Employee Resistance And Management Of Organizational Change - Essay Example

How does Employee Resistance affect Management of Organisational Change? Employee resistance has a longtime come to be associated with the negative effects that arise as a result changes that are made within an organisation. Most of the studies that have been conducted over the years have sought to show that employee resistance has a negative impact on change and that employees have to be handled in a manner that encourages accepting changes without questioning them. While this may lead to positive outcomes, there are instances where lack of resistance might end up being disastrous for the organisation involved. The positive effects of employee resistance have been neglected in most studies and this calls for more research on the field to ensure that a clearer perspective of employee resistance is developed. This paper therefore attempts to address not only the negative impacts of employee opposition on the management of organisational transformation, but also the positive ones as well. In most circumstances, when managers attempt to implement changes within an organisation, they often do so in the belief that the changes are going to be accepted without question. This is because of the belief that has emerged in the corporate world that managers are the ones who know what is best for an organisation and that any resistance to their policies is equivalent to insubordination (Phillips 1983, p.183). This is not always true because in most circumstances, employees tend to resist only those changes that they deem to be against not only their interests, but also of the organisation as well. Therefore, when managers encounter change, most of them take a tough stance against those employees who are resisting and this essentially creates a stalemate within an organisation because neither of the parties involved is willing to talk with the other concerning how to remedy the situation. A result of these circumstances is that even the most desired changes within an organisation cannot be implemented because management refuses to cater for the concerns raised by employees. The ability of employees to resist changes is often underestimated by managers and this leads to their choosing to take disciplinary action against those who offer resistance. While in some circumstances disciplinary action might work, there are others where such actions lead to the destruction of the relationship between management and employees as each of them chooses to disregard the opinion of the other. Such conflicts within an organisation end up not being good for it because it leads to the stagnation of its activities and makes it even more difficult to implement changes that might further its ability to achieve its goals. There are circumstances where employees accept all the changes that are implemented without question. Organisations that are highly receptive of change are among the most successful in the world but while this may be the case, they often do not have the ability to counter any changes that might end up having a negative effect on them. This is especially true within organisations that do not encounter any resistance to change from their employees and management is practically given a free hand in ensuring that all the changes it proposes are implemented (Melançon 2007, p.19). Under these situations, it is difficult for the managers of change to determine whether changes are having a positive effect on the organisation or not. Managers are not forced to undertake an analysis of the problems that might arise as a result of implementing certain changes and they blindly choose to implements them because they believe that they are good for the organisation. However, when managers encounter resistance to organisational changes from employees, it creates an environment where it is possible for them to consider the possible effect of the changes that they are implementing as well as to make the necessary adjustments that are needed to ensure that changes are implemented smoothly. Therefore, employee resistance makes it possible for management to realise when some of the proposed changes might be bad for an organisation and allows them time to develop better or alternative initiatives that can be implemented without putting the organisation in unnecessary risks. It is through employee resistance that the process of organisational change comes to consider the effects of these changes throughout the organisation and all its stakeholders and this allows it to ensure that only good ideas are implemented while the bad or risky ones are discarded. Most organisations choose to implement organisational changes without first consulting with employees and other stakeholders and this leads to the process being slowed down or even brought to a halt. In most organisations, employees tend to resist changes because they do not understand the reasons behind them and this creates a situation where they refuse to accept any changes that might be made (Kyriakidou, 2012, p.4). Such circumstances make it difficult for management to implement those changes that might be useful for the organisation over a long period and this might lead to the organisation losing focus on its goals. This is especially the case where employees choose to ignore all the directives that they have been given and continue to conduct their activities in the manner that they are used to. Because they do not understand the reasons behind the changes that are being implemented, it is more likely than not that some employees will even work towards sabotaging the entire change process as a show of resistance. Employee resistance tends to also arise because the management has not given them any justification for the changes that are being implemented and these changes do not in any way align with the mission or values of the organisation. When changes do not align with the mission and values of an organisation, the ability of employees to accept them becomes limited and this creates a situation where the management’s hands are tied because it depends on the employees to ensure that the organisation continues running smoothly. In order to overcome employee resistance to organisational change, it is essential that management takes the initiative to convince them that the changes being implemented are necessary to enhance the organisation and that without these changes, the organisation will more likely than not lose out to its competitors. The management of organisational change is more likely to fail in situations where employees resist it because it does not make financial sense. There are circumstances where employees resist change because they realise that its implementation is going to be extremely costly for the organisation while at the same time bringing about little tangible results. This is especially the case where an organisation chooses to implement a change that will not only lead to job cuts, but will also bring about a reduction in the income of the remaining employees (Meisinger 2008, p.8). Furthermore, employees will resist costly changes that will bring about few benefits for the organisations either in the short or long term and this makes it impossible for management to implement these changes. However, this resistance should not be taken in a negative light because employee resistance under such situations can actually prove to be beneficial for the organisation. Resistance will ensure that management is given an opportunity to reassess the changes that it wishes to implement and help it to realise that implementing such a costly change with little benefit will be of little use for the organisation. The realisation of the shortcomings of changes can only be done in an environment where there is resistance and in organisations that require the full cooperation of employees when implementing changes under all circumstances, it might lead to unnecessary losses. The ability of management to ensure that it allows employees to become active participants in the process of implementing organisational change is essential in making sure that only the most justifiable and beneficial changes are implemented. The participation of employees in the decision making process for implementing organisational change makes the process easier and helps management to skip over all possible hurdles that might be in the way of its taking the organisation to greater heights. Employee resistance to organisational change tends to originate from self-interest especially where they feel that it might end up affecting their jobs in a negative way. There are situations where either organisational change might result in a number of employees losing their positions in the organisation through being transferred to other departments or being demoted (Gotsill and Natchez 2007, p.24). This means that they might end up losing their influence or prestige within the organisation; a circumstance that is normally accompanied by lesser pay. When faced with the possibility of receiving less pay, employees might decide that the best course of action would be to resist the changes that are to be implemented for as long as possible with the hope that management will either change its mind about it or modify the changes in such a way that the employees will be able to retain their current positions. Furthermore, organisational change also brings about concerns about working hours especially in circumstances where employees are paid on an hourly basis. The fear that they might be forced to work lesser hours hence lesser income makes it inevitable that management will encounter resistance when it comes to implementing the changes that it feels the organisation needs. Therefore, in order to counter such situations, the management of an organisation chooses to adjust the changes that it intends to implement in such a manner that it caters for the interests of its employees. It has to consider the best means of ensuring that the employees attain the best value out of the changes that are to be implemented because this is one of the ways through which management can be able to justify to employees why the changes are being made in the first place. Thus, when managing organisational change, there has to be a balance between the interests of the organisation as well as that of employees in order for the implementation process to proceed successfully. One of the biggest barriers to successful implementation of organisational change is that managers often assume they know what is best for their employees. Managers often believe that they know the pros and cons of how the various changes that are implemented within the organisation are most likely to affect the employees involved (Richtnér and Åhlström 2010, p.1006). This belief is actually not true because in most organisations, there is always a communication barrier between managers and employees and this barrier makes it impossible for either of them to know what the other is thinking. Furthermore, some managers, because they assume that they know what is good for their employees, often make decisions in total disregard of the latter and this leads to many issues within the organisation. Not only will employees become resistance to most of the changes that are proposed within the organisation, but they will also work towards ensuring that management is not able to successfully implement any organisational changes without their input. A result is that there ends up being conflict between management and employees concerning changes and this makes it difficult for organisational changes to be implemented effectively. These circumstances often lead to management being forced to become more accessible to employees through opening up lines of communication that allow for there to be consultations between these parties so that consensus concerning the implementation of organisational changes can be achieved. Early communication from management to employees concerning proposed changes is essential to ensure that the latter are not only made aware, but are also allowed to make proposals concerning how best to make the changes without harming their interests. Thus, through proper consideration and adjustment of changes to cater for the concerns of employees, organisational change can be achieved in such a manner that it ensures cooperation between management and employees for the benefit of the organisation. When employees are resistant to change, it is useful because it allows management to slow down the process of organisational change to ensure that it takes the time to develop comprehensive plans. In this case, resistance should be taken positively because it makes it possible for a proper assessment of the risks involved in case the organisation chooses to go ahead with changes (Lee and Covell 2008, p.40). It leads to the recognition that the success or failure of a project or proposed change largely depends on the initiatives that are developed by management to engage with employees so that the latter can become active participants in the process. Through the assessment of risks, management is able to develop proper plans designed to ensure that the interests of the organisation are aligned with those of employees in such a way that the way is left open for employees to accept and help in the implementation of change. Plans for the implementation of organisational changes within an organisation end up involving an assessment of how the proposed changes are likely to affect either individuals or groups within an organisation. With this knowledge, management is able to ensure that it creates an environment where changes are implemented gently or carefully to ensure that there is as little disruption within the organisation as possible. In a situation where an organisation is saturated with many changes taking place at the same time, employee resistance makes it possible for management to realise this and take steps to make sure that not only are these changes implemented in an orderly manner, but that there are resources available to make the changes happen. Furthermore, as a result of employee resistance, management is able to make an analysis of the history of changes and resistance within the organisation and using this knowledge develop a plan that makes sure that there is little resistance to change and that any changes made end up achieving the mission of the organisation. Employee resistance has an effect on the management of organisational change because it makes it possible for managers to realise that they should not assume to know what is expected of them during the process (Mitut 2011, p.20). In most circumstances, managers tend to take the implementation of change for granted and take it upon themselves to enforce changes without consulting with employees. Such situations lead to employee resistance because employees end up feeling resentful over the changes that they are forced to adhere to although they do not agree with them since they are not aligned with their interests. Resistance offers these managers with an opportunity to develop coaching plans for managers and other senior leaders within the organisation so that they can be capable of leading the implementation of changes within it from the front and by example. If managers are seen by employees to be taking an active part in implementing organisational change, they are more likely than not to follow the example of these leaders and will ensure that the success of implementation is guaranteed. The development of strategies to manage resistance such as connecting the various change projects to the employees makes it possible for employees to be more accepting of change and allows them to identify with the changes being implemented within the organisation (Waddell and Sohal, 1998, p.543). Being able to identify with proposed changes makes the process of implementation easier because employees will end up being more receptive rather than choosing to resist it. When employees identify with changes, leaders are able to create coalitions with them to make implementation possible and allow it to take place more smoothly than if there was employee resistance. The formation of coalitions for change implementation allows for the development of greater communication as well as employee access to managers and this creates a situation where it is possible for joint initiatives for change to be formed between managers and employees. Employee resistance allows managers to recognise when it is the wrong time to begin the implementation of changes within an organisation. This is especially the case where proposed changes end up pushing employees out of their comfort zones. Under such circumstances, resistance makes it possible for managers to develop reinforcement strategies that are designed to make sure that employees are able to remain comfortable with any changes that are taking place (Wilson 2005, p.159). Moreover, employers get to learn concerning the new behaviours that come about as a result of changes that take place and helps them to take the steps that are necessary to ensure that employees to not regress to the old behaviours that were prevalent before the organisational change took place. Right timing is essential in the implementation of changes because it allows management to make an evaluation of its reward programs so that it can take initiatives that are designed to help employees become less resistant to change. The enhancement of reward and recognition programs makes it possible for employees to accept changes because they end up feeling that the actions taken by management are for their benefit as well as that of the organisation. Thus, finding out whether there is likely to be resistance allows managers to recognise whether the ideas that they would like to implement are good or bad. In conclusion, the discussion above attempts to address the impact of employee resistance on the management of change. The discussion has shown that in most circumstances, managers implement changes within an organisation in the belief that the changes are going to be accepted without question. Furthermore, organisations that are highly receptive of change are highly vulnerable because they often do not have the ability to counter any changes that might end up having a negative effect on them. Moreover, the discussion has shown that most organisations choose to implement organisational changes without first consulting with employees, which leads to the process being slowed down or even brought to a halt. In addition, the management of organisational change is more likely to fail in situations where employees resist it because it does not make financial sense. Employee resistance to organisational change tends to originate from self-interest especially where they feel that it might end up affecting their jobs in a negative way. Thus, among the biggest barriers to successful implementation of organisational change is that managers often assume they know what is best for their employees. Therefore, employee is useful because it allows management to slow down the process of organisational change to ensure that it takes the time to develop comprehensive plans. It further has an effect on the management of organisational change because it makes it possible for managers to realise that they should not assume to know what is expected of them during the process. Finally, the discussion has shown that employee resistance allows managers to recognise when it is the wrong time to begin the implementation of changes within an organisation. 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