Proceedings of 10th Global Business and Social Science Research Conference
23 -24 June 2014, Radisson Blu Hotel, Beijing, China, ISBN: 978-1-922069-55-9
Overcoming Resistance to Change in Emergency Service
Organizations
Faye X. Zhu and Robert S. Fleming
Those at the helm of successful contemporary organizations recognize the
reality of change, as well as the need to proactively prepare for and address
change. While the environment of all contemporary organizations is
constantly changing, the challenges facing certain industries are
remarkable.
The industry studied in this research, emergency services, while traditionally
impacted by gradual evolutionary change, such as the implementation of
paramedic units to supplement the traditional patient care delivered by
emergency medical technicians, has in recent years began to experience
more revolutionary change driven by factors including the aging of the “baby
boomer” generation and the corresponding need for more healthcare
services.
This research considered how emergency service organizations that provide
fire and emergency medical services to the communities that they serve are
addressing the present and future necessity to proactively manage change
in the interest of ensuring their success in meeting and exceeding service
expectations and in turn enhancing their future organizational success and
survival. In addition to developing an understanding of the various types of
change that these organizations currently face and will likely face in the
future, the study sought to identify appropriate change management
strategies that have proven effective in successfully overcoming resistance
to change in fire and emergency service organizations.
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Drs. F. X. Zhu and R. S. Fleming, Department of Management & Entrepreneurship, Rorher
College of Business, Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey, U.S.A.