Managing Change in a Organizational Workplace
Exhibit 15.6 Ways to overcome resistance to change
1.Communicate why change is neededManagement should educate people about upcoming changes before they occur. It should communicate the nature of the change and its logic. This process can include reports, e-mails, texts, one-on-one discussions, and presentations to groups. Effective communication includes feedback and listening. Whenever Round Table Pizza introduces a new project or process, managers set up meetings with their employees to discuss the change and bring up any concerns they have.98 That provides an environment in which management can explain the rationale for the changeand perhaps improve it.
2.Involve key stakeholdersThe people who are affected by a change should be involved in its design and implementation. For major, organization wide change, participation in the process can extend from the top to the very bottom of the organization.99 People who are involved in decisions understand them more fully and are more committed to them. Participation also allows for education and communication. Two years before starting construction on a $180 million expansion project, Akron Childrens Hospital involved several stakeholders in the design process in order to find ways to make the new building efficient and family-focused. The stakeholders included physicians and surgeons, nurses, patients, families, anesthesiologists, child life specialists, and secretarial and scheduling support team members. The Kay Jewelers Pavillon was completed two months early, and the cost was $60 million under budget.100
3.Provide support and resourcesManagement should make the change as easy as possible for employees and support their efforts. Facilitation involves providing the training and other resources people need to carry out the change and perform their jobs under the new circumstances. This step often includes decentralizing authority and empowering people. For many employees, change can be stressful.101 Managers can help employees cope with their stress by listening patiently to problems, being understanding if performance drops temporarily or the change is not perfected immediately, and generally being on the employees side and showing consideration during a difficult period.
4.Offer incentives to encourage changeWhen 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 rooman 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
5.Use covert tactics when neededSometimes, 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 companys 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.
6.Make the change happenSome 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.
This Competency Assessment assesses the following outcome(s):
MT140M3: Discuss the steps to manage change.
PC-2.1: Achieve goals through planning and prioritization.
The Module 3 assignment involves a review of how resistance to change can be effectively managed within an organization. A companys competitive advantage relies on its ability to quickly adapt to changes in both the internal and external environments. Managers that are adept at guiding the change process will have the ability to shape the organizational strategy overall. However, change is often difficult for individuals, so a keen understanding of techniques available to manage resistance is necessary for any manager.
Using the material from Chapter 15 of the text as well as your own independent research, you will develop a plan to manage resistance to change based on the scenario below.
Scenario:
You have been called in as a consultant to PG Industries (a fictitious company). The new VP of Manufacturing, Laine Thomas, has performed a review of her department and made recommendations to staff about introducing a new training program. The program has been rolled out, but senior management is struggling to get buy-in from many long-term employees. This resistance to acceptance and adoption of the new training program is causing division within the department.
Assignment Checklist:
Review Exhibit 15.6 from your textbook.
Based on the information provided in this scenario, draft a persuasive essay that identifies what you believe will be the four most effective ways one might manage resistance to change in implementing the new training program.
Justify your choice of each tactic by explaining how it is most appropriate in this circumstance.
Utilize at least two external sources as part of your research. Sources might include your textbook, the additional video content, or another resource found in the university library.
Minimum Submission Requirements
The assessment should be submitted as a Microsoft Word document (.doc or .docx).
Your submission should include a title page, introduction, main body, conclusion, and reference list.
The assessment should be double-spaced, 12-point font, and no less than 500 words, not including title page and reference list.
Respond to the questions in a thorough manner, providing specific examples of concepts, topics, definitions, and other elements asked for in the questions. Your paper should be highly organized, logical, and focused.
Your paper must be written in Standard English and demonstrate exceptional content, organization, style, and grammar and mechanics.
Your paper should provide a clearly established and sustained viewpoint and purpose.
Your writing should be well ordered, logical, and unified, as well as original and insightful.
Be sure to cite both in-text and reference list citations where appropriate and reference all sources. Your sources and content should follow proper APA citation style. Review the Writing Center resources on APA style and formatting available in the Academic Success Center found in the Academic Tools area in your course.
If work submitted for this competency assessment does not meet the minimum submission requirements, it will be returned without being scored.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is an act of academic dishonesty. It violates the University Honor Code, and the offense is subject to disciplinary action. You are expected to be the sole author of your work. Use of another person’s work or ideas must be accompanied by specific citations and references. Whether the action is intentional or not, it still constitutes plagiarism.
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