chapter 11 the nature, impact and management of attitudes towards change (1)

Chapter 11The Nature, Impact and Management of

Attitudes towards Change


Learning Outcomes• Discuss how individuals react to change• Explore resistance to change • Identify what can be done to reduce opposition to change• Identify key stakeholders in the change process


‘No change will work if employees don’t help in the effort … Any organisation that believes

change can take hold without considering how people will react to it is in deep delusion’

(Jick & Peiperl, 2003)


People and Change• The hard stuff’s the easy stuff.

• The soft stuff’s the hard stuff.

• Organizational change is 90% a people deal


Defining Resistance

‘An action or intentional inaction that defies, opposes, or sidesteps the rules, roles, or routines of the organization.’

(Brower and Abolafia, 1995: 151)


Organisational factors from which resistance can result

– Substantive change in job

– Reduction in economic security or job displacement

– Psychological threat

– Disruption of social arrangements, and lowering of status(Dawson, 2003)


How to overcome resistance to change Schlesinger & Kotter (1979)

• Education & commitment• Participation & involvement• Facilitation & support counselling• Negotiation & agreement• Manipulation & co-operation• Implicit & explicit coercion


Discussion• What are the tangible and intangible

manifestations of resistance to change in organisations?

• Why is resistance to change problematic for those managing change?


Critical perspective• Resistance may help to stabilise an organisation(De Wit & Meyer, 2004)

• Resistance is an important and integral element of the organisational politics of change

(Watson, 2002)

• There may be benefit in terms of thinking about responses to change rather than about resistance

(Piderit, 2000)


Mor

ale/

perfo

rman

ce

Time

Loss of focus/ Shock

Temporary Euphoria/Denial

Resignation

Testing

AcceptanceAnger

Letting Go

Commitment

Exit

Emotional Response to Change


Some typical behaviours

Will

ingn

ess

to ch

ange

Ability to Change

CAN'T & WILL

CAN’T & WON’T

CAN & WILL

CAN & WON’T

Recognizes importance of change Actively supports the change Believes in the change as a good thing without

necessarily seeing the big picture Doesn't have the skills / behaviors required for the

'new world' (e.g. coaching, empowering, process improvement focus, teamworking)

Sees change as a process not an event Focuses on end goals and means to achieve Recognizes how change will impact on the bottom line Active enthusiast for the change; enthuses others Role model for new skills and behaviors

Does not recognize the need to change Shows no support for the change Does not want to

change (e.g. overprotective of self / empire / old ways of working)

Doesn't have the skills / behaviours required for the 'new world'

Strives for success at expense of new behaviours Focuses on ends at expense of means Shows no support for the change Understands the need but is embarrassed to change Understands the need but disagrees with extent or process of

change Possesses new skills but won't use them Won’t change due to peer pressure


Willingness to change

Ability to Change

Coach Train Involve

Delegate Empower to lead

aspects of the change

Counsel & Coach Train & Involve Align / Sell the benefits Tell / Discipline Fire / Replace

Counsel Involve Align / Sell the benefits Negotiate Fire / Replace

CAN'T & WON’T CAN & WON’T

CAN'T & WILL CAN & WILL

Possible responses


Hilltops


Questions to discuss

• Why do people struggle with change?

• How can you (as leaders) work with people to minimize the disruption caused by change and make it stick


Stakeholder Management

• In order to ensure the successful introduction of change it is essential that change leaders secure the assistance of powerful stakeholders and build a critical mass of support for the change.

• Stakeholders are any individuals or groups who can affect or are affected by a change


Stakeholder Management

• In order to ensure the successful introduction of change it is essential that change leaders secure the assistance of powerful stakeholders and build a critical mass of support for the change.

• Stakeholders are any individuals or groups who can affect or are affected by a change.


Stakeholder Mapping: Power / Interest matrix

Level of interest

Power

Low High

High

Minimal effort Keep informed

Keep satisfied Key players

A B

C D


Group Activity

• Break into small groups. Consider changes your organizations have faced in recent years. – Who were the key stakeholders?– Which stakeholders exhibited the most / least influence?– Who was / were the main agents for change?– What were their main strengths?

• Report back to the class.


• Recognise that there will often be a time• lag between the announcement of a change• and an emotional reaction to it:

• Different individuals or groups will progress• through the cycle at different rates and in• different ways.

• Change managers need to beware of getting out

• of phase with their staff.

Implications for managers


Summary• Individuals will react in different ways to change depending on factors such

motivation, empowerment, participation.

• Stakeholder management helps deal with stakeholder expectations and reactions.

• Managers and leaders need to consider reactions to change rather than resistance.

• Understand what people are seeing from their hilltop.


ReferencesBrower, R. S., & Abolafia, M. Y. (1995). The structural embeddedness of resistance among public managers. Group & Organization Management, 20(2), 149-166.

Dawson, P. (2003) Understanding Organizational Change: The Contemporary Experience of People at Work. London: Sage.

De Wit, B. and Meyer, R. (2004) Strategy: Process, Content and Context. London: Thomson Learning.

Jick, T.D. and Peiperl, M.A. (2003) Managing Change: Cases and Concepts. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Piderit, S.K. (2000) ‘Rethinking resistance and recognizing ambivalence: A multidimensional view of attitudes toward and organizational change’, Academy of Management Review, 25(4): 783–94.

Watson, T. (2002) Organising and Managing Work. Harlow, FT/Prentice Hall.
