Due to an increased rate of change in the environment, companies have to be able to adapt to new circumstances constantly in order to remain competitive. This comes along with organizational changes effecting the organization and its employees to different degrees. However, most people try to sustain the status quo and therefore resist change proposals, which often leads to dysfunctional conflicts within the change process. Top managers who want to introduce changes to their companies should therefore ask themselves how they can use upcoming resistance efficiently as a driver for change. The following paper will investigate this problem from an academic point of view in order to derive to a founded theory of how to use resistance for change instead of against it.
This paper consists of three parts and uses academic articles on topics of change and resistance, to determine main aspects of the theory and their importance for the field. These articles and their main assumptions will be discussed in a structured and critical literature review: An insight into literature about organizational change will be given, as well as its challenges and implications for resistance. As a next step, literature about resistance in organizations will be reviewed with a focus on aspects that work as drivers for resistance, different forms of resistance and how these are expressed. This part closes with a review on the two opposite perspectives of resistance: resistance as an obstacle to change and resistance as a helpful tool for change.
In the second part of the paper the precedent literature review will be used for an analysis answering the main question, deriving to a theory – based on the model of Kotter&Schlesinger - of how to use resistance in a company as a driver for change. The report will be concluded with recommendations for further research.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- INTRODUCTION
- LITERATURE REVIEW
- CHANGE
- RESISTANCE
- ANALYSIS
- HOW CAN MANAGERS USE RESISTANCE TO IMPLEMENT CHANGE?
- Methods of dealing with resistance to change
- DISCUSSION
- CONCLUSION
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper aims to explore how resistance can be utilized as a driving force for change within organizations, rather than viewed as an obstacle. It delves into the dynamics of change and resistance, examining their interrelationship and the potential for managers to leverage resistance in implementing change effectively.
- The relationship between power and resistance in organizational change.
- The diverse forms of resistance and their manifestation in different organizational contexts.
- Strategies for managing resistance to change, considering both positive and negative aspects.
- The impact of individual and organizational factors on resistance to change.
- Exploring the potential of resistance as a catalyst for positive change within organizations.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: This chapter establishes the research problem, which focuses on understanding how managers can effectively utilize resistance to change as a driver for organizational development. It outlines the structure of the paper and the methodology used to conduct the literature review.
- Literature Review: This chapter presents a comprehensive review of relevant academic literature on organizational change and resistance. It analyzes the dynamics of change, including its impact on employees and managers, and explores various approaches to understanding resistance.
- Analysis: This chapter delves into the analysis of resistance, utilizing the framework developed in the literature review. It focuses on examining the main question of the paper: how managers can leverage resistance to implement change effectively. It draws on the work of Kotter & Schlesinger to develop a theoretical model for managing resistance as a catalyst for change.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The primary keywords and focus topics of this paper are organizational change, resistance to change, power dynamics, management strategies, change management models, employee behavior, and organizational development. The paper examines these concepts through a lens of theoretical frameworks and real-world applications, aiming to contribute to the understanding of how resistance can be a valuable asset in the process of organizational change.
- Quote paper
- Anita Theis (Author), 2012, How might resistance constitute a driver for change rather than an obstacle?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/205963
