The Concept of Individual Resistance - Essay Example

? THE IMPACT OF SELF INTEREST IN RELATION TO CHANGE      Introduction A company is as good as the people in it. It is the sole duty of management to ensure that all the people working within an organization feel satisfied. The term management denotes the act of bringing individuals together with an aim of employing the available resources to achieve desired goals. To achieve this end, the management performs several functions that includes; staffing, organizing, planning, controlling and directing an organization. Resourcing is also a crucial role of management; this entails the effective deployment of financial, human, natural, and technological resources. Change is a crucial part of our lives. Change in organizations is also an important factor. In the words of Arthur Schopenhauer, “Change alone is continuous, eternal and perpetual.” According to this assertion, the permanency and inevitability of change can neither be underrated nor overemphasized (Smollan, 2011). The fact that not all change is positive should not deter individuals from embracing change. However, change must be approached from an informed point of view. Both the proponents and opponents of change must appreciate that all change tags along discomforts and drawbacks. This essay will seek to address the impact of self interest as a motivator that inspires change (Robbins & Judge, 2011). According to Machiavelli’s “…. there is nothing harder and hazardous, or more uncertain of success, than an effort to introduce a new sequence of things…for the pacesetter has for enemies all those who benefit from the status quo whilst those who support the new …will be but lukewarm defenders.” This quote thus suggests that the introduction of change in any setting faces some level of resistance (Robbins & Judge, 2011). In an organization, decisions made at one level of management trickles down to all the other levels of the organization (Robbins & Judge, 2011). For this cause, the management has three levels; low level, mid level and top level. Causes of individual and group resistance Before dissecting the causes of resistance, a clear understanding of the term “resistance to change” must be achieved. Resistance to change alludes to the action adopted by individuals and groups when they sense that a change that is happening as a threat to them (Cartwright, 2005, p. 301). This resistance is encountered within organizations, although it can also be found in other places. Man’s habitual tendency to tread the path of least resistance bars him from accepting change. In an organization, this resistance can also be deemed positive. Resistance to change affords a level of stability and certainty of behavior by preventing abrupt change. Absence of such resistance would lead to a situation of chaotic randomness within the organization. In an attempt to discuss the causes of resistance, this paper will classify the causes into; individual resistance, group resistance and organizational resistance (Robbins & Judge, 2011). Individual resistance Individual resistance arises due to conflicting perceptions, needs and personalities. Most of the reasons as to why such resistance occurs may be lucid or emotional. The reasons for individual resistance are listed hereunder: Economic reasons In an organization, when a new technology is introduced, the technology will encounter some level of resistance. The employees may dread that the new technology will render them jobless. Usually, new technology necessitates further training and replacement of unskilled staff by skilled staff and therefore, the employees will oppose the change. In organizations where the rate of pay is pegged on the workers productivity, the workers may fear that the new technology will cause them miss their production targets and thus lower their earnings Psychological factors The psychological factors that breed resistance may entail: The employees fear of boredom and monotony occasioned by specialization that the new machine will bring to their working place. The new technology introduced will demand that the employees work on learning how to operate using the new technology. The employees who do not want to learn will definitely resist the change. There may be a lack of understanding on the part of the employees on the importance of the change introduced (Robbins & Judge, 2011). Social factors Man reserves the right to belong to certain informal groupings. With an introduction of changes to an organization, the employees may fear that the change will break their current social relationships. This fear coupled with the suspicion that the change would bring outside interference causes the employees resist the change all together. Other social factors that inspire individuals to resist change may include lack of communication, insecurity issues, the extent of change and habits. Generally, man is habitual in nature. Individuals detest changes that will expose them to new and uncertain situations. In this regard, the individuals will be reluctant to embrace change (Grant& Berry, 2011). Group resistance Informal groups formed by the employees within the organization afford them platforms from where they can address their concerns. Most changes introduced by the organization threaten the well being of these groups. The potential of such changes breaking up closely knit social relationships is often met with sharp resistance (Grant& Berry, 2011). Majorly the groups resist these changes because they feel that their unity and oneness is under threat. As a result the group instructs its members to collectively resist the change so introduced. III. Organizational resistance Resistance may also be encountered at the organizational level. Some organizations are designed in such a way that new ideas are not easily accepted. Both the non-governmental organizations and government agencies are naturally conservative (Grant& Berry, 2011). These organizations are accustomed to running their affairs in a way that favors repetition of tasks and thus resistance to change is imminent. Organizational resistance arises from factors listed below: Group inertia Oftentimes, employees in an organization oppose change because the groups to which they belong oppose this change. The success of this resistance will depend on how dedicated the members are to the group and how strongly the group resists the change (Grant& Berry, 2011). Threat to power The top and middle management may also feel that their power is threatened by the introduction of certain changes. Organizational changes such as the introduction of self-managed teams may be viewed as a threat to their power and control and will thus be resisted by them. Threat to specialization An expertise group within the organization may feel threatened by organizational changes that interfere with their work. For instance, equipping all employees with computers and training them on computer related skills may threaten the expertise of the members of the computer department (Grant& Berry, 2011). As a result, these will oppose such changes. Resource constraints  Organizations adopting change requires financial and other resources to train and equip its staff to handle the new changes. An organization that lacks these resources will definitely resist the organizational change. The role played by Conflict Management in resistance Conflict is described as the struggle that emanates from irreconcilable thoughts, feelings, and demands within individuals or in groups (Certo 2008, p.5). Conflict is destined to occur in all settings. In an organizational setup, conflict is inevitable. Depending on the way conflict is handled, it has the potential of being either beneficial or detrimental. Change is the main cause of conflict in organizations. Old employees may be reluctant to change from their habitual routines and adopt new ways of doing things. Conflict management helps the management respond correctly to the challenges posed by organizational change. Certo 2008 defines conflict management as response directed to curb problems that stem from conflict (5). The management must devise a way to motivate the employees so that they easily embrace the imminent organizational change. Within the organization, different stakeholders may have different priorities. These differing priorities breeds conflict as each stakeholder pushes for the adoption of their own priorities. Conflicts in themselves oftentimes present an opportunity for improvement (Grant& Berry, 2011). The management must be well versed with the various techniques of conflict resolution. They can ply these techniques to ensure acceptance of the proposed organizational changes. The first technique for managing conflict is avoidance. “Some people try to evade conflict by deferring it, hiding their emotions, shifting from the subject, exiting the room or abandoning the project (Jost, & Weitzel 2008, p.15). In actual sense, this technique does not solve the conflict it just defers it for another time. However, it can be a good method of resolving the conflicts that can be resolved latter. The cause of conflict can be deferred and be handled when tempers have calmed down. The second strategy for managing conflict is accommodation. This is an expedient strategy to fulfill a pressing need for individuals or the group. It highlights the things disagreeing parties have in common while de- accentuating their differences. This method assists the individuals to center on the current matters and set their dissimilarities aside till an opportune time. It is somewhat more effectual than sheer avoidance as discovering ordinary opinion helps to avert lingering ill will more easily than avoiding a quarrel (Jost, & Weitzel 2008, p.15). The third technique for managing conflict is compromise. This is a strategy by which differing parties in a conflict make allowances to each other so as to calmly resolve the problem.  It is successful on bargaining to an agreed price, and fails when demand increases beyond critical points. The fourth strategy for managing conflict is competition. This method is essentially discovering a way to solve the concern other than warring or arguing. In some disputes the victor gets his or her needs met. This technique can be applied to solve a conflict, but regularly causes teamwork to decline, so it is best reserved as a last option. The fifth technique for managing conflict is collaboration (Jost, & Weitzel 2008, p.16). This denotes a situation where the conflicting parties opt to disregard their dissimilarities and cooperate to achieve the objective in a style that suits everyone. This method supports teamwork and collaboration within a group. This is most efficient when the members of the group esteem and trust each other, and are agreeable to remain unprejudiced. Regrettably, these are perfect conditions, which is an uncommon trait in many groups. However, choosing which method to use necessitates an understanding of the conflict so as to select the best possible solution. Power and politics within organization playing a role in the resistance Presence of power and politics is expected in organizations. In fact, authority is one of the most contentious issues. Quite regularly, workers in organizations utilize their power to satisfy their individual goals and achieve their self interests. However, power is not always a negative notion. For instance, it is essential for managers to use their power to ensure that their employees work. Therefore, comprehending power and its function in the operations of an organization is crucial for a right understanding of the dynamics. According to Robbins (2010) power is defined as the ability of an individual to exert influence and cause others to do what is of value to the person exercising the power (10). Power is conferred on a person by virtue of his position within an organization. Power conferred on the management enables them to manipulate the employees of the organization so as to bring the desired change. Power and politics cannot be divorced. These two jointly act to ensure that the employees comply and accept the change introduced (Grant& Berry, 2011). Conclusion Corporate culture impedes on the acceptance of the change by the staff. Corporate culture affects the attitudes and behaviors of the employees within an organization. The bureaucratic nature of the organization is yet another factor that derails the acceptance of organizational change. The employees need to be sufficiently motivated for them to accept the inevitable change. From the foregoing discussion, it is apparent that most of the change that occurs in an organization results from self interests. Resistance is a factor that can well be handled with proper motivation (Bakhare, 2010). Managerial decisions also play a vital role in ensuring that organizational change is embraced by all the parties concerned. The employees are a crucial component in all organizational setup. 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