Let us begin by defining organisational change.
What is Organisational change
Organisational change may be defined as an organisation-wide effort to augment the effectiveness of an organisation by strengthening, modifying, or replacing the culture, structure, technology, task, and human processes through the application of planned interventions with or without the assistance of external agents.
Organisational change is also a social process. In order to be successful,changes in any organisation need the support of its members who can contribute to make or break a change programme. Keeping in view the relevance of people, the definition of organisational change has been further refined: “Organisational change includes strengthening of those humanprocesses in organisations which, in turn, improve the functioning of the organic system so as to achieve its objectives”.
Employee Responses to Organisational Change
We all know that employees react to organisational change in a variety of ways. You would be aware of the responses of employee-associations towards reforms in power sector. The same is true in other areas of privatisation: banking, outsourcing, and so on. Experience tells us that only a few of the reactions are affirmative. It is, therefore, important for managers to appreciate that these reactions are a normal part of the process employees go through during periods of change. We now describe some typical responses of employees to change. We begin with negative responses (Fig).
•“Not me!”
When any organisational change takes place and employees are asked to do a different job or change the way(s) they have been used to doing a particular job, initially there could be shock or denial. Reactions such as “I can’t do this,” “this can’t be happening to me” are quite common.Employees may respond by saying, "Not me!......... someone else is better suited for the job” or deny that they themselves are capable of making the proposed change.This initial reaction is due to the natural human tendency for maintaining status quo as well as fear of the unknown.
•“What will this do to my job security?”
Employees would like to know exactly how this change would affect them in terms of their job security, working hours, finance and family. It is natural for employees to view change first from the perspective of their own job security. The needs of the organisation may come second in their priority.
What is Organisational change
Organisational change may be defined as an organisation-wide effort to augment the effectiveness of an organisation by strengthening, modifying, or replacing the culture, structure, technology, task, and human processes through the application of planned interventions with or without the assistance of external agents.
Organisational change is also a social process. In order to be successful,changes in any organisation need the support of its members who can contribute to make or break a change programme. Keeping in view the relevance of people, the definition of organisational change has been further refined: “Organisational change includes strengthening of those humanprocesses in organisations which, in turn, improve the functioning of the organic system so as to achieve its objectives”.
Employee Responses to Organisational Change
We all know that employees react to organisational change in a variety of ways. You would be aware of the responses of employee-associations towards reforms in power sector. The same is true in other areas of privatisation: banking, outsourcing, and so on. Experience tells us that only a few of the reactions are affirmative. It is, therefore, important for managers to appreciate that these reactions are a normal part of the process employees go through during periods of change. We now describe some typical responses of employees to change. We begin with negative responses (Fig).
•“Not me!”
When any organisational change takes place and employees are asked to do a different job or change the way(s) they have been used to doing a particular job, initially there could be shock or denial. Reactions such as “I can’t do this,” “this can’t be happening to me” are quite common.Employees may respond by saying, "Not me!......... someone else is better suited for the job” or deny that they themselves are capable of making the proposed change.This initial reaction is due to the natural human tendency for maintaining status quo as well as fear of the unknown.
•“What will this do to my job security?”
Employees would like to know exactly how this change would affect them in terms of their job security, working hours, finance and family. It is natural for employees to view change first from the perspective of their own job security. The needs of the organisation may come second in their priority.
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| Some Negative Responses to Change |
•Anger
Depending on the nature of change, the employees may feel anger and show resentment or sadness. “This isn’t fair”, “Why are they doing this to me?” are the normal reactions. Some employees are so resistant to change that they become frustrated and angry. Their anger may be repressed, causing an increase in stress levels; or overt, resulting in emotional outbursts. Whether repressed or overt, anger is a typical reaction when employees feel a loss of control over their work environment, or worry that their job security is being threatened.
•Gossip
Gossip, always an organisational challenge, often shoots up during periods of change. Employees who feel a loss of power and control may respond with frustration, anger and disbelief and resort to vicious gossip or"back-stabbing" activities.
•“Who's in charge?”
When a company/organisation is restructured, it is natural for employees to question leadership. Employees, who will have to work in a new environment when the change is implemented, may experience difficulty in changing their allegiance to leadership. And if the employees have not been kept in the communication loop and are unable to see the positive aspects of the change, they are likely to question the wisdom of the new leadership.
•Panic!
Those employees, who find comfort in a predictable routine, panic at the mere mention of change. They worry about changes in the way they normally proceed with their jobs. They may resist, not out of stubbornness, but out of fear about how the changes will impact them personally. They may be too plagued with panic to deal rationally with the “new regime,” andssome may actually become physically some ill. However, such individuals need to be imparted training for continuous professional development.
•“I quit!”
There may be a few employees who opt for quitting rather than making the needed changes.
These were examples of negative responses. Employees, who have a higher degree of self-esteem, personal competence and self-confidence, respond to the change process in a positive way (Fig.). These employees typically have the ability to remain open-minded in response to change, and to view it as a positive thing – for them personally and for the organisation. When in alignment with their supervisors, employees with this positive attitude can help support and sell organisational change to other employees.Here are some typical positive responses:
•“This is a challenge!”
Some employees view change as a challenge. They are certain that they can rise to the occasion, since they feel they have what it takes to be contributing team players when the change affects their work world. They remain open to new ideas, ask questions and feel confident in their ability to acquire the knowledge needed to complete the task. They exhibit a "can do" attitude in their approach to change and ought to be taken into confidence from time to time; developing a good rapport with such individuals or groups of individuals is bound to bring benefits to the organisation as well as the employees.
•Enthusiasm
Some employees naturally approach life and challenges more enthusiastically than others. Enthusiastic employees embrace change.
Instead of trying to pick apart a proposed change and finding all the ways that it would not work, they see it as a natural part of an organisation’s evolution. Such enthusiastic employees need to be supported and nurtured because their enthusiasm can encourage other employees and help make the implementation of change much more palatable for everyone.
•"Maybe I could adjust to this change . . . .”
Not all employees embrace change enthusiastically or jump out of their seats to accept the challenge. Some watch from the sidelines − but remain open-minded. After a period of observation, they may agree to give the change a chance. While they may not be eager participants in the change process initially, they acknowledge the possibility of adjusting to the change. They show willingness to learn new techniques and procedures rather than sabotaging change activities. If handled with care, such employees can become assets in due course of time.
•Positive Vision
Some employees are able to understand the bigger picture and envisage the possibilities. Their positive attitude towards change is based on broader awareness of the marketplace, the specific industry and their competitive position in it; and an absolute trust in their company’s leadership. Since they feel positive about the company’s future, such employees generate a positive vision among their co-workers and encourage them to have trust in leadership during times of change and transition. They do not become victims of gossip, confusion or negative thought processes. Such individuals should be encouraged for better results and growth.
Depending on the nature of change, the employees may feel anger and show resentment or sadness. “This isn’t fair”, “Why are they doing this to me?” are the normal reactions. Some employees are so resistant to change that they become frustrated and angry. Their anger may be repressed, causing an increase in stress levels; or overt, resulting in emotional outbursts. Whether repressed or overt, anger is a typical reaction when employees feel a loss of control over their work environment, or worry that their job security is being threatened.
•Gossip
Gossip, always an organisational challenge, often shoots up during periods of change. Employees who feel a loss of power and control may respond with frustration, anger and disbelief and resort to vicious gossip or"back-stabbing" activities.
•“Who's in charge?”
When a company/organisation is restructured, it is natural for employees to question leadership. Employees, who will have to work in a new environment when the change is implemented, may experience difficulty in changing their allegiance to leadership. And if the employees have not been kept in the communication loop and are unable to see the positive aspects of the change, they are likely to question the wisdom of the new leadership.
•Panic!
Those employees, who find comfort in a predictable routine, panic at the mere mention of change. They worry about changes in the way they normally proceed with their jobs. They may resist, not out of stubbornness, but out of fear about how the changes will impact them personally. They may be too plagued with panic to deal rationally with the “new regime,” andssome may actually become physically some ill. However, such individuals need to be imparted training for continuous professional development.
•“I quit!”
There may be a few employees who opt for quitting rather than making the needed changes.
These were examples of negative responses. Employees, who have a higher degree of self-esteem, personal competence and self-confidence, respond to the change process in a positive way (Fig.). These employees typically have the ability to remain open-minded in response to change, and to view it as a positive thing – for them personally and for the organisation. When in alignment with their supervisors, employees with this positive attitude can help support and sell organisational change to other employees.Here are some typical positive responses:
•“This is a challenge!”
Some employees view change as a challenge. They are certain that they can rise to the occasion, since they feel they have what it takes to be contributing team players when the change affects their work world. They remain open to new ideas, ask questions and feel confident in their ability to acquire the knowledge needed to complete the task. They exhibit a "can do" attitude in their approach to change and ought to be taken into confidence from time to time; developing a good rapport with such individuals or groups of individuals is bound to bring benefits to the organisation as well as the employees.
•Enthusiasm
Some employees naturally approach life and challenges more enthusiastically than others. Enthusiastic employees embrace change.
Instead of trying to pick apart a proposed change and finding all the ways that it would not work, they see it as a natural part of an organisation’s evolution. Such enthusiastic employees need to be supported and nurtured because their enthusiasm can encourage other employees and help make the implementation of change much more palatable for everyone.
•"Maybe I could adjust to this change . . . .”
Not all employees embrace change enthusiastically or jump out of their seats to accept the challenge. Some watch from the sidelines − but remain open-minded. After a period of observation, they may agree to give the change a chance. While they may not be eager participants in the change process initially, they acknowledge the possibility of adjusting to the change. They show willingness to learn new techniques and procedures rather than sabotaging change activities. If handled with care, such employees can become assets in due course of time.
•Positive Vision
Some employees are able to understand the bigger picture and envisage the possibilities. Their positive attitude towards change is based on broader awareness of the marketplace, the specific industry and their competitive position in it; and an absolute trust in their company’s leadership. Since they feel positive about the company’s future, such employees generate a positive vision among their co-workers and encourage them to have trust in leadership during times of change and transition. They do not become victims of gossip, confusion or negative thought processes. Such individuals should be encouraged for better results and growth.
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| Some Positive Responses to Change |
Employee Response Patterns
David Noer, a renowned expert on the psychological effects of downsizing, in his book Breaking Free, has introduced clear concepts for pinpointing ways of responding to change in today’s work environment. He has proposed theResponse Factor Model to illustrate how individuals and organisations respond to change. The model suggests that people differ in their reaction to change and transition and require different strategies to move them towards the necessary learning response. They differ in their capacity to change (the ability to learn from their experience), and their comfort with change (the readiness to learn). There are four distinct response patterns and transition behaviours:
• Low comfort with change and low capacity for change: Individuals with this response pattern are called overwhelmed. Their primary
transition behaviour is to withdraw from the fray and avoid new learning.
• Low comfort with change and high capacity for change: Individuals with this response are called entrenched. Their basic transition behaviour involves tenaciously clinging to narrow learnings that worked in the past but are of limited value in the new reality.
• High comfort with change and low capacity for change: Employees of this response type are called BSers because they deceive themselves and others. Their transition behaviour is aggressive and grounded in high drive and low substance.
• High comfort with change and high capacity for change: Such employees are the learner type. The primary transition behaviour of the learner involves positively dealing with the change (engaging), and learning new, more relevant skills (growing) (Fig. ).
David Noer, a renowned expert on the psychological effects of downsizing, in his book Breaking Free, has introduced clear concepts for pinpointing ways of responding to change in today’s work environment. He has proposed theResponse Factor Model to illustrate how individuals and organisations respond to change. The model suggests that people differ in their reaction to change and transition and require different strategies to move them towards the necessary learning response. They differ in their capacity to change (the ability to learn from their experience), and their comfort with change (the readiness to learn). There are four distinct response patterns and transition behaviours:
• Low comfort with change and low capacity for change: Individuals with this response pattern are called overwhelmed. Their primary
transition behaviour is to withdraw from the fray and avoid new learning.
• Low comfort with change and high capacity for change: Individuals with this response are called entrenched. Their basic transition behaviour involves tenaciously clinging to narrow learnings that worked in the past but are of limited value in the new reality.
• High comfort with change and low capacity for change: Employees of this response type are called BSers because they deceive themselves and others. Their transition behaviour is aggressive and grounded in high drive and low substance.
• High comfort with change and high capacity for change: Such employees are the learner type. The primary transition behaviour of the learner involves positively dealing with the change (engaging), and learning new, more relevant skills (growing) (Fig. ).
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| Four Distinct Response Patterns and Transition Behaviours of Employees S |
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