Resisting Change

by

Abstract

Today's business environment forces the business organizations to undergo changes constantly if they want to remain competitive in the tough market. Factors such as globalization of markets and rapidly evolving technology compel the businesses to respond in order to survive. Such changes may be relatively minor as in the case of installing a new software program or quite major as in the case of refocusing an overall marketing strategy. Organizations need to adapt to the changing environments in today's world. Businesses are bombarded with incredibly high rates of change from a frustratingly large number of sources. Internal pressures come from the top management and lower-level employees who enforce changes in the organization. External pressures come from changes in the legal, competitive, technological, and economic environments. Organizations are constantly being pressurized by the forces that cause them to evolve, because change means new and unknown that one resists instinctively. Ineffective communication is the major cause of resistance especially by the operational leaders. Change is not necessarily radical, in fact, it is best to introduce major changes gradually. Organizations that fail to grasp the need for change or unable to deal with it, fade and fall behind in the competition. Therefore, it is necessary to manage and survive the change. The issue of resistance to change is very important in the policy of the organization (Vince & Broussine, 1996).

Table of Contents

LITERATURE REVIEW4

Organizational Change - Concept and Aspects6

The definition of resistance8

Resistance to Change10

Reasons Why Leaders Resist Change18

CONCLUSION21

Literature Review

Change, like death and taxes, cannot be avoided. Change is not always bad, although it might cause discomfort and embarrassment to the employees who are forced to change, still changes can be positive (Fedor et al, 2006). Marriage, birth of a child and a promotion at work are examples of change, often happy, which are easier to accept than other negative changes, such as divorce and death. Positive or negative, any change that occurs in a person or organization that adapts and requires attention. Nothing is absolutely invariable, even organizations are subject to change (Stanislao, 1983). Who has not seen signs of change such as fluctuations in the workforce, the increase or decrease in funding and creating new projects reflecting the needs of members. If the organization does not react to change, it will struggle and eventually disappear. Organizations must be aware that changes are underway and they do best to adapt (Rollag & Parise, 2005).

Many changes are occurring globally, requiring to opt for new approaches by the organizations. By watching and letting things happen with nothing to do, may lead to uncertainty about the future of the organization (George & Jones, 2008).

There are some changes that come as a hurricane and do not ask permission to enter, causing greater instability, if management is not ready to implement a change. The alternative often is to know what happened to deal with trying to make the best possible use of the situation. For example, we place the process of privatization, in which the decision ...