Information Technology

Project Management
By : Edward simon

Managing Organizational
Change, Resistance, &
Conflict

11-2

Reactions to Change
At any given point in our lives, we all go various changes
School
Family
Personal

We have all been through change - but how do we think

about and manage it?
Dealing with the people issues, or soft side of
technology, is an area that most technical people do not
enjoy.
Many technical people and managers naively believe
that the users within the organization will gladly
embrace a new system if it is built properly.

11-3

Managers & Technical People May Have The

False Beliefs
People want this change.
Monday morning well turn on the system
and theyll use it.
A good training program will answer all of
their questions and then theyll love it.
Our people have been through a lot of
change whats one more change going to
matter?
We see the need for helping our people
adjust, but we had to cut something.
They have two choices. They can change or
they can leave.
11-4

In Reality,
Some people believe that it is easier to gain
compliance than it is to gain acceptance
It assumes that everyone will comply and that
compliance is long lasting

Unfortunately,
The change may not occur
People will comply for a time and then do
things to get around the change
Users will accept only a portion of the change

And the full benefits of the project (MOV)

are never realized or only after a great deal
of time and resources are expended
11-5

Change Management
Acceptance is much more powerful and longer
lasting than compliance
This requires that employees be prepared properly
before the system is implemented
A company going green requires employees to give up
individual printers and share printer servers. Losing
entitlements can cause resentment.

Change management helps smooth the transition

and implementation of the new IT solution
Defined by the Gartner Group
The transforming of the organization so it is aligned
with the execution of a chosen corporate business
strategy. It is the management of the human element in
a large-scale change project.
11-6

The Nature of Change

Whether we view change as positive
(anticipation) or negative (dread),
there is a certain amount of stress
that accompanies each change.
Change has an Impact.
Change is a Process.
Change is Emotional.

11-7

Assimilating Change
Organizations must deal with change as an individual
would and manage within the change threshold
Positive (anticipation) or negative (dread) change causes
stress and anxiety
Assimilation is the process of adapting to change. How
long it takes is a function of the impact of the change
Not assimilating fast enough or too many changes at once
can lead to problems. Managing change is critical.
To much change can lead to organizational dysfunction
Inability to take advantage of new opportunities
Inability to solve current problems
Can eventually lead to an inability to make a profit

11-8

Assimilation of change required

Assimilating Change
Assimilation is the process we use to adjust to
positive or negative changes.
Problems occur when we have to deal with too many
changes or when we cant assimilate to change fast
enough.

Change
Threshold

Time
11-9

Assimilating Change
Leavitts Model of Organizational Change
suggest that changes in people,
technology, task or organizational structure
can influence or impact other areas
The four areas are interdependent a change
in one can result in a change in other areas
Implementing a new IT system (technology) can
lead to new roles and responsibilities (people)
as well as impact the work they perform (tasks)
and the structure of the organization (formal or
informal)

11-10

Impact of Organizational
Change (Leavitts Model)
People

Structure

Technology

Task

11-11

Change Is a Process
Kurt Lewin Force Field Analysis / Change
Theory
Help to analyze and understand the forces for
and against a particular plan or change initiative
FFA technique for developing a big picture that
involves all the forces in favor or against a
particular change
Driving forces facilitate change
Resisting forces act as barriers to change
By understanding all these forces, one may enact
strategies or decisions that take into account all
of the various interests
11-12

Change Is a Process
The present state represents the status quo
To change from the current state, there must be
driving forces to initiate and motivate the change
This requires an unfreezing or an altering of the current
states habits, perceptions and stability (feeling of loss)

The transition state or neutral zone can be a limbo or

emotional wilderness for many individuals
Rushing individuals through the transition results in
confusion and the resisting forces
(emotional/psychological barriers) tend to push the
individuals back to their present state or to escape
(leave the organization)
Staying too long in the transition state may lead to a
compromise and only a portion of the change may be
implemented
11-13

Change is a Process
Driving Forces

Present
State

Unfreezing

Resisting Forces

Transition
State

Changing

Desired
State
Refreezing New Status Quo

Force Field Analysis Lewin, 1951

11-14

Emotional Response to
Change
Change can also bring out emotional responses
An well established equilibrium is upset
Five stages of grieving (Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, On
Death and Dying) have been applied to handling
change
Management may be way ahead of others in the
stages due to knowing about the change early
on. They must have patience to let other reach
the same stage.
Sense of loss of status quo
Acceptance accept but not necessarily like the
change, deal with it

11-15

Five Stages of Grieving

Denial

Shock and disbelief - Are you serious? This cant be true!

Anger

Blaming others for the change -

Bargaining

feel anger, dont act on it

Attempts to make deals to avoid the change, we can

work things out
Looks for ways to extend the status quo

Depression

Admits that change is inevitable and understands the

impact
Recognizes loss of the status quo

Acceptance

Coming to grips with the change, deals with it

Moving on to the new state
11-16

Emotional Responses to
Change

active

Emotional
Response

anger
acceptance

bargaining
stability

passive

denial
shock

testing
depression

Time

Elizabeth Kubler- Ross, 1969

11-17

Reactions to Change
Change may

Be an ending
Mean giving something up
Be stressful
Be easier for those initiating the change
Be the basis for resistance and conflict
Change the rules for success

11-18

Change Management Plan

To succeed with change, the key is to
plan and manage the change and the
associated transition effectively
Just creating a change management
plan sends a message that
management cares about its employees
and will take seriously their concerns
The project team and sponsor should
address and be clear on several
important areas
11-19

Change Management Plan

11-20

Assess Willingness, Readiness, and Ability to

Change
Players involved in change
Sponsor
Initiating vs. sustaining sponsor
A major portion of the organizations ability and
willingness to support the change rests with the
sponsors commitment to the project and the
associated change that will impact the organization

Change Agents
The project manager and team make the change
happen
Report directly to the plan sponsor
Must consider how change impacts the rest of the
organization (loss of power, control, relationships)
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Assess Willingness, Readiness, and Ability to

Change
Targets of Change
The users, customers, etc.
Must understand

The real impacts of the change

The breadth of change
Whats over and whats not
Whether the rules for success have changed
New management now promotes based on
performance and not seniority

11-22

Develop or Adopt a Strategy

for Change
RationalEmpirical Approach
How will change benefit a particular person or
group identified as a target of the change
Message must be consistent, accurate and
timely
Saying nothing can send the wrong message

Picture vision as to how the organization will

look or operate in the future
Purpose, - reason for the change, impact on
entire organization (current poor service)
Part to Play involvement in the change, WIIFM
(whats in it for me)
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Develop or Adopt a Strategy

for Change
Normative-Reeducation Approach
Focuses on helping people redefine their existing
social norms into a new set that supports the change
effort
People are social beings and human behavior can be
changed by changing the social norms of a group
Focus on the core values, beliefs, and established
relationships that make up the culture of the group
rather than the individual
This approach can be very difficult and time
consuming because the change agents and sponsor
must study the existing values and beliefs of a group
Need to unfreeze the current norms and set new
norms to replace them

11-24

Develop or Adopt a Strategy

for
Change
Power-Coercive Approach
Compliance through the exercise of power, authority,
rewards or threat of punishment for nonconformance
May lead to employees looking for other employment
Others may just wait out the storm and wait for the old ways
to return
OTOH, the shock may wake up employees to reality and gain
their acceptance. When time is of the essence, this approach
can work if employees have no other options

Environmental-Adaptive Approach
Although people may avoid disruption and loss, they can
still adapt to change
Cortez burned the boats when he heard grumbling from his
men forced to press on
Switch word processor over weekend so on Monday everyone
is forced to use the new version
11-25

Implement the Change Management

Plan and Track Progress
Communication
Watch out for the rumor mill!
Media is important
Face to face communication is generally
preferable when delivering important or
bad news

Must flow in both directions.

What you dont say is as important as
what you do say!
11-26

Evaluate Experience and

Develop Lessons Learned
Experiences should be documented
and made available to other project
teams
Overall success of the change
management plan should be
evaluated
Help to determine the effectiveness of
the different players or a particular
change management strategy
11-27

Best Practices
Provide consistent communication and
involvement WIIFM (Whats In It For Me)
Determine support needs - where do people
go for help and information?
Measure and communicate progress (Quick
Wins)
Build the need for change (Burning
Platform)
Ensure visible, consistent sponsorship
Allow the disenchanted to vent
Listen, listen, and listen some more
11-28

Resistance and Conflict

Resistance should be anticipated from the
outset of the project
Resistance can be either overt, in the form
of memos, meetings, etc., or covert, in the
form of sabotage, foot dragging, politicking,
etc.
Resistance can arise for many valid reasons.
E.g., Response time of the system is too slow or
lacks requested features and functionality

Resistance due to cultural or behavioral

reasons is harder to rationalize, but still can
keep a project from reaching its intended
goal
11-29

Why Do People Resist

Change?
People may perceive the change as requiring more time
and energy than they are willing to invest.
People may feel that a change will mean giving up
something that is familiar, comfortable, and predictable.
People may be annoyed with the disruption caused by
the change, even if they know that it will be beneficial
in the long run.
People may believe that the change is being imposed
on them externally, and their egos will not tolerate
being told what to do.
People may resist because of the way the decision to
change was announced or because it was forced on
them.

11-30

Conflict Management
Focuses on preventing, managing, or
resolving conflicts.
It is important to identify potential conflicts
as early as possible so that the conflict can
be addressed.
Although conflict can be positive and help
form new ideas and establish commitment,
negative conflict left unresolved can lead
to damaged relationships, mistrust,
unresolved issues, continued stress,
dysfunctional behavior, and low
productivity and morale.
11-31

Although conflict is one of the things most of us

dislike intensely, it is inevitable. Most often when
we try to avoid conflict, it will nevertheless seek us
out. Some people wrongly hope that conflict will go
away if it is ignored. In fact, conflict ignored is more
likely to get worse, which can significantly reduce
project performance. The best way to reduce
conflict is to confront it.
(Verma, 1998, p. 367)

11-32

Types of Conflict
Traditional View
All conflict should be avoided

Why cant we all just get along?

Contemporary View
Conflict is inevitable and natural
Positive conflict stimulates ideas
Lets agree to disagree!

Negative conflict can be damaging

Interactionist View
Conflict is necessary for performance

Devils advocate
Stir the pot to encourage positive conflict
Tough to manage properly
11-33

Types of Conflict
Verma points out that conflict within projects
can fit into one, or a combination, of three
categories
1. Conflicts associated with the goals, objectives
or specifications of the project
2. Conflicts associated with the administration,
management structures or underlying
philosophies of the project
3. Conflicts associated with the interpersonal
relationships among people based on work
ethics, styles, egos or personalities
34

Approaches to Conflict
Avoidance
Retreat, withdraw, or ignore conflict
Cooling off period may be a wise move

Accommodation
Appease the parties in conflict, may be only
useful in the short-term

Forcing
Dominant authority resolves conflict, useful
when time critical decision is needed

11-35

Approaches to Conflict
Compromise
Involves aspects of forcing and accomodation
Bargaining important aspect of a project may
be compromised (e.g., quality standards
compromised to meet project schedule)

Collaboration
Confronting and attempting to solve the
problem by incorporating different ideas,
viewpoints, and perspectives.
Requires time and sincere desire to work out a
mutually acceptable solution

11-36

Approach to Conflict
Situation
Each conflict situation is unique and the
choice of an
approach to resolve conflict depends on:
Type of conflict and its relative importance to
the project.
Time pressure to resolve the conflict.
Position of power or authority of the parties
involved.
Whether the emphasis is on maintaining the
goals, objectives of the project or maintaining
relationships.
11-37

ASANTE

ASANTE
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