Resistance to Change
People tend to evaluate the effect of change individually but they express it through group in collective form. Therefore, the reasons underlying resistance to change may be identified at following levels:
Individual Resistance
There are many factors operating at individual level which are responsible for resistance. Degree of force in resistance depends on how people feel about the change. These feelings may be based either on reality or there may be emotional feelings towards the change. Individuals have the following reasons for change:
- The people may take the risk of changing more than taking risk of standing still that is why they prefer to stand still instead of taking risks.
- A change is generally meant for better methods of working which may involve new techniques, technology, etc. Whenever people sense that new machinery poses a threat of replacing then, they simply resist such a change.
- A change may create fear of economic loss in the sense that it may affect economic compensation adversely, reduce job options, and turn into technological unemployment. This feeling is created because people feel that those who can match the new requirements will be better off than those who cannot match.
- Whenever there is change, people may feel that in the new system, they will have lower opportunity to earn incentive and bonus as the new system requires additional skills. Therefore, they resist change.
- A change may affect the ego of the people affected by change and in order to defend their ego, people resist change.
- People want status quo, that is, they do not want any disturbance in their existing equilibrium of life and work pattern. The change initiated by the organization disturbs such an equilibrium and people have to obtain another equilibrium which is a painful exercise. Therefore, everyone tries to avoid it.
- If people have low degree of confidence in the change agent, they show resistance to change efforts.
- The change will bring results in future which is always not certain. This lack of certainty creates anxiety and stress in the minds of people and they want to avoid it.
- When there is any change, their existing social interaction is likely to be changed which people do not want. Therefore, they resist change.
Group resistance
- Informal groups resist more to the change if they are not beneficial to their group and they fear that their cohesiveness is threatened.
- In a group, some members become more influential than others. These persons may be a group leader appointed formally in a formal group or accepted by the people as a leader in an informal group. These persons may use the group as a means for satisfying their own needs. Thus, these vested interests try to influence group behavior in the form of a uniform response to a change not based on the merit of the change but based on their personal interests. This phenomenon is more common in the case of labour unions.
Organizational Resistance
- The organization may design a system through which it may derive many benefits. The system is stabilized and any change may be perceived a threat by the organization itself. If any change is required , the organization may not bring it easily because it is accustomed to a particular system.
- No doubt, the organization has to adapt to its environment but the adaptation has its own cost. If the organization is not fully equipped for meeting such demands, it may not be possible for the organization to bring necessary change.
- Organisation may resist change due to the problems of set up costs. They heavy capital blocked in fixed assets and training costs of human resources may go waste if the change is introduced. There may be resistance with the organization when there is fear of resource allocation from one part of organization to another.
- Organization may resist change if organization lack some resources which are extremely necessary for implementing the change. The organization may have inadequate financial resources for training change agents.
- When an organization tries to change one of its division or part of the division without recognizing the interdependence of the division with other divisions of the organisation , then it is said to have a narrow focus of change. Often a part of division cannot be changed without changing the whole division.