People vastly differ in how they respond to change. While some people actively seek change and gladly embrace it, others avoid it whenever possible and, still others openly resist it.
When organizations attempt to initiate change, top leaders are often mystified by employees who become resistant. Resistance is one of the most important factors to consider when making change, yet it is often one of the most neglected by organizational leaders. Research suggests that resistance is often the primary reason change fails (Maurer, 2006; Oreg, 2003; Schiemann, 1992). Thus, the acceptance of and support for organizational change by employees is viewed as one of the most critical elements in achieving successful change (Armenakis, Harris, & Mossholder, 1993; Cummings & Worley, 2005; Miller, Johnson, & Grau, 1994).
So why then do employees really resist change? People argue that employees resist change, because it disrupts the status quo and causes uncertainty, stress, anxiety, and doubts about their ability to cope with the change (Coch & French, 1948; Vakola & Nikolaou, 2005). While all of those reactions are real, they do not fully explain why employees resist change.
Employees resist change, because change involves an end to what currently exists, and all endings involve loss. Resistant behaviors are a reaction to loss. Unfortunately, loss also occurs with change that people desire such as getting a promotion or moving to a new city. So rather than trying to avoid loss, it’s better to increase your understanding of it and that begins by examining the three main categories of loss. They are: tangible losses, intangible losses, and symbolic losses.
Tangible Losses
Tangible losses are those losses that are easily seen. Examples include the loss of certain job responsibilities, loss of certain privileges or freedoms such as flexible work schedules and the ability to dress casually, loss of office space or parking space, and the loss of work-related routines.
Perhaps the most difficult tangible loss that often occurs with organizational change is the loss of fellow employees. Unfortunately, business leaders are often uncomfortable with the aftermath of layoffs, so they simply don’t talk about the fact that coworkers and friends no longer work at the company, and they hope that employees don’t want to talk about it either. In the worst cases, business leaders expect employees to come to work the next day as though nothing happened. Then to compound the problem, some employees may have lost more than one co-worker, or friend, from their work group.
What makes tangible losses tricky is that other people can see the change and the associated loss which makes the actual loss feel even larger and more devastating.
Intangible Losses
Intangible losses are usually felt but are not necessarily seen. For example, the sense that one’s job is secure may be gone as is the perception that the company’s leaders take care of their employees. Employees may experience less job satisfaction, and they may no longer feel that they are treated with fairness and equality. In addition, employees may no longer feel appreciated for their past dedication and loyalty to the organization.
The challenge that intangible losses present to business leaders is that these losses don’t readily present themselves; they are hard to identify, yet they are all potential roadblocks to successfully implementing the desired change. One loss that is particularly critical to address is the loss of organizational commitment, because research clearly shows that employees who are not committed to the organization are less likely to commit to the proposed change and in some cases, will openly resist the change.
Symbolic Losses
Symbolic losses are typically tangible losses that stand for something else or that are associate with another loss. The loss of holiday celebrations, employee picnics, and employee recognition programs are often considered symbolic losses, because when these activities – which are often put in place to show employees how much they are appreciated and valued – are taken away, it sends a message to employees that they are no longer valued in the organization.
If you are interested in learning more about how to address the losses associated with change and thereby decrease resistance, stay tuned, as future posts will give you tips and techniques on how to keep your workforce engaged during change.