Chap ter

ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE
MANAGEMENT--11 : CONCEPf,
RESISTANCE TO CHANGE,
CAUSES AND SYMPTOMS
■ CONCEPT OF RESIST ANCE TO CHANGE

Changes are necessary for successful organisational functioning, but these are generally
resisted by the people. [ndividuals tend to resis·t many types of changes because new habits or
sacrifices are required.
When change is minor and within the scope of correcting programme, adjustment is fairly
routine but when a change is major or unusual, serious upsets may occur. This leads to general
feeling that people and their social systems will often resist change in organisntions.
ln fact, fear of change can be a significantly disrupting. Although, people tend to resist
change, this tendency is offset by their desire for new experience and for the rewards that come
with change. Thus, all changes arc not resisted.
 nfsotlonol Change Mana
orgo ✓~l'ri
\
Mol'covcr, resistance t
4.2. I le lo lI,crn, .. o c~
( ,votll'•' J ' , ,t1wnys ,, pos1hve good ,
,, , whkh•11e' ,·isch,1ngc.:, . .
ln fact l'cl1ple wanl ch,mw.: s J1 ',l'1 110 . r •l ' •t l
. 11 • htt1llclll ,ct-I'() rs 'tlld spcC ld lS Si Cc. 0 take a
is not ncccss,uily an undestt,l' i.: • ,· c' n1t111.igc '.
· lJVC~ d
,1d c·x1wctcd r"sult r~~I
•nl!-, ' ' \; S
, , , "'h,1nf c ,igL · .. , LJ 1c oiJJCC ' <lf'lcJ
Rcsisll1nc~ to ch,mge (mCL~ L ~' bd)' dcfJJ1L , aHenlion on change accepted i
'" m)l'C p1t c , lO focus b,,
view 0 f change nnd llw) L•111 1 H·ttinilY '
• l . S) 1j\ CS 0pJJl
the ncg,1tt, e c1~1,cch It •11 t H a manager encounters b
.01. problems c eca
Feople. { the 111aJ ert or implicit, may be ~
, co y be ov Sltbtl
, -,erh,1ps 011 . ·t 11 ce ma e
Resistance to ch,mge } t " of rests a
, The e{fcc s
can assume man) fonns. f motivation to work .
. . ation, loss o ' Iner
cumulatn e. d to resign the other hand ass,,...,... ea
1a be lea resistance1 on , '-UJ.les the
Implicit resistance 11 y transfer etc. overt d ~on in productivity etc. fi
uest for k re ucu.
absentism and the req . bota ere of wor i
strikes, sa o
of wild cat slow down
ocffANGE
RESISTANCE T
■ CAUSES OF ·cal and justified in some cases. Broadly there
d L th ,,
ggested by "Fre u ans .
also be logi n
. ce to change maY
The resIStan . tance to change as su
. us reasons for res1s
be thevano
G INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP BASJ
I FACTORS AFFECTIN
• -!STANCE TO cffANGE

(I} Economic Factors .

e basic economic needs of the workers like necessities of u
In fact these factors relate to th
job security and safety. There factors are:
(i) Workers may apprehend technological changes may lead to their unemployment.
(il) Workers fear that they will be idle for much to their time due to increased efficiency
new technology.
(ill) Workers may fear that they will be demoted if they do not acquire the skills requin
for the new jobs.

(iv) Workers may resist the change leading to setting higher job standards which !1li
reduce opportunity for bonus or incentive pay.

(iiJ Psychological Factors

Workers have got psych 01 · al needs like
. L.1&:1men
sense of pride of achievement and self-fWW"' ·
ogic
etc.
 ■tlonal Change M11n11gement 11

43

Gnoup
Ill SISlMICE
~~~J;,;,1;,;~rr-=-1..-=--:...l~J:t=;:::_..,.__~=>-===-=_.:.;.;._.;,;.;._
· ~ - - -1~~~--
AC_T_O_R___-.J

SOCIAL
----..1
DISPLACEMENTS
OB
I PA~~~~RE

SOLESCENCE
r---T·-- .------- --
PERSONNEL PREFERENCE FOR
;.:__----r-_,_~_I

....,__ _ _ OF SKILLS R!:ASONS STATUES-Ot.JO

THREAT TO RESOURCE ORGANISATIONAL RESOURCE

POWER CONSTAINTS GROUP SUNr.
SERUCTURE LIMITATIONS
INTERIA COST
MODEL OF CAUSES OF RESISTENCE TO ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE

The reasons for there changes are :

(i) Workers may apprehenced boredom and monotony in the new jobs as a result of
specalisation brought by the new technology.

(ii) Workers may resist a change because they do not want to take trouble in learning the
new things.

(iii) Workers may not have knowledge for entire change.

(iv) Workers may not capable of understanding the implications of new ideas and methods

(v) Workers may fear that harder work will be required to learn and adopt to new idea~ .

(vi) Workers may fear that there may be less need for manual work which will lead to
reduction of their personal pride.

(iii) Social Factors

Employees, supervisors and officers do have certain social needs like friendship,
belongingness etc. for the fulfilment of which they may develop informal relahom, m the
organisation.

The social reasons for resistance to change are :

(i) Workers may have a feeling and fear that the new social set up arising out of the
change will be less satisfying than the present set up.

(ii) Workers may also object that the change~ which are brought abrupty without
consulting them.
 .=[I Forces resisting change~
. . - Individual resistance
lnlemal force .. New learning
• New 1echnology • Distrust of management
work values
• Changing knowladge .. Fear of the Unknown
.. Creation of new e
* Product obs~lesc:~~
.. Desire f_or lersutschedules
alternative wor
I Environmental forces ]
Organisational resistance
.. Threat to the power
,. Compelition
structure
• International changes
* System relationships
.. Social and
political change * Sunk costs and vested
.. Resource availabilty interests
.. Change in Consumer
demands

Model of Reason of Resistance to Change

'The rate at w.hich the knowledge is changing is incredible. As a result, knowl edge in
.
pnrtwular field qu,c. kly becomes obsolete. Whenever .people sense that new machinery or cha nge POSe;Q
thr.eat ofreplacing or degrading them they simply resist such a change.

A twenty years' experienced accountant is quite like!~ to r~s_ist the introduction of a compllter .
preparing the wage bill because he feels that might affect hzs posztton and pay. The introduction ntd~
also throw a need for retraining the concerned employee which an individual hates."

This kind of phenomenon is commonly found in those managers who possess no ~

marketable skills and whose knowledge is obsolete and out-dated. These people strongly ~
change and try their best to maintain status Qou.

tvJ Due to Fear of Economic Loss :

One major reason why some people resist organisational change is that they perceive ~
will Jose something of value as a result. The greater the expected loss the greater the resistana
People resist change that opens the possibility of lowering their income directly or indir~
1
That is to say whenever the employee perceives the consequences of change in terntl
! unfavourable pay, he has the tendency to resist it.
 ,, 1c 1111onnl Clumgo Mnnnyr>m13n( 11
orG" 4 ,S

'"-111 1\l' tmw::,, hem l'\'~1 , inltod11, lion of ' i

• 111 w t, r.: n,11,l,,gy fhruws P' ,jpl, away frcm doh g
·,ill 1.rnl 1nbs 1H <h.!1n,111d11lp wrn ks I0 I , • 1
,
1111) ' l js 1mporl.1n l or d, ,1u , ncl 011 ,, w Jwre no G/4J1Js are
1

ri'll 11 it r 1I II l 1' \ hibi I.

J\ tt,n' 1e,1lisli,-.1lly, wlwn peopk, 1,,.I ,• . , th

. r C'UVl' ))!iy<"ho logH ,d d,.!f rt1d,1tir,n uf 1h!! J<,b cy are
l'cd<' 1mi'. ,g, tlwy resiSl s~ich a ch,mgl'. KeilIi Vavis, in lltia connec!iun, rightly remarr..s "People fear
trr.l111olos 1c17 l chnllges leadmg lo ll ll<'mploy111enl, reduced work hours, demotion, reduced wages and
itdll< trf i1m•11 f iz,c:, a11d so lltcy resist change".

(vi) personal Reasons :

n1e reasons for resistance to change by individuals may also be personal. The personal _J
reasons may be ego defensiveness, status Quo and fear of unknown.

(i) Preference for Status Quo :Perhaps the biggest and the most sound reason for the
resistance to change is the status Quo. People have vested interest in the status Quo. Change
rnay lead to disturbance to the existing facilities of status Quo. The change may involve
uncertainty and risk and may beat the cost of the convenience and happiness of the employees.

Most of the people are comfortable with status Quo and strongly resist change. It is because
people typically develop patterns for coping with or managing current structure and situation.
Change means they will have to find new ways of Managing them and their environment the
ways that might not be successful as those currently used.

(ii) Fear of Unknown : Change presents unknown fear which causes anxiety. Whenever
people do not know exactly what is likely to happen they are likely to resist it. The unknown
poses a constant threat. Uncertainty in the situation arises not from the change itself, but from
the consequences surrounding change.

To avoid making decision and fear of unknown, people may refuse promotion and transfer .
Further any gap in the information renders the mind of the employee wandering over
uncertainty about the future and he thinks the better way would be to oppose change.

(vii) Social Displacements:

Introduction of change often results in breaking up of work groups people in the working
environment develop in formal relationships.

When the friendship with fellow members is disturbed then there is a possibility for the
employees to experience psychological let down. When the social relationships develop, as
normally in the case, people try to maintain them and fight social displacement by resisting
change.
 "¼411111 1

~ \ V •, J1
, ;rep,,n!d to ,1<.:cept d,;, 11 ,
• •tf11:il1J ,,re J 1,,

1li C' 1flli''V~

t
•.,i,,,,u
pl'frVl
fffi<'11tcJI
'I' •
pccJ rrcsB"' • 1rt' ,1111 \, ., y ·., /tll ,;11 I ,, ,, ',. , /urrl f/Of /(} (/( cr'pf any ( ha111/.,, j
,, HJ ' u1• ,1,,11 r 'f>l'' r'' ., r111 ;111 ,vu - , ,,
1111 i
,, r1 ('
I 11 'd 1,111 rt,111 l I
,,,tu·,., 11111y '""''''
,,, /,/8 111 /11fJ•
,

1111 ,, ,,,,i,, 11111 md ~,,1111' """ ,1,,11! ,,u1!f 't,,1118

\ /I
ft I,,, I I
,11111f111tt ,,,
I 111"''' I
1ST.ANCE TO CHANGE
' , , ,,, ,M .. yoit JtES "
c1-vsis
~fJONI-L . •a tional change.
nGJ:NIs t orgar11s
• IJ 01' {i r rc-,ist:mcc o . think the change as a Potent;~
be the cause!, o nior officers rnaY . .
l~lflm" in~ c,,n . M nagc111c11t and_ Se e in the organisation.
l) '{1,rent to Ptm,cr. a ut11ority and i.nfluenc ti'c strUctures where authorities arc.
,1 . 0 wer, a b eaucra -
threat to t11e1r p esisted by the ur k steps by which the position of an·
uite often r ill tlike to ta e .
Qtange:> are q ment w no
dcfined. T,op manage . .
\~ell . .. strengthened. . al tr11ctures have inbuilt mecharusm for
trade wuon is awsatton s .
. structure: Some org . ·cally bureaucratic structure where
.. orcrn11isahona 1 . consider a. typi clearly spelled out, th e flow of
(u, ·o cJiange. for U1Stance,
resistance to . d lines of authority are
arrowly define '
jobs are n . . om to to bottom. . . .
Jin[onnation JS designed fr P .cation make the new idea difficult to
. . the channels of conunUIU . . .
In such organISations b bility that the new ideal/ innovation will be
all ·t increases the pro a . .
travel and eventu y 1 . £ th tructure of the orgamsation.
ed out because it is not swtable or e s . .
screen b th anisation has to adapt to 1ts envuonment but
L · ·tations · No dou t, e org
am Resource ~mt . · If th organisation is not fully equipped for meeting
the adaptation has its own cost. e .
such demands, it may not be possible for the organisation to bnng necessary change.
For example, if the new technology is adopted, it will require resources to procure
machine, building, training for its personnel, and commensurate expenses on other
items also.
(iv) Group Pressure: Each if individuals want to change their behaviour, group norms ma,
act as a constraint. An individual union member, for instance, may be willing to accept
changes in his job suggested by management. But if union norms dictate resisting an~
unilateral change made by management, he is likely to resist.
(v) Sun~ CoSfs :The plight of some companies is such that the heavy capital is blocked in
:~ ~ed 0 ~ permanent assets. It an organisation wishes to introduce change then
cu ty arises because of these sunk costs.
Sunk costs are not restricted to ph sical th. .
people also. In big organisation "S y ,~gs ~one, they can be expressed in terms ot
unk cost is a big resistance to change.
 e Mnneg e rn e nl 11 4.I
.,,. 1 c;t,nn9
,,,.110
o
r'I'" pTOfd'S OF RESI STAN CE TO ORGA NIS ATIO NAL C HANG E
t I
• s<fP& ,~ ""'., I "',1) s ol PXJ'''' m g " 1 I ancc I" <h ngc llu t It 1,
tor
n, c lime th ry 111 <,y b t nu1
]\, ,n ,, 11,diL.ttc 1"Cs1s t n n u.:- 8o
A
oc

\(l 11
1lll'lll
:, l 1
;ire ('llllt.: unpn1 l,'lnl svmplo m s of I csis1m,, c lo organ, • llonal h
, .. <

t,' Gr,ftt''·
flo .. tilrft/ or Agg,e:.-~i011 : 1l is lh c iinmed i,1le rc.icti o n o f an md1v1d u 1
(1) t lit, m ,n c,nly be exp ressed verb.,ll y , 111 t hP wc1 y the mdwtd ual t:rJk
hO!, 1
tellO'' " orkcr, or even at ~~bord inu les, b u t hostilit y an d aggrc 1 c
pln : :,ical fonns where the strikin g are more commo n in nature .
(ii} f)e vef opiug apatlty :The indiv idual may d evelop apathy toward s his wor~. He
and
intere~t in his work. There is more spoilag e of materi als, excessi ve idling of time
decline in perform ance.
,_ce
Absenteeism and tardine ss : Absen teeism and tardine ss are often signs of .resista..
(iii) escape
perhap s these are forms of apathy or attemp ts on the part of the individ ual ro
his work enviro nment . Separa tion, for examp le, may be an extrem e illustra
tion m mis

attemp t to escape .
Anxiet y and tension :The develo pment of anxiety and tension is s'.l!'e sign that
a
(iv)
on his
resistan ce exists. The indivi dual finds himsel f uncom fortabe l, sh aky and tensed
job.
exhibi ted..
(v) Slowdo wns and strike s: At the group level additio nal signs of resista nce are
Slowdo wns and strikes are the usual sympt oms of group resista nce. A.noth
ei' st:-ateg)
adopte d by a group to resist chang e is "restriction of outp11 t".

■ ADVANTAGES OF RESI STAN CE TO CHANGE

Resistance to chang e is not bad. Resist ance can bring sonle b enefits
. 'These are the
advantages of resistance to chang e.

(i) It can encourage the manag ement to re-examine its change propos,,ls so
that the\ ar
appropriate. In this way emplo yees operat e as a check an.d bcllance to ensu re th at t
management prope rly plans and imple ments change.
(ii) Resistance can also help identi fy specific problc1n areas where lhange is hkel\
to ca
difficulties, so that manag ement can take corrective action before se nous proble
develop.
 tlon al Cha ngo Manc1g arti
orga ni e,,a
-~

,cou1,1gcc1 l o do cl better 1r)h

, ... n 1cnt c,111 bl'. etthe lon gcr-rtt n sho uld lead tci b
the 111nnat;1:: - ch th,1t ,11 q
C tul'll?, l a,,p 1l),l
ti sanl '
w) At '"
um,obl\il the d,an
, e at
i; , ~ • f
.on, . abo u t the inte nsit y . o c°'PI ",
m
cceptance- l in/o1 mat ,on
'
Tc1111.m release f o r emp loy ee feelmgs, •nd t~1
,o-i, c~ 111an.1b d ., emo tion a1
tancc also o- d bou t a ch an ge so tha t they und erstar1
i,) RCSIS an bsu c, an .it provdt talk e
mor e a Q
emotiom, on "e to think an
rourage entplo}"

-
be
entter
RESPONSE

-· ---- -
__
OUTCOME
,..
_..,.
THE ORGANIZAT10
"
EFFECT ~

.;:::-,.
-,
1
~ NE GATIVE
~
,--- QUITS THE
ORGANIZATION_ it t==> NO OUTPUT
_, I I..,
-
-.
-
- Jo,
_;:-,
....,
rABSENTESISM .t..
LESS OUTPUT / ' NEGATIVE
./
RATE INCREASES
- -
-

, WORKS HARDER
-·
=-, _;
Jo,.
-

MORE OUTPUT
- -
~
'

PO SITIVE
--
.

THAN BEFORE THAN BEFORE

I
... ~~ ... -
-
-

.,..
_... ~

.
~
..,.._ I
---
.,.._
BECOMES - _,,; LESS OUTPUT _,,;;
SLOWS DOWN POSITIVE
r '
... ... ... ~ _;a L•
CHANGE
Ill - I',
f'"
"
;,,'
... ARGUES WITH
THE BOSS &
.,.._ _J,,.
~

LESS OUTPUT
..,;
~ ~

/ NEGATIVE
WORKS LESS ~

i,
-, ""I\. ....:- V
~

MORE DAY
. " " I

DREAMS AND J,
_,,
_;; LESS OUTPUT NEGATIVE
WORKS LESS -
./ I
... ~ II' ..., I
V
• /I ,,,
DELIBERATELY . " r,,.

.....
FORGETS TO □
/ LESS OUTPUT I'·
...
.)
•

I'-
DO THINGS NEGATIVE
! t
-·-- ..,
---
'
WORKS AS
HARD AS BEFORE
.....
_)
NO CHANGE IN ....
....
-
.> µ NEUTRA L
'
- OUTPUT
;

MODEL OF POSSIBLE RESPONSE TO

CHANGE AND THEIR OUTCOMES
INDICATING THE EFFECT ON THE ORGANI
II
- II

SATION
This does not mean that resistance to change
should be encouraged. Res1Sta
. nce rnu::t \
ercome and change must be introduced in slow
manner.