could inevitably want to resist any changes in the organisation. Also if a new structure is going to be introduced they might be led to believe that they would not be successful in their new role.

The loss of one s status and/or job security could also influence the level of one s resistance to change. In the event of the loss of one s status they are psychologically affected by the shame. Also losing their job security also means that they are unable to receive constant wages and hence maintain their level of living. The anticipation of this could influence the employee in question to resist any changes that threaten this development.

Finally peer pressure is another relevant factor that can have an impact on a general resistance to change. Groupings in organisations usually form around common factors such as race, wage levels, roles, and ideologies. These groups whether formal or informal are capable of influencing the ideas of each other since they see themselves as a common force in the organisation. When an idea is advocated it is assimilated by all the members and if this idea is in conflict with the change initiative it will cause the members to resist the change. People resist change when:

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They believe change is unnecessary or will make the situation worse. They fear that the change will mean personal loss - of security, money, status, friends or freedom. They had no input into the decision. The change was a surprise. They are not confident that the change will succeed. They feel manipulated because the changes were kept secret during the planning stage. They subscribe to the belief, "If it's not broken, don't fix it." They believe that the organization lacks the necessary resources to implement the change. People support change when: They expect that it will result in some personal gain. They expect a new challenge as a result. They believe that the change makes sense and is the right thing to do. They were given an opportunity to provide input into the change. They respect the person who is championing the change. They believe it is the right time for the change.

Although most people feel comfortable with minor changes, no one can live and work by yesterday's reality. Leaders must enlist the support of other organizational members to identify the right changes to make, credibly communicate these changes throughout the organization, provide resources to support the changes and allow enough time and flexibility for the changes to take place. With the widespread commitment of people throughout the organization, change efforts will succeed. Change does not substantially alter the way a leader leads; change only reinforces that leaders must always use their skills to lead every day. 1. Management Support for Change It is critical that management shows support for changes and demonstrates that support when communicating and interacting with staff. Employees develop a comfort level when they see management supporting the process. 2. Case for Change No one wants to change for change sake, so it is important to create a case for change. A case for change can come from different sources. It can be a result of data collected on defect rates, customer satisfaction survey, employee satisfaction survey, customer comment cards, business goals as a result of a strategic planning session or budget pressures. Using data is the best way to identify areas that need to improve and change initiatives.

3. Employee Involvement All change efforts should involve employees at some level. Organizational change, whether large or small, needs to be explained and communicated, specifically changes that affect how employees perform their jobs. Whether it is changing a work process, improving customer satisfaction or finding ways to reduce costs, employees have experiences that can benefit the change planning and implementation process. Since employees are typically closest to the process, it is important that they understand the why behind a change and participate in creating the new process. 4. Communicating the Change Communicating change should be structured and systematic. Employees are at the mercy of management to inform them of changes. When there is poor communication and the rumor mill starts spreading rumors about change, it can create resistance to the change. Being proactive in communications can minimize resistance and make employees feel like they are part of the process. 5. Implementation Once a change is planned, it is important to have good communication about the rollout and implementation of the change. A timeline should be made for the implementation and should make changes in the order that affect the process and the employees who manage the process. An effective timeline will allow for all new equipment, supplies or training to take place before fully implemented. Implementing without a logical order can create frustration for those responsible for the work process. 6. Follow-up Whenever a change is made it is always good to follow-up after implementation and assess how the change is working and if the change delivered the results that were intended. Sometimes changes exceed target expectations but there are occasions that changes just don t work as planned. When this is the case, management should acknowledge that it didn t work and make adjustments until the desired result is achieved. 7. Removing Barriers Sometimes employees encounter barriers when implementing changes. Barriers can be with other employees, other departments, inadequate training, lacking equipment or supply needs. Sometimes management also needs to deal with resistant employees. It is management s

responsibility to ensure that employees can implement change without obstacles and resistance. Unfortunately, sometimes employees need to move on in order to successfully implement a needed change. 8. Celebrate It is important to celebrate successes along the way as changes are made. Celebrating the small changes and building momentum for bigger changes are what makes employees want to participate in the process. When employees understand why a change is made and are part of the process for planning and implementing the change, it allows for a better chance for successful implementation.

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