The Role of Organizational Culture in Managing Change

The Role of Organizational Culture in Managing Change

Reasons why organizational change meets with resistance

Organizational change meets resistance due to various reasons. First, resistance is a natural reaction to change. The SARA model denotes that shock, anger, resistance, and acceptance occur at different stages of the change. Although these reactions are not expected to occur in a linear process, management needs to acknowledge that employees require time to go through the motions. Secondly, the internal stakeholders, such as employees, may not understand the reason or necessity for the change (SHRM, 2022). Such an occurrence is observed when the management fails to involve or engage the staff members. As such, employees do not cooperate in the process of change as they feel left out.

Thirdly, employees may resist change because they are afraid of the outcomes that will arise from the change. The change may lead to outcomes that employees do not like. The fear of losing their jobs or encountering other negative aspects motivates resistance. In other cases, when employees do not know the changes or effects that will arise from the process, they could resist (SHRM, 2022).

Fourthly, a culture of mistrust within the organization can lead to resistance. If the management has been dishonest in the past, the employees cannot trust them to effect certain agreements. For instance, if the management promises employees that they will not lose their jobs due to a certain change, the staff members may resist if such promises were not fulfilled in the past. Finally, employees may resist a change if their skills and knowledge are rendered obsolete and the organization fails to prepare them adequately for the new implementation (Zafar & Naveed, 2014). For instance, failing to offer training so that employees can carry out the new roles and responsibilities can stir up resistance.

The relevance of organizational culture to organizational change

Organizational culture can enable or hinder organizational change. Organizational culture facilitates a sense of belonging among employees. It also creates significant consistency and certainty as well as consistency. Changes that threaten the culture are likely to face resistance because of the identity of the employees. Change that does not pose any threat to the culture of an organization is likely to be embraced (Martin, 2013).

The HRM department should ensure that the culture within the organization is used to further the change or facilitate its implementation. During the change process, employees should be informed about the future of the organization’s culture. Employees who show significant commitment to the culture of an entity are equally committed to the organization. Thus, if the change is expected to create a positive future for the entity, the employees are likely to offer immense support (Martin, 2013).

The value of strategic HRM in managing resistance to organizational change

Strategic HRM is responsible for ensuring that organizational change is successful. When implementing change, respect is an important aspect. This respect can be demonstrated through employee engagement, relationship management, consultation, navigation, and leadership, among other strategies. The HR department is also responsible for communicating the change and its implementation process to the employees. This is one step towards engaging the employees.

The development of training programs is also critical in ensuring that employees have the necessary skills and knowledge to carry out their new roles and responsibilities. The preparation of documents that provide further information regarding the change is also important in the change management process. It is also necessary to assess the employees’ readiness for change before the actual implementation (Cohen, 2016). This assessment determines the department’s next course of action.

HRM best practices to help manage resistance to organizational change

Active involvement of employees in the making of the change is lauded as an important strategy in managing resistance proactively. However, such participation should not be solely technical. Employees are involved in daily activities that ensure the companies produce services and products. They are in the best position to advise the required changes, especially as they pertain to the work procedures. They could have solutions to the current challenges. Seeking their opinion and letting them in on the process of creating the change makes a significant difference. Such employees feel valued and tend to commit to making the change a success. Therefore, organizations should strive to ensure the actual involvement of staff members through communication, sharing of information, joint decision-making, seeking their input, and other strategies (SHRM, 2022).

The preparation of employees for a change is critical in managing resistance. Once they have been involved in the process of making the change, employees need to be empowered to survive through the change. Lack of sufficient skills can make employees feel inadequate. These feelings raise the insecurity of employees leading to resistance (Sirkin, Keenan, & Jackson, 2005). Therefore, the HRM should conduct a needs assessment to determine if there are any skill gaps. This information should inform the process of designing training programs that enable employees to gain the necessary skills and knowledge. As a result, employees still feel important to the organization and are not threatened by the change (Cohen, 2016).

References

Cohen, D. (2016). What is HR’s Role in Managing Change? Retrieved from https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/trends-and-forecasting/special-reports-and-expert-views/pages/deb-cohen.aspx

Martin, J. (2013). Organizational Culture and Organizational Change: How Shared Values, Rituals, and Sagas can Facilitate Change in an Academic Library. Organizational Culture and Organizational Change, 460-465.

SHRM. (2022). Managing Organizational Change. Retrieved from https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/pages/managingorganizationalchange.aspx

Sirkin, H. L., Keenan, P., & Jackson, A. (2005). The Hard Side of Change Management. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2005/10/the-hard-side-of-change-management

Zafar, F., & Naveed, K. (2014). Organizational Change and Dealing with Employees’ Resistance. International Journal of Management Excellence, 2(3), 237-246. https;//doi.org/10.17722/ijme.v2i3.101

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The Role of Organizational Culture in Managing Change

Organizational change inevitably meets with varying degrees of resistance. One of the key resistance factors in many instances is organizational culture. Strategic HRM is key in managing change and resistance to change.

To complete this Assignment, review the Learning Resources for this week and respond to the following key points in a 3- to 5-page academic paper.

*Analyze why organizational change meets with resistance.
*Analyze the relevance of organizational culture to organizational change and explain its dual role as both an HRM opportunity and an obstacle.
*Analyze the value of strategic HRM in managing resistance to organizational change.
*Explain 2–3 HRM best practices to help manage resistance to organizational change.