Managing Resistance to Change

Article by S.Suyampirakasam- Visiting Faculty, INC Madurai

01. Sometime back this author had written an article titled Are your employees leaving the
organizations in disgust? Apply Change Management practices. While discussing about the
various aspects of Change Management concepts, it is informed that the employees, for obvious
reasons, generally dislike changes brought in by the management, as they do not like to come out of
the existing practices.

This article makes an attempt to demystify the resistance to changes by the employees, besides
explaining why they develop such resistance to changes .It is also discussed that how this issue can
be resolved and how to make use of their resistance to maximize the working results of the
organization, while proceeding with the change efforts.

02. Psychological factors for the resistance to change

The following chart elucidates the factors that are responsible for the resistance to change on the
part of employees.

Resistance to change

Individuals

Economic
Habits Factors

Selective
Fear of
Security Information
unknown
processing

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03. Reactions to Change.

The resistance to change is purely a psychological concern only. They are concerned with their
safety. They do apprehend whether they would be protected and free from harm during the period
when changes are implemented. The situations caused by changes will trigger the psychological
responses such as safety and security. Some of these responses may be positive and some others may
be negative. For example, if people with decision-making powers were taken out, on account of
change efforts, it would cause a negative result. On the other hand if they are told clearly about these
early and given clear options to chose from, they would be more positive about the change.

In the same way, people who are accustomed to a particular style of working will find it very
difficult to change their way of working and they do resist such changes.

Change causes people to question whether they would continue to have the same level of power and
control; even after the change measures are introduced.

Employees are concerned whether the changes would cause a deceleration in their income level and
apprehend whether such decisions would be fair enough to them or based on whim or nepotism.

Again, employees apprehend whether they would continue to be recognized and cared even after the
changes are introduced or would be treated poorly.

Hence the resistance to change is displayed by the employees on account of factors such as Safety
and Security, habits, fear of loosing control, economic factors and finally their apprehension about
loosing importance and recognition in their organization.

04. The Change Process.

Now, let us discuss how the resistance for change can be removed. In fact the change leaders must
attend to Peoples core psychological issues by adopting the following measures. It involves taking
people through four phases of change, as under.

a. Awareness : Tell the employees why these changes are contemplated and what is the
result anticipated.

b. Understanding: - In what way the changes contemplated would affect the job, role and .
responsibilities of the employees

c. Acceptance- : What type of support and training the employees would get, consequent
to the changes contemplated.

d. Commitment- : Involvement to increase both bottom line and top line of the business

Above all, change leaders should remember one important point that the resistance to change

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is mainly on account of ego of the employees concerned. If the changes contemplated are discussed
with the employees sufficiently early and all their clarifications are properly explained, then the
problem of resistance can be avoided.

Alternatively, the employees should be prepared for a change through the following.

Vision, Communication, Organization Goal, Training and Support

05. Change Strategy and Plan to manage the resistance to Change measures.

The following are the Change Strategies to mitigate the psychological concerns and thereby to
manage the resistance.

Measures to Manage resistance to Changes

Education and
Communication Negotiation

Facilitation
Participation and Support

Goals of the
organization Mild Force

06. How do people react to Change-a live Case study?

The author of this article had an occasion to introduce change measures, while he was working as an
executive in a bank. The Corporation of the local city is one of our valued customers and our bank
has an extension counter at their premises for their convenience. The working hours also was fixed
taking in to account their way of functioning that is from 11.00 AM to 6.00 P.M.
The business hours during which they can transact business is 11.00 A.M to 3.00 P.M.

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During the second week of every month, there would be heavy inflow of cash and generally the
quantum cash would range in the order of Rs 75 Lacs and the employees were cooperating even by
working beyond the stipulated hours.

It so happened that in one month, there were three consecutive holidays and on the day of reopening,
there was heavy collections and Cashiers of Corporation came to the Bank for remitting cash at 4.30
PM only. The employees on that day refused to accept the Cash, on the plea that time was over. The
undersigned somehow managed the situation and decided that some thing should be done to correct
this situation because the Cashiers of the Corporation can come on busy days after 4.00 P.M only
and taking in to account the quantum of business we get, the working hours are to be changed to
their convenience.

Next day, with the concurrence of the higher authorities, the business hours were changed from
11.00 AM to 3.30 PM to 12.30 PM to 4.30 PM and office hours up to 7.30 P.M.The employees were
advised accordingly.
There were resistances from the employees for the change of working hours and union leaders also
started shouting.

The author called for a meeting of all employees and the union leaders and informed categorically
that the bank cannot afford to lose the account of the Corporation and the other banks are ready to
serve them. Since the extension counter is put up at their premises for their convenience, it would
not be fair to insist them to have their functions according to banks convenience. If the changes
contemplated are to be dropped, then the bank would loose a valuable customer and the extension
counter be closed and the employees would be redeployed.

The fair and frank discussions, the author had with the employees, had a telling effect and they
realized their folly. However, they wanted the time be changed; that is, instead of 12.30 PM,.the
branch be opened by 12.00 Noon and they have assured that they would extend their full cooperation
in receiving cash on busy days even beyond the stipulated hours. Thus the resistance to change could
be solved to the satisfaction of the employees.

07. Employees resistance-a potential energy for Change effort.

It now clear that when employees do not accept the change measures and do not like the change
process, the same should be seen as a healthy and beneficial wake up call for improvement. Each
employee can be considered as a product of intelligent people with good common sense, trying to
make things better.

It must be construed that dealing with resistance in positive ways is one of the good strategies for
accelerating the change effort. Employee resistance can be considered as potential energy, which can
be harnessed for improving the bottom line of the organization.

In the case referred to as above, the resistance of the employees for the changes in timings could
result in motivation of their morale and the employees develop a sort importance for the bank to
develop and come to the conclusion that the growth of the Bank is the growth of the employees
Alternatively, the welfare of employees depends on the growth of the organization.

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