Suggested answers to discussion questions
a. Explain why employees resist organizational change
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| a. Explain why employees resist organizational change.
Uncertainty and fear. Employees become anxious and nervous when they fear the unknown. They worry about losing their jobs and their ability to meet new job requirements. If they do not understand the change or its implications or mistrust those initiating the change, there is even more uncertainty and fear of the unknown. No perceived need. Employees may not perceive the need for change, preferring to maintain the status quo. Many people believe that what has proven successful in the past will be satisfactory for the future. Lack of time. Employees may not have or may be unwilling to expend the time and effort required to learn how to use the new system with its attendant new procedures. Interpersonal relationships threatened. Changes may disrupt existing social networks, which threatens the social stability of the organization. People often have emotional attachments to their duties or to the people they work with and don't want to change. Personal characteristics and background. Generally speaking, the younger people are, the fewer years they've been with the company, and the more highly educated they are, the more likely they are to accept change. Manner in which change is introduced. Resistance is often a reaction to the methods of instituting change rather than to change itself. Employees may not feel the change is beneficial if the employee was not consulted or did not participate in the decision-making. Amount of trust. If previous dealings with management have not created a feeling of trust, confidence, and cooperation, users may feel they are trying to "put something over on me." Experience with prior changes. If employees have had a bad experience with prior changes, they will be more reluctant to cooperate with planned changes. Top management support. Employees sense top management attitudes toward a proposed system and the extent of top-level support. When there is a lack of support, lower-level employees may think, "If top management doesn't support it, why should I?" Communication. Employees often do not know why changes are made. Unless it is clear that a change is not an indication of poor performance, they may react negatively to it. Disruptive nature of the change process. Requests for information and interviews are disruptive of the normal routine and place additional burdens on people. Download 1.88 Mb. Share with your friends:
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