Organizational Change

Running head: ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE
Organizational Change
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author note

1ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE
I. Introduction
Organisational change is the modification or transformation of organisation’s structure or
process. Organisational change is an important part of an organisation and is inevitable in a
current progressive culture. Organisation must always adapt to changes without going against the
forces of change. Organisation can be changed in multiple ways such as technology, structure,
people and other elements1. The change in the individual behaviour of the employees is required
when organisational change is introduced. When the changes disrupt the situation or
environment and are detrimental to the interests of individuals or groups, they will resist the
change.
Organizational change processes are influenced by the use of power and the behaviour of
interest groups in and around organisations. In this context, power is a mean to control and
determine the future of departments and organizations, the outcomes of interpersonal conflicts,
and personal security and prosperity. Most of power issues are closely related to the heart of
individuals in comparison to the concern of the organization’s business. Being dedicated to the
organization is not enough to make a successful organization. More importantly, being dedicated
to a set of managerial and ethical values can make an organisation successful. Without proper
dedication to these values may result in poor organizational health and low productivity.
This essay explores the argument that national culture affects the use and acceptance of
power in change programs. This will be explored by comparing the aspects of applying the
power-related elements of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions to Singapore and Australia. This essay
1 Al-Haddad, Serina, and Timothy Kotnour. "Integrating the organizational change literature: a model for successful
change." Journal of Organizational Change Management 28, no. 2 (2015): 234-262.

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will firstly explain perspective on power; secondly, bases and dimensions of power; thirdly,
Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, and finally, compare and contrast the power-related aspects of
Hofstede’s dimensions between Australia and Singapore.
II. Perspectives on Power
Power can be used in various ways in an organization. But due to the potential for its
misuse, it is important that to fully understand the power and the consequences of its usage in an
organisation. There are two ways to perceive the power: Sociological and Organisational.
In Sociological theory, power is perceived as a mean to control people, overpower
resistance or even exploit people. Distribution of power is unjustly fixed on individual in this
perspective. On the other hand, Organisation theory accept power as more complex and consider
its usage as hidden ambiguous and unconscious.
III. Bases of Power
The definitions of the five power bases are based on French and Raven's model. These
definitions are stated as follows:
The first base of power is coercive power. This influence is based on the fact that one
person can punish another. Because the leader has the power to fire the subordinates, a
subordinate may do what a leader request. Although the threat of punishment may give a leader
considerable power over subordinates ,coercive power is not a very efficient base of power.
The second power base described by French and Raven is reward power. This is the polar
opposite of coercive power. Due to the fact that the leader has the ability to reward them in some

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way, the subordinates do what the leader wants.
The Third power base is called legitimate power. This power originates from the position
in an organization. In most organization, one employee being the supervisor of another employee
means that the supervisor has a legitimate right to make request of the other person 2. This right
is legitimately independent of the person in the position.
The Fourth power base is expert power. This is power based on the fact that an individual
is perceived as a veteran in something and has enough knowledge to request subordinates to do
in his stead. During this exchange, the leader offers subordinates something in return for
complying with the request, or offers them a share of the benefits when a task is accomplished 3.
The Fifth power base is referent power. Referent power is defined as the ability of a
leader being able to influence a follower due to the follower's admiration, respect, or being in
close tie with the leader.
Iv. Dimensions of Power
Steven Lukes describes power as having three dimensions, each focusing on a specific
aspect. These are described as: decision-making power, agenda-setting power and ideological
power.
The first one is decision-making power which is the ‘open conflict’ of power, the ability
2 Vakola, Maria. "What's in there for me? Individual readiness to change and the perceived impact of organizational
change." Leadership & Organization Development Journal 35, no. 3 (2014): 195-209.
3 Petrou, Paraskevas, Evangelia Demerouti, and Wilmar B. Schaufeli. "Crafting the change: The role of employee
job crafting behaviors for successful organizational change." Journal of Management 44, no. 5 (2018): 1766-1792.