Page 338 - DMGT402_MANAGEMENT_PRACTICES_AND_ORGANIZATIONAL_BEHAVIOUR

Unit 16: Organisational Culture

Table 16.1 below summarizes six specific forces that are acting as stimulants for change Notes
Table 16.1: Forces for Change

Source: Stephen P Robbins, "Organisational Behaviour - Concepts, Controversies, Applications", 7th Edition,
Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ (1996) page 717.
Why is organisational change so important? From outside and inside the organisation, a variety
of forces press for change. "We live in the midst of constant change" has become a well-worn but
relevant cliché. Pressures for change are created both inside and outside the organisation.
Organisations must forge ahead on these forces to survive. Some of these are external, arising
from outside the company, whereas others are internal arising from sources within the
organisation.
1. External Forces: When the organisation's general or task environment changes, the
organisation's success often rides on its ability and willingness to change as well. The
modern manager is change-conscious and operating in the constantly changing
environment. Many external changes bombard the modern organisations and make change
inevitable. The general environment has social, economic, legal, political and technological
dimensions. Any of these can introduce the need for change. In recent years, far-reaching
forces for change have included developments in information technology, the globalization
of competition, and demands that organisations take greater responsibility for their impact
on the environment. These forces are discussed below:
(a) Technological Change: Rapid technological innovation is a major force for change in
organisations, and those who fail to keep pace can quickly fall behind. It is perhaps
the greatest factor that organisations reckon with. According to C. Handy, "the rate
of technological changes is greater today than any time in the past and technological
changes are responsible for changing the nature of jobs performed at all levels in the
organisation". For example, the substitution of computer control for direct
supervision is resulting in wider spans of control for managers and flatter
organisations.
Technological innovations bring about profound change because they are not just
changes in the way work is performed. Instead, the innovation process promotes
associated changes in work relationships and organisational structures. Sophisticated

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