The Challenges the Managers Might Face When Initiating the Change - Assignment Example

Organizational Change Report Student’s Name: Instructor’s Name: Course Name and Code: University: Date of Submission Organizational Change Report Introduction From this organizations context, it is clear that proper change in this organization is inevitable; they are part and parcel of what the manager’s and CEO as well as workers, have to live with in order for the organization to prosper. It is clear that the organization is countering; external pressure from Government and policy makers, as well as pressure from the internal environment particularly workers, so that the organization can survive amidst its challenges in today’s competitive business era. On a general scale, time and experience that an organization goes through would always make it necessary for change to be embraced in organizations. Year in year out organizations are involved in a number of managerial processes aimed at reaching out towards their objectives; as organizations do this they come to experience progress that will need to be sustained as well as improved, on the other side they experience failures that they have to counter and embrace some changes so that there is no repetition of the same. Organizational change may encompass changing the working structure, changing how processes are managed, changing the schedules as well as the scope of work (Mehdi 2001, p.37-47). It may further include the restructuring the whole managerial policies and structure in a manner that is thought to bring positive changes that would be helpful to the organization. Organizations cannot run away from change in as much as many people are resistant to change. Change management is not an easy task because the managers have to involve others in the implementation of change. Many people do not just fear but resist change; so often the organization would face difficult times to manage change. Essentially, the leaders of the organization should recognize that organizational change is not a one person/ manager affair but instead often all the members of the organization are involved in it. This means that the CEO has a big task to increase the involvement of other employees in the management of change so as to minimize resistance that has already began being evidenced. Success in change management comes when the managers and employees understand the usefulness of the changes they are fronting to organizations and to themselves (Cook & Macaulay 2004, p.38-49). The challenges the managers might face when initiating the change From the change, that was implemented it is reported that the staffs were in absolute disarray and were upset and very angry. They were mailing each other, talking on the phones and holding meetings about the changes. They were talking about calling in and joining up to the Union. This means that mangers must set up change management policies that carry both the concern of the organization as well as that of the workers so as to make the workers to feel they are part of the project. However, even as the new policies and strategies are implemented, managers often would face a number of challenges as they initiate the changes. These challenges include: (a) Challenges of Resistance from a number of workers. Organizational change often is accompanied by resistance that comes from the workers of the organization despite how good the change policies would be. The human person is always quick to fight change of any kind. Researchers are still working on finding why man is often resistant to change. Not even in the organizational context alone, even in other spheres of life people are found to find comfort zones when the status quo is sustained (John 2006, p.23-35). The employees associate safety to living in the way that they know instead of working towards the unknown. In organizational change management, managers would often face resistance from other members of the organization as they try to implement changes into their organization. A unique feature of successful organizational change project is that it is often characterized by its all inclusiveness; all the members of the organization have their part to play in order to make the process successful. No one should be left out, this forms the main reasons why the managers have to work extra hard in managing change; through motivating employees involvement by explaining to them the resultant benefits that come from the success of the change they have to be involved in. The employees will want assurances that the changes that are being implemented will not have negative consequence tom them but instead it would be of benefit to their well being in the organization. Studies have reveals that the employee’s resistance to change is rarely irrational. A number of suggested reasons that make people and employees in particular to resist organizational change may include: The fear of loss of status or job security in the organization they work in. From the report, as the workers were in disarray we see that Samantha cannot do anything yet she can be of help; for in the new organization, she now reported to Mark and was also worried about losing her job. The context of fear of loss of job often affects the success levels of any change management project. On a general scale, employees as human beings are not of nature to make the changes that they perceive would harm them in the long run. An employee would want to retain a good status and be secure in his/her job therefore, any effort to destroy this would be thwarted with undivided commitment (Azari 2011, p.67-78). Change management is a tricky exercise because unlike the past that is known, the changes may bring forth what is unknown. Employees would tend to be inclined to their job security first and may fully resistant to change especially when they perceive that the results of these changes may cause them either to lose their status or even their entire investment in the job. It is not human nature for one to get involved in implementing a change that one views would be harmful to his/her current status or position. This in the organizational setting would imply that employees as well as managers may be resistant to be involved in technological and administrative changes that are foreseen or perceived to result in the reduction or elimination of their roles in the organization. In other words from their perspective is that the change that the organization fronts are harmful to their place in the organization. In the context, of this company, this calls for the leadership of the organization from the new CEO to come up with an effective and thoughtful change strategy to address this area; if this is not done in time; then there will be an increase in workers resistance as well as high turnover. (b) Challenges of Workers/Employees Peer Pressure The workers of the new organization are first human beings then employees of the organization. This means as human beings then they have feelings, emotions, beliefs and this affects how they perceive things. The workers are potentially influenced by the people around them (their fellow workers and other persons). It is evident that the workers whether introverted or extroverted they are all social beings (Hiatt & Timothy 2011, p.37-44). The stakeholders of the organization may go forth to resist change so that they can protect the interests of their group members. From the initial changes that the CEO enforced, how workers respond reveals the influence they have to each other. It is clear that, “They were emailing each other, talking on the phones and holding meetings about the changes. They were talking about calling in and joining up to the Union”. In other words, the managers must tackle the challenge of the influence of workers to each other so as to make the new changes they want to implement be successful (Guest 1999, p.36-43). For it is factual that employees would adversely resist change so that they can protect the interests of their coworkers. On the other side, the managers would resist change so that they can protect their work group. The attitude of collective responsibility in the protection of the interests of the workers will make a number of them to resist organizational change particularly if the change is perceived to have negative implication to the work of the workers or members of the organization. Managers should tackle this challenge by increasing collective responsibility in management of change in the new organization. Change strategies that could be reasonably considered by the organization I propose a number of strategies that may reasonably be considered by the organization as they implement change. The strategies include: (a)Strategies of instituting Reinforcing Reward Systems Analysis of the initial changes that the CEO implemented which made workers to be upset and angry, I can conclude that most of them including; A change from paying staff under the Industrial Award to individual agreements, removing shift and overtime entitlements, the removal of toil hours (time in lieu, increase the work week per staff member from the current 37 hour week to 40 hour week and changing the performance reviews to be on a monthly basis instead of annually, must have played a big role to them being upset. Managers should learn from this, and thus as they make up new change policies, they need to lay down strategies that are give some reward to workers but not to suppress their earning. From the common saying in business, that manager’s would get what they reward; it can be seen that the stakeholders of the organization will resist change when they perceive that the change they are involved in has no reward at all. Essentially, when the reward for involvement in the change processes is lacking, the employees lack the motivation needed to support the change in the long run. In this context, the organization has to lay down strategies that may involve manager’s tailor making their organizational reward system so that it can support the change that management intends to implement. The change implementation process does not have to be very costly; the management just needs to ensure that there is motivation to the members of the organization (Oliva 2008, p.45-52). Rewards will sustain the change management process for it will give employees the motivation and focus to implementing the change to a point that is becomes successful (Grieves 2010, p.43-53). (b) Strategies that encompass the framework by which Changes can be implemented. For the organization to be successful in their consequent change management practices, the management needs to lay down a written and public framework by which change is made to be necessary and the process by which the change is implemented from its initiation to its completion. This framework should outline what should happen if there are contradicting opinions about the change between managers and workers; it should also give the provisions that follow if the change implemented turns out to be unsuccessful or takes more time than required. The framework should also address matters of how the suggestions of managers or workers will be fixed and should outline the complaint management process that should be followed before, during and after any change is implemented. In other words, workers as well as managers, should not be surprised with initiation of organization change; the framework should give them time to weigh the options, their standings about it and may be provide an opportunity to seek clarification on the same. On a general scale, such a framework should eliminate cases of fear of the unknown and surprise; for the members of the organization will becomes more and more fearful of the change that is to be implemented based on the knowledge they have about the change to be implemented and the impact that the change has to them. For organizational change to be successful, it needs that it is not done through springing surprises to the members of the organization. The members of the organization need to be prepared in advance for the change that is to be implemented (Minoli 2010, p.23-33). When the two way communication lacks between leadership and other members of the organization then the organization will be filled with so many rumors which ultimately would sabotage the efforts made towards realizing success in effecting organizational change. (d)Strategies to eliminate the existent Climate of mistrust From what is happening in the organization before and after amalgamation; there is evidence that there is climate of mistrust between workers and managers as well as between the CEO and managers. This can be viewed from the aspect of the CEO instituting changes that are not well with Samantha as well as with workers. The chairman of the Board also fears is also caught in the mix. All this things would halt the success of the coming changes that are to be implemented. There is a need for management of the company to lay down strategies that will eliminate the climate of mistrust. This can include increasing transparency to change management process as well as to increase involvement of workers in it at an early stage. Generally, this is one of the key reasons why members of an organization can resist change. The existence of mistrust between the leadership of the organization and the members will make the members to resist the change to be made with little regard to if it has good or bad consequence to them. Often the climate of mistrust is created by the experiences that the members of an organization have gone through. For instance, if in the past, the organization leadership has consistently not been honoring its promises then the employees may be reluctant to trust the leadership even if good promises are made with respect to the changes that they are to implement (Stranks 2007, p.23-32). If in the past, there were other organizational changes were made and employees were victimized by those changes; the current employees would be unwilling to go through the same experience no matter the rewards they are given; instead they would resist the change. Essentially, there can never be meaningful organizational change where the climate of mistrust is existent. Trust in this context involves the organization increasing employee’s faith in the intentions of leadership with regard to what the management wants to achieve from the organizational change they are involved in. Strategies on, how Managers might effectively manage the change process. Strategy 1: Application of contrasting styles of managerial The organization can effectively manage the change management process by varying the styles of management to suit the context of the processes that are going on. This is as opposed to change management process being limited to managers. This is one key factor in the effective implementation of organizational change. How management will manage their employees and the behaviors they portray really affects the success levels of effecting organizational change. For instance managerial behaviors that are bureaucratic in nature may work in the short run but may not bring good results because the employees will tire off from implementing the change. Observing rules and regulations by employees may be perceived to be some form of harassment and thus may make organizational change not to be realized. Managerial behaviors that are contingent in nature may be effective in change management though they may need to be coupled by some control measures so as to minimize the risks that may come out from change management process. The risk of application of contingency managerial behavior in managing change is that it may lead to loop hole of laxity among the employees to work towards implementing the change (Kotter 1996, p.43-56). Essentially, the application of contrasting styles of managerial behavior may work out to be the best way to manage organizational change. This implies that a manager should be able to apply a certain managerial behavior in the specific times that are required while managing change. For instance, from my experience it may be relevant for bureaucratic managerial behavior, to be applied to cases that are sensitive and if a mistake is made it would be costly to the organization. In the other situation; it may be prudent to apply contingency managerial behaviors so as to motivate employees. However, it should be coupled with targets so as to avoid laxity of the members of the organization in the process of implementation of the change (Brown & Vessey 2011, p.41-57). Strategy 2: Motivation in Change Management Processes Where there is the successful implementation of organizational change processes; motivation of the people involved is evident. Management should always portray its readiness for overcoming resistance to change. They can do this through motivating their members by enlightening them on the need for change, the current state and the direction the organization is taking, describing to them the realistic steps on how the change will be accomplished. After doing this, they listen to the concerns of the employees and ensure that people feel that the approach taken has taken care of their concerns. The second feature is ‘creation of vision’. Successful implementation of change is characterized by leaders of the organization articulating a clear vision that outlines what the change effort aims at (Morgan 2006, p.35-43). The vision ought to depict how the achievement of the vision will improve the organization. In other words, it should be relevant and realistic to the members of the organization. Organizations that succeed in implementing change often strive to change make employees feel respected enough to be involved a vision that is realistic, and promising (Jean & Dye 2008, p.34-47). Conclusion & Recommendation Conclusively, we can see that management is the engine that runs change in any organization. The management processes, procedures and behaviors, are so critical for the implementation of any change in the organization to be successful. It is not prudent to assume that organizational change will be successful without the key input that management plays to make the process a success; it is so obvious that without the existence of proper management in an organization, organizational change will fail because the resistance that the employees will front will not be overcome and thus the change will not be brought to fruition. Notably, the failure of the implementation of organizational change leads to uncertainty in the efficiency of management that the organization has (Dehning &Stratopoulos 2011, p.23-35). This is because the managers are the ones who are tasked with the vital responsibility of providing efficiency in the implementation of organizational change. It is the managers to go forth to persuade the employees to accept certain changes that the organizations front through interpreting to them the usefulness of the change to the organization and to their own success in their careers (Singh 2004, p.51-59). In other words, success in organizational change is made feasible when there is proper management that is based on the mutual understanding of the employees, managers and other key stake holders who are involved in the process of managing change. In apt terms, it can be said that successful organizational change is evidenced when the change management processes involve successful change agents who understand the real position of the employees about the change and they communicate with them so as to develop good will towards the implementation of the change and this results to success in managing such changes. I would recommend that the organization should implement the strategies I have outlined so that the future change management processes can be fruitful. List of References Azari, R 2011, Current management & ethical issues of technology and change management, Idea Group Inc (IGI), London, p.67-78 Barnett, P. & Carroll, G 1996, Organizational change, Graduate School of Business, Stanford University press, London. Brown, C. & Vessey, I 2011, Change Management. Journal on managing the Next Wave of Change Management in Enterprise System, MIS Quarterly Executive, 2(1), 41-57. 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