Change Management Issues at the Organization - Example

Change Management Name Institution Date Change Management Introduction Change management is a major problem among the employees due to the challenges that come with it. The changes may have negative impacts on the individuals. Changes, in most cases, require the employees to carry out their activities different from what they are used to. It is for this reason that the employees may continue doing their old activities despite the presence of the changes. Change management problems are important as it affects the productivity of the organization (Hatch, 2012). In some instances, the failure of the employees to manage change prevents them from carrying out their duties effectively and hence affecting the productivity of the company. The organization may be unable to utilize the new technology due to the failure of the employees to manage changes. Resistance to change among the employees is also a result of the failure of the employees to manage change. Change resistance among the employees has a negative impact on the ability of the organization to carry out its daily activities. The anxiety that comes with the changes as well as emotional issues is some of the factors that make it difficult for the employees to manage change. The report is therefore about change management issues at the organization. Literature review According to Benn, Dunphy & Griffiths, (2014), it is difficult to understand change effectively unless a range of approaches is mapped, and evaluations carried out. Change management requires an understanding of the impacts of the changes. Understanding the impacts of change is important in ensuring that the right measures are put in place to avoid the negative impacts. Change management is difficult among the employees when they do not understand the full impacts of the changes. Battilana & Casciaro, (2012), found that the institutional status quo may hinder change management within an organization. Fewer divergent changes may also be hindered by the complexity and structure of an organization. The organizational structure with many reporting levels usually finds it difficult to manage changes. Change management requires the full support of an organization in order for it to be successful. Most of the organizations with complex organizational structures find it difficult to support the employees during the change management process. The employees in such organizations usually find it difficult to manage change. According to Rafferty, Jimmieson & Armenakis, (2013), Preparedness is important in terms of enabling the employees to understand the importance of change management. The management has a role to play in terms of preparing the employees for any changes that may take place at the company. According to Hatch, (2012), organizational change issues can be solved by modifying the organizational culture. Organizational change problems have been attributed to the nature of the organizational culture. Some of the organizational cultures support change management among the employees while other organizational cultures do not support change management. The management of change in an organization is thus varied among different organizations. The level of flexibility of the organizational culture is an important determinant of success for the change management process among the employees. Fugate, Prussia & Kinicki, (2012), found that change management is a problem among the employees when performance appraisals are used to bring about changes in the operations of the employees. The employees may be unable to carry out new activities that are aimed at improving their performance and hence resulting to the problems of change management. The operations of the organizations are usually affected when the employees have difficulties in managing changes. Organizational support is important during change management. Raineri, (2011), established that the change management practices have positive impacts on the processes of accomplishing the changes within an organization. Various factors are, however, important in determining the success of change management. The factors include the organizational size and intensity of the change management program. The article also concludes that it is difficult to determine the organizational outcomes during the change management process among the employees. The performance of the employee during times of change is dependent on the change management strategies. According to Alfes, Shantz, Truss, & Soane, (2013), organizational climate as well as the relationship with the line managers plays an essential role in influencing positive behavioural outcomes among the employees. The organizational climate also determines the effectiveness of change management among the employees within an organization. The presence of a good relationship and effective communication among the employees is also important in determining the efficiency of change management. Organizations are encouraged to promote good relationship with the employees in order to enhance the change management process. Klarner, By & Diefenbach, (2011), found that change management process is associated with anxiety, and it could also be emotional and this affects the process. Proper communication is required in order to deal with the emotional issues during change management. According to Kool & van Dierendonck, (2012), commitment to change, interactional justice and optimistic justice, are dependent on servant leadership. The level of commitment of leaders within an organization is important in determining the success of change management in an organization. The concepts of servant leadership are important in providing the employees with the necessary assistance during the process of change management. The support and commitment from the leaders is important in enabling the employees to be successful in the change management process. Commitment to change is also useful in ensuring that the change resistance from the employees is avoided. Hill, Seo, Kang & Taylor, (2012), established that the success of change management within an organization is dependent on the leadership. The interaction between the employees and the members of the management is also a factor that determines the success of the change management process. The hierarchical distance is the reporting levels between the management and the employees. The commitment to change by the employees is also important in terms of ensuring that the change management process is effective. The commitment of the employees is dependent on the leadership commitment to the organization. The employees require close working relationship with the management in order for the process to be successful. Research question Why is change management is important among the employees in the organization and how can be it managed by the organization and the employees? Results Quantitative analysis The interviews were carried out by different segment of the employees. The variables that were used during the interview involve gender, ethnicity and age. Other variables that were also used during the research include rank of the employees, the position of the employees in their organizations and their social status. The variables used were considered important as it influences the employee resistance. The methods that were used during the analysis of the findings is the T-test and correlations. The methods were chosen due to the nature of the data that needed to be analyzed. Sample size The sample size was 1811 respondents that were 65% of the respondents. The reliability for variable 1 was 0.72 while the reliability for variable 2 was 0.81. Variable 1 was comprised of males who were 624 while variable 2 were females who were 1183. In terms of ethnicity, the number of European New Zealanders were 878, Asians were 145, Maoris were 267, Pacific Islanders were 103, Australians were 89, European Caucasian were 78, Middle Easterners were 23, African Caucasians were 45 while others were 183. In terms of age, those under 20 were 156, those between 20-29 were 546, those between 30-39 were 451, and those between 40-49 were 367. The respondents between the ages of 50-59 were 231 while the respondents above the age of 60 years were 59. The sample size was carefully selected in order to encourage diversity. This is considering that diverse groups have diverse experience regarding the change management process. Correlation technique The correlation technique was used for the purposes of analyzing the data collected during the research. This method is useful in terms of establishing relationships between different variables. It was used to establish the relationship between the employees of different gender, age, ethnicity, rank position in the organization and social status. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used during the process of carrying out the analysis. This method involved dividing the covariance of two variables by the product of their standard deviation into order to obtain correlation coefficient. In case of a perfect direct linear relationship, the person correlation is +1. On the other hand, in case of a prefect decreasing linear relationship, the value is -1. The person correlation coefficient is zero in case the variable is independent. The analysis of the results from the research was able to identify that there is a positive correlation between the different variables. The analysis also indicated that correlation is significant at the 0.01 level. The following is correlation table that was obtained after the analysis. Male Female DV1 DV2 Age Male Pearson Correlation 1 .034 .159(**) .085(**) .237(**) .191(**) Sig. (2-tailed) .197 .000 .001 .000 .000 N 1416 1415 1415 1416 1416 1415 Female Pearson Correlation -.034 1 .155(**) .804(**) .270(**) .126(**) Sig. (2-tailed) .197 .000 .000 .000 .000 N 1415 1799 1785 1799 1795 1791 IV31 Pearson Correlation .159(**) .155(**) 1 . .282(**) 627(**) .280(**) Sig. (2-tailed) .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 N 1415 1785 1796 1792 1796 1789 DV1 Pearson Correlation .085(**) .804(**) .282(**) 1 .384(**) .318(**) Sig. (2-tailed) .001 .000 .000 .000 .000 N 1416 1799 1792 1807 1803 1799 DV21 Pearson Correlation .237(**) .270(**) .627(**) .384(**) 1 .324(**) Sig. (2-tailed) .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 N 1416 1795 1796 1803 1807 1800 Age Pearson Correlation .191(**) .126(**) .280(**) .318(**) .324(**) 1 Sig. (2-tailed) .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 N 1415 1791 1789 1799 1800 1803 T-tests The t-test is a statistical analysis method that involves statistical hypothesis test. This technique is useful in terms of determining whether two sets of data are significantly different from each other. This method uses the concepts of null hypothesis and the variance of the two populations is assumed to be equal. When using this method, the two populations that are being compared has to follow a normal distribution. During the analysis, the data was sampled independently from the different populations under comparison. The independent samples when two separate sets of independent and identical distributed samples are obtained. The randomization concepts were not necessary during the analysis process using this method. This is considering that the independent variables were used during the process. The tests for equality of variables as well as that of equality of means were bused during the process of carrying out the analysis. The following tables indicate the statistical analyses that were carried out through the use of the t-test statistical analysis method. Group statistics Gender N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean DV2 1.00 622 4.3850 1.21696 .04880 2.00 1183 4.8339 1.24488 .03619 DV1 1.00 624 3.4364 .60004 .02402 2.00 1181 3.6358 .59542 .01733 IV1 1.00 411 4 .0638 1.02998 .05081 2.00 1005 3.8183 1.03604 .03268 IV2 1.00 619 5 .1287 .66779 .02684 2.00 1178 5.2999 .68331 .01991 IV3 1.00 615 4 .1798 .72004 .02903 2.00 1179 3.9524 .76150 .02218 Independence samples test Levene's Test for Equality of Variances t-test for Equality of Means F Sig. t df Sig. (2-tailed) Mean Difference Std. Error Difference 95% Confidence Interval of the Difference Lower Upper DV2 Equal variances assumed 1.497 .221 -7.336 1803 .000 -.44885 .06118 -.56885 -.32885 Equal variances not assumed - 7.388 1287.543 .000 -.44885 .06075 -.56804 -.32966 DV1 Equal variances assumed .012 .911 -6.746 1803 .000 -.19933 .02955 -.25728 -.14138 Equal variances not assumed -6.730 1259.838 .000 -.19933 .02962 -.25743 -.14122 IV1 Equal variances assumed .102 .750 4.055 1414 .000 .24558 .06056 .12679 .36437 Equal variances not assumed 4.065 765.94 6 .000 .24558 .06041 .12699 .36416 IV2 Equal variances assumed 3.144 .076 -5.087 1795 .000 -.17122 .03366 -.23723 -.10521 Equal variances not assumed -5.124 1281.422 .000 -.17122 .03342 -.23678 -.10566 IV3 Equal variances assumed 5.360 .021 6.117 1792 .000 .22746 .03718 .15453 .30039 Equal variances not assumed 6.226 1307.483 .000 .22746 .03654 .15579 .29914 Qualitative analysis The qualitative analysis results from the interviews with the employees indicated that the change management is a major problem when it comes to both the male and female employees. The process is further complicated when the employees receive little or no support from the management. The change management process is a complicated process as the employees have to embrace new activities and leave the activities that they are used to. Some of the changes usually cause a lot of panic and anxiety among the employees. This is considering that it may lead to some of the employees losing their jobs. The sudden changes within an organization are difficult for the employees to manage because the employees are not prepared for such changes and hence making it difficult for them to carry out the necessary adjustments. Some of the managers also affect the change management process among the employees by failing to provide adequate information with regards to the change mange management. Lack of proper communication between the employees and the management also affects the change management process. Some of the changes make it difficult for the employees to carry out their duties effectively. The stress and anxiety prevent the employees from concentrating in their work. Most of the employees feel that support from the management during the change management process is useful in enabling them fully manage the changes. The employees feel that being prepared for the changes by the management is useful in ensuring that they are able to fully manage the changes. Recommendations The findings of the quantitative research indicates that the both the male and female employees from all the demographics find it difficult to manage changes. The employees who are African Caucasians, European Caucasians, Asians, Pacific Islanders, Maoris and employees from the middle East find it difficult more difficult to management the changes as compared to the employees who are Australians, European New Zealanders. The results also indicate that in terms of gender, the women face more challenges during the change management process as compared to the men. The results indicate that communication is important during the change management process. This is a finding that has also been highlighted in the literature review. The communication between the management and the employees is useful in managing the changes successfully. In terms of age, the employees above the age of 40 years have a lot of difficulties in managing the changes. This can be attributed to the long years of service and therefore finds it difficult to abandon the practices that they have been used to for many years. The employees who are below the age of 40 years have little problems with managing the changes as most of them adjust easily to the changes and are also willing to take up new challenges. Resistance to change by the employees is common when the employees do not understand the need for the changes or do not receive support from the management when managing the changes. The change management problems are dependent on the efforts that are put in place by the management to deal with the changes. This has also been highlighted in the literature review. The literature review indicates that management needs to support the employees during the entire period of change until the employees successfully manage the changes. The employees who occupy the low rank in the organization are usually deeply affected by the change management problem. The problem is more complicated when the organization structure of the company is complex. This is an issue that has also been highlighted in the literature review. The organization structure determines how communication takes place within an organization. It is therefore difficult for the employees in the lowest Rank to obtain information during the change management process and hence making it difficult for them to deal with the changes. The organizational culture has also been found to be a factor that determines the success of the change management process. Some of the organizational culture supports the change management process among the employees while others do not. The productivity of the organizations is usually affected when the employees have difficulties in managing the changes. This is because they take more time to adjust to the new practices and less time in carrying out their duties. This problem has been highlighted in the literature review and it indicates that most of the companies may end up with loses incase major changes are not managed well. It is recommended that the organizations should be involved in every step of the change management process. The support from the management is important in enabling the employees to deal with the changes. It is recommended that the companies should ensure that the flow of communication is enhanced during the process of change management. All the information required during the process of change management should be availed to the employees at all times. It is recommended that the management should carry out training or provide the employees information with regards to the changes. This is for the purposes of preparing them in advance for the changes. The preparation of the employees to the changes plays an essential role in ensuring that the employees can manage the changes effectively. Human resource management department should be on the fore front in preparing all the employees who will be affected by the changes. Meetings can also be held with the individual employees who will be affected by the changes in case of major changes. This is also important in terms of eliminating the anxiety and emotions that are usually common when changes are being made in the organizations. The human resource department should also act as a link between the management and the employees during the change management process. It is recommended that the management should also consider motivating the employees during the change management process in order to ensure that their productivity is not affected. The level of motivation among the employees determines the success of the process. It is recommended that the management should also establish organization cultures that promote change management among the employees. This is useful in enabling the employees to adjust to the changes. It is also recommended that the leaders within an organization should be committed to the changes. The level of commitment of the employees to the changes is useful for ensuring that the employees are able to manage the changes. The actions of the leaders are important inspiring the employees during the change management process. The employees can only be committed to the process when the leaders are fully committed to the process. It is recommended that the organization should ensure that there is a good relationship between the employees and the line manages. This is for the purposes of ensuring that they can influence the employees to manage the changes. It is recommended that the organization ensures that the line managers are fully on board and are aware of the importance of the changes. This is to avoid the incidences of managers frustrating the change management process. The level of interaction between the line managers and the employees should be enhanced during the process of change management. The employees should be made to understand the impacts of the change so as to ensure that they appreciate the changes. It is recommended that the employees who may be adversely affected by the changes be provided with counseling as a means of assisting them to manage the changes. It is also important for the management to ensure that adequate funds are allocated to the change management process. Lack of resources may affect the change management process. References Benn, S., Dunphy, D., & Griffiths, A. (2014). Organizational change for corporate sustainability. Routledge. Retrieved on 24 February 2015 from, . Battilana, J., & Casciaro, T. (2012). Change agents, networks, and institutions: A contingency theory of organizational change. Academy of Management Journal, 55(2), 381-398. Retrieved on 24 February 2015 from, Hatch, M. J. (2012). Organization theory: modern, symbolic and postmodern perspectives. Oxford university press. Retrieved on 24 February 2015 from, Fugate, M., Prussia, G. E., & Kinicki, A. J. (2012). Managing employee withdrawal during organizational change the role of threat appraisal. journal of Management, 38(3), 890- 914. Retrieved on 24 February 2015 from, . Raineri, A. B. (2011). Change management practices: Impact on perceived change results. Journal of business research, 64(3), 266-272. Retrieved on 24 February 2015 from, . Alfes, K., Shantz, A. D., Truss, C., & Soane, E. C. (2013). The link between perceived human resource management practices, engagement and employee behaviour: a moderated mediation model. The international journal of human resource management, 24(2), 330- 351. Retrieved on 24 February 2015 from, . Kool, M., & van Dierendonck, D. (2012). Servant leadership and commitment to change, the mediating role of justice and optimism. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 25(3), 422-433. Retrieved on 24 February 2015 from, . Hill, N. S., Seo, M. G., Kang, J. H., & Taylor, M. S. (2012). Building employee commitment to change across organizational levels: The influence of hierarchical distance and direct managers' transformational leadership. Organization Science, 23(3), 758-777. Retrieved on 24 February 2015 from, . Rafferty, A. E., Jimmieson, N. L., & Armenakis, A. A. (2013). Change Readiness A Multilevel Review. Journal of Management, 39(1), 110-135. Retrieved on 24 February 2015 from, . Klarner, P., By, R. T., & Diefenbach, T. (2011). Employee emotions during organizational change—Towards a new research agenda. Scandinavian journal of Management, 27(3), 332-340. Retrieved on 24 February 2015 from, . Read More