Deck 14: Managing Change

Question 1

Continue the analysis of this change. How did management alter the restraining and supporting forces for it? Was this approach successful?

Answer 1

Force to change:
In an organisation, there are forces that are either in support of a change or are resisting to a change. For a change to be successfully implemented, it is necessary for the supporting forces to be greater than the resisting forces.
Let's understand this concept better with further analysis of example provided in solution in solution 1DQ.
Restraining forces:
These are those forces that are not in favour of the change. In an organization, these forces can generate from anywhere in the hierarchy from a low-level worker to an individual in a high-level management. These forces can be altered by taking steps that minimize the negative effect of the change. In the case of company M, management can use the following step to minimize the restraining forces:
• Set up a reward system that promotes movement of employees to the new work location.
• Opening a communication channel through which employees can share their point of view.
• Providing support for the families.
• Providing information in a clear and efficient manner so that there is less spread of rumours and a better understanding of the project.
• Educating the employees about the necessity and the benefits of the expansion.
Supporting Forces:
These are those forces that want a change to be implemented in an organization. These forces are the desired factor by the organization and their strength level can be positively altered by taking the following measures:
• Setting up a reward system that promotes this kind of attitude.
• Strengthens the support by providing information that educates why the change is necessary.
• Group influence should be used by the company to gain more support for the implementation of a change
• Asking employees to participate in the decision-making process by providing honest feedback. This will eliminate the restrictive forces as employees will feel that they are an part of the managerial decision.
• Job security is a big factor. To strengthen the supportive forces, the effect on job security should be made clear. If employees feel that their job is safe after the change they are more likely to support, it.
Yes, this approach was successful because the company M was able to shift a majority of it's old employees to the new location without major resistance after the necessary changes were made in the plan. This was successful because of the following reasons:
• Employees understand the reasoning behind the plan.
• They were informed well in advance.
• They were supported by the organisation.
• Negative factors were either eliminated or converted into supporting factors.
• They were sure that their families would be looked after.

Question 2

There is a classic debate about the relationship between attitudes and behaviors. Some people argue that attitude changes must precede behavioral responses, but other people believe it is easier to change an employee's behavior first and then let attitude change follow. Discuss the merits and probabilities of both approaches to change.

Answer 2

Changing the behavior first has merit when time and cost-effectiveness do not allow for adjustment of attitudes prior to change. People's homeostasis (need to maintain equilibrium) will bring about a corresponding change in attitude necessary to restore their balance. An example of this approach would be requiring an employee to use a new, undesirable process, with a resulting change in attitude so that the process is seen as desirable.

Question 3

Resistance to change is often viewed negatively. Discuss some possible benefits of resistance to change in an organization.

Answer 3

Resistance to change provide the management with time to think about the change. They can utilize this time to develop a backup plan if the change plan is not successful. This safeguards them from the negative effect of a plan as no plan is foolproof and even good plan succumb to the external factors. Resistance to change provides management with an opportunity to come up with a backup plan to safeguard itself from the fallout of a plan/change failure.

Question 4

The chapter implies that a proactive role is preferable to a reactive one. Is that always true? Explain.

Question 5

Discuss the pros and cons of Charles Darwin's (adapted) statement: "It's not the strongest [organization] that survives, but the ones most responsive to change."

Question 6

Argue against the necessity of having vision, charisma, and an emphasis on double-loop learning for a transformational leader to bring about change in an organization. Are these elements really needed?

Question 7

Numerous methods for building support for change are introduced. What is one risk associated with each method that could make it backfire?

Question 8

Review the significant benefits and the limitations of OD. Do you think the benefits outweigh the costs? Report your choices, giving reasons for your selections.

Question 9

Think of an organizational change you have experienced. Was there resistance to the change? Discuss. What could have been done to prevent or diminish resistance?

Question 10

An insight is a new and clear perception of a phenomenon, or an acquired ability to "see" clearly something you were unaware of previously. It is sometimes simply referred to as an "ah-ha! moment," in which you have a minirevelation or reach a straightforward conclusion about a topic or issue.
Insights need not necessarily be dramatic, for what is an insight to one person may be less important to another. The critical feature of insights is that they are relevant and memorable for you; they should represent new knowledge, new frameworks, or new ways of viewing things you want to retain and remember over time.
Insights, then, are different from the information you find in the "Advice for Future Managers" boxes within the text. That advice is prescriptive and action-oriented; it indicates a recommended course of action.
A useful way to think of OB insights is to assume you are the only person who has read Chapter 14. You have been given the assignment to highlight, in your own words, the major concepts (not just summarize the whole chapter) that might stand out for a naive audience who has never heard of the topic before. What 10 insights would you share with them?
(Example) When a change occurs internally, the entire organization will be affected by it in some ways-to greater or lesser degrees.
1. _______________________
2. _______________________
3. _______________________
4. _______________________
5. _______________________
6. _______________________
7. _______________________
8. _______________________
9. _______________________
10. ______________________

Question 11

The New Sales Procedures
The Marin Company has more than 100 field sales representatives who sell a line of complex industrial products. Sales of these products require close work with buyers to determine their product needs, so nearly all sales representatives are college graduates in engineering and science. Other product lines of the Marin Company, such as consumer products, are sold by a separate sales group.
Recently, the firm established a new companywide control and report system using a larger computer. The system doubles the amount of time the industrial sales representatives spend filling out forms and supplying information that can be fed into the computer. They estimate they now spend as much as two hours daily processing records, and they complain that they now have inadequate time for sales effort. A field sales manager commented, "Morale has declined as a result of these new controls and reports. Sales is a rewarding, gratifying profession that is based on individual effort. Sales representatives are happy when they are making sales, since this directly affects their income and self-recognition. The more time they spend with reports, the less time they have to make sales. As a result, they can see their income and recognition declining, and thus they find themselves resisting changes."
Comment on the sales manager's analysis.

Question 12

Consider again the change mentioned in question 1. List both the costs and benefits under the three headings of "logical," "psychological," and "sociological." Were the benefits greater than the costs for the employees? For the employer? Discuss.

Question 13

The New Sales Procedures
The Marin Company has more than 100 field sales representatives who sell a line of complex industrial products. Sales of these products require close work with buyers to determine their product needs, so nearly all sales representatives are college graduates in engineering and science. Other product lines of the Marin Company, such as consumer products, are sold by a separate sales group.
Recently, the firm established a new companywide control and report system using a larger computer. The system doubles the amount of time the industrial sales representatives spend filling out forms and supplying information that can be fed into the computer. They estimate they now spend as much as two hours daily processing records, and they complain that they now have inadequate time for sales effort. A field sales manager commented, "Morale has declined as a result of these new controls and reports. Sales is a rewarding, gratifying profession that is based on individual effort. Sales representatives are happy when they are making sales, since this directly affects their income and self-recognition. The more time they spend with reports, the less time they have to make sales. As a result, they can see their income and recognition declining, and thus they find themselves resisting changes."
What alternative approaches to this situation do you recommend? Give reasons.