Information Technology
Project Management
By Jack T. Marchewka
Northern Illinois University
Power Point Slides by Gerald DeHondt
Grand Valley State University
Managing Organizational
Change, Resistance, & Conflict
Chapter 11
11-2
Reactions to Change
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At any given point in our lives, we all go various changes
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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
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People want this change.
Monday morning we’ll turn on the system and they’ll use
it.
A good training program will answer all of their questions
and then they’ll love it.
Our people have been through a lot of change – what’s
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, …
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Some people believe that it is easier to gain compliance
than it is to gain acceptance
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Unfortunately,
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It assumes that everyone will comply and that compliance is
long lasting
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
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Change Management
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Acceptance is much more powerful and longer lasting than
compliance
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This requires that employees be prepared properly before the system
is implemented
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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
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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
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Whether we view change as positive (anticipation) or
negative (dread), there is a certain amount of stress that
accompanies each change.
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11-7
Change has an Impact.
Change is a Process.
Change is Emotional.
Assimilating Change
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Organizations must deal with change as an individual would
and manage within the change threshold
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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 can’t assimilate to change fast
enough.
Change
Threshold
Time
11-9
Assimilating Change
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Leavitt’s Model of Organizational Change suggest that
changes in people, technology, task or organizational
structure can influence or impact other areas
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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)
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Impact of Organizational Change
(Leavitt’s Model)
People
Structure
Technology
Task
11-11
Change Is a Process
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Kurt Lewin – Force Field Analysis / Change Theory
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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
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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 state’s
habits, perceptions and stability (feeling of loss)
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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
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Change is a Process
Driving Forces
Present
State
Unfreezing
Force Field Analysis – Lewin, 1951
11-14
Resisting Forces
Transition
State
Changing
Desired
State
Refreezing New Status Quo
Emotional Response to Change
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Change can also bring out emotional responses
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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
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Acceptance – accept but not necessarily like the change, “deal
with it”
11-15
Five Stages of Grieving
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Denial
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Anger
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Attempts to make deals to avoid the change, “we can work things out”
Looks for ways to extend the status quo
Depression
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Blaming others for the change - feel anger, don’t act on it
Bargaining
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Shock and disbelief - Are you serious? This can’t be true!
Admits that change is inevitable and understands the impact
Recognizes loss of the status quo
Acceptance
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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
11-17
shock
testing
depression
Time
Elizabeth Kubler- Ross, 1969
Reactions to Change
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Change may
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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
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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
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Assess Willingness, Readiness, and Ability to Change
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Players involved in change
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Sponsor
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Initiating vs. sustaining sponsor
A major portion of the organization’s ability and willingness to
support the change rests with the sponsor’s commitment to
the project and the associated change that will impact the
organization
Change Agents
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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)
Assess Willingness, Readiness, and Ability to Change
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Targets of Change
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The users, customers, etc.
Must understand
The real impacts of the change
 The breadth of change
 What’s over and what’s not
 Whether the rules for success have changed
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11-22
New management now promotes based on performance and not
seniority
Develop or Adopt a Strategy for Change
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Rational–Empirical Approach
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How will change benefit a particular person or group
identified as a target of the change
Message must be consistent, accurate and timely
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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 (what’s in it
for me)
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Develop or Adopt a Strategy for Change
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Normative-Reeducation Approach
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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
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Need to unfreeze the current norms and set new norms to
replace them
Develop or Adopt a Strategy for Change
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Power-Coercive Approach
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Compliance through the exercise of power, authority, rewards or
threat of punishment for nonconformance
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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
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Although people may avoid disruption and loss, they can still adapt
to change
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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
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Communication
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Watch out for the rumor mill!
Media is important
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Face to face communication is generally preferable
when delivering important or bad news
Must flow in both directions.
What you don’t say is as important as what you do
say!
11-26
Evaluate Experience and Develop Lessons
Learned
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Experiences should be documented and made available to
other project teams
Overall success of the change management plan should be
evaluated
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Help to determine the effectiveness of the different players or
a particular change management strategy
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Best Practices
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Provide consistent communication and involvement –
WIIFM (What’s 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
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Listen, listen, … and listen some more
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Resistance and Conflict
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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.
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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
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Why Do People Resist Change?
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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.
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Conflict Management
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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.
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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)
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Types of Conflict
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Traditional View
 All conflict should be avoided
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“Why can’t we all just get along?”
Contemporary View
 Conflict is inevitable and natural
 Positive conflict stimulates ideas
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“Let’s agree to disagree!”
Negative conflict can be damaging
Interactionist View
 Conflict is necessary for performance
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“Devil’s advocate”
Stir the pot to encourage positive conflict
Tough to manage properly
Types of Conflict
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Verma points out that conflict within projects can fit
into one, or a combination, of three categories
1.
2.
3.
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Conflicts associated with the goals, objectives or
specifications of the project
Conflicts associated with the administration,
management structures or underlying philosophies of
the project
Conflicts associated with the interpersonal
relationships among people based on work ethics,
styles, egos or personalities
Approaches to Conflict
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Avoidance
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Accommodation
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Retreat, withdraw, or ignore conflict
Cooling off period may be a wise move
Appease the parties in conflict, may be only useful in the
short-term
Forcing
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Dominant authority resolves conflict, useful when time
critical decision is needed
Approaches to Conflict
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Compromise
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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
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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
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Approach to Conflict Situation
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Each conflict situation is unique and the choice of an
approach to resolve conflict depends on:
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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.
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