2 page essay

Exhibit 15.6 Ways to overcome resistance to change

· Offer incentives to encourage change—When necessary, management can offer concrete incentives for cooperating with the change. Perhaps job enrichment is acceptable only with a higher wage rate, or a work rule change is resisted until management agrees to a concession on some other rule (say, about taking breaks). Rewards such as bonuses, wages and salaries, recognition, job assignments, and perks can be examined and perhaps restructured to reinforce the direction of the change. 102  Change is further facilitated by demonstrating that the change itself benefits people. 103  John Mackey, founder of Whole Foods, encourages continuous innovation by decentralizing decision making to managers and employees at the store level. One recent idea that germinated from this approach was the “tap room—an in-store beer and wine bar that lets customers nibble on food while sampling local wine and beers by the glass.” So far, tap rooms are showing a lot of promise and have been rolled out to approximately 100 stores. 104

· Use covert tactics when needed—Sometimes, managers use more subtle, covert tactics to implement change. One form of manipulation is co-optation, which involves giving a resisting individual a desirable role in the change process. The leader of a resisting group often is co-opted. For example, management might invite a union leader to be a member of an executive committee or ask a key member of an outside organization to join the company’s board of directors. As a person becomes involved in the change, he or she may become less resistant to the actions of the co-opting group or organization.

· Make the change happen—Some managers apply punishment or the threat of punishment to those who resist change. With this approach, managers use force to make people comply with their wishes. A manager might insist that subordinates cooperate with the change and threaten them with job loss, denial of a promotion, or an unattractive work assignment. Sometimes, you just have to lay down the law.

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