Problem
Although the addition of new equipment comes with a myriad of benefits, employees’ resistance to change may make the organization not to realize the benefits of the equipment. Naturally, people are hesitant to embrace change. This aspect of resistance from employees in an organization is quite pervasive and hinders an organization from realizing the potential benefits associated with embracing change. The fact that technology is fast changing makes organizational change inevitable. As such, different organizations are on the verge of changing their technology system in order to remain competitive. The problem, however, is the employees’ resistance to change viewing it as a threat to their work. In fact, employees are very skeptical towards technological changes in the organization. In most instances, employees believe that changes in technology aim at replacing their roles rendering them jobless. Moreover, issues of trust also arise among the employees. While the organization seeks to install hi-tech systems to increase productivity, employees hold a notion that such efforts are a demonstration of lack of trust towards them on the side of the management.
In relation to employees’ reluctance to embrace change, a number of cases are likely to arise in the organization. First, the employees develop a resistant attitude and become passive in learning the operations of the new technology. In some situations, employees begin to engage in office politics in opposing the change efforts. Consequently, the implementation of the news technology becomes difficult. It is, therefore, for the management to acknowledge that change efforts will always meet resistance from among the employees. Accordingly, the management before initiating the change process needs to develop mechanisms to make the change tolerable.
Solution
Notwithstanding the fact that human beings are naturally opposed to change, the managers have a role to play in ensuring that the change process is effective. There are a number of ways of making the employees to support that change process and feel part of it. In order to solve the problem of employees’ resistance towards the introduction of a new equipment, managers need to embrace an inclusive approach in communicating the change and its potential upshots. Pieterse J. H. et al. (2012) maintain that only one-third of proposed changes in organizations proceed successfully. They allude that the change process in an organization remains problematic due to resistance from the employees. The managers need to ensure the employees understand the need for change and the benefits associated with the adoption of the proposed technology. Arguably, communication of the change efforts is the most significant way of overcoming resistance among the employees.
In order to overcome this problem of resistance to change among the employees, the managers need to enhance the change communication to the employees to enable them understand then need. According to Chuang D. and Shy Y. (2013), managers should not privilege their interests over those of the employees when championing for the change process in the organization. In fact, it is noteworthy that people do not resist change in person. Instead, they fear the uncertainties and potential negative outcomes associated with the proposed change. Accordingly, managers need to develop an inclusive communication approach for making the employees to be fully committed to the change process and be ready and willing to implement it.
In communicating the proposed change, the first step is to customize and target messages to various employees in different departments and sections in the organization. Each department needs to understand the proposed change process its potential impacts on various activities in the departments. Moreover, the messages should also highlight the role of the members of every department in the implementation process. As such, each employee will become committed to the expectations of the change and will become conscious of the benefits that the organization and individually employees will get from the proposed change. To add on, the managers should formulate the clear mission and vision for the change process.
Secondly, the management should ensure that the communication process is continuous and systematic. As such, forums such as conferences and seminars for employees are vital. In such forums, managers need to explain vividly to the employees the factors underpinning the change process and the potential benefits. McKay K. et al. (2013) underscore that employees’ resistance to change becomes dominant due to the failure of the managers. As such, these scholars maintain that resistance to technological change should add value to the planning and implementation of the change. Managers, therefore, need to bear in mind the reasons for resistance and the probable ways of resolving such differences in the organization. Open forums such as seminars and conferences, therefore, enable the managers to explain to the employees the intention of the change efforts. Yilmaz D. and Kilicoglu G. (2013) reiterate that no matter how managerially impeccable the proposed change may be, employees in the organization may potentially impede the success of the change effort.
It is worth mentioning that resistance to change primarily stems from negative perception towards change. As such, influencing and instilling a positive attitude in the employees is key to ensuring significant success of the proposed plan. Every effort should aim at affecting the attitude and behavior of the employees regarding the change. Various scholars propose communication as an effective tool for ensuring that change process proceeds successfully. Assuring the workers on how the proposed change will positively influence their work standards, performance, and dexterity potentially plays a significant role in overcoming the resistance.
Conclusion
With advent of modern technology, the world is more competitive and challenging. An organization must combine human factors and technology in order to achieve a high degree of work performance and productive in order remain competitive. As a result, various organizations are on the verge of improving their state of technology or embracing new technology to remain relevant and productive. In other words, different organizations are trying to leverage their infrastructure and are upgrading their machinery and equipment to achieve high levels of work performance. Regardless of how beneficial the change plan may be, it is subject to face resistance from pessimistic employees. As such, employees’ resistance is a major obstacle that hinders the achievement change success. This paper points out that resistance from among the employees is major problem that managers need to deal with while trying to implement change plans. Different scholars agree that employees react differently to changes. While a few will support the change process, a significant percentage will naturally oppose change efforts perceiving such plans as malicious and ill advised. Nonetheless, the proposal concludes that managers should use communication as a powerful tool for influencing their employees to support the change process.
References
Chuang D.& Shy Y. . (2013). Individual Resistance from Employees to Organizational Change. Ching Yun University.
McKay K., K. R. (2013). The Effect of Affective Commitment, Communication and Participation on Resistance to Change: The Role of Change Readiness. New Zealand Journal of Psychology, Vol. 42, No. 2.
Mutihac R. . (2010). Managing resistance and the use of internal communication in organizations undergoing change. Aarhus School of Business.
Pieterse J. H., C. C. (2012). Professional discourses and resistance to change. Journal of Organizational Change Management: DOI 10.1108/09534811211280573, Vol. 25 No. 6: pp. 798-818: www.ou.nl//PIETERSE%20CANIE.
Yilmaz D. & Kilicoglu G. . (2013). Resistance to change and ways of reducing resistance in educational organizations . International Association of Social Science Research - IASSR, 1(1), 14-21: http://iassr.org/journal.
