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Unit 12: Organisational Change

1. Education and Communication: Providing accurate and timely information about the Notes
change can help prevent unfounded fears and potentially damaging rumours from
developing. It is also beneficial to inform people about the potential consequences of the
change. Educating employees on new work procedures is often helpful.
2. Participation: It is difficult for individuals to resist a change decision in which they
participated. Prior to making a change, those opposed can be brought into the decision
process. When employees are allowed to participate, they are more committed to the
change.
3. Empathy and Support: Another strategy for managing resistance is providing empathy
and support to employees who have trouble dealing with the change. Active listening is
an excellent tool for identifying the reasons behind resistance and for uncovering fears.
An expression of concerns about the change can provide important feedback that managers
can use to improve the change process.
4. Negotiation: Another way to deal with potential resistance to change is to exchange
something of value for a lessening of the resistance.
5. Manipulation and Co-optation: Manipulation refers to covert influence attempts. Twisting
and distorting facts to make them appear more attractive, withholding undesirable
information and creating false rumours to get employees to accept a change are all examples
of manipulation.
6. Coercion: Coercion is the application of direct threats or force on the resisters. They
essentially force people to accept a change by explicitly or implicitly threatening them
with the loss of their jobs, promotion possibilities and transferring them.

Task Suggest three measures to handle resistance to change in an organisation
which employs people usually in their 40s.

12.4 Behavioural Reactions to Change

According to H. Woodward and S. Beechholz, people show four basic identifiable reactions to
change: disengagement, dis-identification, disenchantment and disorientation. These reactions
are shown in Table 12.1 below:
Table 12.1: Reactions to Change and Managerial Interventions

Reaction Expression Managerial intervention
Disengagement Withdrawal Confront, identify
Disidentification Sadness, Worry Explore, transfer
Disenchantment Anger Neutralize, acknowledge
Disorientation Confusion Explain, plan

Source: H. Woodward and S Beechholz, Aftershock: Helping People through Corporate Change, John Wiley
and Sons (1987) page 15.
1. Disengagement: Disengagement is psychological withdrawal from change. The employee
may appear to lose initiative and interest in the job. Disengaged employees lack drive and
commitment. They are physically present but mentally absent. Typical disengagement
statements include "no problem" or "this won't affect me". The basic managerial strategy
for dealing with disengaged individuals is to confront them with their reaction and draw
them out so that they can identify the concerns that need to be addressed.

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