MANAGING CHANGE ✓ Employees may also fear that their skills may not

be valued in the future and they might worry about

✓ Change occurs for many reasons and takes on whether they can adapt to the new changes.
many forms.
✓ Some changes occur due to organization STAGES OF CHANGE ACCORDING TO LEWIN (1958)
development efforts [downsizing, reorganization,
or the introduction of teams] 1. UNFREEZING – the organization must convince
✓ Some changes are the result of external mandates employees and other stakeholders that the
like managed care or new government regulations. current state of affairs is unacceptable and that
✓ Some changes occur due to new leadership or change is necessary.
personnel. 2. MOVING – organization take steps [training, new
work processes] to move the organization to the
SACRED COW HUNT desired state.
▪ Organization-wide attempt to get rid of practices 3. REFREEZING – the organization develops ways to
that serve no useful purpose. keep the new changes in place, such as
▪ Looks at all of its practices and policies and asks: formalizing new policy and rewarding employees
o Why are we doing it? for behaving in a manner consistent with the new
o What if it didn’t exist? change.
o Is it already being done by someone else?
o How and when did we start doing this? STAGES EMPLOYEES GO THROUGH DURING CHANGE
o Can it be done better by another person, (CARNALL, 2008)
department, or company?
▪ PAPER COW 1. DENIAL – employees deny that any change will
o Unnecessary paperwork – usually in the actually take place, try to convince themselves
forms of reports that cost organizations that the old way is working, and create reasons
money to prepare, distribute, and read. why the proposed changes will never work.
o Ask if anyone actually reads the 2. DEFENSE – when employees begin to believe that
paperwork. [Why am I receiving this?] change will actually occur, they become defensive
o NOTE: a good annual practice is to review and try to justify their positions and ways of doing
all forms and reports and determine things.
whether they are still needed. [if they are 3. DISCARDING – employees begin to realize not only
in the current format] that the organization is going to change but that
▪ MEETING COW the employees are going to have to change as well.
o Number and length of meetings 4. ADAPTATION – employees test the new system,
o [how much meeting time was spent doing learn how it functions, and begin to make
business as opposed to socializing? Was adjustments in the way they perform. [they often
the meeting really necessary?] become frustrated and angry; spends tremendous
o To reduce the number and length of amount of energy]
meetings, some organizations ask the 5. INTERNALIZATION – employees have become
person calling the meeting to determine immersed in the new culture and comfortable with
the cost of the meeting. the new system and have accepted their new
o NOTE: meeting costs are posted at the coworkers and work environment.
beginning of the meeting.
▪ SPEED COW IMPORTANT FACTORS: reason behind the change, the
o Unnecessary deadlines are another leader making the change, and the personality of the
source for potential change. person being changed.
o unnecessary deadlines cause employees
to work at a faster than optimal pace, 1. TYPE OF CHANGE
resulting in decreased quality, increased ▪ EVOLUTIONARY – continual process of
stress, and increased health problems. upgrading or improving processes.
▪ REVOLUTIONARY – “real jolt to the
EMPLOYEE ACCEPTANCE OF CHANGE system” that drastically changes the way
things are done (Burke).
✓ Employees are often initially reluctant to change. 2. THE REASON BEHIND THE CHANGE
✓ They fear that change will result in less favorable ▪ Employee acceptance of change is often
working conditions and economic outcomes than a function of the reason behind the
they are used to.
 change [employees understand but don’t define roles and expectations that employees
necessarily like it]. and management have of each other.
3. THE PERSON MAKING THE CHANGE ✓ Making organizational changes doesn’t
▪ Workers are more positive about the necessarily mean that everything about the
change when the source of change is existing culture must change.
within the work group rather than external
source. ASSESSING THE NEW CULTURE
4. THE PERSON BEING CHANGED STEP 1: NEEDS ASSESSMENT
▪ There is considerable variability in the way The current culture must be analyzed and
in which people instigate or react to compared with the desired culture to determine
change. what might need to change.
STEP 2: DETERMINING EXECUTIVE DIRECTION
CHANGE AGENTS People who enjoy change Management must then analyze the needs
and often make changes assessment to determine the decisions or actions
just for the sake of it. that will reinforce the culture and to assess the
CHANGE ANALYSTS Not afraid to change or feasibility of certain changes.
make changes but want to STEP 3: IMPLEMENTATION CONSIDERATION
make changes only if the This addresses how the new culture will be
changes will improve the implemented. Will committees or ad hoc groups
organization. be set up to carry out changes or will management
RECEPTIVE CHANGERS People who probably will execute the changes?
not instigate change but STEP 4: TRAINING
are willing to change. All organizations members must be trained in a
RELUCTANT CHANGERS Not instigate or welcome new philosophy for the new culture to thrive and
change, but will change if be long lasting.
necessary. STEP 5: EVALUATION OF THE NEW CULTURE
CHANGE RESISTERS Hate change, are scared An evaluation mechanism must be established to
by it, and will do anything review the new culture. Issues such as whether
they can to keep change the change actually has occurred or whether old
from occurring. norms and procedures still exist should be
addressed.
IMPLEMENTING CHANGE
SELECTION OF EMPLOYEES
1. CREATE AN ATMOSPHERE FOR CHANGE
This process begins by creating dissatisfaction ORGANIZATIONAL SOCIALIZATION – is the process
with the current system. Employees should be whereby new employees learn the behaviors and attitudes
surveyed to determine how satisfied they are with they need to be successful in the organization.
the current system.
2. COMMUNICATE DETAILS RITUALS - procedures in which employees participate to
Employees are most responsive to change when become “one of the gang”.
they are kept well informed. Employees should be
aware of and involved in all aspects of the change, SYMBOLS - organizational behaviors or practices that
from initial planning to final implementation. convey messages to employees.
3. TIME FRAME
Most successful organizational changes occur in a
timely fashion. The longer it takes to change, the
greater the opportunity for things to go wrong and
the greater the chance that employees will
become disillusioned. Organizations should not
remain in a “change mode” for longer than two
years.
4. TRAINING NEEDS
An organization has made a major change, it is
often necessary to train employees.

ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

✓ Referred to as corporate culture or corporate

climate
✓ Comprises the shared values, beliefs, and
traditions among individuals in an organization.
✓ Culture that establishes workplace norms of
appropriate behavior [what’s wrong/right] and