… event should follow in order to get the best results. Managers should strongly emphasise the importance of each employee as organisational resource. The fact that many people voluntary work unpaid overtime at Intech when a job needs completion or a new project is at a crucial stage is determined by the fact that beyond the money people wish to contribute. Therefore encouragement and help must be involved in the new organisation. Resistance to change and management behaviour Despite the potential positive outcomes, changes are often resisted at organisational level.
Resistance to change appears to be a common phenomenon, it can take many forms and it may be difficult to identify the exact reason for the opposition. Some common reasons for individual resistance to change within the organisations can be categorized under the following headings. ? Habit. People tend to respond to situations in an established manner.
Habits may serve as a means of comfort and security and as a guide for easy decision making. ? Economic implications. People tend to resist changes that are perceived as reducing their pay or their rewards or seen as an increase in work for the same level of pay. ? Loss of freedom. There will be resistance if alterations are seen as likely to prove inconvenient, make life more difficult and reduce freedom of action.
? Security in the past. There is the tendency in some people to see security in the past and any changes may be frightening. ? Fear of the unknown. Changes tend to generate in people anxiety and fear. Transformations in the organisation may represent a degree of uncertainty. Although organisations have to adapt to their environment, they may set up defences against changes and they prefer to concentrate on the routine things they perform well.
Some of the main reasons for organisational resistance against change are described below. ? Maintaining stability. Organisations tend to maintain stability and predictability. It is very important in order to keep a formal organisation structure, rules establishment and definition of assigned responsibilities and duties. ? Investment in resources.
Changes may require large resources that may already be committed to investments in other areas. ? Threats to power or influence. Change may be seen as a threat to the power or influence to a certain groups within the organisation, such as their control over decisions, resources or information. In order to solve the problems that may occur, as a consequence of the new implementation, managers should comply with the following factors. ? Consultation and participation. The managers should attempt to solicit the co-operation of staff and help them to feel that decisions that are taken are in their own interest.
This comes from a high level of consultation and encouragement for staff to participate in the decision making process. ? Motivation. Motivation is an important aspect in the operation of a control system. Lack of positive motivation can lead to frustrated behaviour resulting in lack of commitment and poor job performance.
? Organisation structure. The structure of an organisation can affect the implementation of control system. Organisation structure can be distinguished in terms of two divergent system of management practice, the mechanic and the organic system. The first is a more rigid structure and is appropriate to relatively stable conditions. It is characterised by a clear hierarchical structure of authority and closely defined duties and responsibility. The organic system, however, is amore fluid structure and happens to be required for conditions of change and for uncertain environmental influences.
This system is characterised by a network structure of control, authority and communication, the continual adjustment and redefinition of jobs. ? Leadership style and system of management. The style of managerial leadership is a function of the manager’s attitudes towards people and assumptions about human nature and behaviour, for example McGregor’s Theory X and Y. The main point of Theory X is direction and control through a centralised system of organisation and the exercise of authority. By contrast, Theory Y is based on the principle of the integration of individual and organisational goals. ? Management and objectives.
A system of management by objectives may allow staff to accept greater responsibility and to make a higher level of personal contribution. The main features of management by objectives are the setting of objectives; the specification of jobs; identification of key result areas; agreement of standard of performance; control, review and adjustment of objectives. One of the most important factors in a successful implementation of organisational change is the style of managerial behaviour. In certain situations and with selected members of staff, it may be necessary for management to make use of hierarchical authority and to attempt to impose change through a coercive and autocratic style of behaviour.
In most case, however, the introduction of change is more likely to be effective with an involving style of management behaviour. If the staff is kept fully informed of proposal, are encouraged to adopt a positive attitude and have personal involvement, there is a greater likelihood of their acceptance of the change. Change in culture at Aussieco and consequent problems A popular and simple way of defining culture is “how things are done around here.” For example, Atkinson explains as reflecting the underlying assumptions about the way work is performed, and what behaviour and actions are encouraged and discouraged. Culture helps to explain why different groups of people perceive things in their own way and perform things differently from others groups. Align culture within an organisation is clearly an important ingredient of effective organisational performance.
At the heart of organisation development and improved performance is the need for effective management. It is the role of the management to act as an integrating activity and to co-ordinate, guide and direct the efforts of members towards the achievement of goals. The pervasive nature of culture as ” how things are done around here”, common values and beliefs will have a significant effect on organisational processes such as decision making, design of structure, group behaviour, motivation and job satisfaction. Brown suggests that organisational culture can be a powerful tool to improve performance and the key to effective leadership and organisational development. However, it is important that effective leadership and workable organisation design and development programmes must be based on sensitivity and understanding of culture. Moreover management should create a climate in which people are motivated to work willingly and effectively.
Management have to pull Aussieco employees in the same direction Intech staff goes and their contribution should fit together to produce a whole. If these requirements are not met, managers are misdirected and their efforts are wasted. The unequal nature of organisational life of Aussieco and Intech could cause difficulties. It may be expected that Aussieco will affect the healthy organisational environment at Intech; spoil the harmony in working relationship, loyalty and commitment to the goals and objectives of the organisation. Conflicts could emerge as a consequence of poor communication or personality clashes. Divergences among competing groups may be seen as inevitable.
Conflict is a feature of the unequal nature of organisational life and a means of bringing about change. Bibliography Mullins J. (1996) Management and Organisational Behaviour, Pitman Publishing Morgan G. (1997) Images of Organisation, SEGA PublicationsHollinshead G. , Nicholls P. , Tai bly S.
(1999) Employee Relations, Pitman Publishing Robbins S. (1998) Organisational Behaviour, Prentice-HallMabey C. , Salam an G. , Storey J. (1998) Human Resources Management, BlackwellCascio W.
(1998) Managing Human Resources, McGraw HillRollinson D. (1993) Understanding Employee Relations, Addison- Wesley.