PART FIVE ORGANIZATIONAL DYNAMICS Chapter 17

excel solilapsi

is the rallying cry among todays managers worldwide

 every organization is having to adjust to a multicultural environment

Human resource policies and practices have to change in order to attract and keep a diverse work for companies are having to spend large amounts of money on training to upgrade computers and other skills of employees.

 technology is changing jobs and organizations

The substitution of computer control for direct supervision is resulting in wider spans of control for managers
Sophisticate technology is making organizations more responsive

 continue to impose changes on organizations

interest rates have become more volatile and the economies of individual countries have become more interdependent

 The global economy means that competitors are as likely to come from across the ocean as from across town Successful organizations will be the ones that can change in response to the competition Organizations require a flexible and responsive work force that can adapt to rapidly and even radically changing conditions

 social trends during the past generation suggest changes that organizations have to adjust for One result of this social trend is an increasing number of single households and demand for housing by singles

 no onenot even the strongest proponents of globalizationcould have imagined how world politics would change in recent years

A few examples make the point: the fall of the Berlin Wall, the reunification of Germany, Iraqs invasion of Kuwait, and the breakup of the Soviet Union

 making things different

Some organizations treat all change as an accidental occurrence

Change activities that are intentional and goal oriented

concerned with change activities that are proactive and purposeful

 First, it seeks to improve the ability of the organization to adapt to changes in its environment

Second, it seeks to change employee behaviour

Since an organizations success or failure is essentially due to the things that its employees do or fail to do, planned change also is concerned with changing the behaviour of individuals and groups within the organization

 linear and continuous implies no fundamental shifts in the assumptions that organizational members hold about the world or how the organization can improve its functioning
multidimensional, multilevel, discontinuous, radical change involving reframing of assumptions about the organization and the world in which it operates.

- Persons who act as catalysts and assume the responsibility for managing change activities

The options fall into four categories: structure technology physical setting people

 An organizations structure is defined by how tasks are formally divided, grouped, and coordinated Change agents can introduce major modifications in the actual structural design which include a shift from a simple structure to a team-based structure another option is to modify the organizations compensation system. Motivation could be increased by introducing performance bonuses or profit sharing

 major technological changes usually involve the introduction of new equipment, tools, or methods; automation; or computerization Competitive factors or innovations within an industry often require change agents to introduce new equipment, tools, or operating methods Automation is a technological change that replaces people with machines. It began in the industrial revolution and continues as a change option today.

 management should considers work demands and social needs when making decisions about space configurations, interior design, and equipment placement

by eliminating walls and partitions, and opening up an office design, it becomes easier for employees to communicate with each other management can change the level of heat or cold, the levels and types of noise, and the cleanliness of the work area, as well as interior design

 The final area in which change agents operate is in helping individuals and groups within the organization to work more effectively together This involves changing the attitudes and behaviours of organizational members through processes of communication, decision making, and problem solving

the concept of organizational development has come to encompass an array of interventions designed to change people and the nature and quality of their work relationships

One of the most well documented findings from studies of individual and organizational behaviour is that organizations and their members resist change

 Resistance to change can also be a source of functional conflict

Resistance to change hinders adaptation and progress Resistance can be overt, implicit, immediate or deferred
A change may produce what appears to be only a minimal reaction at the time it is initiated, but then resistance surfaces weeks, months, or even years later

- reside in basic human

characteristics such as perceptions, personalities, and needs

As human beings, were creatures of habit, this tendenc to respond in our accustomed ways becomes a source o resistance.

People with a high need for security are likely to resist change because it threatens their feelings of safety

Concerned that changes will lower ones income. Changes in job tasks can arouse economic fears, especially when pay is closely tied to productivity

Changes substitute ambiguity and uncertainty for the known. Employees in organizations hold the same dislik for uncertainty.

individuals shape their world through their perceptions. Once they have created this world, it resists change. So individuals are guilty of selectively processing informatio in order to keep their perceptions intact. They ignore information that challenges the world theyve created.

- Organizations, by their

very nature, are conservative. They actively resist chang

The people who are hired into an organization are chose for fit; they are then shaped and directed to behave in certain ways. When an organization is confronted with change, this structural inertia acts as a counterbalance to sustain stability.

Organizations are made up of a number of interdepende subsystems. You cant change one without affecting the others.

Even if individuals want to change their behaviour, group norms may act as a constraint. An individual union member, for instance, may be willing to accept changes his job suggested by management. But if union norms dictate resisting any unilateral change made by management, hes likely to resist

Changes in organizational patterns may threaten the expertise of specialized groups. The introduction of decentralized personal computers, which allow manager to gain access to information directly from a companys mainframe, is an example of a change that was strongly resisted by many information systems departments

Any redistribution of decision-making authority can threaten long-established power relationships within the organization. The introduction of participative decision making or self-managed work teams is the kind of chang that is often seen as threatening by supervisors and middle managers.

Those groups in the organization that control sizable resources often see change as a threat. They tend to be content with the way things are

Six tactics have been suggested for use by change agen in dealing with resistance to change:

Resistance can be reduced through communicating with employees to help them see the logic of a change. If employees receive the full facts and get any Misunderstandings cleared up, resistance will subside. Communication can be achieved through one-on-one discussions, memos, group presentations, or reports.

Its difficult for individuals to resist a change decision in which they participated. Assuming that the participants have the expertise to make a meaningful contribution, their involvement can reduce resistance, obtain commitment, and increase the quality of the change decision

Change agents can offer a range of supportive efforts to reduce resistance. When employee fear anxiety are high, employee counselling and therapy, new-skills training, or a short paid leave of absence may facilitate adjustment

Another way for the change agent to deal with potential resistance to change is to exchange something of value fo a lessening of the resistance.Negotiation as a tactic may necessary when resistance comes from a powerful sourc

Manipulation refers to covert influence attempts. Twisting and distorting facts to make them appear more attractive, withholding undesirable information, and creating false r rumors to get employees to accept a change are all examples of manipulation. Cooptation, on the other hand is a form of both manipulation and participation. It seeks t buy off the leaders of a resistance group by giving them key role in the change decision

The application of direct threats or force upon the resiste examples of coercion are threats of transfer, loss of promotions, negative performance evaluations, and a poo letter of recommendation

Kurt Lewin argued that successful change in organizations should follow three steps: unfreezing the status quo movement to a new state

and refreezing the new change to make it permanent

Change efforts to overcome the pressures of both individual resistance and group conformity

Stabilizing a change intervention by balancing driving and restraining forces

-A

change process based on systematic collection of data and then selection of a change action based on what the analyzed data indicate

The process of action research consists of five steps: diagnosis, analysis, feedback, action, and evaluation

The change agent, as an outside consultant begins by gathering information about problems, concerns, and needed changes from members of the organization then asks questions, interviews employees, reviews records, and listens to the concerns of employees.

The information gathered during the diagnostic stage is then analyzed. The change agent synthesizes this information into primary concerns, problem areas, and possible actions

The people who will be involved in any change program must be actively involved in determining what the problem is and participating in creating the solution. This step is sharing with employees what has been foun from steps one and two. The employees, with the help of the change agent, develop action plans for bringing abou any needed change

Now the action part of action research is set in motion. The employees and the change agent carry out the Specific actions to correct the problems that have been identified.

the change agent evaluates the effectiveness of the action plans. Using the initial data gathered as a benchmark, any subsequent changes can be compared and evaluated

- A collection of planned change interventions, built on humanistic-democratic values, that seeks to improve organizational effectiveness and employee well-being

The following briefly identifies the underlying values in most Organizational Development efforts:

Individuals are perceived as being responsible, conscientious, and caring. They should be treated with dignity and respect

The effective and healthy organization is characterized by trust, authenticity, openness, and a supportive climate

Effective organizations deemphasize hierarchical authority and control

Problems shouldnt be swept under the rug. They should be openly confronted

The more that people who will be affected by a change are involved in the decisions surrounding that change, the more they will be committed to implementing those decisions

Stress is a dynamic condition in which an individual is confronted with an opportunity, constraint, or demand related to what he or she desires and for which the outcome is perceived to be both uncertain and important

More typically, stress is associated with constraints and demands

Forces that prevent individuals from doing what they desire

The loss of something desired

there are three categories of potential stressors:

environmental organizational

and individual

Stress shows itself in a number of ways. For instance, an individual who is experiencing a high level of stress may develop: high blood pressure ulcers irritability difficulty in making routine decisions loss of appetite accident proneness

These can be subsumed under three general categories physiological, psychological, and behavioral symptoms

research led to the conclusion that stress could create changes in metabolism, increase heart and breathing rates, increase blood pressure, bring on headaches, and induce heart attacks

Stress can cause dissatisfaction. Job related stress can cause job-related dissatisfaction. Job dissatisfaction, in fact, is the simplest and most obvious psychological effect of stress. But stress shows itself in other psychological statesfor instance, tension, anxiety, irritability, boredom, and procrastination

Behaviorally related stress symptoms include changes in productivity, absence, and turnover, as well as changes in eating habits, increased smoking or consumption of alcohol, rapid speech, fidgeting, and sleep disorders

Individual and organizational approaches towards managing stress

Individual strategies that have proven effective include: implementing time management techniques e.g. prioritizing activities by importance and urgency, scheduling activities according to the priorities set, knowing your daily cycle

increasing physical exercise e.g. aerobics, walking, jogging, swimming, and riding a bicycle

 relaxation training e.g. meditation, hypnosis and expanding the social support network e.g. having friends, family, or work colleagues to talk to provides an outlet when stress levels become excessive

Strategies that management might want to consider include: improved personnel selection and job placement - some individuals may adapt better to high-stress jobs and perform those jobs more effectively use of realistic goal setting - The use of goals can reduce stress as well as provide motivation

 redesigning of jobs - reducing skill variety should also reduce uncertainties and stress levels increased employee involvement - giving employees a voice in decisions that directly affect their job performances, management can increase employee control and reduce this role stress

 improved organizational communication - reduces uncertainty by lessening role ambiguity and role conflict and establishment of corporate wellness programs - typically provide workshops to help people quit smoking, control alcohol use, lose weight, eat better, and develop a regular exercise program

It is impossible to think about leadership, motivation, organizational environment, roles and other concepts without inquiring about change. The real world is turbulent, requiring organizations and their members to undergo dynamic change if they are to perform at competitive levels