Human Resource Management Final Exam Case Study Model Questions
1.You overhear a fellow manager complaining that her team are all resistant to change and she doesn’t know what to do. Based on your understanding of RTC is the manager correct and what advice could you give her?
In spite of the fact that resistance to change is usually viewed as an illogical and irrational process that prevents a company from effective change, resistance is a natural reaction toward the changes introduced in employees’ work (Ford et al., 2008; Bovey & Hede, 2001). It is natural for an individual to seek comfort and stability (Bovey & Hede, 2001). Changes make a person to work harder, improve his or her skills and apply his or her abilities to new areas in order to adapt to organizational change (Bovey & Hede, 2001). As a result, people may feel angry, shocked, and depressed with changes and deny changes (Bovey & Hede, 2001). Resistance may benefit the process of change if open communication with employees will be used as a form of solving conflicts, since it will give an opportunity to discuss the changes from different sides.
According to Ford et al. (2008), complaints and criticizing as forms of resistance help to improve the process of change and see the gaps in a certain program before it would be implemented. Criticism increases active involvement of employees in the negotiation process (Ford et al., 2008). Employees who agree with changes rarely express their own opinion about changes, while rebels prefer explaining their point of view, if a leader is ready to hear them (Ford et al., 2008). As a result, the dialogue with criticizing employees helps understand problems which the changes may lead and take measures in advance in order to avoid these obstacles.
In fact, effective communication may be a successful way out for a manager if her or his team resists to changes (Husain, 2013). First of all, it is necessary to explain the needs of change for all employees (Husain, 2013). Lack of information about necessity of change may lead to confrontation and misunderstanding between managers and employees (Husain, 2013). Consequently, it would be good for a manager to gather employees together and present evidences why changes should be done. Encouraging employees to express their opinion and share their ideas for planning the change process will build trust between employees and a manager, and motivate employees to be engaged in the change process (Husain, 2013). Moreover, employees’ engagement in the change process will decrease their resistance, since they will feel a community spirit (Husain, 2013). Finally, giving a feedback to employees and asking a feedback will allow a manager to be aware how well employees understand the change process and what difficulties they have.
A manager can take a role of a change champion, a change consultant, a change adapter, and a change synergist for building an effective communication while change process (Caldwell, 2001). Thus, …
