27/06/2022

I.S. projects (2)

Change Management
I. Organizational change
II. Resistance to change
III. Change Management

Yves Barlette
Department: Information Systems & Operations Management
y.barlette@montpellier-bs.com
© Yves Barlette – MBS - 2022

I. Definition of organizational change

• Change: “abandoning what was familiar in favor of something
more or less certain and known.”
– Micro (marginal) change
• New processes, product(s), employee(s)
– Macro (radical or disruptive) change
• New strategy, M&As

• Organizational change: “Process of marginal or radical

modification of structures and skills that accompany the evolution
of organizations.”

• I.S. projects redefine: Configurations, Interactions,

Job activities, Power relationships
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A global and current context

• Main pressures for change

– Globalization intensifies (Web, outsourcing)
– Socio-economic context: competition
– Short Time: Disruptive Technologies (mobility)
– Efficiency: produce more with less money

• Change = 4 criteria  Risks

– Depth : Marginal or Radical change?
– Extent: scope (dept?) vs. orga capacity
– Pace : frequent (constant?) vs. orga capacity
– Simultaneity

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Case 1: Implementation of
Salespeople’s activity monitoring

• Problems: errors-incomplete data entry  Survey

– Improper training?
– “I don’t want to be spied on” (privacy): reluctance to enter data

• Reaction
– Training sessions + Rewards for data entries

• Results
– Entering the minimum amount of data to be rewarded
– Some of the salespeople deliberately sabotage the results
– Failure of the I.S. project

• Solution: present & convince the salespeople of the

computerization usefulness, integrate the additional time,
improve CONFIDENCE.
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II. Resistance to change

2.1. Causes
– An unclear situation (grey areas)
– Surprise: “they’re crazy!”
– Misinterpretations
– Fear of admitting we are outdated
– Fear of future difficulties
– Loss of power, status, commissions (jealousy)
– Interpersonal problems (disagreements, lack of confidence…)
– Loss of orientation, of security (place that changes, habits…)
– Fears about one’s job

 FEAR of the UNKNOWN – Suspicion - Distrust

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2.2. Three types of resistance

a) Tunnel effect

• Difficulties, pitfalls and risks are underestimated

 some points are skipped
• The more you go on, the deeper you get into the Tunnel
• Tunnel Exit = problem discovery: too late!
 Going back is impossible

• Circumvention / By-pass strategy for the problem

• Conclusion-Impact: Non-optimal solution

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b) “Muted” resistance

• Interventionist and feared hierarchy

• Information withholding
– Problems: not raised
– Needs : improperly expressed

• Non-involvement
– Late arrivals – Absenteeism
– Bypassed procedures
– Indifference

• Conclusion-Impact: Compliance with needs?

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c) “Open War”

• Boycott, Strikes

• Sabotages
– Entering improper data
– Series of complaints

• Circumvention of processes
– Incomplete data entries
– Botched work

• Conclusion-Impact: Loss of time & money, project failure?

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Case 2: Implementation of
Computerized stock management
– Before: Salespeople  assistant  warehouse manager
 a warehouseman runs to check the stock!
– Aim: Salespeople check availability on PCs  Instant answer
1 warehouse employee: data entry
– After:
• Some salespeople had problems: errors in “computer stock”
 they “check” (loss of confidence)
• The warehouseman still runs
• The warehouse manager lost 1 employee (data entry)
• Problem: data entry is not reliable - not verified enough
• Investment for nothing!

– Solution: INVOLVE the employee in charge of data entry

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III. Change management

3.1. Change Process: Three steps
• Initiation
– Planned: steps, objectives, roles, responsibilities are defined
– Emergent: only the main objectives
 decisions according ‘what happens’, successive agreements
• Activation
– Planned: implementation of defined changes
– Emergent:
• Accept disorder: autonomous actors  initiatives
• Implement coherency: new framework
• Monitor new behavior

• Consolidation
– Integration into common organizational life
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3.2. Actions for user Involvement : Three types

a) Communication

• List the stakeholders

• Define messages: transmitted by managers
• Internal communication (towards employees)
– Clear & Sharp
– Reassure
– Clearly answer fears, preoccupations and emotions

• External communication (if necessary)

- Customers, providers, partners

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b) Skills management
• Work out the available vs. necessary skills
• Assess the gaps
– Encourage employees
– Training sessions
– Necessary recruitments
c) Involvement
– “WHY?”
– A win-win deal?
• Company - Managers’ vs. employees
• Equity between employees (power, responsibilities)
• Each employee benefits and losses
– new tasks: interest , efficiency 
– Losses > benefits: compensations or justifications
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