URGENT - Managing Change - Case Study Business Proposal - Need completed in 24 hours
Managing Change Week 9 Semester 2 2017
Personal Change
Resistance to Change (‘RC’)
Discussion is all about personal change and resistance to change.
Resrtistance is part of pers change
1
Compiled: Assoc Prof Chris van Tonder
Today’s FOCI
INDIVIDUAL & ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE
PERSONAL CHANGE
REACTION & RESISTANCE to CHANGE
Personal Change; Resistance to Change
PERSONAL CHANGE
Also referred to as “Personal Transition”.
Some will argue that ‘personal change’ refers to a less intense version of ‘personal transition’. We will regard these terms as synonyms.
Personal Change OR Personal transition could assume varying degrees of intensity
Eg: adjusting to a new employer as opposed to adjusting to a new partner are examples of less and more intense personal change / personal transition respectively.
Emotional state – when the change is introduced, the person will start evaluating.
Not a reaction first. The thought of moving from comfort to a zone of discomfort. Creates ambiguity and frustration
https://youtu.be/WbDNhNXwAfQ
PERSONAL CHANGE (1) (cf. Van Tonder, 2004)
A very specific form of change at the human level.
A process through which individuals or groups reorient themselves so they can function appropriately in a changed situation (Skilling 1996, Van Tonder, 2004).
Attempts at coming to terms with environmental changes that impact on the person (Van Tonder, 2004)
Moving away from what we are doing to where we want to go.
Moving away from what we are doing to where we want to go.
Many factors – age, gender, background. Cultural, etc are the factors to resistance to change
Compiled: Assoc Prof Chris van Tonder
4
Three broad stages namely
letting go (and dealing with “endings” to previous stages or events),
entering an in-between zone (characterised by confusion, crisis and the absence of a clear perspective on the future), and
new beginnings, which involves adopting a new way of thinking and new behaviours (that is, committing to a new future)
Resistance is a critical component in ‘letting go’ & the personal change process
PERSONAL CHANGE (2) (cf. Van Tonder, 2004)
https://youtu.be/WbDNhNXwAfQ
Compiled: Assoc Prof Chris van Tonder
5
PERSONAL CHANGE (3) (cf. Van Tonder, 2004)
Personal change involves changes in the beliefs of the individual person and the emotional state associated with these beliefs
Affective change usually lags behind cognitive change (e.g. I have moved to a new neighbourhood, it’s a good move, but it still does not feel like ‘home’)
These microscopic changes are core building blocks of any form of change that involves people.
Referred to as ‘Cognition change’:
Changes in the belief systems and structures held by the individual – directly relates to the notion of learning.
Referred to as ‘Affective change’:
Short-term change in emotional condition or state, but could also entail a more enduring or longer term change in the emotional attachment to a specific object or subject
This is to understand what is the personal change – it is just an emotion
Resistance is a reaction
Emotion is the main part of personal change – get depressed, stressed and burn out.
Very difficult to measure. That’s why we need to get close to people if we really need to implement change (need to talk to them)
If your organisation understands the delay in affective change – it will be a great employer
Compiled: Assoc Prof Chris van Tonder
6
PERSONAL CHANGE (3)
Personal change or Individual change is visually depicted in the ‘Coping Cycle’
The coping cycle reveals the ‘letting go’, neutral and recommitment stages of the general adaptation syndrome (see overleaf)
Caution: stages do not always follow this sequence & every person may experience the process differently
For a detailed discussion of the personal transition or individual change process, see Van Tonder, 2004, pp. 163-177
Source: Van Tonder, C.L. (2004). Organisational change: Theory and practice. Pretoria: Van Schaik Publishers
Coping cycle – explains how people react and adjust when faced with Change
Explain the coping cycle bit. IT is also called personal transition as this is more like a psychoological journey.
Coping cycle deals with personal change. It helps to understand the elements of the psychological journey
Compiled: Assoc Prof Chris van Tonder
7
Figure 8.5 Three-Step model and the Coping Cycle
The “Coping Cycle” (is really personal / individual-level change - the primary component of the General Adaptation Syndrome.
NOTE: There is a box below the graph – use slide show and get the idea.
There are people who still try to prove that the old way of doing things is still better. Performance – people are trying to show the current way of doing things is better.
Then start talking about benefits – then they move to learning new things. Here, pref drops. In this stage, leadership needs to be applied. This is where they get back emotionally.
Adaptation – communication channels, talk about the internalisation and change becomes normal, not a new event and becomes part of culture.
Compiled: Assoc Prof Chris van Tonder
8
The “Coping Cycle” (Description)
Stage 1 – Denial: When faced with the need to make or accept significant changes, the first reaction by many people or groups is to deny there is a need for change.
Stage 2 – Defence: Once people realise that change is taking place and they cannot stop it, they may feel rejected and depressed. This can turn into defensive behaviour whereby people will defend their past practices and behaviours and deny that the new ways are suitable to them and their jobs.
The “Coping Cycle” (Description)
Stage 3 – Discarding: If people realise that the change will take place whether they like it or not, and that it does affect them and that they need to adjust to the new situation, they begin the process of discarding past behaviour – recognising that what was suitable in the past is no longer suitable for the current situation.
Stage 4 – Adaptation: No proposed change is ever likely to be 100% suitable at the outset. Therefore, for change to be successful, not only must those affected by it adapt to the new ways, but the new ways must also be adapted to fit in with the existing people and circumstances.
Stage 5 – Internalisation: The is the stage
of the Coping Cycle where change becomes
fully operational, and new ways of working
and behaving have been developed. People
reach the point where, psychologically, they
see the changes not as new but as normal – they way things are!
Compiled: Assoc Prof Chris van Tonder
10
Why Personal Change is important (cf. Van Tonder, 2004)
Knowledge of employees’ experience of organisational change
has been lacking in / during change initiatives
this accounts for the greatest number of failed change attempts.
Traditionally organisations (management)
emphasise the cognitive and rational aspects of organisational functioning and
neglect (and denies) the emotional and psychological facets of organisational life
Change within groups and organisations
cannot occur if the individual employees that form the group/organisation do not each make the change at an individual level.
Need to understand the emotional and human side of the org. Change cannot be successful if we do not have the right people involved in the change
Groups have emotions – even if one person is not happy, it can lead to dissatisfaction. Personal transition is very important
Compiled: Assoc Prof Chris van Tonder
11
(Personal Change; Resistance to Change)
RESISTANCE to CHANGE (RC)
Part of the individual change or “Personal Transition” process
Is a reaction or part of
a reaction to change or a
change situation
The NATURE of Resistance to Change
Is a major reaction to change and a form of experienced powerlessness (Van Tonder, 2004)
A divergent, multi-dimensional and evolving concept involving how individuals behave in response to change (Erwin & Garman, 2010)
Jick (1993, p.330): Resistance to Change is ‘... a normal part of adaptation,
a potential source of energy,
Source of information about the change effort and direction’.
RC is a part of personal transition. Multi dimensional – has so many things – leadership. Time and energy should be put in by leaders
Getting close to employees and talking to them about the change.
RC is kind of attached to the implementation of change
Compiled: Assoc Prof Chris van Tonder
13
The ORIGINS of Resistance to Change
Harvey (1990)… Change will be avoided because…
…someone loses something with every change that is implemented, and
…it implies going from the known to the unknown (and an uncertain future).
HOWEVER:
Change per se is not resisted, but the perceived consequences of the change are resisted (cf. Waddell & Sohal, 1998).
Different perceptions.
People do not fear the change, but fear the consequence of the change (lose job, move to another location, lose perks, etc)
Eg of CSS working at Oracle when Siebel was acquired
Compiled: Assoc Prof Chris van Tonder
14
Behavioural indicators of RESISTANCE to Change
Withdrawal
Poor morale (leading to lower motivation and productivity)
Uncooperative behaviour & Obstructionism – behaviour that ‘slow down’ or ‘terminate’ a change initiative (Lines 2005).
Conflict
Sabotage
Cynicism and Passive Resistance
The outcomes or behaviourial indicators – we may face.
Withdrawal – job search, leave job, etc
Compiled: Assoc Prof Chris van Tonder
15
Reasons for Resistance to Change (cf. Kotter & Schlesinger, 2008; Eriksson, 2003)
“Parochial self-interest” & the fear of losing something of value
Lack of trust in change leaders/facilitators –
typically management
Different interpretations (understanding)
of the change… and misunderstanding
Low tolerance for change
The emotions created by earlier change programs (change history of the organization) – Eriksson (2003)
Last bullet – experiences from earlier failures and this will bring in fear.
BP 3- different divisions have different interpretations. Two people can interpret the changes differently.
Diamler bought over Chrysler long ago (late 90s). Major disaster because of cultural resistance and then Diamler sold back Chrysler. However, that did not stop them from merging – they merged with Fiat after that.
Compiled: Assoc Prof Chris van Tonder
16
NOTES for students …Resistance to change (“RC”): a change-specific response that may or may not be part of an encompassing attitude towards change in general, and has as its underlying goal to prevent or delay the specific change(s) as part of the person’s conscious or unconscious self-protection strategy (Van Tonder, 2004b).
Fear of a potential loss and/or a perception of a potentially harmful situation or threat, and/or a fear of the unknown are typically at the root of resistance. This in itself is indicative of the employee’s perception and experience of the specific change initiative and, in particular, the change context which is informed among others by management action and organisation culture.
It has been argued that resistance is a predictable but costly and damaging consequence of managers’ and employees’ inadequate and/or skewed knowledge levels with regard to organisational change processes (Van Tonder, 2004b).
Notes only ….
If we acknowledge that change management aims to ease the transition of the organisation from a pre- to post change condition or state in such a way that it will sustain pre-change performance levels or (preferably) facilitate improved organisational performance, while minimising disruption to internal order and functioning,
Then…Resistance to Change is an indictment of the approach and methods adopted towards change management and may be an early indicator of impending failure.
……primary cause of failed change
(Bovey & Hede, 2001; Erwin & Garman, 2010; Martin, 1975; Maurer, 1997; Prochaska et al., 2001; Reger, Mullane, Gustafson & DeMarie, 1994; Spiker & Lesser, 1995; Waldersee & Griffiths, 1997).
RESISTANCE to change is IMPORTANT because it is a…
As a result of the discussions of the above few slides, we are kind of concluding that resistance to change is the primary cause for all failed changes.
It should come as no surprise that employee resistance to change would emerge as a primary cause of failed change initiatives (Martin, 1975; Maurer, 1997; Reger, Mullane, Gustafson & DeMarie, 1994; Spiker & Lesser, 1995; Waldersee & Griffiths, 1997).
Resistance to change (“RC”): a change-specific response that may or may not be part of an encompassing attitude towards change in general, and has as its underlying goal to prevent or delay the specific change(s) as part of the person’s conscious or unconscious self-protection strategy (Van Tonder, 2004b). Fear of a potential loss and/or a perception of a potentially harmful situation or threat, and/or a fear of the unknown are typically at the root of resistance. This in itself is indicative of the employee’s perception and experience of the specific change initiative and, in particular, the change context which is informed among other by management action and organisation culture.
It has been argued that resistance is a predictable but costly and damaging consequence of managers’ and employees’ inadequate and/or skewed knowledge levels with regard to organisational change processes (Van Tonder, 2004b).
If we acknowledge that change management aim to ease the transition of the organisation from a pre- to post change condition or state in such a way that it will sustain pre-change performance levels or (preferably) facilitate improved organisational performance, while minimising disruption to internal order and functioning,
Then…RC is an indictment of the approach and methods adopted towards change management and may be an early indicator of impending failure.
VALUE of Resistance to Change …may be a useful indicator of …
the need to challenge and refine strategic and action plans (Mabin et al., 2001)
… the need to review the quality of decision making (Lines,2004).
… inadequacies in the argument, analysis and presentation of Management’s case for change (Van Tonder, 2004)
…perceived unethical change i.e. changes not be in the best interest of the organization (Oreg, 2006).
… corporate risk and governance issues (Van Tonder, 2007)
Resistance to change is also…
…an instrument with which to foster learning among organisational participants (Msweli-Mbanga & Potwana, 2006)
…a comment on the appropriateness and effectiveness of change management practices (Van Tonder, 2004)
Compiled: Assoc Prof Chris van Tonder
20
Different forms of Resistance to Change
PSYCHOLOGICAL model of resistance
SYSTEMS model of resistance
INSTITUTIONALIZED resistance to change
CULTURE AND resistance to change
Forms of resistance to change.
Systems model of resistance – focuses on the structure of the organisation
21
Psychological Model of Resistance
Individuals by nature are averse to change. Caused by:
Uncertainty
Lack of tolerance
Opinion concerning the need for change
Threatened self-importance
Change causes fear and anxiety
People associate change with trauma
Change threatens ‘ personal security’ on
many different levels.
22
This model suggests that individuals by nature oppose any form of change.
SYSTEMS Model of Resistance
People do not resist change. They resist:
losing benefits that the current system provides, such as status, money or comfort
Forced to choose between the ‘new vision’ and their own self interest
Need to avoid changes which force individuals to choose between their own good and the ‘greater’ good
More at the corporate level. To do more with the organisational structure.
This model advocates that people do not resist change. They resist losing something they like such as status, money, or comfort. (Graetz pg 285)
Give eg of Sun where the mobile office was brought in and people lost offices.
23
INSTITUTIONALISED Resistance
When resistance is embedded in the fabric of an organisation’s structures, decision-making processes and resource allocation
Change is resisted because it threatens the way things have been done in the past.
Overcoming this form of resistance:
Requires the use of power to involve employees in the change process (empowerment)
Begin to replace the old ways of doing things with more functional activities.
24
Like the systems perspective but argues that the entire organisation itself resists to change – it is institutionalised, so to say.
Talks about the function of the org.
Can use the Heinz case study eg for institutionalised change.
Depends on the organising part or the management
Egs of Quantas and Heinz
Organisational CULTURE and Resistance
Changes challenge the culture (norms, values, expectations, beliefs) of members.
Changes threaten to force members to alter the very fabric of their beliefs.
Cultural change must be introduced before resistance can be overcome in changing systems and activities.
Just like nations, organisations have culture too. Explain the culture of giving in MS – Christmas gifts, old age homes, etc. so with Timberland.
25
That’s it for today!