A CONCEPTUAL STUDY ON ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE IN CURRENT SCENARIO

A CONCEPTUAL STUDY ON ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE IN CURRENT SCENARIO 

Introduction

” How beautiful the world is, and how ugly labyrinths are,” A man said relieved.

”How beautiful the world would be if there were procedures for moving through labyrinths,” his master replied.

Any type of thinking about our world requires some kind of conceptual model, implicit or otherwise, which structures and guides our thinking and renders it meaningful. For studies of Organizational change, conceptual models and practical models are indispensable. Change is a necessary way of life in most organizations. Change is all around us in the dynamic society surrounding today’s organizations; the question of whether change will occur is no longer relevant. Organizational change is the alteration of work environment in organization.

Organization design

Organization design involves the creation of roles, processes, and formal reporting relationships in an organization. One can distinguish between two phases in an organization design process: Strategic grouping, which establishes the overall structure of the organization (its main sub-units and their relationships), and operational design, which defines the more detailed roles and processes.

Concept of Organizational Change

The evolution of the change management field stems from psychology, business and engineering. Hence, some models are derived from an organizational development perspective whereas others are based on individual behavioral models. For this reason, this section is divided into two sub-categories: Individual Change Management and Organizational Change Management.

Why Organizational Changes occur?

            Organizational change can be better understood by individual (human being) changes. There are two types of individual changes i.e. Try to adjust and adopt to changes occurring in the external environment such as offer of a new job, sickness, competition or loss of property. Second, even if nothing changes in the external environment, still individuals automatically keep changing (oldage, family commitments, etc).  Therefore organization changes occur because of situational fluctuations in the environmental demands (competition, grow & develop)   

Types of Organizational Changes

i) Reactive changes; ii) Proactive changes

            A proactive change is called planned changes: - it includes technology-related changes, task-related changes, structure-related changes and people-related changes.

Individual Change Management

The model of Individual change describes as a three-stage process. The first stage he called "unfreezing". It involved overcoming inertia and dismantling the existing “mindset”. Defense mechanisms have to be bypassed. In the second stage the “change occurs”. This is typically a period of confusion and transition. We are aware that the old ways are being challenged but we do not have a clear picture to replace them with yet. The third and final stage he called "refreezing". The new mindset is crystallizing and one's comfort level is returning to previous levels.

A Formula for Change illustrates that the combination of organizational dissatisfaction, vision for the future and the possibility of immediate, tactical action must be stronger than the resistance within the organization in order for meaningful changes to occur.

1. The Awareness – of why the change is needed
2. Desire – to support and participate in the change
3. Knowledge – of how to change
4. Ability – to implement new skills and behaviors
5. Reinforcement – to sustain the change

Organizational Change Management

Organizational change management includes processes and tools for managing the people side of the change at an organizational level. These tools include a structured approach that can be used to effectively transition groups or organizations through change. When combined with an understanding of individual change management, these tools provide a framework for managing the people side of change.

Managing change

In organizational development (OD), specialists assist their clients in recognizing that "the only constant is change" and in acknowledging the critical role of managing change.

Organizational development (OD) practitioners help organizations to manage change in various ways including:

• Assessing the need for change
• Designing the plan for change
• Coaching those who will lead others through the transition to change
• Helping others adapt to change
• Dealing with resistance to change

The role of the management in organizational change

Management's first responsibility is to detect trends in the macroenvironment as well as in the microenvironment so as to be able to identify changes and initiate programs. It is also important to estimate what impact a change will likely have on employee behaviour patterns, work processes, technological requirements, and motivation. Management must assess what employee reactions will be and craft a change program that will provide support as workers go through the process of accepting change. The program must then be implemented, disseminated throughout the organization, monitored for effectiveness, and adjusted where necessary.

Change management in industrial plants

Since complex processes can be very sensitive to even small changes, proper management of change to industrial facilities and processes is recognized as critical to safety. The main requirement is that a thorough review of a proposed change be performed by a multi-disciplinary team to ensure that as many possible viewpoints are used as possible to minimize the chances of missing a hazard. In this context, change management is known as Management of Change, or MOC. It is just one of many components of Process Safety Management.

Factors and reasons behind organizational change

External factors&reasons

v     Technological changes

v     Changes in marketing conditions

v     Social changes

v     Political & Legal changes

v     Government rules & regulations

v     Competitions

v     Technological advancement

v     Changes in people requirement

Internal factors&reasons

v     Change in Managerial personnel

v     Deficiency in existing organization

v     Change in leadership

v     Introducing new technology

v     The domino effect

v     For meeting crisis

v     Organizational life cycle.

Why Organizational Change Fails

"There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things”. The following are some of the most common reasons I've identified why organizational change fails.

Misstarts

A misstart occurs when a change is ill-advised, hastily implemented or attempted without sufficient commitment.  This kills leadership credibility.

Making change an option

When leadership commits to a change, the message must be that the change is not an option.  But the message that often comes across is "We'd like you to change, we're asking you to change, we implore you to change, please change..."  Whenever people have the option not to change, they won't.

A focus only on process

Leaders can get so caught up on planning and managing the process that they don't notice that no tangible results are being achieved.  The activity becomes more important than the results.

A focus only on results

This stems from a belief that the end justifies any means.  Organizations tend to fail miserably in this regard: they downplay or ignore the human pain of change.  It is this insensitivity to people’s feelings that not only prevents the change but destroys morale and loyalty in the process.

Not involving those expected to implement the change

A great deal of resentment is aroused when management announces a change and then mandates the specifics of implementation.  Employees need to be involved in two ways. First, their input and suggestions should be solicited when planning the change.  Secondly, after a change has been committed to, they should be involved in determining the means.  Leadership needs to communicate, "Here's what must happen.  How do you think it can best be done?"

Delegated to "outsiders"

Change is an inside job. Although outsiders like consultants might provide valuable ideas and input, people inside the systems must accept responsibility for the change.  Scapegoating and passing the buck are not an option.

No change in reward system

If you keep rewarding employees for what they've always done, you'll keep getting what you've always gotten.  Make sure that rewards, recognition and compensation are adjusted for the desired change.

Leadership doesn't walk the talk

For change to happen, everybody involved must buy-in. Leadership, however, must take the first steps.  Change is aborted whenever leadership doesn't demonstrate the same commitment they expect from others.

Wrong size

In this instance, the change is too massive to be achievable or too small to be significant.  Like a good goal, a change program should be neither too easy nor too impossible.

No follow-through

The best planning is worthless if not implemented, monitored and carried out.  Responsibility must be clearly defined for making sure that follow-through is timely and intense.

CONCLUSION

1. Overall conclusion of this study, organizational change is both inevitable and desirable, also its working people’s involvement that makes change successful. We can find the answer that question how to involve workforce in the change process? The answer supports to the view that change introduced in any one organization. My experience of change management was at previous working industries also. I have remembered Jacque Passino’s story about the frog, If we put a frog in a pot of boiling water, it will jump out, If we put a frog in a pot and heat the water gently, it will not jump out, but die. The present scenario of the industries/companies also like that     

References

Organizational behaviour by S.S Kanka published by Sultan chand publisher 2006 edition

Organizational behaviour  by L.M.Prasad pulished by Tata McgrawHill 2002 edition

Lewin, K. (1951). Field Theory in Social Science. New York: Harper and Row.

Senge, Peter; C. Otto Scharmer, Joseph Jaworski, Betty Sue Flowers (March 2004). Presence: Human Purpose and the Field of the Future. Society for Organizational Learning. ISBN 0974239011.

Argyris, Chris (Autumn 1982). "[1]" (PDF). Organizational Dynamics,. Retrieved on 2006-12-29.

Tucker, Kate. "The Milan Approach To Family Therapy: A Critique". Priory Lodge Education Ltd.. Retrieved on 2006-12-29.