Question

In what ways does an organization react to change? Under what conditions are the members of an organization likely to embrace and accept change? Under what conditions are they likely to resist change?

Answer 1

In what ways does an organization react to change?

As the saying goes "Change is the only constant". Organizations are no exceptions to change, which can be due to economic trends or technical innovation-led change. It is not always that a change is received with acceptance by everyone. It becomes very important to understand the kind of reaction you can expect from the organization as it makes the change transition easier for you. The kind of reactions can vary, I have listed out few below:

Doubt towards the change: This reaction is common as the change can be perceived differently by different groups of people within the organization.

Resistance towards the change: Another common reaction is resistance as change would interrupt the familiar and accustomed routine of employees which can be scary for some.

Anger towards the change: All organizations have varied age group employees, and ones who have are not so well in grasping the new and changing trends of technology might even be angry. This is where training becomes an important part as it would play an important part in letting them know how the change is going to be helpful for them.

Uncertainty towards the change: This is a common reaction as people would not know what to expect and would be uncertain about their future.

Under what conditions are the members of an organization likely to embrace and accept change?

Multiple steps can be taken to help the organization to embrace the change. Few of the conditions have been listed below:

- Change has to be led from top till down of an organization. The higher management would have to be on the same page before the rest of the organization is made aware of the change. This would make sure that managers are prepared to answer the queries that their subordinates may have.
- Listening to the feedback is important. Most likely, many of the employees would know about the need for change and would accept it. Listening to them would make the transition smoother.
- Once you have had the feedback, it must be acknowledged. You can get the feedback casually as well while change is being implemented. And in the middle or at the end of the process, roll out a formal survey to list out the feedback and gauge whether the actions taken are acceptable or not.
- Change sometimes is scary and showing empathy and compassion are very important during transition. Through this, you would be able to drive positive changes and deal with issues.
- The "why" of change would need to be articulated in ways that everyone in the organization understands the reason. Once everyone understands the "why" of change and that it is to improve the performance, acceptance of the change would not be that difficult.
- Roles would need to be clearly defined so that every decision-maker and leader are clear on accountability and what is expected from them.
- Training employees to the change is also important for the change to be effective.
- Employees who take the change positively would need to be rewarded in some shape or form so that the rest of the team comes on board.

Under what conditions are they likely to resist change?

There are multiple reasons why change is resisted. I have listed out a few reasons below:

- Not able to understand the reason for the change is the most important factor for resistance. There are always going to be people who would think that the current way is good and hence it is important that they understand the reason well.
- Fearing the unknown is another reason. Change would lead to work being done differently and this can instill fear in few.
- Change brings in new ways, process or even technological transition. Few people would not be sure whether they are competent enough to learn the new way or technology that would come through the change.
- Some people would not have the trust of the organization which would lead to resistance.
- If the employees are not made a part of the whole change process, resistance is the most likely outcome. It is important to have different groups from the organization engaged in the transition.
- Poor communication can also have an impact on people accepting the change.
- Change to the daily routine would be another reason. People see change as a disruptor and would resist it.
- If the change does not show the kind of reward it is expected to bring in with all the efforts being put in. It would lead to resistance.