Management of Change Essay: Power, Resistance, and Ethical Frameworks

This essay delves into the multifaceted realm of change management, investigating the reasons behind employee resistance to organizational shifts. It meticulously examines the impact of job loss, loss of control, and the fear of the unknown on employee attitudes towards change. The essay explores the relationship between power and resistance, highlighting how leadership qualities influence both. Furthermore, it identifies key ethical issues, such as data manipulation and the engagement of employees, and proposes frameworks for addressing them. The implications of managerial and resistant positions are assessed, emphasizing the need for ethical considerations and mutual consent in navigating change. The essay concludes by underscoring the financial and ethical consequences of resistance, advocating for a proactive approach to change management that prioritizes employee well-being and organizational growth.

Running head: MANAGEMENT OF CHANGE
Management of Change
Name of Student
Name of University
Author Note

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Introduction
Change management is one of the most important managerial forms in the modern
world. Every organisation undergoes changes in order meet the present requirements in the
market. However, on certain occasions, it is seen that employees due to various reasons resist
changes in an organisation (Fleming & Spicer, 2014). The essay highlights these reasons and
provides a comprehensive detail about the problems faced by managers due to the resistance.
The relationship between power and resistance is also stated and the ethical considerations
that are required for power and resistance to exist are highlighted. Furthermore, assessment is
made that highlights the implications of manager as well as resistance positions.
1. Identifying and examining reasons for employees resisting change
Most employees tend to resist changes because they feel that changes may have an
adverse effect on their work. Hence, it is necessary for every manager to identify the reasons
for resisting change. One of the most common reasons for resisting change is the loss of jobs
(Bolman & Deal, 2017). Changes in an organisation normally include the method and process
used for working. For example, in the modern era, organisations tend to rely more on
technologies that can help in reducing the efforts of labour. Hence, employees fear a loss of a
job as machines can help in finishing a job quickly and efficiently (Noer, 2017). This causes
resistance among employees, as they do not want to give up the role that they play.
Another reason for the resistance of change includes the loss of control and
competency. This mainly occurs, as most employees are adapted to working using one
method. Hence, change in method or process can lead employees to change their style of
working. This often leads to loss of control, as the new method needs adjustment and
training. Consequently, such loss of control leads to falling in the competency of the

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employees. This, in turn, gives rise to loss of productivity in an organisation (Davies, 2017).
Hence, this can be considered as another important factor that leads employees to resist
changes in an organisation. Working in the comfort zone is always beneficial for the
employees seeking longevity in their career.
Another most important reason for the resistance to change is the fear of facing the
unknown. Changes normally bring about a great deal of unpredictability in an organisation.
Employees feel that the past manner of work was more secure than the present. The fear of
facing the unpredictability often leads employees to leave the organisation and seek for work.
Hence, it is important for managers to ensure that changes in an organisation are made subtly.
The lesser the knowledge of the employees about the impact of changes the better it is for
organisations (Pugh, 2016). In this regard, the reason for the managers to consider resistance
to change as a problem can be undertaken.
Managers often believe that changes need to be made keeping in mind the success and
growth of an organisation. In order to make changes, managers often invest sufficient finance
so that the growth rate of the organisations can be maintained (Craig, Nevin, & Odum, 2014).
Resistance leads loss of finance as some employees tend to leave while others try to prevent
the changes from being a success. Hence, managers consider the resistance to be a problem in
every fold of an organisation. Keeping this in mind the power of the employees and
resistance offered by them can be examined.
2. Examining the relationship between power and resistance
Power is considered as an ability of an individual or a group to influence people to
undertake challenges (Anderson & Brion, 2014). Such ability can be attributed to leadership,
as the leaders also need to influence the employees in taking up challenging tasks and roles.
Hence, it can be said that providing an individual with power require certain characteristics.

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These include the ability to communicate, interact and influence people. Power can be broad
of three types such as legitimate power, coercive power and group power. The exercising of
power includes treating people differently depending on the situation at hand (Kuipers, et al.,
2014). For example, it has been seen that legitimate power allows people to obey the orders
of the superiors. Such behaviours stem from the social norms practised by the people.
Resistance, on the other hand, refers to a structural and systematic human barrier that
is set up to prevent changes from both internal as well as external sources. Many people
wanting to change things in the workplace can consider this as a negative influence (Hon,
Bloom, & Crant, 2014). Certain models such as the psychological model are used to
understand the emotions that occur in a human being while resisting changes. The reaction of
the people towards change leads to the rise of the resistance. Most of the times this occurs
due to various fear elements. However, in the case of changes forced upon externally, the
employees involved in the resistance display their loyalty to their company.
It can be said that the relationship between power and resistance can be attributed to
the fact that both require leadership qualities of individuals. In order to form a resistance, it is
necessary for one person to lead a group. This symbolises the ability to influence people on
the possible negative effects of change (Cameron & Green, 2015). However, unlike
legitimate power, the leader does not have to be a senior member of an organisation. It has
been seen that experience and proper insights of a particular situation can help an individual
to become a leader. However, certain ethical issues need to be considered in influencing
power and resistance.
3. Identifying the key ethical issues associated with power and resistance
Change is necessary in order to ensure that the resource allocation, methods and
techniques of work improve. With the resistance of employees being an inevitable result, it is

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needed for a change agent to challenge the status quo (Doppelt, 2017). However, like any
other managerial activity, ethical issues need to be considered by the people with power and
the resistant members. These ethical issues can help an organisation to deal with the changes
and its resistance subtly and ensure that knowledge is acquired with the change. One such
ethical issue that can be identified deals with the involvement of external change agents.
Manipulation of data is one such ethical conduct that needs to be taken care of by
managers of an organisation. Often it is seen that the hiring of external change agent warrants
changes in an organisation by examining the policies put forward by the executive managers.
If the managers find discrepancies in the report presented to the external change agents,
manipulation may take place (Hayes, 2014). This can cause cessation of changes in an
organisation. On the other hand, it may lead to initiate changes in an organisation as well.
Hence, manipulation of important data and information is an important ethical consideration
for the managers. The engagement of employees can help in deciding about the changes to be
implemented.
Managers need to ensure that a proper ethical framework is used for identifying the
ethics involved. This involves the consequential framework, duty framework and virtue
framework. Every framework has their limits and to use the framework effectively it is
necessary that a systematic approach be developed. This systematic approach takes into
consideration the three levels involved in the framework. The basic stage for the application
of this approach is recognising the ethical issue (Klonek, Lehmann-Willenbrock, & Kauffeld,
2014). In the case mentioned above, the ethical issue that can be considered includes the
manipulation of data. Hence, it is necessary to identify the concerned parties and gather all
information relating to the rise of the issue.

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Hence, in order to avoid the violation of the ethical codes, managers need to plot an
alternative course of action. In this case, the alternative course of action can be to provide
true data so that the changes can take place. It needs to be the duty of the managers to ensure
that power is provided to the right individual capable of influencing change in the
organisation. This can be considered as the next stage in the framework as decisions are made
to consider the plan (Hornstein, 2015). Implementation and reflection of the outcomes are
done in order to find out other courses of action. Such actions can help in the future activities
of the organisation and allow the members to remain ethical while imposing power and
forming a resistance.
4. Assessing the implications of the managerial and resistant positions for effective
change management
To ensure that effective change is maintained it is necessary for an organisation to set
up positions at the managerial as well as resistant positions. These positions are important as
they can direct the management about the implementation of the change process in the
organisations. It is the duty of the managers to ensure that every change that is foreseen is
implemented so that the employees can be more efficient (Jones & Ven, 2014). However, the
managers also need to be sure that the changes are implemented slowly. The position that the
managers need to take up is that of the power. This is because exercising the power over the
employees can help the managers enforce the changes and save the organisations. The
managers can overlook ethical manner of enforcing the changes.
The position of the resistant, on the other hand, needs to be more analytical than
revolt. This is because the individuals involved in the resistance need to understand the
reason behind the implementation of the changes. This can help the resistant members to
form a plan to prevent the implementation of the changes (Munduate & Medina, 2017). The

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resistant also needs to be in a position from where they can negotiate. The negotiation needs
to take place keeping in mind the requirements of the employees as well as the managers.
Hence, it can be said that the position of the managers and the resistance are important in the
change management process. The ethical framework can consist of the interest of both the
parties and mutual consent can be formed in accordance with the interests.
Conclusion
Thus, it can be concluded that managers often demonise the resistance as it leads to
huge loss. The planning of change requires planning which in turn requires excessive
spending of finance. Hence, any resistance can result in the failure of the change and in turn
create a huge financial loss for the company. Apart from this, employees involved in the
resistance may leave the organisation due to the implementation of the changes. The ethical
implication denotes that the changes need to be perceived before setting up any resistance
movement. Other forms by which resistance can be identified involve low productivity and
less compatibility among the employees.

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