Managing Conflicts during Organizational Change

Conflicts arise anytime an organization embarks on any kind of change initiative. Change is stressful, no matter the reason. Transitions from the old way to the new way is difficult and lots of issues needed to be worked out. It happens at times that something might be good for the organization, but not for the employees. Even if they are not negatively affected, they might show resistance to the change. This resistance ultimately leads to conflicts related to the organizational change.

Managing Conflicts during Organizational Change
Rising of conflicts
Conflicts arise anytime an organization
embarks on any kind of change initiative.
Change is stressful, no matter the
reason. Transitions from the old way to
the new way is difficult and lots of issues
needed to be worked out. It happens at
times that something might be good for
the organization, but not for the
employees. Even if they are not
negatively affected, they might show
resistance to the change. This resistance
ultimately leads to conflicts related to
the organizational change (Mowday,
Porter & Steers, 2013).
Types of Conflict
• Individual based conflict
• Group based conflict
Managing Conflicts
Transitions and conflicts that arise during the time of organizational change is
considered as an important management function. Management makes the
difference between a comparatively smooth change and the risky effort. The
worst case is that if any of the conflicts remain unaddressed then they can
haunt associations and the organizational life long after the integration of the
change (Tjosvold, Wong & Feng Chen, 2014).
General Principles about People and Change
• People resist change
• People face many stages before the final adoption of change
• Knowledge has little to no effect on behavior
• Favorable attitude towards change do not always bring change
• People most of the time fail to do what is in their benefit
• Change is influenced by both cultural norms, social interactions
and emotions (Miller & Rollnick, 2012)
Source of Resistance to Change
Resistance surfaces when there is a certainty
that negative things would take place. People
would resist even if they are just confused
regarding the positive outcomes happening or
when there are many things left unknown.
Certain resistant actions might either be overt
or be covert. Either the open or hidden actions
might involve conflict. The conflict might have
arose due to the change itself. Such conflicts
manifests as a form of disagreement related to
the changes with the managers who are closest
to the individuals. It happens even if the
managers are not the main decision makers.
They are considered so as they are the
representatives of those who decide and
implement the change. At times, even
employees end up in a conflict with each other
– winners versus losers, for change versus
against change, or even random conflicts about
unrelated problems (Pieterse, Caniëls &
Homan, 2012).
Why Do People Resist Change?
Loss of Control
Excess uncertainty
No time for preparation
Desire for familiar surroundings
Loss of face
Concern regarding competence
Disruption of personal affairs
Additional work
Unresolved past resentment
Creation of winners and losers (Tagg, 2012)
General Approach to Tackle Change Resistance
Knocking down defense walls that are resistant to change
Recognizing the dissimilarity between positive and negative conflict and
turn negative conflict into positive opportunity.
Using the 4-step procedure for turning conflict into opportunity - explain
the issue while conserving the association, notice benefits while splitting
them from positions, creating possibilities that comprise both sides
requirements, and decide on how a resolution will be decided.
What Can Managers Do To Resist Change?
All the strategies discussed might not help in the
aversion of all conflicts related to change, but they
would facilitate movement via the transition
period. Most of the strategies have to be done
with the identification and addressing of some
particular resistance to change and continuing a
forward momentum in the direction of
organizational change goals.
Take help from trusted people, and different
methods for communicating messages that
address resistance at the right places and right
times.
Providing on time incentives and disincentives
Providing consistent, audience-approved reaction
and celebrating milestones in the direction of the
goals, evaluating progress and making adjustments
as required.
Aligning organizational structure as required for
supporting the change
Managing unavoidable conflicts and polarities,
finding common ground amongst multiple
objectives, helping people handle their stress
(Mintzberg, 2013)
At times, first line or even lower level managers
were not privy to the taken decision that brought
in the change. They might not have had all the
information related to the change that could have
helped their unit forging through the transition.
They too might have faced a negative impact of the
change. They might feel as resistant and vulnerable
as the other employees in the organization.
However, it is still expected from them to be
helping in the implementation and management of
the transition.
References
Miller, W. R., & Rollnick, S. (2012). Motivational
interviewing: Helping people change. Guilford press.
Mintzberg, H. (2013). Simply managing: What
managers do—and can do better. Berrett-Koehler
Publishers.
Mowday, R. T., Porter, L. W., & Steers, R. M.
(2013). Employee—organization linkages: The
psychology of commitment, absenteeism, and
turnover. Academic press.
Pieterse, J. H., Caniëls, M. C., & Homan, T. (2012).
Professional discourses and resistance to
change. Journal of Organizational Change
Management, 25(6), 798-818.
Tagg, J. (2012). Why does the faculty resist
change?. Change: The Magazine of Higher
Learning, 44(1), 6-15.
Tjosvold, D., Wong, A. S., & Feng Chen, N. Y. (2014).
Constructively managing conflicts in
organizations. Annu. Rev. Organ. Psychol. Organ.
Behav., 1(1), 545-568.