Porter Novelli or Southern Company Case Study

Use the Internet or Strayer Library to research three trends in HR. Be prepared to discuss.

WEEK 1 HRM 530

Describe why change can be so difficult for organizations.

Change becomes fundamentally difficult in most organizations because it is treated as something distinct from running the business, evolving performance and increasing results over time. Leaders and employees are stressed enough in getting done what is right in front of them that change is layered upon becomes disruptive.  

* Resistance to change is part of human nature. For many people, "sameness" is psychological security. Change leads to psychological insecurity. Most people like security. Even though it is difficult to change human nature, there is still value in understanding that resistance is normal and must be considered/managed. 

* Leaders do not set a good example to be change agents. Even the people who are advocating change are resistant to change. It is common for people to propose changes that impact others while exempting themselves. This type of approach is guaranteed to be resisted. 

* Culture Inertia: Change is about shaping the new culture, which is collective human habits of organization: Corporate culture can have its own personality and uncovering the fears and desires of that personality can be very important in discovering where the resistance is coming from. Resistance to change can be a form of self-defense that comes from fear. Whether it's in a corporate sense, or with individuals, understanding what motivates a personality is a key to understanding how to keep them moving ahead. 

* Emotional Attachment: Every change, even for something wonderful and new, carrying it in means the removal of something old and loved (even if that is old and loved is "nothing" as in many revolutionary or discontinuous inventions). People are emotionally attached to those things being possessed. So, it stands to reason that humans would react similarly to changes such as...