M1A2 Discussion
Peer 1
Module 1 assignment 2
Kevin Gudino posted Jul 21, 2018 12:36 PM
Change Management
Why Employees Resist Change
Employees play a vital role in the success of a company and would want to be adequately involved in any changes proposed. Nevertheless, the leaderships of organizations tend to overlook or underestimate the involvement of employees in such important changes (Carnall, 2018). The mission or vision of a company can only be successful if the workforce understands its role in the new makeup. Perhaps it is imperative that the corporate leaders communicate the changes and address any negative reactions. For instance, they could reassure the employees that no one will lose their jobs; they could seek their input and suggestions (Palmer, Dunford & Akin, 2006). Better still, they could convene a meeting where the changes are explained exhaustively. The management would want to expound on why the new vision is important and how it will leverage productivity for the company.
How leaders can Address Resistance
Leaders should be practical and use emotional intelligence to view the cynicism in a positive way. They should take the opportunity to explain the changes and reassure the employees that they are best for everyone. Effective change management requires timely and effective communication. They should be patient and address any concerns through nurturing and coaching the employees through the entire period of change. The new vision should be such that it captures the expectations of the employees as well (Palmer et al., 2006). Examples of how leaders can avoid skepticism include having employees ask questions in a friendly environment. Leaders can use examples of how new vision has worked for other companies (Carnall, 2018). Overall, timely communication, emotional intelligence, and behavior analytics come in handy in addressing negative reactions from employees during the change process.
References
Carnall, C. (2018). Managing change. Routledge.
Palmer, I., Dunford, R., & Akin, G. (2006). Managing organizational change: A multiple perspectives approach.
Wedekind_M1_A2_Discussion
Bradley Wedekind posted Jul 19, 2018 1:14 PM
Why do you think employees react in this way?
I believe one of the main reasons employees react this way has to do with perception; leaders today need to understand that they will be leading individuals of many different cultural backgrounds, perceptions, and views. They need to understand that not everyone communicates the same and based on their culture, they may interpret information differently. This is critical when dealing with these individuals; Leaders need to be clear, which requires a better understanding of how different cultures perceive, interpret, and disseminate information. I believe technology continues to increase the need for leaders to gain cultural understanding. With advancements in technology, more and more individuals from different countries are coexisting; international population continues to increase year to year and leaders need to understand this in order to be able to communicate successfully with these people.
What can leaders do to avoid this skeptical reaction on the part of employees and ensure that the new vision/mission is embraced?
The most significant changes in how leadership approaches these situations have to be with how these leaders communicate. Wang-Cowham (2008) explains that one of the biggest concerns with globalization and the expansion into different countries is cultural differences. These differences engender misunderstanding, communication issues, and disagreements that create friction. The manner in which diverse cultures process communication needs to be studied when expanding globally. Javidan, Dorfman, Sully de Luque, and House (2006) remark that culture affects nearly all aspects of human performance; while leading a multicultural workforce it is imperative that leaders understand how culture influences cross-cultural communication, successful understanding of culture and its effects can be beneficial to mitigating cynicism. Also, I think some competencies a leader needs to encompass when trying communicate are transparency and motivation. If people feel they are not being included, they are less likely to be inspired and believe the leader’s vision. For this reason, it is imperative that a leader communicate openly; Cynthia (2005) believes transparency makes organizational leaders accountable, stating that “the value of transparency as an all-purpose recipe for improving organizational performance and the quality of governance” (p. 359).
I think leaders need to improve their cultural understanding, increase personalization, transparency, and motivation. Personally, I believe cultural knowledge is the most important skill to improve on. In today’s increasing globalization, diversity brings a lot of different perceptions and communication by leaders needs to take this into account. These perceptions are influenced by culture and background; the groups that surround us influence our behavior. Behavior is influenced by these perceptions; they are used to interpret and communicated information. Adair and Brett (2005), emphasized the need for knowledge gathering and dissemination of cultural perceptions by leaders when trying to gain positive interaction with individuals with different views.
References:
Adair, W. L., & Brett, J. M. (2005). The negotiation dance: Time, culture, and behavioral sequences in negotiation. Organization Science, 16(1), 33–51. (ProQuest Document ID: 213832617) Retrieved from: http://search.proquest.com.libproxy.edmc.edu/docview/213832617?accountid=34899 .
Cynthia, C. W. (2005). Trust diffusion: The effect of interpersonal trust on structure, function, and organizational transparency. Business and Society, 44(3), 357-368. Retrieved from: http://search.proquest.com/docview/199417307?accountid=34899 .
Javidan, M., Dorfman, P. W., Sully de Luque, M., & House, R. J. (2006). In the eye of the beholder: Cross-cultural lessons in leadership from project GLOBE. Academy of Management Perspectives, 20(1), 67–90. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.libproxy.edmc.edu/docview/210508688?accountid=34899 .
Wang-Cowham, C. (2008). HR structure and HR knowledge transfer between subsidiaries in china. The Learning Organization, 15(1), 26-44. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09696470810842501.