Viewpoints: Resistance to Change
Resistance to change
Definition
The phrase “resistance to change” is quite often used in the organizational change research as a justification for explaining why efforts to introduce new technology, procedures or management practices fall short of expectations or fail altogether (Oreg, 2006). Zaltman & Duncan define resistance as "any conduct that serves to maintain the status quo in the face of pressure to alter the status quo” and in the view of Folger & Skarlicki resistance is defined as "employee behaviour that seeks to challenge, disrupt, or invert prevailing assumptions, discourses, and power relations” (Fiedler, 2010). Along with other conceptions Pedirit (2000) highlights the three dimetional aspect of resistance and according to her Resistance is a response to change which is negative in all three dimensions i.e. cogitive, emotional and behavioural dimentions.
Theories and Models
There are four major view pints regarding resistance to change. First The Psychological Model which regards individual behaviour as the force behind resisting change .Second The Systems Model states that people do not resist change but they fear of losing something very important to them. Third The Institutional Model suggests that resistance becomes a part of all the critical functions in the organization such as the organization hierarchy, the way decisions are made and the way resources are allocated among the organization members. Fourth The Organizational culture approach states that causes of resistance are due to the culture of the organization i-e the values, beliefs and assumptions of employees (Hughes, 2006).
Another typology to develop the understanding of resistance to change is given by King and Anderson (2002) who explained resistance in terms of four viewpoints: • An Unavoidable Behavioural Response • A Politically Motivated Insurrection and Class Struggle • A Constructive Counterbalance • Cognitive and Cultural Restructuring
The above
Definition
The phrase “resistance to change” is quite often used in the organizational change research as a justification for explaining why efforts to introduce new technology, procedures or management practices fall short of expectations or fail altogether (Oreg, 2006). Zaltman & Duncan define resistance as "any conduct that serves to maintain the status quo in the face of pressure to alter the status quo” and in the view of Folger & Skarlicki resistance is defined as "employee behaviour that seeks to challenge, disrupt, or invert prevailing assumptions, discourses, and power relations” (Fiedler, 2010). Along with other conceptions Pedirit (2000) highlights the three dimetional aspect of resistance and according to her Resistance is a response to change which is negative in all three dimensions i.e. cogitive, emotional and behavioural dimentions.
Theories and Models
There are four major view pints regarding resistance to change. First The Psychological Model which regards individual behaviour as the force behind resisting change .Second The Systems Model states that people do not resist change but they fear of losing something very important to them. Third The Institutional Model suggests that resistance becomes a part of all the critical functions in the organization such as the organization hierarchy, the way decisions are made and the way resources are allocated among the organization members. Fourth The Organizational culture approach states that causes of resistance are due to the culture of the organization i-e the values, beliefs and assumptions of employees (Hughes, 2006).
Another typology to develop the understanding of resistance to change is given by King and Anderson (2002) who explained resistance in terms of four viewpoints: • An Unavoidable Behavioural Response • A Politically Motivated Insurrection and Class Struggle • A Constructive Counterbalance • Cognitive and Cultural Restructuring
The above