Organizational Socialization and the Profession of Management - Example

GREENER TELCO Name Institution Date GREENER TELCO Introduction The conservation of environment is presently more complicated that it used to be some a couple of years ago. Many people saw conservation then as mere protection of nature from activities of man. Nowadays it is understood that activities of man are part of the ecosystems and various species are also dependent on the involvement of man. According to Schein (1998), natural resources are the foundation of the lives of people, their civilizations and society. Various forms of institutions and cultures in the society of man (religious, political, economic and social) have been created on services provided by a unique natural environment and its natural resources. The interaction between the environment and the people has resulted into dynamic cultural patterns that are decided on the particularities of their resources and territory. McKendrick (1999) points out that diversity of cultures is as a result of multiple types of adaptation, characterized by ethnic origin, history, spirituality, language, technology, knowledge, creativity, ethical values and artistic expression, which wholesomely make up the common patrimony of humanity. For the telephone company to implement the environmental friendly strategy it has to come up with ways that will make sure the new operation of the company carries the objective in every aspect. Change is necessary and the implementation of a new order is a task that should be undertaken. Business planning is very important in this process as a fundamental tool of change implementation. Scenario planning should be in the forefront of anticipating the change (McKendrick, 1999). Creating an Urgency to Change It is important for the organization seek the engagement every stakeholder as it goes ahead with its plan to be more eco-friendly or environmentally friendly. Wouters (1990) argues that creating urgency for change is a very important step towards ensuring that all players are on board as the organization seeks to change its ways of operations and involve more strategies that are intended to achieving an environmental friendly atmosphere in the organization. Strategies of creating that urgency should be invented to change the perspective of the organization community. Prior to the implementation of change it is very vital to point out the key areas that are involved in the change. It is essential to identify the roles of every player that include change advocate, change sponsor, change agent, and change participant (Schein, 1998). Change advocate is a group or individual who desires to attain change but does not have power for sanctioning it. Over (2003) says that change advocates assist sponsors to comprehend the importance and implication of change. Any person within the organization who possesses a good idea and ability to put it across can be identified as a change advocate. A change sponsor is a group or an individual who has the power to determine what kind of change will occur. They take care of unfreezing the prevailing state and making legitimate the change by the use of organizational influence and power. In a majority of institutions the role is normally played by the executive or an individual from higher administration. The change agent is the group or individual in charge of seeing that that a change that was previously determined comes to effect. They play the role of implementers, planners, translators, negotiators and coaches. This role is played by lower level or middle level administration. The change participant is a group or an individual who, owing to change will be forced to adapt to new skills attitudes, behavior and knowledge. The change should be announced and people given ample time to be informed about the change particularly if they need to take action or make decisions as a result of the implemented change or the need for the full acceptance are critical. A mechanization to carry out the implementation by answering the questions that may arise and make them good decisions based on the information they have had time to digest. All people and jobs in an organization are important, but during the implementation of change in the workplace others are important than others. As the change is being initiated it is very vital to involve each of the major stakeholders need to have in the change process (Tucker et al., 1996). Tucker et al (1996) notes that a strong message that is compelling should be created to communicate the change. Strategy and vision are to be used as supporting evidence for the essence of the change. The vision should be communicated in terms of the change that is required. The emphasis should be on why the change is important. Understand the doubts the concerns and doubts and be able to manage them. The management should always be open employees concerns and should address them accordingly to dispel any doubts and misconceptions that may be growing. Minimizing Resistance to Change Change can be resisted because of the following reasons: not involving the employees in the designing of the change; not preparing the individuals to be accustomed or adapted to the new environment; provision of sharing of costs and benefits of the change that is unequal and biased and non-inclination on the part of management to positively motivate and take the workers and employees with them in the implementation of change. Generally the usual reaction to change is resistance. Change comes with benefits as well as costs. The resistance effects may be immediate, deferred, overt and implicit. Resistance is well dealt with when it is immediate and overt and more effort is needed in managing resistance when it is deferred and implicit. Implicit resistance indicator are more subtle-loss of loyalty to the organization, loss of motivation to work, escalated mistakes or errors, absenteeism that is increased owing to ‘sickness’ or reasons that are difficult to be recognized. Change resistance could also be due to basic human characteristics that include personalities, needs and perceptions. It could be occasioned by some social, economic and personal reasons or factors. Resistance in the organization generally revolves around the organizational constraints, the structure; threats to power and influence or threat to resource allocation system that are established, by both the internal groups and external agencies. Employees who feel that they lack skills that are marketable in the new era of operation may be the ones who champion resistance to change. A good illustration is the resistance of the university academics to use the internet since they required new skills to use the internet and they were used to the old habit of referring to journals and books. One way of minimizing resistance to the new operation of the organization is to come up with a reward system to encourage those who have successfully transformed to the new ways of the organization. The engineers of change in the organization should come up with ways of rewarding the people who are willing and effecting the change and unrewarding those who are resistance to the change. The individuals should be empowered by making them feel as being part of the organization. They should think and act like they are the owners and cheerfully participate in the implementation of change. The behavior that is right and supporting the change should be rewarded. The individuals who are remaining focused to implement the change should be rewarded and reinforce their positive effort in order to make others understand the importance of change. People who are ready to change should be given responsibility by being put in charge of small teams to encourage the change. It should be an opportunity to allow the people who are ready to change the opportunity to lead others by rewarding them with promotions. The organization has to sustain the change that it has effected no matter what happens. Consequently all efforts should be channeled to seeing that everyone is taking lace in implementing the change and sustaining it for the long term gain (Arvid, 2006). Resistance to change is always natural since human beings have a desire to maintain a level of perpetual stability. Individual interviews avail an opportunity to individuals to air out their personal observations and stories concerning any transformations within the organization. Suchman and Wynn (2OO4) observe that apart from rewarding those who are ready to push on with the changes, it is important to make sure that everybody is part of the project by seeking to hear what they have to say about the imminent change. One way of doing this is by providing forums through which individuals can open up and share their thoughts in the transformation in the organization. Team building away from the workplace can be an optimum time to provide the employees with an opportunity to air out their views without the pressure of work in the usual work place. Focus groups that brainstorm on the project in the presence of a moderator could be another appropriate avenue of letting the various players in the implementation of change to open up (Kraut, Galegher, & Egido, 2003). There is also need to retool or retrain the workers and employees to make them adapt to the new chance. The company that needs to be more environmentally friendly will need to train a sizeable number of their workers and employees and those will in turn be used to champion the change within the organization by explaining its importance. The knowledge that the members of the company nave about the environmental preservation should be up dated from time to time to make them conversant with the new application as far as environmental conservation and preservation is concerned (Suchman & Wynn, 2OO4). The top management should be involved fully in the implementation of the change. Top management support should be a priority in the change implementation process. Daft and Lengel (2006) argues that resistance is less observed when change is presented as reducing burdens and problems, it should conform to the unifying core values of the group and offering interesting and new experience to the organization, and not threatening security or autonomy of the company, organization or the group. Periodic reviews and feedback development of high cohesive and interpersonal teams and being open to revision is also a road to eradicating resistance to change. The members of the company should take part in joint and agreed diagnosis of the problem, reaching consensus on broad design of change, and listening to objections (Daft & Lengel, 2006). Resistance can be overcome if only the participants come to understand the importance of the change to the strategic development of the organization. Workshops and seminars should be held and used to explain the agenda for change and allow any other divergent views to come up and countered in a convincing way. The importance of the change should be highlighted to settle any hidden agenda that may be misconceived by the members of the organization. The employees should have a clear objective in carrying out the full course of the change. Resistance is witnessed in effecting the organizational change when members of the organization do not understand how important and urgent the change is to the organization. The ability of the change to lift the status of the organization to the next level should be explained to all the stakeholders. Making the organization environmental friendly as is the case for this telephone company will appeal to larger community surrounding the company hence more customers will be attracted and more will become loyal to the products of the company. If the company is in line with the government regulation concerning environment then it will avoid many instances that could have seen it being taken to court for violation of environmental laws (Goodman & Abel, 2007). For the minimization of change resistance should involve examples of the activities that are needed to be done in order to effect the change fully. Goodman & Abel (2007) notes that the members of the organization can only take part in the implementation if they are conversant of what is expected by them in the whole process of change implementation. In this case the organization want to be more environmentally friendly and there fore it will be appropriate to outline what is expected of the various stakeholders and particularly the employees. The employees should be encouraged to turn off their computers whenever they are through using them. The computers use a lot of energy that has direct physical effect as well as indirect effect. It is also very important that all the lights should be turned off once every one leaves the building. Leaving the lights on is a very bad habit since it leads to more energy being wasted. According to Hackman and Oldham (2005) energy preservation helps indirectly by making the deposit of energy that are present not to be over exploited. If energy is less exploited there is minimum interference with the ecosystem through the production of toxic materials during mining and generation and pollution. It is also good to get some indoor plants to be kept in the offices. They not only purify the air but also they beautify the outlook of the surrounding. The equipment that is being used in the offices should be those ones that are certified and also are environmentally friendly. It is the duty of the procurement or purchasing and supplies department to make sure that any equipment that is bought is environmental friendly. The workers should be encouraged not to print any material unless it very necessary to do so. Reducing paper work influence the conservation of environment since paper is manufactured from trees. Using less paper or reducing the consumption of paper impact greatly in reduction of deforestation in the world’s forest. Small recycling programs could be started in the organization such as recycling soap, aluminum bins, some plastics and other things. Use of fluorescent lighting should be used paired with electric ballasts for maximum performance and efficiency. Any natural light that can be used instead of electricity is better for the conservation of the environment. Fixing a fan is important for elimination of airborne irritants, odors and moisture that can cause formation of mold (Hackman & Oldham, 2005). Appropriate strategies to communicate change; Change is necessary to carry the organization agenda to the next level. Change is the common thread than runs through all organizations despite of industry, age and size. The world is fast changing and it is essential for the organizations to follow suit. An organization that is capable of comfortably handling change is bound to thrive well as opposed to those which can not and they are doomed to struggle to remain competitive. It is important that an organization comes up with ways that it could use to effectively communicate change. According to Mone and Kirste (2001), change management is an important aspect that should be incorporated in the daily running of the organization. Management of change in organization differs from one organization to another. It depends on the people involved and the type of business. According to Wilson (2002), the various target groups require sufficient information concerning why the change is to be effected, how it is to be done and what it will entail. This occasions the creation of a communication plan that is built on the information requirements of the targets and the place or offices where the communication has to come from. The target groups have a desire to hear from the senior management and not just merely from the agents of change. Almost any kind of change in organization involves transitions of roles (DeKler, 2007). Community building should be encouraged. Change that is successful needs more than effective communication and diversity in valuing. The participants can not just comply with the call for change without feeling the genuine in the process of change. Community building involves merging perspectives that are diverse into new, alternatives that are mutually supported; tolerate ambiguity and be persistent in pursuing new possibilities; and identify concepts and issues which should not be integrated in the effort of change. Communicating the way in which a company is managing change in climate (how risk should be minimized, solution developed, and opportunities exploited) is a very vital aspect of creation (Mone & Kirste, 2001). Communication concerning the approach to climate change will assist in distinguishing the company from the competitors and provides the opportunity for the company to have a competitive edge over the others. There is need for the organization to come up with a special department that will deal with the implementation of the change and it will also deal with effective communication to make the members of the company come to terms with the implication of the change in terms of the costs and the benefits that will be realized. The importance and the urgency of the change should be communicated by this department (Ash, 2002). “Refreezing” the situation to support the change initiative When changes are being undertaken and the organizational members have accepted the new patterns of working, the organization is ready to freeze. The obvious signs of freezing are a stable chart of the organization, job descriptions that are consistent and so on. The stage of refreeze also is meant to assist the organization and people institutionalize or internalize the changes. Owing to the new sense of stability the employees feel at ease and confident with the new pattern of working. Without refreezing some of the employees get stack in the transition trap where they are unaware that how operations should be undertaken and there ore they can not give their best (Ouchi, 2000). If this stage it is not undertaken then it will be had to effect the next change. It is the desire of the telephone company to make its employees and the important stakeholders the importance of being environmentally friendly. Although the people may not at first appreciate the need to change to the new ways, with proper mechanization and initiative anything that is desired by the company is always achieved if enough resources and efforts are dedicated to it. Ouchi (2000) notes that during refreezing the old ideas or operations are discarded whereas new one replaces them with fully effect. Members of the organization are called upon to internalize the new feelings, behaviors and beliefs that have been adapted in the stage of change. It is reinforced knowledge, skills and attitudes. The individuals have to practice and experiment with the new patterns of working. Unfreezing stage follows the freezing where the business embarks on the normal operation on the order (Koch, 2006). Conclusion Implementation of change in an organization is a very tricky and trying procedure that should be done with utmost precision to ensure that all the stakeholders take part in the process. It is vital for thorough preparation to be done prior to the implementation of the change. How the new procedure will be more appreciated if all the stakeholders are told and explained to clearly the importance of the adaptation to the new operation in order to ensure sufficient performance and acceptability. In this paper the various aspects that should be looked at in the implementation of change has been looked at. The strategies to reduce resistance to change have been explained in an effort to show that change can be appreciated if it is done in the best way possible by incorporating all the stakeholders. References Hackman, J. R. & Oldham, G. R. (2005). Development of the Job Diagnostic Survey. Journal of Applied Psychology, 60, pp. 159-70. Koch, C. (2006). The New Science of Change. CIO Magazine, Sep 15, 2006 (pp 54-56). Schein, E. (1998). Organizational Socialization and the Profession of Management. Industrial Management Review, 1968 vol. 9 pp. 1-15 in Newstrom, J. & Davis, K. (2000). Organization Behavior: Human Behavior at Work. New York: McGraw-Hill. Ash, M.G. 2002. "Cultural Contexts and Scientific Change in Psychology: Kurt Lewin in Iowa." American Psychologist, Vol. 47, No. 2, pp. 198–207. McKendrick, N. (1999). Josiah Wedgwood and Factory Discipline. The Historical Journal, 4, 1, p. 30-55. Wouters, C. (1990). Social stratification and informalization in global perspective. 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