Effective Strategies to Manage Organizational Change

Building Support and Commitment

When managers or employees have low emotional commitment to change, they resist it and favor the status quo. Employees are also more accepting of changes when they are committed to the organization as a whole. Therefore, firing up employees and emphasizing their commitment to the organization overall can help them emotionally commit to the change rather than embrace the status quo.

Developing Positive Relationships

People are more willing to accept changes if they trust the managers implementing them. Those who had a more positive relationship with their supervisor, and who felt that the work environment supported development, were much more positive about the change process.

Implementing Changes Fairly

One way organizations can minimize negative impact is to make sure change is implemented fairly. It is crucial that employees see the reason for the change and perceive its implementation as consistent and fair.

Manipulation and Cooptation

Manipulation refers to covert influence attempts. Twisting facts to make them more attractive, withholding information, and creating false rumors to get employees to accept change are all examples of manipulation. Cooptation, on the other hand, combines manipulation and participation. It seeks to buy off the leaders of a resistance group by giving them a key role, seeking their advice not to find a better solution but to get their endorsement.

Selecting People Who Accept Change

Research suggests the ability to easily accept and adapt to change is related to personality—some people simply have more positive attitudes. Individuals who are prime candidates include those who are:

• Open to experience
• Positive toward change
• Willing to take risks
• Flexible in their behavior

Besides selecting individuals who are willing to accept changes, it is also possible to select teams that are more adaptable. In general, teams that are strongly motivated by learning about and mastering tasks are better able to adapt to changing environments. It may thus be necessary to consider not just individual motivation, but also group motivation, when trying to implement changes.