Managing Resistance to Change: The Psychology of Organizational Development. Week 5, Class 2

Описание: Resistance to change is a normal part of the OD process that should be expected, managed prudently, and that a skilled practitioner can leverage to develop better solutions with more buy-in from participants. Organization members resist change for reasons that are understandable and manageable: change disrupts existing routines and relationships, invokes fear of the unknown, threatens personal interests, and may be inconsistent with organizational culture. Change has a lifecycle which starts with a few people on the margins noticing the need for change but meeting high resistance, and ending with the resisters facing a new status quo. Successful change programs are typically led by strong and respected advocates who practice what they preach; establish a climate where people are free to communicate their thoughts and feelings without being threatened; have a clear vision; communicate openly with participants; meaningfully include key stakeholders; and reward change-consistent behaviours. Although these strategies are not consistent with OD values, other methods include using power and politics to negotiate changes and remove personnel whose positions (structurally or psychosocially) are not compatible with the change. The key methods for removing personnel, which are available to management, include transfer, legitimate or illegitimate dismissal, legitimate or disingenuous restructuring, and buyouts. Layoffs can be conducted in ways that are disrespectful or respectful of the departing employee. Respectful layoffs involve honest communication, allow some room for preparation and closure, show appreciation for the contributions of the departing employee, and offer outplacement services.

This lecture covers Chapter 6, 'Overcoming resistance to change' of Brown's text 'An experiential approach to organization development' (8th ed).