What is CHANGE?

Change is any alteration

occurring in the work environment
that affects the ways in which
employees must act.
 Changes may be:
Planned or Unplanned
Catastrophic or Evolutionary
Positive or Negative
Strong or weak
Slow or rapid
Change is stimulated either
externally or internally.
 The Nature of Change
The effects are widespread.
Human and technical problem
Managers Role:
Proactive and reactive roles
 PROACTIVE ROLES REACTIVE ROLES

To introduce To restore and

continual maintain the group
organizational equilibrium and
changes so as to personal adjustment
bring about a better that change upsets.
fit between the firm
and its environment.
 Response to change

How individual attitudes affect

response to change?
The way that people feel about a
change is one factor that determines
how they will respond to it.
 Two causes:

1. PERSONAL HISTORY
which refers to biological
processes, their backgrounds and all
their social experience away from
work.
 Two causes:

2. WORK ENVIRONMENT
It reflects the fact that workers are
members of a group and their
attitudes are influenced by its codes,
patterns and norms.
 The Hawthorne effect
The mere observation of a group, or the
perception of being observed and ones
interpretation of its significance tends to
change the group.
OBSERVATION AFFECTS BEHAVIOR
 Group response to change:
BACKSLIDING
To return to its perceive best way of life
when ever any change occurs.
HOMEOSTASIS
People act to stablish a steady state of
need fulfillment and to protect themselves
from disturbance of that balance.
Stimulus Probable Individual Responses (Attitudes) Actual Responses
Person
A

F
 Costs and benefits
GOAL: Benefits are greater than cost
e.g. a new work procedure may require the
inconvenience of learning new skills.
Cost: It may temporarily disrupt the work
and reduce satisfaction.
Benefit: additional knowledge
 Resistance to change

Resistance to change
consist of any employee behaviors
designed to discredit, delay, or
prevent the implementation of
work change.
 WHY RESISTANCE OCCURS?

Because it threatens their need for:

Security
Social Interaction
Status
Competence
Self-esteem
 NATURE AND EFFECTS
The perceived threat stemming from a change
maybe :
Real or imagined,
Intended or unintended
Direct or indirect
Large or small
Change may be a success or a problem
depending on how skillfully it is managed
to minimize resistance.
CHAIN-REACTION EFFECT
Is a situation in which a change or other
condition, that directly affects only one
person or a few persons may lead to a
direct or indirect reaction from many
people, even hundreds or thousands
because of their mutual interest in it.
 Reason for resistance

Resistance stems from nature of

change, method used and
perceptions of inequity.
 Types of resistance
1. Logical Resistance
is based on the disagreements of the facts,
rational reasoning, logic and science
Time required to adjust
Extra effort to learn
Possibility of less desirable conditions, such as skill
downgrading
Economic cost of change
Questioned technical feasibility of change
 Types of resistance
2. Psychological Resistance
is based on emotions, sentiments and attitudes
Fear of the unknown
Low tolerance of change
Dislike of management or other change agent
Lack of trust in others
Need for security; desire for status quo
 Types of resistance
3. Sociological Resistance
is also logical when it is seen as a product of a
challenge to group interests, norms and values.
Political coalitions
Opposing group values
Parochial, narrow outlook
Vested Interest
Desire to retain existing friendships
 Reference:
*Organizational Behavior: Human Behavior At Work
By: John Newstrom & Keith Davis