Reasons why People Resist Change in the Workplace

Why Employees Resist Change in the Workplace

Why Employees Resist Change in the Workplace?

Now-a-days all the companies, Government departments and institutions, no matter whether public or private, no longer have a choice, the change is mandatory to survive in the competitive world but unfortunately people tend to resist change. Change in an organization is not an easy task, this will increase the pressure on the management to learn the transparency of change.

The perception of change will differ between managers and employees: top level management seeks a change an opportunity to strengthen and to advance the business in their career, whereas for employee’s, included middle level managers change is never sought after it is disruptive and intrusive.

The following are the best described reasons why people resist change.

1. Fear of Failure-

   Resistance to change may cause fear. During periods of change, some employees may feel that the past is the most secured and predictable time. If they have performed well in the past, they may resist changing their behaviour that they may not achieve much in the future.

2. Creatures of Habit-

   Working things in same routine manner is comfortable, asking employees to change away from the routine work they may think why do we need change?. In some cases, employees may ignore change because it may require employees to experience something beyond from their normal and easy method of operation.

3. No obvious needs-

   Some employees may fail to recognize the positive impact of change in the organization, so they may find change is unnecessary. Some employees may see a change in their attitude of impact on their jobs.

4. Loss of control-

   Employees are used and are more familiar with the work style which gains a lot of control over their work environment. They may feel that this will not be possible and think they may loos control over their work when the organization is changed which may confuse the employees and feel powerless.

5. Unwillingness to learn-

   Some employees prevent their own growth and development; they may even hesitate to try or learn new routes and express their unwillingness to learn.

6. Fear that the new way may not be better-

   Some employees may resist change because they fear that the change may not result in improvement. As their current status is quiet sufficient and may not need change because they don’t know whether the change may result as the same.

7. Understanding and Managing the Resistance to Change-

   It is very much important that the managers should resist the change, if failed change efforts are costly. Cost includes decrease of employee loyalty, probability of achieving goals will be lowered, and waste of money and resources and fixing the failed change effort is difficult.

Using strategic measurements can be a way of building support. The other parts of process like, involving employees from the beginning, explaining the reason for change in the organization clearly, clear strategy, direction, vision and also accepting and respecting the viewpoints of the employees. Employees often do not accept change which cannot be controlled; however it will be more likely to have a substantial influence on change.

8. Overcoming Resistance to Change-

   Resistance to change will be a complex issue by the employees in the management and ever-evolving organization of today. The process of change is extensive, and employees resistance is considered a critically important to overcome resistance to change.

There are three key conclusions which should be kept in mind before recommending the approaches to overcome resistance.

First, an organization should be ready for change before it gets affected. It is better to conduct a survey should be conducted and evaluate it when the organization is ready to undertake change.

Second, change will not be successful when the top level management fails to inform the employees and aware them about the process of change.

Third, understanding the change may affect resistance of employees, they are less likely to resist.

9. Positive Resistance to Change-

   Managers often understand resistance negatively and employees who resist are considered disobedient and organization must overcome the obstacles in order to achieve new goals. Employee resistance will play a dominant role and useful when there is a change in organization. Initiating the proposed change by the management is possible when employees resist change. Which can help the organizations to select all possible changes in appropriate to the current situations. According to (De Jager 2001, ” Resistance is simply a very effective, very powerful, very useful mechanism.

Important links

• Organisational Change & its Sources of Change
• Group Decision Making- Advantages, Disadvantages & Weaknesses
• Sources of Attitudes | Difference between Attitude & Behaviour
• Barriers & Ways to Change Attitudes in Organisational Behaviour
• Perceptual Process & its Role | Perception in O.B.
• Perception in O.B.- Meaning, Definition, Nature, Importance etc.
• Organisation Behaviour and Industrial & Organizational Psychology

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