The Running Head: An Organizational Behavior Case Study

Running Head: Organizational Behavior
Organizational Behavior
Case Study

Organizational Behavior 1
Contents
Reasons for resisting change...........................................................................................................3
1. No privacy............................................................................................................................3
2. Reduced focus.......................................................................................................................3
3. Partial behavior.....................................................................................................................3
Recommendations for partners to minimize resistance...................................................................3
1. Take Suggestions..................................................................................................................4
2. Online booking system.........................................................................................................4
3. Bigger spaces for senior employees.....................................................................................4
4. Partners should spend more time..........................................................................................4
Barriers to communication..............................................................................................................4
1. No privacy:...........................................................................................................................4
2. No transparency....................................................................................................................5
3. No clarity..............................................................................................................................5
4. False promises......................................................................................................................5
5. Biasness................................................................................................................................5
Overcoming barriers to communication..........................................................................................5
1. Transparent reviews:.............................................................................................................5
2. Discuss before promising.....................................................................................................6
3. Meeting rooms......................................................................................................................6

Organizational Behavior 2
4. Anonymous feedbacks..........................................................................................................6
5. Open door policy..................................................................................................................6
6. Respecting privacy................................................................................................................7
Sources of Power.............................................................................................................................7
Legitimate....................................................................................................................................7
Reward:........................................................................................................................................7
Coercive:......................................................................................................................................7
Expert...........................................................................................................................................8
Referent........................................................................................................................................8
Influence tactics...............................................................................................................................8
1. Exchange...............................................................................................................................8
2. Upward appeals....................................................................................................................8
3. Legitimating..........................................................................................................................8
References........................................................................................................................................9

Organizational Behavior 3
Reasons for resisting change
As mentioned in the case, Employees are resisting change in the plan of the interiors given to the
new office. The new office is predominantly following an open plan. Cubicles and cabins are
only assigned to the Partners of the firm and rest everyone shares a common seating space. This
was done to improvise communication, enforce team work and, reduce cost of making cubicles
and create a relaxed and vibrant working environment (Hongisto, 2016). According to Lewin’s
model also every change will have driving forces as well as restraining forces and the agenda of
the top management should be to reduce the impact of these restraining forces (Burke, 2017). It
has been noticed that this new plan is receiving mixed responses. Few reasons mentioned to
resist this are as below:
1. No privacy: A few ladies complained about not being able to talk to their boyfriends
during work hours as everyone can hear their communication. Also certain lawyers felt
that they could not discuss classified information with their clients because of the open
plan. Meeting rooms were assigned but the online system for booking the meeting room
is inefficient and hence people faced troubles specifically due to a lack of privacy in their
working space.
2. Reduced focus: The senior partners of the firm believe that the new relaxed environment
of the firm is making its employees more lethargic and hence reducing their focus on
work. They mentioned that people waste a lot of time chatting and loafing around which
they would have rather spend in working. They are therefore not comfortable with the
relaxed working culture.
3. Partial behavior: Few senior employees who earlier had personal cabins, have felt that
they are not as respected and they have lost their status in this open plan. Employees have
also noticed that both the partners have a well-designed cabin with a great view but they
are forced to sit in open. This implies a partial behavior and the employees find it unfair
(Anicich, 2015).