Chapter 11 - Organizational Change and Development
Chapter 11 - Organizational Change and Development
1. Planning for Change - The first step in the process of change is to identify the need for change and the area of changes
as to whether it is strategic, process oriented or employee oriented change. This need for change can be identified either
through internal or external factors. Once this need is identified the following general steps can be taken:
a) Develop new goals and objectives. The manager must identify what new outcomes they wish to achieve. This may
be a modification of previous goals due to changed internal and external environment or it may be a new set of goals
and objectives.
b) Select an agent of change. The next step is to decide who will initiate and oversee this change. One of the existing
managers may be assigned or even sometimes specialists and consultants can be brought in from outside to
suggest the various methods to bring in the change and monitor the change process.
c) Diagnose the problem. The person appointed as agent of change will then gather all relevant data regarding the
problem or issue needing change. This data should be critically analyzed to pinpoint the key issues. The solutions
should address those key issues.
d) Select Methodology. The next important step is to select a methodology for change; employee’s emotion must be
taken into consideration when devising such methodology.
e) Develop a plan. After devising the methodology, the next step will be to put together a plan as to what is to be done.
For example, if the management wants to change the promotion policy, it must decide as to what type of employees
will be affected by it, whether to change the policy for all the departments at once or to try it on a few selected
departments first.
f) Strategy for the implementation of the plan. In this stage, the management must decide on the ‘when’, ‘where’ and
‘how’ of the plan. This includes the right time of putting the plan to work, how the plan will be communicated to the
employees to have the least resistance and how the implementation will be monitored.
2. Assessing Change Forces - The planned change does not come automatically. There are many forces in individuals,
groups and organization which resist such change. The change process will never be successful unless the cooperation
of employees is ensured. Therefore, the management will have to create an environment in which change will be
amicably accepted by people. If the management can overcome the resistance, change process will succeed. In a group
process, there are always some forces who favor the change and some forces that are against the change. Thus, an
equilibrium is established is maintained. Kurt Lewin calls in the “field of forces”. Lewin assumes that in every situation
there are both driving and restraining forces which influence any change that may occur. Driving forces are those forces
which affect a situation by pushing in a particular direction. These forces tend to initiate the change and keep it going.
Restraining forces act to restrain or decrease the driving forces. Equilibrium is reached when sum of the driving forces
equals the sum of the restraining forces. There may be three types of situations, as both driving and restraining forces
are operating:
a) If the driving forces far out weight the restraining forces, management can push driving forces and overpower
restraining forces.
b) If restraining forces are stronger than driving forces, management either gives up the change program or it can
pursue it by concentrating on driving forces and changing restraining forces into driving ones or immobilizing them.
c) If driving and restraining forces are fairly equal, management can push up driving forces and at the same time can
convert or immobilize restraining forces. Thus, to make the people accept the changes, the management must push
driving forces and convert or immobilize the restraining forces.
3. Implementing the Change - Once the management is able to establish favorable conditions, the right timing and right
channels of communication have been established the plan will be put into action. It may be in the form of simple
announcement or it may require briefing sessions or in house seminars so as to gain acceptance of all the members and
specify those who are going to be directly affected by the change. After the plan has been implemented there should be
evaluation of the plan which comprises of comparing actual results to the objectives. Feedback will confirm if these goals
are being met so that if there is any deviation between the goals and actual performance, corrective actions can be
taken.
1. Unfreezing - Unfreezing means that old ideas and attitudes are set aside to allow new ideas. It refers to making people
aware that the present behavior is inappropriate, irrelevant, inadequate and hence, unsuitable for the changing demands
of the current situation. According to EDGAR SCHIEN the following 4 elements are necessary during this phase:
a) The physical removal of the individuals, being changed from their accustomed routines, sources of information and
social relationships.
b) The undermining and destruction of social support.
c) Demeaning and humiliating experience to help individuals, being changed, to see their old attitudes or behavior as
unworthy and think to be motivated to change.
d) The consistent linking of reward with willingness to change and of punishment with willingness to change.
Unfreezing thus involves discarding the orthodox and conventional methods and introducing dynamic behavior,
most appropriate to the situation. People are made to accept new alternatives.
2. Changing - Unlike unfreezing changing is not uprooting of the old ideas, rather the old ideas are gradually replaced by
the new ideas and practices. In changing phase new learning occurs. The necessary requirement is that various
alternatives of behavior must be made available in order to fill the vacuum created by unfreezing phase. During the
phase of changing, individuals learn to behave in new ways, the individuals are provided with alternatives to choose the
best one. KELMAN explains changing phase in terms of the following elements:
a) Compliance: it occurs when individuals are forced to change either by reward or by punishment.
b) Internalization: it occurs when individuals are forced to encounter a situation and calls for new behavior.
c) Identification: it occurs when individuals recognize one among various models provided in the environment that is
most suitable to their personality.
3. Refreezing - Refreezing is on the job practice. The old ideas are totally discarded and new ideas are totally accepted.
Refreezing reinforces attitudes, skills and knowledge. The individual practices and experiments with the new method of
behavior and sees that it effectively blends with his other behavioral attitudes. FERSTER and SKINNER have in this
connection, introduced the main reinforcement schedules namely: Continuous and Intermittent reinforcements. Under
continuous reinforcement individuals learn the new behavior within no time. And intermittent reinforcement on the other
hand, consumes a long time but it has the greatest advantage of ensuring a long lasting change.
Organization Development
Resistance to Change
Spotting Resistance
Note whether employees are missing meetings related to the change. Late assignments, forgotten commitments, and
absenteeism can all be signs of resistance to change. Some employees will publicly challenge the change, its purpose, or
how it is unfolding. An employee who has a higher position and more seniority may be more resolute in their resistance.
Less well-positioned employees may resist collectively in ways such as a work slowdown, staying home from work,
deliberately misunderstanding directions, and, in rarer cases, organizing to bring in a labor union. Employees also resist
change by failing to take action to move in the new direction, quietly going about their familiar and accustomed business in
the same ways as always, withdrawing their interest and attention, and failing to add to conversations, discussions, and
requests for input. Covert resistance to change can damage the progress of your desired changes seriously as it is more
difficult to deal with the resistance that isn't visible, demonstrated, or expressed publicly.
The ultimate goal of organizational change and development is to provide a consistent method to follow when change that
have significant impact in the business are required to maintain and improve the production environment on a daily basis .
The approach helps to identify groups and personnel that must be involved in the change process as well as their
responsibilities. Effective management helps to define the artifacts to be used and establishes policies on how change in
question is to be implemented. The management also takes into account, the consideration and essence of effective
communication of the change to the targeted employee working within the company.
Change happens when an organization changes its overall strategy with hope that the new approach will help steer the
organization up the ladder of success. Change can also occur when an organization decides to remove a major section or
practice of its business culture or completely change the nature of its operation. CEOs, Managers and top leaders in the
organization are always at the forefront to make the necessary efforts to implement successful and significant changes.
Some of these top-level leaders are good at identifying and implementing changes, while others always try, struggle, face
employee resistance to change and new developments and fail eventually.
Resistance to change can be the ultimate reason why change can never happen. More often than not, top-level leaders do
not make employees understand the need for change hence the high level of resistance. Resistance to change can come
from almost every employee, including the most loyal ones in your organization. If they are not comfortable with the
proposed developments and change, they will definitely resist and there are good reasons why. Most leaders fail to bring
out the essence of change, its importance and its effect to the general lifeblood of the business hence the resistance from
even the most loyal employee the business may have had for years.
Change and development should be undertaken with the purpose of improving the whole or part of the organization, not to
instill job insecurities and uncertainties among employees. The main goal should be to improve the work environment, train
employees to adapt to the new work environment and focus on training them effectively so that they remain productive in
the organization and make the business a success not only within its surrounding but also around and beyond its settings.
The change and development must be communicated beforehand so that employees are aware of the developments that
are schedule to take place, making them ready to prepare for the transition.
CEOs and top level management should understand that change and development is about the entire organization and that
includes every person related to the organization. For instance, if employees are left out in the decision making process
regarding the change and the new development that is to happen soon, it is highly likely that the majority will pose
resistance because they are uncertain of the unknown. Understanding that employees are part of the change is the first
step to managing disappointments, failure and resistance to the change. When employees take part in the change and
development process, they become aware of the situation and will be willing to offer their support if the new development is
for the good of the organization.
5 Elements for Managing Organizational Change and Development
There are five different elements for managing organizational change and development. These elements include motivating
change, creating vision, developing political support, managing the transition and sustaining the momentum. The five
elements play the major role in change and development management within an organization. They should therefore be
observed for successful implementation of change and new developments.
1. Motivating change - This can be considered the topmost process in the entire lifecycle of change and development. This
element considers two processes and they include creating readiness for change and development and overcoming
employee resistance to the same. Creating readiness for change involves sensitizing the organization to pressure for
change for the good reason of improving the productivity of the organization and making it a better workplace for the
employees. Creating a readiness for change helps to identify the gaps between desires and actual state. It should
therefore convey positive expectation of the change. The next part of this element is managing the resistance to change
and development. To manage resistance effectively, the CEOs and top-level management group should involve all the
members within the organization in planning and decision making, communicate about the change and provide empathy
and the required support that will help every member to adapt to the change with ease.
2. Creating a vision - The best way to start creating a vision is to discover and describe the core ideologies of the
organization. The values should provide information to members on what is important in the organization and the
reason for the existence of the organization. The next step is to construct the envisioned future; the bold and value
outcomes and the desired future state.
3. Developing political support - You have to assess the power of the change when it comes to developing political
support. Proceed to identifying the key stakeholders and then understand how you are going to influence the event of
change.
4. Managing the transition - Change and development Management must include a section that will help in managing the
transition. There must be a structure that outlines activity planning, commitment planning and general management to
the transition. It must be a slow process because change and development can never be implemented overnight.
Therefore, identify the roadmaps for change and state the reason why prefer following that path. You should also know
whose support you need and where the people whose support is required stand. Come up with an effective strategy
that will influence their behavior in a positive manner, so that they support change instead of showing resistance to the
change. When it comes to management structure, identify the most suitable arrangement of people and the power that
will help to drive change.
5. Sustaining the momentum - Provide resources for change build a suitable support system for change agents. Develop
new competencies and skills that can help to reinforce new behavior in the organization. Sustaining the momentum is
the last thing you need to consider when it comes to Managing Organizational Change and Development.