Managing Change

"Managing Change"

Massive change is impacting on all facets of society, creating new dimensions and great uncertainty. Instant communication, super small high-tech equipments, the globalization movement, the deadly terrorist attacks in the U.S., the emerging of foreign investments in China nation are all the changing dimensions of the world. These are few of the changes which have occurred around last two decades. The issue facing people in business today is how to manage such changes.

The origin of one change has an impact on other origin of changes. For example, technological break thorough of the communication in computers resulted in tremendous change of behavioral through an extensive and immediate involvement of the average citizen in world event. In the past, it took time and a lot of money to reach the person across the continent but now it is only one click on the button and a cost under $1.

The impact of the change affects the individual, on organization, and on geopolitical. The management of change by individual, organization, and national and international bodies is critical to survival in the decades ahead. The individuals who invest their most formative years in an education and their most productive years in occupational activities must be able to build to personal competence both to survive and manage change. Organizations require flexibility in structure and appropriate strategies if they are to survive and be viable in the future. And government, institutions, and international coordination must create the appropriate environment to permit individuals and organizations to prosper and create the fruits of civilization.

The emphasis is primary on how individuals and organizations can deal with change successfully and develop appropriate strategies and structures for the effective management of change. Management of change must provide guidelines for institutional and structural change as well as for individual. (Scott and Jaffe, 1995)

If persons have a motivation to face a change, they are likely to take people with them and they can bring organization to change. This is an effective one. Also, there are many changes that are brought by the change in an institution, such as the government. The impact of change can be seen on poor as well as rich. The government policies can change the environment of living conditions of an individual. Scott and Jaffe (1995) point that organizations and individual must operate in the environment exist today and will exist in the future .The main thrust is to identify, classify, and organize such environment. Then the task is to provide guidelines and prescriptions for organizations and individuals, to manage such environment in effect manage change.

AN OVERVIEW OF CHANGE

Every facet of life from behavioral ethics to organizational and even national survival is undergoing change as forces external to facet changes. Three origins of change such as:

1. Institutional-structural

2. Technological

3. Social-behavioral

Almost any change in the management of the organization falls under the structural change category. The implementation of new pay incentives, an affirmative action program, and a move from functional to product structure are all examples of structural changes. Successful structural changes are accomplished from the top down. The experts of administrative or structural improvement originate at upper middle to top managers.

Technology change relates to the organization's way of doing its work. A good example of technological change is the adoption of robotics to improve production efficiency in the automobile industry. Technological changes are more effectively implemented from the bottom up. The lower-level technology experts act as idea champions.

Social-behavioral is the most difficult change because it is dealing with an individual and human behavior. The examples of these change are change in nature of workforce to be more culture diversity, or the social trend in increasing of urban living.

RESISTANCE TO CHANGE

Why do people resist changing? In order to have an effective change management, we must clarify the reason why some people or organization resisting to change. Some people companies hold on to what they know, keep up to their current routines in order to protect themselves from the changes. According to Robbins (2003), for them, changing means having to give something up. They feel that changing means decentralization and delegation of authority. Another reason why some companies defend their present way of doing things is to protect their personal stability. Basil and Cook (1974) assert that they fight change because they are afraid of the future. In doing so, they overlook the fact that there can be compelling reasons for making changes, for example outward circumstances, the survival of the company or the safeguarding of its future. In this case, passivity is fatal for both the entrepreneurs and their employees.

In short, resisting change will do more harm than good. The entrepreneurs will ruin their businesses, and any employees and waste energy which could be used for more productiveness. In this present scenario instead of losing oneself in the past, it is better to reach for the future.

COPE WITH CHANGES

In order to deal with change in the organization, it is required the cooperation between both managers and employees. Scott and Jaffe (1995) suggest that for the managers, first, they should check their attitude about the situation or the direction the company is taking, and takes the chance to learn and grow. If they decide to be deliberately positive, optimistic and enthusiastic, you stand to gain a great deal.

Scott and Jaffe (1995) also point that it is important for employees as well to accept personal responsibility for changes, since this is the only way they will be able to participate in the way they are carried out.

Today, the courage to stand up for one's beliefs is more than ever in demand.(Carnell, 1991) The circumstances of changes may be confusing, frustrating, sometimes frightening and depressing. This can put people off or make them wish to fight the changes. However, Scott and Jaffe (1995) insist that there is no particular way for carrying out changes. If the company were to wait until it had found the perfect solution, no changes would ever be made. When changes are made, there is almost always some loses.

Additionally, as an employee, it is necessary to adjust the working priorities to the new conditions early