Question

A recommendation report of aimed at your client proposing the most appropriate change intervention from your exploration as a change agent within the organization. Your recommendation as a change agent.

Q. Discussion on the expected resistance to change and how to overcome it.

Answer 1

Q. Discussion on the expected resistance to change and how to overcome it.

In general, it is usually believed that many people tend to offer resistance to change despite change being personal. Change creates fear, doubt, and uncertainty. The management usually creates change, resistance comes from employees, and therefore, managers have to evaluate the effects of change before applying it. There is a perception that resistance to change is a result of the company members' behavior not to accept any form of organizational change. Resistance to change can also be in the form of attempts of employees in delaying or stopping the change.

When dealing with change, three stages can be involved, according to Lewin, that is, unfreezing, moving, and refreezing. The unfreezing stage involves the minimization of change barriers and the maximization of change opportunities. The moving step involves recognizing the need for change and accepting change. Refreezing involves managers reinforcing and implementing the change as effectively as possible. Therefore, managers should ensure there is continuous communication for the sharing of information with their employees. Emotional resistance from employees is usually the case when a change occurs in an organization by displaying anxieties (fear), anger, and sadness (Johnson, 2001). Resistance can also be displayed in the form of under performance . Often when resistance occurs, blames do arise where the employees might feel the management has failed them. For this reason, the employees might go ahead to display their frustrations and dissatisfactions with their jobs. Therefore, in attempts to address and overcome such forms of resistance, the creation of a motivated workforce is required as each employee's unfulfilled needs will be settled, and their attitudes improved towards positivity.