Chapter 11 - Managing Organizational Change, Resistance and Conflict

Question 1

Why is it just as important to deal with the people issues of an IT project as it is to deal with the technical
issues?

Answer 1

The people within the organization, however, must be prepared for the impact that
the new system will have on them. It is easy to underestimate this impact and, given human
nature, downplay the response people will have. Managers and technical people may be given
to false beliefs:
■ “People want this change.”
■ “Monday morning we’ll turn on the new system and they’ll use it.”
■ “A good training program will answer all of their questions and then they’ll love it.”
■ “Our people have been through a lot of change—what’s one more change going to
matter?”
■ “We see the need for helping our people adjust, but we had to cut something…”
■ “They have two choices: They can change or they can leave.”
These statements reflect the view that it is easier to gain compliance than it is to gain
acceptance. This supposition is faulty because it assumes that everyone will comply and that
compliance will be long lasting. The results may be quite different:
■ The change may not occur.
■ People will comply for a time and then do things to get around the change.
■ Users will accept only a portion of the change.
The full benefits of the project are never realized or are realized only after a great deal of
time and resources have been expended.

Question 2

Why do many IT professionals shy away from dealing with the people issues, the soft side of IT projects?

Answer 2

Dealing with the people
issues, or soft side of technology, is an area that most technical people do not enjoy. It is human
nature to focus on what we can accomplish with minimal conflict or on what we can control.
Implementing a network of computers that communicate with each other or getting a program
to work properly may be much easier and less stressful than dealing with resistance and conflict
during systems development.
In addition, many technical people and managers naively believe that the users within the
organization will gladly embrace a new system if it is built properly.

Question 3

How can a system be a technical success, but an organizational failure?

Answer 3

The people within the organization, must be prepared for the impact that
the new system will have on them. It is easy to underestimate this impact and, given human
nature, downplay the response people will have. The full benefits of the project are never realized or are realized only after a great deal of
time and resources have been expended.

Question 4

How does change management fit with IT project management?

Answer 4

while
it is important that we manage the development of our project well, we also need to ensure that
the project’s product is transferred successfully and accepted by the organization with minimal
adverse impact.If the project’s MOV is not realized in its entirety, then only a portion of the project’s value to
the organization is realized.

Question 5

. What is wrong with the idea of just expecting people to adapt to a new system by compliance?

Answer 5

compliance is not always permanent and leads to long term resentment

Question 6

Why is acceptance more powerful than compliance?

Answer 6

Acceptance by the users of the system is much more powerful and longer lasting than
compliance, which means we need to ensure that the people within the organization are prepared
properly before the system is implemented.

Question 7

In your own words, define change management.

Answer 7

The transforming of the organization so it is aligned with the execution of a
chosen corporate business strategy. It is the management of the human element
in a large-scale change project

Question 8

What is the difference between positive change and negative change? Do positive changes create stress for an
individual? Why or why not?

Answer 8

We may view these changes as being either positive or negative. nearly all change in our lives entails some amount of anxiety. Anxiety combined with hope is anticipation, while anxiety combined with apprehension is dread.
Whether we view change as positive (anticipation) or negative (dread), there is a certain
amount of stress that accompanies each change

Question 9

Define assimilation and its importance to understanding how people deal with change.

Answer 9

Assimilation is the process of adapting to change and determines our ability to
handle current and future change. It simply takes time to
assimilate change because we must adjust to the transition. Major changes, whether positive or
negative, will require more time to assimilate than small ones. But once change is assimilated,
it no longer creates the same level of anxiety or stress.

Question 10

What happens when an individual cannot assimilate change fast enough?

Answer 10

Problems occur when we cannot assimilate
change fast enough. Unfortunately, change tends to
have a cumulative effect, and we can only assim-
ilate change at a given pace. Different people will
assimilate change at a different pace, and this ability
to assimilate change becomes our resiliency to han-
dle change.
When an individual passes a
certain threshold, he or she may become stressed
out and exhibit dysfunctional behaviors. The behav-
iors depend largely on the person and may range
from mild irritability to depression or dependence
on alcohol or drugs. Therefore, it is important to
manage the assimilation of change to keep things
below the change threshold.

Question 11

What happens when an organization cannot assimilate change fast enough?

Answer 11

Organizations are made up of people and these people have any number of personal changes
going on in their lives. Changes proposed by an organization will certainly affect the way people work and the relationships that have become established. Although these organizational changes will have
to be assimilated by each person, the organization must assimilate change similar to an indi-
vidual. Eventually, an organization’s inability to assimilate
change will be reflected in the organization’s ability
to make a profit.

Question 12

Describe the three stages of Lewin’s model for change.

Answer 12

Lewin’s basic model includes three con-
cepts: unfreezing, changing, and refreezing
Unfreezing, or moving from the current state, means letting go of something. Therefore, viewing change from
Lewin’s model suggests that beginning a change starts with an ending of the present state.
Transition through the neutral zone also means a loss of equilibrium until an individual or organization moves to the desired state. Once there, it is important that the attitudes, behaviors, and perceptions be refrozen so that the desired state becomes the new status quo and equilibrium
for the individuals involved.

Question 13

What is the difference between a change and a transition? Give an example of each.

Answer 13

A transition is the act of assimilating a change. A change is giving something up and accepting something new in its place

Question 14

Why would a person have emotional responses when faced with doing her or his job differently or being
forced to use and learn new technology?

Answer 14

An individual may have an
emotional response to a change when the change is perceived as a significant loss or upsets a
familiar or well established equilibrium. These same emotional responses can be applied to managing change whenever people
experience the loss of something that matters to them. n help us understand why people react the way they do when
faced with organizational change. Because of these emotions, people may be drained and pro-
ductivity in the organization will suffer. It is also important to understand that people will have
different perceptions of change.

Question 15

Describe the emotional responses a person might go through when given the news that her job has been
eliminated as a result of the implementation of a new accounts payable system.

Answer 15

Denial—The first stage is characterized by shock and denial. It is a common reaction
when a person is given first notice of a change that will have significant impact.
Anger—Once a person gets over the initial shock of the announcement, he or she may
become angry toward others, or even the messenger. The reaction is to blame whoever is
responsible for creating the change.
Bargaining—In the third stage, the person is no longer angry. In fact, he or she may be
quite cooperative and may try to make deals in order to avoid the change.
Depression—Once a person admits that the change is inevitable, he or she may under-
stand the full impact of the change and may enter the fourth stage—depression. This
stage generally occurs when there is an overwhelming sense of the loss of the status quo.
Acceptance—The last stage is when a person comes to grips with the change. A person
does not have to like the change in order to accept it. This fifth stage has more to do
with one’s resolve that the change is inevitable and must be dealt with.

Question 16

Why is having a change management plan important?

Answer 16

The key to any organizational change is to plan for and manage the change and the associated
transition effectively. This entails developing a change management plan that addresses the
human side of change. The mere existence of such a plan can send an important message
throughout the organization. the change management plan can be an informal or formal document;

Question 17

Why should the project manager assess the willingness, readiness, and ability of the organization to change?

Answer 17

This assessment entails defining who the players or stakeholders
involved in the change will be, their roles, and how they will interact with each other

Question 18

What is a change sponsor? What is the difference between an initiating sponsor and a sustaining sponsor?

Answer 18

The sponsor can be an individual or group that has the willingness and power, in
terms of authority and making resources available, to support the project. Although this person
or group is often the project sponsor, an initiating sponsor may hand off the project to a
sustaining sponsor. More specifically, after making the decision to fund and support the project,
the initiating sponsor may become completely removed from the project. sustaining sponsor must become the primary sponsor for the project.

Question 19

What important criteria should be used to determine whether a sponsor can help the organization through
the planned change?

Answer 19

A major portion of the
organization’s ability and willingness to support the change rests with the sponsor’s commitment. This commitment
may be in terms of how they communicate with the rest of the organization, how they deal
with challenges and issues, and the amount and quality of resources made available. In addition,
sponsors must be effective leaders. If the project fails because the organization cannot adapt to
the change, the project’s envisioned value to the organization is lost and the sponsor’s credibility
is diminished.

Question 20

What is a change agent? What role does a change agent play?

Answer 20

the change agents will be the project manager and
team; others from inside or outside the organization may be involved as well. Change agents report directly to the sponsor and must be able
to diagnose problems, plan to deal with these issues and challenges effectively, and act as a
conduit of communication between the sponsor and the targets of change. The ability to sustain
the change associated with the IT project rests largely with the change agents. They must be
ready and properly prepared to meet the challenges they face

Question 21

What is a change target? Why are targets important to a change initiative?

Answer 21

The target is the individual or group that must change. In general, these may be the
users of the new system or those who will use or be directly involved with final product of
the project. because these are the people who are the focus of the
change effort and who play a critical role in the ultimate success of the project.

Question 22

Why should the real impacts of change be clarified in the change management plan?

Answer 22

The target should be kept well informed of how the change is going to affect them personally. Knowing what to expect can be comforting and remove some of the stress of assimilating change

Question 23

What are rules for success? Why is it important to determine whether the rules for success have changed in an
organization before a new system is implemented?

Answer 23

People also become confused and disoriented when the rules for success change or are no
longer clearly defined. results in culture shock

Question 24

Describe the rational-empirical approach to change. What things would a change management plan address
under this approach?

Answer 24

The rational-empirical approach to change management is
based on the idea that people follow predictable patterns of behavior and that people will follow
their own self-interests. Therefore, a change agent must be persuasive in convincing, explaining,
and demonstrating how a particular change will benefit a particular person or group identified
as a target of the change.
The change management plan based on this strategy should provide each individual with
the purpose, a picture, and a part to play. Purpose is the reason for the change.A picture, on the other hand, provides a vision or a picture in the individual’s mind as to
how the organization will look or operate in the future. A part to play can be very effective in helping the individual become involved in the
proposed change. Having a part may provide the needed WIIFM (or, what’s in it for me?)
to help them through the transition.

Question 25

Describe the normative-reeducation approach to change. What things would a change management plan
address under this approach?

Answer 25

This approach takes the basic view that people
are social beings and that human behavior can be changed by changing the social norms of a
group. Instead of trying to change an individual, one must focus on the core values, beliefs,
and established relationships that make up the culture of the group.
A Change management plan under this approach would work on unfreezing the status quo and rebuilding the group culture. This can be time consuming

Question 26

Describe the power-coercive approach to change. What things would a change management plan address
under this approach?

Answer 26

The power-coercive approach to change management attempts to
gain compliance from the change targets through the exercise of power, authority, rewards,
or threat of punishment for nonconformance.The objective is to change the behaviors of the targets so that their new behavior supports
the change effort.Sanctions can be imposed in ascending order to
demonstrate a point in the beginning and to keep any target’s losses at a minimum. A change
agent or sponsor can lose credibility, however, if they issue a warning or sanction that they do
not fully intend to carry out.

Question 27

Describe the environmental-adaptive approach to change. What things would a change management plan
address under this approach?

Answer 27

The
premise of the environmental-adaptive approach is that although people avoid disruption and
loss, they can still adapt to change. the change agent attempts to make the change permanent by
abolishing the old ways and instituting the new structure as soon as possible. The change management strategies introduced here are typical for many change initiatives.
A single strategy or approach, however, may not be effective in every situation. A more useful
approach may be to combine the different strategies, depending on the impact of the change
and the organization.

Question 28

. How can you track the progress of your change management plan?

Answer 28

using the
various project tools, such as the Gantt chart, PERT chart, and so forth, introduced in an earlier
chapter, milestones and other significant events should be identified and used to gauge how well
the organization is adapting to the change.

Question 29

Why is it important to evaluate your change management experiences and document them as lessons
learned?

Answer 29

These experiences should be documented and made available to other team
members and other projects so that experiences can be shared and best practices can be identified.
At the end of the project, it is important that the overall success of the change management plan
be evaluated. This evaluation may help determine the effectiveness of the different players or
a particular change management strategy.

Question 30

What is resistance? How might an individual or group resist the implementation of a new information system?

Answer 30

Resistance can be either overt, in the form of memos, meetings, and
so on, or covert, in the form of sabotage, foot dragging, politicking, etc. Once the change is
compromised, management and the project team will lose credibility, and the organization may
become resistant to all future changes

Question 31

Why would people resist change even if it was beneficial to them?

Answer 31

Sometimes people feel that a change will mean giving up something that is familiar,
comfortable, and predictable.
■ People may be annoyed with the disruption caused by the change, even if they know
that it will be beneficial in the long run.
■ People may believe that the change is being imposed on them externally, and their egos
will not tolerate being told what to do.
■ In addition, people may resist because of the way the decision to change was announced
or because it was forced on them.
Some people perceive the change as requiring more time and energy than they are
willing to invest.

Question 32

What is conflict? Why should you anticipate conflict over the course of your project?

Answer 32

Conflicts arise when people perceive
that their interests and values are challenged or not being met. Although conflict is one of the things most of us dislike intensely, it is inevitable.
Most often when we try to avoid conflict, it will nevertheless seek us out. Some
people wrongly hope that conflict will go away if it is ignored. In fact, con-
flict ignored is more likely to get worse, which can significantly reduce project
performance. The best way to reduce conflict is to confront it

Question 33

In your own words, define conflict management.

Answer 33

Conflict management focuses
on preventing, managing, or resolving conflicts. Therefore, it is important to identify potential
conflicts as early as possible so that the conflict can be addressed. Although conflict can be
positive and help form new ideas and establish commitment, negative conflict left unresolved
can lead to damaged relationships, mistrust, unresolved issues, continued stress, dysfunctional
behavior, and low productivity and morale

Question 34

Why is it worse to try to ignore conflict than to deal with it?

Answer 34

negative conflict left unresolved
can lead to damaged relationships, mistrust, unresolved issues, continued stress, dysfunctional
behavior, and low productivity and morale

Question 35

Describe the traditional view of conflict, the contemporary view of conflict, and the interactionist view of
conflict.

Answer 35

■ Traditional view—The traditional view considers conflict in a negative light and feels
that conflict should be avoided. Conflict, according to this view, leads to poor per-
formance, aggression, and devastation if left to escalate. Therefore, it is important to
manage conflict by suppressing it before it occurs or eliminating it as soon as possi-
ble. Harmony can be achieved through authoritarian means, but the root causes of the
conflict may not be adequately addressed.
■ Contemporary view—The contemporary view, on the other hand, suggests that conflict
is inevitable and natural. Depending on how conflict is handled, conflict can be either
positive or negative. Positive conflict among people can stimulate ideas and creativity; however, negative conflict can have damaging effects if left unresolved. Therefore,
positive conflict should be encouraged, while keeping negative conflict in check.
■ Interactionist view—Today, the interactionist view holds that conflict is an important and
necessary ingredient for performance. Although the contemporary view accepts conflict,
the interactionist view embraces it because teams can become stagnant and complacent
if too harmonious or tranquil (Verma 1998). Subsequently, the project manager should
occasionally stir the pot in order to encourage conflict to an appropriate level so that
people engage in positive conflict. This may, however, be a fine line to walk for many
project managers. Although someone who plays the role of the devil’s advocate can
be effective in many situations, people may become annoyed when it is used in every
situation or used ineffectively.

Question 36

What is the avoidance approach to dealing with conflict? When is it most useful? When is it not appropriate?

Answer 36

■ Avoidance—Avoiding conflict focuses on retreating, withdrawing or ignoring conflict.
Sometimes, a cooling-off period may be a wise choice, especially when emotions and
tempers are high. Avoidance may be appropriate when you can’t win, the stakes are
low, or gaining time is important. However, it may not be useful when the immediate,
successful resolution of an issue is required.

Question 37

What is the accommodation approach to dealing with conflict? When is it most useful? When is it not
appropriate?

Answer 37

■ Accommodation—Accommodation, or smoothing, is an approach for appeasing the var-
ious parties in conflict. This approach may be useful when trying to reach an overall
goal when the goal is more important than the personal interests of the parties involved.
Smoothing may also be effective when dealing with an issue that has low risk and low
return or when in a no-win situation. Because accommodation tends to work only in the
short run, conflict may reappear in another form later on.

Question 38

What is the forcing approach to dealing with conflict? When is it most useful? When is it not appropriate?

Answer 38

■ Forcing—When using this approach, a person uses his or her dominant authority to
resolve the conflict. This approach often results in a one-sided or win-lose situation in
which one party gains at the other’s expense. This approach may be effective when no
common ground exists, when you are sure you are right, when an emergency situation
exists, or when time is of the essence. Forcing resolution may, however, cause the
conflict to redevelop later because people dislike having a decision or someone else’s
views imposed on them.

Question 39

What is the compromise approach to dealing with conflict? When is it most useful? When is it not
appropriate?

Answer 39

■ Compromise—Compromise includes aspects of both forcing and accommodation; it
gives up more than forcing and less than accommodation. Compromise is essentially
bargaining—one person or group gives up something in exchange for gaining something
else. In this case, no party actually wins and none actually loses, so that some satisfaction
is gained from resolution of the conflict. This approach may be useful when attempting
to resolve complex problems that must be settled in a short time and when the risks
and rewards are moderately high. Unfortunately, important aspects of a project may be
compromised as a means of achieving short-term results—for example, quality standards
may be compromised in order to meet the project’s schedule.

Question 40

What is the collaboration approach to dealing with conflict? When is it most useful? When is it not
appropriate?

Answer 40

■ Collaboration—When the risks and benefits are high, collaboration may be the best
approach for dealing with conflict. This approach requires confronting and attempting
to solve the problem by incorporating different ideas, viewpoints, and perspectives. The
focus of collaboration is learning from others and gaining commitment, trust, respect,
and confidence from the various parties involved. Collaboration takes time and requires
a sincere desire to work out a mutually acceptable solution. In addition, it requires a
willingness to engage in a good-faith problem-solving process that facilitates open and
honest communication.