MGMT 058 Supervisory Management I, Sasha Chatar

Unit VIII

MANAGING CHANGE/MANAGING CONFLICT

On completion of this unit, participants should be able to:

1. explain why employees resist change

2. identify some steps that managers can take to reduce resistance to change

3. define conflict

4. identify three general sources of conflict

5. list basic techniques for resolving conflict

6. Analyse the effect of conflict on an organization

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When a company or organization is going through a transformation, Organization

change occurs - when business strategies or major sections of an organization are
altered. Also known as reorganization, restructuring and turnaround.

In practice, there are common reasons why people resist change in the workplace:
1. Loss of Job: In an organizational setting, any process, technological advancement, systems,
or product change will include streamlining, working smarter, cost reduction, efficiency, faster
turn around times. All these means staff and managers will resist the changes that result in their
roles being eliminated or reduced.

2. Bad Communication Strategy: The way in which any change process is communicated to
employees within the organization is a critical factor in determining their reactions. If you can’t
communicate what, why, how, when, who and what success will look like or how success is
going to be measured, then, expect resistance!

3. Shock and Fear of the Unknown: Employees’ responses to organizational change can
range from fear and panic to enthusiastic support. During periods of change, some employees

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may feel the need to cling to the past because it was a more secure, predictable time. If what
they did in the past worked well for them, they may resist changing their behaviour out of fear
that they will not achieve as much in the future. The less the organization knows about the
change and its impact on them, the more fearful they become.

4. Loss of Control: Familiar routines help employees develop a sense of control over their
work environment. Being asked to change the way they operate may make employees feel
powerless and confused. People are more likely to understand and implement changes when
they feel they have some form of control.

5. Lack of Competence: change in organizations necessitates changes in skills, and some

people will feel that they won’t be able to make the transition well. Therefore, the only way for
them to try and survive is to kick against the change.
Some employees resist change because they are just hesitant to try new routines, so they express
an unwillingness to learn anything new.

6. Poor Timing: Change must be introduced when there are no other major initiatives going
on. Sometimes it is not what a leader does, but it is how, when and why she or he does it that
creates resistance to change! Undue resistance can occur because changes are introduced in an
insensitive manner or at an awkward time.

7. Lack of Reward: Organizational employees will resist change when they do not see
anything in it for them in terms of rewards. Without ‘WIIFM’ or a reward, there is no
motivation to support the change over the long run.

8. Loss of Support System: Employees already in their comfort zones, working with the
managers they get along with, and who are operating within predictable routines know their
support system will back them up during challenging times. Changing the organizational
structures may shake their confidence in their support system. They may worry about working
for a new supervisor, in a new team, or on unfamiliar projects because they fear that if they try
and fail, there will be no one there to support them.

9. Empathy and Peer Pressure: . Organizational stakeholders will resist change to protect the
interests of a group, team friends, and colleagues. It is normal for employees to resist change

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to protect their co-workers. This could be purely because they sympathise with their friends
because of the change that has been thrusts at them. Managers too will resist change to protect
their work groups or friends. All these behaviours can sabotage the success of any change.

10. Lack of trust and support: Successful organizational change does not occur in a climate
of mistrust. Trust, involves faith in the intentions and behaviour of others. In organizations
where there is a high degree of trust and each individual employee is treated with respect and
dignity, there is less resistance to change.

HOW TO REDUCE EMPLOYEE RESISTANCE TO CHANGE

Change produces anxiety and uncertainty, even the most cooperative, loyal and supportive
employees may feel resistance. The range of reactions to change is always immense and
unpredictable. More often than not, employees tend to lose their sense of security when change
is introduced. The state of discomfort, caused by the idea to introduce change, makes it difficult
for workers to move into new improvements, and instead, they slip back to the normal way of
doing things. Generally, they see change as a difficult, in-between process that upsets the order
of things in the workplace.
Recognizing that resistance is a natural step in the process of change will help you anticipate
resistance, identify sources and reasons for resistance and modify your efforts to manage the
issues of change. Resistance to change is healthy so do not react against it defensively. It helps
you to check your assumptions and enables you to clarify what you are doing. This means it
would be great to probe employee’s objections so that you find the main reasons behind
resistance to change.

Why change is essential

Changes must occur in any industry. There is change in the method of work, in job titles, in
personal assignments, in routine office procedures, in the location of working machine or office
desks and in work positions. Not all of these changes can be implemented at once, but they
play a big role in increasing the productivity of an industry. They are therefore vital to the
progress of a business.

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How to Reduce Employee Resistance to Change

There are tried-and-true strategies to combat resistance and ensure employees that you are
committed to their overall success. This reassurance will get them going along with the new
program more easily than they have in the past.

Communicate the change

Adopt a frequent and an honest communication for restricting change in the industry. Talk to
reporting staffs, employees and departmental colleagues face-to-face to inform about the
change before implementation. Communication is a great way to reduce the fear of the
unknown in terms of career advancements and job security.

Involve employees in the change program

Do not introduce a change program before seeking consent from the lower level employees.
Involving them in the change program will make them feel responsible for the success of the
change process. Taking inputs from the employees shows that you are willing to include them
in the process of restricting and implanting the new change effort in the workplace.

Negotiate with employees

Negotiating with an employee is a great way to activate an employee who would otherwise feel
lost out in the change program. You can promise some future benefits and resource as an
exchange of the compliance of employee to the request to introduce and implement change.

Introduce stress management

Understand that change is a stressful experience that creates uncertainty about tomorrow and
the future. Change can also threaten an employee’s self-esteem. Most employees will
experience some level of stress after the implementation of change effort. Work hand in hand
with the Human Resource Management team to introduce a stress management program that
will help all the employees cope with the new changes in the company.

Provide appropriate resources

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Most employees are always unprepared to handle the change. Provide equipment, resources
and training programs that will help them to adapt to and excel in the already changing
environment. Create a trusting employee-orientation by being loyal to and honest with the
employees. This will earn you trust from employees and help you build a strong relationship
so that in the event of change, they will find it easy to the new developments.

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WORKPLACE CONFLICT
The effective management of workplace conflict requires an understanding of the nature and
sources of conflict in the workplace. Conflict occurs when there is a perception of incompatible
interests between workplace participants. This should be distinguished from disputes. Disputes
are merely a by-product of conflict. Conflict can exist without disputes, but disputes do not
exist without conflict.

The first step in uncovering workplace conflict is to consider the typical sources of conflict.
There are a variety of sources of workplace conflict including interpersonal, organizational,
change related, and external factors.

Interpersonal

Interpersonal conflict is the most apparent form of conflict for workplace participants. It is easy
enough to observe the results of office politics, gossip, and rumours. Also language and
personality styles often clash, creating a great deal of conflict in the workplace. In many
workplaces there are strong ethno-cultural and racial sources of conflict as well as gender
conflict. This may lead to charges of harassment and discrimination or at least the feeling that
such things exist. People often bring their stresses from home into the office leading to further
conflict.

Organizational

There are a number of organizational sources of conflict. Those relating to hierarchy and the
inability to resolve conflicting interests are quite predominant in most workplaces.
Labour/management and supervisor/employee tensions are heightened by power differences.
Differences in supervisory styles between departments can be a cause of conflict. Also there
can be work style clashes, seniority/juniority and pay equity conflict. Conflict can arise over
resource allocation, the distribution of duties, workload and benefits, different levels of
tolerance for risk taking, and varying views on accountability. In addition, conflict can arise
where there are perceived or actual differences in treatment between departments or groups of
employees.

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Trends/Change

The modern workplace has significant levels of stress and conflict related to change-
management and downsizing. Technological change can cause conflict, as can changing work
methodologies. Many workplaces suffer from constant reorganization, leading to further stress
and conflict. In line with reorganization, many public and non-profit organizations suffer from
downloading of responsibilities from other organizations.

External Factors

External factors can also lead to conflict in the workplace. Economic pressures are caused by
recession, changing markets, domestic and foreign competition, and the effects of Free Trade
between countries. Conflict arises with clients and suppliers effecting customer service and
delivery of goods. Also public and non-profit workplaces in particular can face political
pressures and demands from special interest groups. A change in government can have a
tremendous impact, especially on public and non-profit organizations. Funding levels for
workplaces dependent upon government funding can change dramatically. Public ideologies
can have an impact on the way employees are treated and viewed in such organizations.