Complexity theory is defined as a study of non-linear dynamic systems and a conceptual framework that resolves the unpredictable outcomes of industries and emerges some unique patterns. This system was first developed in the perspective of physical and biological science. However, the social, economic and ecological aspect of this theory was developed later and evolved dynamically overtime. A company utilizes this set of ideas from the study of different natural resources such as weather conditions, animal behavior and then defines the behavior of the organization through several mathematical expressions. There are three key theories related to complexity theory for organizational change management. These are: Chaos theory Dissipative structures Complex adaptive systems Due to the complexity involved in the organization, there are several moments when a random chaos can be created within that organization. The random situation can be created of normal equations which can be further explained with the help of Continue reading
Change Management
Causes of Resistance to Organizational Change
The main reasons for resistance to change are both individual and organization. The research document of individual and organizational behavior has found that organization groups and individuals resist change. Resistance to change provides a degree of stability and predictability to behavior, as it does not allow immediate change. If there was no resistance to change the organization will take on characteristics of chaotic randomness. Read: Reactions to Organization Change There may be reasons for resistance to change for analytical purpose, lets us categories the causes into the following. Individual Resistance. Group Resistance. Organizational Resistance. 1. Individual Resistance Individual arise due to differing perceptions, personalities and needs. Some of these reasons appear to be rational and emotional. These reasons are listed below, a). Economic Factors The economic reasons for the resistance to change may be the following: In organization when the development or change on technology takes place, employee resists the Continue reading
Successful Change Management: Principles and Processes
Managing the changes in an organization requires a broad set of skills like political skills, analytical skills, people skills, system skills, and business skills. Having good analytical skills will make you a good change agent. You should evaluate the financial and political impacts of the changes that can take place. You should know that following a particular process at that instant would fetch you immediate financial effects and start that process so that the change process is noted by the management. The workflow has to be changed in such a manner to reflect the financial changes that are taking place. Operations and systems in the organization should be reconfigured in such a manner that you get the desired financial impact. Successful management improvement efforts require the active involvement of managers and staff throughout the organization to provide ideas for improvements and supply the energy and expertise needed to implement changes. Continue reading
Intergroup Interventions in Organizational Development
Inter-group team building intervention intends to increase communications and interactions between work related groups to reduce the amount of dysfunctional competition and to replace a parochial independent point of view with an awareness of the necessity for interdependence of action calling on the best efforts of both the groups. Inter-group interventions are integrated into Organizational Development programs to facilitate cooperation and efficiency between different groups within an organization. For instance, departmental interaction often deteriorates in larger organizations as different divisions battle for limited resources or become detached from the needs of other departments. Conflict resolution meetings are one common inter-group intervention. First, different group leaders are brought together to get their commitment to the intervention. Next, the teams meet separately to make a list of their feelings about the other group(s). Then the groups meet and share their lists. Finally, the teams meet to discuss the problems and to try Continue reading
Overcoming Resistance to Change
In the previous post, we deal with the various sources of resistance to change. In this post we discusses strategies and tactics to overcome resistance to organizational change. Kotter and Schelsinger (1979) has identified six general strategies for overcoming resistance to change. Education and Communication : Resistance can be reduced through communicating with employees to help them see the logic of a change. This tactic basically assumes that the source of resistance lies in misinformation or poor communication. If employees receive the full facts and get any misunderstanding cleared up, resistance will subside. Communication can be achieved through one-to-one discussions, memos, group presentations, or reports. Does it work? It does, provided the source of resistance is inadequate communication and that management-employee relations are characterized by mutual trust and credibility. If these conditions don’t exist, the change is unlikely to succeed. Participation and Involvement : It is difficult for individuals Continue reading
Unplanned Organizational Change
Not all the forces for organization change are the results of strategic planning. Indeed organizations often are responsive to unplanned organizational changes — especially those derived from the factors internal to the organization. Two such forces of unplanned organizational change are the changes in the demographic composition of the workforce and performance gaps. Changing Employee Demographics : It is easy to see, even within our own lifetimes, how the composition of the workforce has changed. The percentage of women in the workforce is greater than ever before. More and more women with professional qualifications are joining the organization at the junior and the middle management levels. In addition to these, the workforce is getting older. Many of the old retired employees from government and public sector are joining the private sector, thereby changing the employee demographics. With the opening up of the economy and globalization, the workforce is also continually Continue reading