Resistance to change may never be overcome
completely but it can be reduced through involvement and communication.
There are
various scholars who tried to define the term resistance to change, which can
be defined as follows:-
According to Lussier (2012) defined
resistance to change as an act of opposing or struggling with modification or
transformation that alter the status quo in the work place, thus managing
resistance to change is challenging. Resistance to change can be covert or
overt, organized or individual.
Burke (2008). Defines the term
resistance to change as a natural reaction when employees are asked,
well, to change. Change is uncomfortable and requires new ways of thinking and
doing. People have trouble developing a vision of what life will look like on
the other side of a change. So, they tend to cling to the known rather than
embrace the unknown. “Change
produces anxiety and uncertainty. Employees may lose their sense of security.
They may prefer the status quo. The range of reactions, when change is
introduced, is immense and unpredictable” Burke (2008). No employee is left
unaffected in most changes. As a result, resistance to change often occurs when
change is introduced.
There are various causes of resistance to
change as explained in details here below:-
Even though resistance to change
can take many forms, it is difficult to identify the reasons for the
resistance. The forces against change in work organizations include
disregarding the needs and expectations of the organization members; providing
insufficient information about the nature of change and not acknowledging the
need for change. Therefore, people may exhibit fear and anxiety over such
matters like job security, employment levels, loss of job satisfaction,
different wage rates, loss of individual control over work and changes to
working conditions (Mullins, 2005).
Despite the fact
that change is implemented for positive reasons like adapting to volatile
environment conditions and remaining competitive, organization members often
react to change efforts negatively and resist change
(Carnall, 1999). The main reason behind this negative reaction is due to
pressure, stress and uncertainty coming with change
Some common
reasons for resistance to change within organizations include interference with
need fulfilment, selective perception, habit, inconvenience or loss of freedom,
economic implications, security in the past, fear of the unknown, threats to
power or influence, knowledge and skill obsolescence, organizational structure
and limited resources.
Interference with need fulfilment Changes
preventing people from fulfilment of economic, social, esteem and other needs
may encounter with resistance. Thus, people resist changes that lower their
income, job status and social relationships.
Selective perception People
process the provided information selectively in order not to change their point
of view. Indeed, people hear what they want to hear and disregard any
information threatening their perspective. In other words, people interpret an
image of the real world with their own perception of reality which gives birth
to a biased view of a particular situation and resistance to change occurs.
Habit, when changes are faced with,
individuals may tend to re-act these changes due to accustom to their usual manner
of behaving. Actually, people tend to respond situations in an accustomed
manner. Since habits serve as means of security and comfort, proposed changes
to habits may be resisted
According
to Dawson, (2003) Inconvenience or loss of freedom, when change is seen as
troublesome and reduce freedom of action with increased control, organization
members may resist change implementations.
Economic implications, if change is
perceived as reducing pay or other rewards, individuals are likely to resist
change. People may want to maintain the status quo by establishing the patterns
of working.
Security in the past, Individuals who
have higher security needs resist change more than others because change
threatens their sense of security. When people face with new and unfamiliar
methods or difficult and frustrated occasions, they may reflect on past with a
wish to retain old ways.
Fear of the unknown, if innovative or radical changes introduced without
giving information about the nature of change, the organization members become
fearful and anxious about change implications. In fact, change takes place of
doubt and uncertainty because people like stability.
Threats to power or
influence, administrative and
technological changes threatening power bases in the organization may lead to
trigger resistance due to being seen as a threat to power or influence of
certain groups in controlling over decisions, resources and information
concepts. Specifically, intimidating changes may menace specialized groups in
the organization. Reallocation of decision making authority could threaten long
term power relations.
Knowledge and skill
obsolescence, organization members
resist organizational changes when their knowledge and skills are obsolete. It
is essential to state that knowledge is related to management while skills can
be applied to any member of the organization.
Organizational structure, in organizations which have ideal bureaucracy with
hierarchy of authority; division of labour and specialization, regulations and
rules, some degree of structure are given to groups for fulfilling the organization’s goals. However, this need would be
dysfunctional to the organization with serving as a main factor for resistance
to change.
Overcoming resistance to change
It is essential to realize that effective management
of change is based on clear understanding of human behaviour in the
organization. Due to the challenge of change, individuals may react with some
emotions like uncertainty, frustration or fear and feel threatened and
disoriented. Therefore, people often exhibit a defensive and negative attitude
and resist to change initiatives. Because of being complex and psychological
event, the power of change needs to be respected and managed effectively. “In
order to be successful, dedicated workforce and effective management of change
are necessary in organizations. Besides, different impact of change on each
person and nature of change should be considered” (Mullins, 2005).
In school settings, defensive and negative attitudes
may be displayed by school members and people may show uncertainty, fear and
frustration about change initiatives. That is, change may influence individuals
in educational organizations differently. Therefore, successful implementation
of change demands positive action from school principals, and administrators
are advised to prefer a contingency approach involving situational factors as
in the following while dealing with resistance to change.
Six specific methods helping in overcoming resistance
to change (Kreitner & Kinicki,2010).that school administrators can use are
education and communication, participation and involvement, facilitation and
support, negotiation and agreement, manipulation and co-optation, explicit and
implicit coercion. Resistance to
change and ways of reducing resistance in educational organizations
Education and communication,
individuals in the school
organization are objected to be educated about the nature of and need for
change before implementing and the logic of change needs to be explained. When
resistance is based on inaccurate and lack of information, this strategy seems
work best.
According to Gökçe (2009) participation
and involvement, allowing people to planning, designing and
implementing the changes provide school members to contribute ideas and advices
that lead change. This strategy is useful when change initiators do not have
all the information they need to design the changes and other members have
important information and considerable power to resist.
Facilitation and support,
with the goal of helping to deal with
resistance by emotional and material help; people having hardships of change
are actively listened by school administrators about their ideas, problems and
complaints with using their ideas that have merit. That is, supportive principals
make the work environment more pleasant and enjoyable for change process. This
strategy is essentially utilized when school members are frustrated by work
constraints and difficulties that are encountered in change process and have
adjustment problems (Gökçe, 2009).
Negotiation and agreement,
incentives to actual or potential
change resistors in the schools are offered in negotiation and agreement
method. In fact, trade-offs for special benefits are arranged with these
resistors and unblocking of the change initiatives is assured. This approach is
preferred when someone in the school organization clearly loses something of
value in change process and has power to resist (Kavanagh &Ashkanasy,
2006).
According to Robbins & Judge, (2009) manipulation and co-optation, in order to reach the
desired change, influencing other people in organization is attempted, the
necessary information is provided and the required events for change are
structured. When aforementioned tactics do not work and are seen as expensive,
manipulation and co-optation approach is common.
Explicit and implicit
coercion change initiators employ
the force of their authority for acceptance of the change by people in
organization. Resistors in the schools are threatened with undesirable situations
if they do not go along the proposed changes. “When speed is essential like in
crisis situations and change agents have considerable power, this method may be
used. However, it should be kept in mind that there are negative effects of
using coercion such as frustration, fear, revenge and alienation which in turn
may give birth to poor performance, dissatisfaction and turnover” (Rosenblatt,
2004).
Therefore, administrators are advised to use specific
methods, based on the situation, in order to overcome resistance to change in
the organizations. However, it is clear that main purposes of change in
organization are from external forces. Specifically, administrators have a
significant role in organizational setting. Therefore, it is necessary to be readily
adaptable to external demands placed upon organizations in order to ensure the
survival and future success. Pressures on educational organizations for
change lead members of the organizations to exhibit different responses.
Indeed, individuals unconsciously respond to threats of change and develop
habitual defence mechanisms to protect themselves from change and feelings of
anxiety
REFERENCES
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and practice. London: Sage.
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Sage Publications.
Gökçe, F. (2009).Behaviour
of Turkish elementary school principals in the change process: An
analysis of the perceptions of
both teachers and school principals. Educational
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