Organizational Behavior: Communication and Resistance to Change in a Law Firm

This case study discusses communication and resistance to change issues faced by two partners in a law firm. It outlines reasons for employee resistance, strategies to minimize resistance, communication barriers and ways to overcome them, sources of power and influencing tactics used by the partners.

Running head: Organizational behavior
Organizational behavior
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Organizational behavior
Table of Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................3
Answer 1.....................................................................................................................................................3
A. Reasons for employees resisting the change...........................................................................................3
B.What the partners might have done to minimize the resistance................................................................4
Answer 2.....................................................................................................................................................5
A.Barriers to communication.......................................................................................................................5
B.How they could be overcome or handle...................................................................................................6
Answer 3......................................................................................................................................................7
A.Sources of power the partners and their impact.......................................................................................7
B.Influencing tactics or strategies initiated by the employees and partners.................................................8
Conclusion...................................................................................................................................................9
References.................................................................................................................................................10
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Organizational behavior
Introduction
The primary motive of this case study is to outline and discuss about the communication and
resistance to change issues which are being faced by the two partners while functioning. The
paper outlines that how Cheethnam and Wyame could able to shift office at new place. Various
tactics and strategies that used by the partners have been elaborated below.
Answer 1
A. Reasons for employees resisting the change
Resistance to change is the action or step taken by the employee or groups when they perceive
various managerial changes while functioning globally. Resistance to change put direct impact
on the performance and productivity of the workers and organization as well. The new partners
have started new business to maximize and enhance the profitability and outcomes (Blin and
Munro 2008). The new partners further started to evaluate and analyze the worker’s reaction to
their new open plan office shift. There were several people who were resisting to adopt new open
plan office. At the same time, most of people were adopting and welcoming the new managerial
change in their organization. There are various reasons due to which company has to bear ample
of losses and issues globally (Allison and Martiny 2008). Due to many personal life issues, there
were many people who are unable to accept the changes within the organization and some of the
people refusing these changes were complaining professional and major concerns and challenges
(Crozier et al 2008). In the initial time, senior managers or partners were first who complaining
about their new office sitting and they further demanding for a separate space in the office. There
are various reasons for employees resisting the change to an open plan office approach which has
been discussed below.
 Poor communication is one of the significant reasons that is why employee resist the
change for an open plan office approach in the organization. Generally, after a meeting
people had stayed in one of the meeting rooms to talk and discuss about their
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employment or jobs. Due to new office plan approach, the employees are unable to stay
in the conference and meetings rooms.
 Along with this, the employers are unable to provide proper and enough space to the
workers in the workplace. It may affect the working capacity and effectiveness within the
organization. Due to lack of proper space, they could fail to spend time together during
launch and tea time (Chenoweth and Cunningham 2013).
 Aside this, the newly opened office is far from the market so people are unable to go in
the market easily. The other employee says that it is very expensive as compared to
previous plan. That means, there is a less connectivity from the global market. In
addition, the employees cannot take calls in the meeting rooms due to this new office
plan. Furthermore, the people cannot see outside while working and functioning in the
office (Bouckenooghe 2010).
 Privacy issues also are dealt while setting new office plan along with this, the employers
are facing various complexities while online bookings of conference and meeting rooms
for client and guests meetings within the organization. Moreover, many advocates have
complained that they usually need to discuss private matter and issues with guests or
clients over the phone and are failed to take the calls in meeting rooms (Alvesson and
Sveningsson 2015).
B.What the partners might have done to minimize the resistance
Cheetham and Wayme are operating and managing a law firm as they trying to handle and
resolve the various issues which are being faced by them. They have decided to implement new
open plan office shift to run the business activities successfully. The partners have used various
strategies to resolve and overcome these issues and challenges, some of the efforts that might
have done by Cheetham and Wayme have been discussed below.
 Cheetham and Wayme appoint young executives to render a separate private place or
space for the personal use and meetings. This place will further help to provide a place
where people can talk and spend some time at the workplace. After a meeting, a few of
the paralegal workers can stay in this private or separate room. This effort will help the
two partners for reducing and eliminating the resisting to change issue. The new private
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office would also help to make happy and comfortable to the workers as it also helps in
managing their personal life and grievances successfully. Lack of private space problem
can be minimized and removed by providing private space and meeting room to the
subordinates while functioning and working in the organization.
 The expensive market and less connectivity were the biggest issues or challenges in law
firm which being dealt by the partners. To resolve this issue, reallocation of the market
might have done by the employers at the workplace. It will also help in reallocating the
projects and tenders among the employees smoothly and effectively (Hon, Bloom and
Crant 2014).
 Privacy was one of the significant and major concerns for Cheethnam and Wayme while
making and fixing the private conversations with guests or clients in the global market.
To handle and overcome this issue, partners are rendering online booking facility for
meetings, routine conversation with guests about their personal issues and topics. It will
further help to provide 3-4 conference room where subordinates can discuss their
personal matters and issues. It will further help to handle and prevent the challenges and
issues that the workers are entertaining while booking online conference rooms. By
putting all these efforts, the two partners would able to minimize and handle the
resistance to change at the workplace (Alvesson and Sveningsson 2015).
Answer 2
A.Barriers to communication
It is stated that there are ample of barriers are being faced by the law firm related to the noise at
the workplace. This issue also affects the performance and productivity of the firm and
employees as well. Noise issue also affects the working capacity and effectiveness of the
employees in a large extent (Hon, Bloom and Crant 2014). It is a serious and biggest concern
that needs to be handled and managed by making unique and attractive strategies and policies at
the workplace (Bruckman 2008). Noise issue is not acceptable in law firm because professional
persons work in the organization as they need full silence and concentration while working.
Some of the communication (noise) issues have been drawn below.
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Organizational behavior
 It is noted that employees perform different tasks and duties at the workplace while
functioning in law firm. But some people were disturbing the work of others because they
being involved in personal chats in the workplace instead of doing work. It could affect
the effectiveness and efficiency of others who were working sincerely in the organization
(Self and Schraeder 2009).
 Personal talk during working hours was another issue that dealt by the employees while
sitting in the conference and meeting rooms.
 Poor and ineffective communication was another concern that affecting the outcomes and
profitability of the firm. During the meetings, the lawyers were discussing their personal
issues and grievances that is serious issue for the firm (Jones et al 2008).
 Due to lack of communication, the lawyers could fail to focus on the tasks and duties
when making communication and conversation with clients. Noise also affects the growth
and success of the business as it is a serious concern to the professional and significant
communication in the workplace (Thomas and Hardy 2011).
B.How they could be overcome or handle
There are enormous ways to handle and eliminate the communication or noise barriers in the law
firm while functioning. Some of the significant ways have been discussed below.
 Shift in the new location is one of the biggest ways to reduce and handle the
communication issues in the workplace. The new location or place would help to make
personal discussion easy and effective while working. In this new location, people are
further permitted to talk about their personal life and daily life. This will help in
preventing and reducing the communication (noise) issues at the workplace.
 The company can provide a separate client meeting space for the workers to eliminate the
communication issues while working. Conference and meeting rooms can be used for this
purpose within the organization. Confidential meeting rooms can be provided to the
employees for reducing barriers and issues related to communication (Fiske 2010).
 Noise cancelling earphones could be used to overcome the communication issues at the
workplace. Cathy and Mark can buy such earphones for their workers to enhance and
improve their effectiveness and productivity. By using such efforts and noise cancelling
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earphones, the company can overcome the communication concerns and challenges
which are being occurred at the workplace.
 Maintaining good and strong relationship with workers further help in minimizing and
handling communication barriers while functioning in the organization (Anderson and
Anderson 2010).
Answer 3
A.Sources of power the partners and their impact
Power may be defined as a tool or method that is implemented or exercised by the leaders or
managers within the organization to guide and assist the workers effectively and efficiently. By
using effective power, the managers or leaders are able to influence the workers for performing
tasks and duties in a hassle free manner. The power which exercised by the leaders is unique and
quite different in every organization. It will help to accomplish the desired objectives and goals
effectively (Daft, Murphy and Willmott 2010). There are various sources of power including
legitimate power, reward power, coercive power and expert power. Some of the power can be
used by two partners in the law firm which are discussed below.
Legitimate power: The legitimate power may be defined as a power that derives from the
employee to hold the formal office or position in the company’s hierarchy of authority or power.
The employee is responsible to give their reviews and feedback to the workers while functioning
in their team. The two partners have responsible to delegate the roles and responsibilities among
the employees in the workplace. This power put direct impact on the performance and
effectiveness of the workers in the workplace because it helps in maximizing the efficiency of
the workers ( Wheelen et al 2017).
Reward power: The reward power refers to a power of a leader or manager to give some type of
reward to a worker as a means to affect the worker to act. Rewards can be tangible and intangible
because it helps in maximizing the working capacity of workers in the competitive market.
Reward power may put direct impact on the performance and productivity of some other
workers. This power further will make happy the employees at the workplace and they do not
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deny to accepting managerial changes which are occurring in the law firm. Reward power
increases and enhances moral, loyalty and trust of the workers in the workplace (Alvesson 2013).
B.Influencing tactics or strategies initiated by the employees and partners
In the given case of Cheetham and Wayme law firm, the partners have joined the company only
4 years ago. These partners are founder of the law and used power or authority to influence
employees for fulfilling the roles and responsibilities effectively and efficiently. They decided to
shift the office at new place to maximize performance effectively. Along with this, they did not
prefer the employee’s comfort zone and happiness while shifting this office. Power is used by the
leaders to know that what people want at the workplace. Power also helps in implementing the
managerial changes in the organization. Without exercising power, the employees could not able
to overcome the various issues such as communication and resistance to change. Apart from this,
power also helps to know and identify the tastes, preferences, attitudes, goal, objectives, and
behavior of the employees. Power is further significant because it helps to overcome the
consequences and conflicts which are occurring in the workplace. This also helps in providing
competitive benefits in the workplace. Power training can be conducted by partners in order to
improve and enhance the financial position and image of the organization. Personal chats and
client meeting spaces are being used by the partners to overcome the communication barriers and
issues at the workplace (Pettigrew 2014).
To influence employees, partners were using various strategies and tactics including
legitimating, coercive, rational persuasion, exchange, pressure, motivation, ingratiation, personal
appeal and coalition. By using all these powers, the employees were trying to reduce and
eliminate the resistance to change impacts. Both the senior partners took the decision to shift the
office at new place. Furthermore, they were not taking suggestions from the workers about the
new open plan office. They were providing separate cabins and space to employees for boosting
their morale and self respect. The measure impact of these tactics or strategies is that they want
to augment efficiency and outcomes of the employees in the law firm (Buchanan and Badham
2008).
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Conclusion
It is concluded from the above mentioned study that the company have to face ample of
challenges and issues while making the changes in organization’s infrastructure and resources.
Resistance to change may put adverse impact on the effectiveness and efficiency of the
employees and organization as well. The paper analyses that how law firm could implement
tactics or strategies to overcome on the various issues related to the workers. Cheetham and
Wayme use ample of effective and dynamic strategies to reduce the communication and noise
issues at the workplace. It is recommended that two partners should maintain strong and power
relationship with employees to avert and reduce the resistance to change issues. Furthermore,
training and development shall be held by law firm to explain the benefits of the changes at the
workplace.
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