Organizational Changes

Organizational change and resistance is a common experience for companies that are changing its core business objectives. A reluctance of company employees to adopt new processes or align with a companies new strategic goals can hamper business performance, result in a reduction of productivity and contribute to costs blowouts. It�s important that companies looking to implement organizational change undertake strategic planning and evaluation to determine how to manage the change process.

Common Resistance To Organizational Change:

Deeply entrenched fears, anxiety and beliefs are a common cause of organizational change resistance. Researchers have categorized this as resistance that occurs at the cognitive level. Often the foundation of this behavior has to do with the individual�s perceived negative connotation associated with the change initiatives. Whether this is a valid basis of fact or just a theoretical assumption is irrelevant to the person who feels intimidated or opposed to the change.

Companies can address organizational change and resistance to change by involving the affected individuals in the change process. By soliciting feedback, direct participation in the process can tear down barriers. People who contribute to the evolution of the development get to shape its implementation and can iteratively refine the process along the way. This begins with the soft sell process where appointed leaders amplify the benefits of the change process. Providing education upfront can help alleviate any preconceived fears prior to the implementation stage. Direct participation is a way including people and offsetting the appearance of exclusion which can take place when forced change is introduced without consultation.

Encouraging open dialogue, asking for feedback, honoring tradition and active participation by management in the process can help unify an organization about to undergo organizational change. When organizational restructuring takes place, friendships and team spirit that has been forged over the years can be broken apart by the relocation of team members. The socialization process that comprises part of an organizations culture is an often forgotten during the change process. Companies need to take this into consideration and adopt initiatives to compensate for the fears and stress that sometimes surface.

Building change into an organizations framework requires strategic planning. This requires conscientious evaluation, implementation and refinement from feedback. Current research indicates that many companies stumble by focusing on the change process and implementation phase without due consideration for the end effects and emotional consequences of the decision process. Organizational resistance in organizations occurs when the decisions adversely affect people. Failure to address this in the very beginning can make the transition to a companies new goals and objectives much more difficult.

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