Understanding and Coping with Change

Understanding and Coping with Change

Rebekah Dandeneau

BUS610: Organizational Behavior (MOC1608B)

Instructor: Dr. Gregory Goussak

March 21, 2016

Understanding and Coping with Change

. Change in the workplace is an issue that employers, employees, and managers have to accept at some point in their career. That is why it is important to understand the effects of change. Employees are expected to be committed to continuous change and accomplish it without a decrease in production (Decker, Wheeler, Johnson, & Parson, 2001). This means that the employee should perform well and accept the change at the same time without it interrupting production. As a result employees experience changes they cannot control from internal and external forces (Brookins, n.d.).

Every employee experiences change in the workplace and needs to find explanations to cope with this change. An employee feels that he has lost control of the situation and become stressed resulting in his ability to be as productive (Kotter International, n.d.). Creating a resistance to change making the change much more complicated resulting in decreased production. John Kotter suggested that there is five reasons people resist change these are (a) self-interest, (b) lack of understanding (c) lack of trust in management (d) differing assessments of the need for change and (e) low tolerance for change (Baack, 2012). (Baack) Managers respond to this resistance to change with strategies that include educating, communicating, participating, involving, and supporting employees using Kotter’ 8-step model for change the change can go smoothly and does not have to affect production. (2012).

Resistance to Change that is self-Interest

McDonald’s was sold to new owners and the employees were told that they would not be affected by this change very much the change would affect mostly the managers. Not to worry that the employees should really be glad that the store was sold...