Challenges to Organizational Change - Essay Sample

Organizational change is the process through which a business organization alters its structure, operational methods, strategies, organizational culture or technologies in order to effect change within it. It also involves the impact that these alterations have on the business. While it can be a continuous process, organizational change can also occur for specific periods of time. All businesses undergo change at one time or another. As much as such changes may be crucial to an organizations future, certain challenges and barriers may be faced along the way. If the management anticipates such deterrents, it can go a long way in avoiding them before they become a tumbling block in the process of change. This essay looks at possible challenges and barriers to organizational change and their impact on a business.

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It is worth looking at some of the factors that trigger organizational change. One of them is fear-induced change, whose theory is quite easy to understand. A business outfit will alter its various features as a way of responding to failure in achieving its goals. For instance, a company may be in possession of old computer systems that are undermining its productivity. Fear may force it to upgrade the systems so as to become productive again. Routinization of an organizations activities is another trigger of change. Routines, programs and standard procedures offer stability to a business organization. A good example is a business research and development department that assists it remain relevant within a competitive market.

In the 19th century, a French journalist known as Jean-Baptise Alphonse Karr once stated that the more things change, the more they remain the same. While this quote had satirical overtones, it holds true in modern business organizations as the majority of all change initiatives are bound to fail. Often, these failures are caused by unproductive management behavior and negative worker attitudes. Simply put, modern organizations were never designed in a way that they could accommodate deep and proactive change. Rather, they were designed for efficiency and discipline while also enforced via routinization and hierarchy. Consequently, a mismatch occurs between the external environments pace of change and the quickest possible rate of change in most companies. Nowadays, the term change management no longer symbolizes cost efficiencies, operational improvements and process overhaul only. It is now a more interwoven and much larger segment of the total business fabric.

A notable barrier to organizational change is lack of sufficient communication. For the change process to be successful, communication has to play a major role. The manner in which crucial decisions are communicated and then put into action varies depending on the companys style of leadership. Basically, communication can be divided into two categories: internal and external. Internal communication is that which takes place internally between workers and the management. External communication is one between the business and external marketing forces such as customers and suppliers.

If the management keeps employees in the dark about the changes to be implemented, the business will most likely experience significant resistance to change. Some of the workers may perceive change as a conspiracy against them, resulting in a disharmonious working environment within the business. There should always be an excellent communication channel in place within the company if there is to be minimal resistance to change from its workers. On the other hand, companies with poor external communication are likely to face dire consequences if they try to bring about change. An example is a company that does not communicate to its customers about changes in prices or creation of new distribution channels. In such a case, some loyal customers may avoid buying from the company as they had already made up their minds how to access their regular products.

Lack of sufficient resources and poor allocation can also deter organizational change. If a business organization does not have enough working capital, it may not be in a position to implement changes needed to remain relevant in the industry. Such insufficient financial backup could be caused various factors increased competition, a decline in market demand, or turbulence in the market. Poor resource allocation takes place when an organizations management makes poor decisions when allocating key resources such as money, manpower, machinery, and time. Members of the management board have to utilize all their analyzing skills in order to prevent skewed allocation of resources in a company.

Fear of the future can go a long way in hampering organizational change. The operating principle of fear is that it is there to offer protection and keep a business organization safe. In the real sense however, fear of change actually prevents the management of a company from taking any action at all. It generally goes hand-in-hand with anxiety, guilt and self-doubt. Anxiety may be useful when it comes to motivating employees. However, there are times when it can severely limit productivity of employees, particularly if they are insecure about their posts in the future. Such anxiety can be as a result of rumors and uncertainty about future changes, disregard of values being altered, and self-doubt.

There are several types of fears that can deter organizational change. Fear of the unknown occurs when a business is expected to take a leap of faith but the management is not sure what the future holds. Given that workers are not aware what the future has in store for the company, a majority of them will be unwilling to embrace change just to be on the safe side. Fear of failure occurs when an organization and its staff are unwilling to fail in certain endeavors. They may operate under the notion that the best way of avoiding pain associated with failure is by not doing anything; something that makes change unlikely. Change in an organization can mean virtually anything. A business can lose it profits while employees can lose their jobs and source of income. This fear of loss can hinder the implementation of change within a business organization.

Implementing organizational change can mean employees having to re-schedule their favorite routines. Thus, it can be deterred by a fear of abandoning the comfort zone. If workers had already set up comfort zones in their duties, they would without doubt resist any changes that may do away with their comfort. In addition, change may involve an alteration of employees work practices. Hence, workers may be afraid they wont be up to task once the change is implemented. They may begin to question the security of their jobs in the future; something that can cause discomfort and consequent resistance to any new changes.

Poor leadership and management skills are among the most common but ignored deterrents to organizational change. Employees always wish to be shown the way at all times. A good leader is one who should clearly point out any new changes to be implemented as well as the effect they will have on the business organization. If there is poor leadership however, workers may be misled by the managements judgment as the main reasons why change is being implemented has not been clearly explained. Consequently, employees will be inclined to resist change. Good and strong leadership is crucial for organizational change as employees would want to know what to expect before they agree. Business organizations are expected go for the best and most qualified leaders who can handle the repercussions of change implementation.

As much as the barriers and challenges to organizational change are unpleasant, the good news is that there are strategies to avoid before they become too much of a problem. Communication and education are recommended when it comes to minimizing resistance to change and negative reactions. Workers can be given a heads up on the nature of the organizational change and the thinking behind it prior to it taking place. This education can take the form of memos, reports, individual discussions and group presentations. Another strategy that can be applied to deter resistance is by involving employees in the laying out and implementation of change efforts. By doing this, the management can ensure that workers are in possession of the resources needed to facilitate change.

A notable strategy utilized by some organizations to deal with resistance to change involves negotiation and offering rewards. The management offers workers tangible incentives to induce their cooperation. Other organizations resort to subtle tactics or manipulation such as offering an employee leader a prominent position so that he or she can influence others to accept the changes laid down. Coercion is a possible last option that involves use of force to ensure that employees cooperate, or punishing those that are opposed to change. As much as this strategy can be fruitful in the short-term, it can have lingering negative effects than can undermine the organizational changes to be implemented.

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