25 OCT 2012

10 Reasons Customers Might Resist Windows 8

Has Microsoft become too innovative? Professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter, a leader in the field
of change management, discusses reasons that people might not rush to embrace Windows 8.
by Carmen Nobel

Software giant Microsoft is launching the Windows 8 version of its operating system this
week, and suffice it to say that it's radically different from Windows 7. The familiar Start
button and menu are gone, for example, replaced by a series of large, colorful tiles. And
there's a new feature called the "Charm Bar."
Give Microsoft credit for innovation. But will corporate customers rush to embrace the
change, or will they resist it at first? Signs point to resistance, according to Rosabeth Moss
Kanter, the Ernest L. Arbuckle professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business
School, and a leader in the field of change management. "Even in an era where young techies
are looking to get the hottest and latest, people are resistant to change," she says.
Microsoft's launch of the new operating system accompanies its launch of a new tablet
PC, the Surface RT, which will compete against Apple iPad. And industry observers have
noted similarities between Apple's tightly-controlled marketing tactics and Microsoft's
marketing campaign for the upcoming OSMicrosoft is even using indie rock music in its
Windows 8 advertisements.
But what works for Apple might not work for Microsoft. Alas, when it comes to
embracing the latest technology, consumer hardware and corporate software are as different as
apples and orang well, as different as Apples and corporate software. "Software is the
method by which people do their work, and if you're requiring a radical change in how they
do their work, it's a lot to ask," Kanter says.
IF YOURE REQUIRING A RADICAL CHANGE IN HOW THEY DO THEIR WORK,
ITS A LOT TO ASK
In a September blog post for
Harvard Business Review, Kanter
discusses 10 of the most common
reasons people resist change, in the
context of leadership. This week,
Kanter sat down with HBS Working
Knowledge to discuss how these
same reasons might hinder corporate
adoption of Windows 8.
1. Loss of ControlUnsolicited
change naturally meddles with autonomy, and the world's IT directors and other
department heads may not appreciate having a completely different operating system

thrust upon them from on high. "People don't like it when they're forced to change their
plans, rather than determine the changes they want to make," Kanter says.
2. Excess Uncertainty"People will often prefer to remain mired in misery than to head
toward an unknown," Kanter explains in her blog post.
"There will be questions about Windows 8," Kanter says. "Will it work? Will it help me?
Will this require further upgrades as Microsoft fixes the bugs? People might wait until there's
more certainty, reasoning that if the current software works well, then why should they
change?"
3. Surprise, surprise!Sudden change almost always faces resistance, Kanter says. To that
end, Microsoft has made a point of preparing the public for Windows 8, briefing the press
months in advance and even offeringdownloadable preview version. Still, Kanter
wonders, "Has there been sufficient time for the influencers to get used to this and help
other people get used to it? And why launch on October 26? There's a lot going on in the
world right now."
4. Everything seems differentDrastic change is more uncomfortable than incremental
change, Kanter explains. And early reviews indicate that Windows 8 feels like a journey
into the unknown. She cites the Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg, who reports, "even
its most devoted users won't recognize the venerable computer operating system in this
new incarnation."
"Of course all change brings difference, but how many differences can we handle at
once?" Kanter asks. "In Windows 8 there's the tile interface, there's no more start button,
there's this 'Charm Bar' These tools may work well, but human psychology says that if it's
too different and too jarring, you turn away from it. You don't want to have to think about the
tool. You want to think about the job you need to get done."
5. And 6. Loss of face and Concerns about competenceLet alone dealing with a change
that wasn't their idea, people don't like it when a change makes them feel incompetent.
And some early reviews of Windows 8 indicate that it's not much of an ego booster. In the
comments section of a review on cnet.com, beta-testing computer science teacher
'jabnipnip' vented: "Sure it loads fast, but you lose productivity time just trying to figure
out how to do things like print! No joke. Open up a PDF in the native viewer and you
have to 'intuitively' know to press ctrl + p to print the file. I can't tell you how many times
I've sat there getting angry trying to figure out how to get something done. I'm not an
idiot when it comes to computers, but this OS made me feel like one."
"Your software should not make anyone feel like an idiot," Kanter advises.
7. More workThis is an unavoidable biggie. Change generally requires work. That can
feel like an irony when it comes to a software upgrade that's advertised as a tool to make
work easier. Even the most positive reviews of Windows 8 have acknowledged a steep

learning curve, which is likely to induce some chafing among the weary corporate
masses.
"We're talking about an incredibly overloaded population of people who don't need more
work," Kanter says. "They need something to do the work for them, like Siri."
8. Ripple effects"Like tossing a pebble into a pond, change creates ripples, reaching
distant spots in ever-widening circles," Kanter writes in her HBR blog post.
YOUR SOFTWARE SHOULD NOT MAKE ANYONE FEEL LIKE AN IDIOT
There are key ripple effects inherent in adopting a drastically different operating system,
she says. Confused individual users are likely to overload the IT department with "how-do-I"
requests. Managers may be late for meetings as they try in vain to find their calendars with the
new user interface. And so on. Some problematic are more likely than others, but "concern
about ripple effects can cause considerable foot-dragging when it comes to change," Kanter
says.
9. Past resentments"Leaders should consider gestures to heal the past before sailing into
the future," Kanter writes. "The ghosts of the past are always lying in wait to haunt us."
We have two ghostly words for Microsoft: Windows Vista. It's been nearly six years since
the launch of that version of Windows, but harried IT managers may never forget the glitches.
(PC World magazine rated Vista the Biggest Disappointment of 2007.) "Microsoft has had
problems in the past," Kanter says. "The company tries so hard to do something disruptive,
but then all it accomplishes is getting disruptive to users."
10. Sometimes the threat is realIn her blog post, Kanter explains that many people fear
change because it can be truly dangerous, posing a threat not only to old ideas but jobs as
well. In the case of the Windows 8 launch, there's a threat to Microsoft's competitorsincluding Apple, Google Inc., and Amazon.comwho could lose market share if the
operating system and the new tablet prove successful. "Competitors certainly resist the
change," Kanter says. "They are going to do everything they can to try to capitalize on
any wary customer and fan the flames of user resistance."
And the dramatic overhaul of the operating system is also a risk for Microsoft, which
needs Windows 8 to succeed in order to maintain its own market share, especially among
consumers.
"Microsoft has produced a bold innovation in Windows 8, and the company deserves
applause," Kanter says. "But its marketplace success will depend on whether users are ready
for such a giant leap. Does this big change activate too many classic sources of resistance?
That is the question."
Follow Rosabeth Moss Kanter on Twitter at @RosabethKanter.
http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/7124.html

FINDING THE GRAMMAR IN THIS ARTICLES

SENTENCES
10 Reasons Customers Might Resist Windows 8
Software giant Microsoft is launching the Windows 8 version of its
operating system this week, and suffice it to say that it's radically
different from Windows 7.
The familiar Start button and menu are gone, for example, replaced
by a series of large, colorful tiles.

GRAMMAR
Modal Auxiliaries
Adverbs
Passive Voice

Tenses
[past tenses]
Give Microsoft credit for innovation.
Command
But will corporate customers rush to embrace the change, or will they Questions
resist it at first?
[embedded questions]
Signs point to resistance, according to Rosabeth Moss Kanter, the
The Noun Phrase
Ernest L.
[the]
Arbuckle professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business
Conjunction
School, and a leader in the field of change management.
"Even in an era where young techies are looking to get the hottest
The degrees of
and latest, people are resistant to change," she says.
comparison
Microsoft's launch of the new operating system accompanies its
launch of a new tablet PC, the Surface RT, which will compete
Relative pronoun
against Apple iPad.
And industry observers have noted similarities between Apple's
tightly-controlled marketing tactics and Microsoft's marketing
Tenses
campaign for the upcoming OSMicrosoft is even using indie rock [present progressive]
music in its Windows 8 advertisements.
Questions
But what works for Apple might not work for Microsoft.
[embedded questions]
Alas, when it comes to embracing the latest technology, consumer
The degrees of
hardware and corporate software are as different as apples and
comparison
orang well, as different as Apples and corporate software.
"Software is the method by which people do their work, and if you're The Noun Phrase
requiring a radical change in how they do their work, it's a lot to
[count and non-count
ask," Kanter says.
nouns]
IF YOURE REQUIRING A RADICAL CHANGE IN HOW
Questions
THEY DO THEIR WORK, ITS A LOT TO ASK
[embedded questions]
In a September blog post for Harvard Business Review, Kanter
Tenses
discusses 10 of the most common reasons people resist change, in
[present tense]
the context of leadership.
This week, Kanter sat down with HBS Working Knowledge to
Questions
discuss how these same reasons might hinder corporate adoption of
[embedded questions]
Windows 8.
Loss of ControlUnsolicited change naturally meddles with
Verbs as
autonomy, and the world's IT directors and other department heads
Complements
may not appreciate having a completely different operating system
[the gerund]
thrust upon them from on high.
And there's a new feature called the "Charm Bar."

"People don't like it when they're forced to change their plans, rather
Comparisons
than determine the changes they want to make," Kanter says.
Verbs as
Excess Uncertainty"People will often prefer to remain mired in
Complements
misery than to head toward an unknown," Kanter explains in her blog
[the invinitive or the
post.
gerund]
"There will be questions about Windows 8," Kanter says.
Passive Voice
"Will it work? Will it help me? Will this require further upgrades as
Microsoft fixes the bugs? People might wait until there's more
Questions
certainty, reasoning that if the current software works well, then why [yes/no questions]
should they change?"
Surprise, surprise!Sudden change almost always faces resistance,
Tenses
Kanter says.
[present tense]
To that end, Microsoft has made a point of preparing the public for
Tenses
Windows 8, briefing the press months in advance and even
[present perfect]
offeringdownloadable preview version.
Still, Kanter wonders, "Has there been sufficient time for the
influencers to get used to this and help other people get used to it?
Causative Verbs
And why launch on October 26? There's a lot going on in the world
right now."
Everything seems differentDrastic change is more uncomfortable
Comparisons
than incremental change, Kanter explains.
And early reviews indicate that Windows 8 feels like a journey into
Tenses
the unknown.
[present tense]
She cites the Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg, who reports, "even
its most devoted users won't recognize the venerable computer
Relative Clauses
operating system in this new incarnation."
Questions
"Of course all change brings difference, but how many differences
[information
can we handle at once?" Kanter asks.
questions]
"In Windows 8 there's the tile interface, there's no more start button,
there's this 'Charm Bar' These tools may work well, but human
Verbs as
psychology says that if it's too different and too jarring, you turn
Complements
away from it. You don't want to have to think about the tool. You
[the invinitive]
want to think about the job you need to get done."
Loss of face and Concerns about competenceLet alone dealing
with a change that wasn't their idea, people don't like it when a
Pronouns
change makes them feel incompetent.
And some early reviews of Windows 8 indicate that it's not much of
Conjunction
an ego booster.
In the comments section of a review on cnet.com, beta-testing
Verbs as
computer science teacher 'jabnipnip' vented: "Sure it loads fast, but
Complements
you lose productivity time just trying to figure out how to do things
[the invinitive]
like print! No joke.
Open up a PDF in the native viewer and you have to 'intuitively'
Command
know to press ctrl + p to print the file.
I can't tell you how many times I've sat there getting angry trying to
Questions

figure out how to get something done.

I'm not an idiot when it comes to computers, but this OS made me
feel like one.
"Your software should not make anyone feel like an idiot," Kanter
advises.
More workThis is an unavoidable biggie.
Change generally requires work.
That can feel like an irony when it comes to a software upgrade that's
advertised as a tool to make work easier.
Even the most positive reviews of Windows 8 have acknowledged a
steep learning curve, which is likely to induce some chafing among
the weary corporate masses.
"We're talking about an incredibly overloaded population of people
who don't need more work," Kanter says.
"They need something to do the work for them, like Siri."
Ripple effects"Like tossing a pebble into a pond, change creates
ripples, reaching distant spots in ever-widening circles," Kanter
writes in her HBR blog post.
YOUR SOFTWARE SHOULD NOT MAKE ANYONE FEEL
LIKE AN IDIOT
There are key ripple effects inherent in adopting a drastically
different operating system, she says.
Confused individual users are likely to overload the IT department
with "how-do-I" requests.
Managers may be late for meetings as they try in vain to find their
calendars with the new user interface.
And so on. Some problematic are more likely than others, but
"concern about ripple effects can cause considerable foot-dragging
when it comes to change," Kanter says.
Past resentments"Leaders should consider gestures to heal the past
before sailing into the future," Kanter writes.
"The ghosts of the past are always lying in wait to haunt us."
We have two ghostly words for Microsoft: Windows Vista.

[embedded questions]
Conjunction
Modal Auxiliaries
The Noun Phrase
[a/an]
Adverbs
Causative Verb
Relative Clauses
Relative Clauses
Verbs as
Complements
[the invinitive]
Verbs as
Complements
[the invinitive or the
gerund]
Modal Auxiliaries
Adverbs
Tenses
[present tense]
Passive Voice
Comparisons
Conjunction
Pronouns
Tenses
[present tense]

It's been nearly six years since the launch of that version of
Windows, but harried IT managers may never forget the glitches. (PC Conjunction
World magazine rated Vista the Biggest Disappointment of 2007.)
Tenses
"Microsoft has had problems in the past," Kanter says.
[present perfect]
"The company tries so hard to do something disruptive, but then all it
Causative Verbs
accomplishes is getting disruptive to users."
Sometimes the threat is realIn her blog post, Kanter explains that
Inclusives
many people fear change because it can be truly dangerous, posing a
[not onlybut also]
threat not only to old ideas but jobs as well.

In the case of the Windows 8 launch, there's a threat to Microsoft's

competitors-including Apple, Google Inc., and Amazon.comwho
could lose market share if the operating system and the new tablet
prove successful.
"Competitors certainly resist the change," Kanter says.
"They are going to do everything they can to try to capitalize on any
wary customer and fan the flames of user resistance."
And the dramatic overhaul of the operating system is also a risk for
Microsoft, which needs Windows 8 to succeed in order to maintain
its own market share, especially among consumers.
"Microsoft has produced a bold innovation in Windows 8, and the
company deserves applause," Kanter says.
"But its marketplace success will depend on whether users are ready
for such a giant leap. Does this big change activate too many classic
sources of resistance? That is the question."

Questions
[embedded questions]
Adverbs
Verbs as
Complements
[the invinitive]
Relative Clauses
Tenses
[present perfect]
Questions
[yes/no questions]