Change is a constant thing

Change is a constant thing

Change is a constant thing

Introduction

Seldom in the history of humanity has either the pace or variety of change been greater than that witnessed in the past three decades. Change has been considered the most reliable constant within organizations. Yet, although the phenomenon has been recognized as important for years, organizational change is one of the least understood aspects of organization life, evidenced by numerous failed initiatives. (Staw, 2001)

In spite of the books and articles written about managing change, perhaps the paradox between prevalence and failure lies in the difficulty organizations have in getting a handle on change itself. (Huber,1991)

Discussion and analysis

Many societal observers have noted that change is constant and that the human species is quite adept at accommodating to the demands of a changing environment. Our very presence on this planet today attests to our adaptability as a species. And yet, as individuals, we have all experienced reluctance and even failure to change. How many times have we balked at work directives that require us to change? How often do we cringe at the thought of learning yet another new task or software system? How many well-intentioned resolutions to change certain personal habits have we made that we have failed to keep? So although at a species level we display admirable adaptability, at an individual level, we portray a degree of reluctance to and difficulty with change. (Staw, 2001)

This is especially true today with the ceaseless bombardment of new technologies. The pace of technological change is relentless, yet our human capacity to absorb new technology is limited. This individual reluctance toward change and our limited absorption capabilities have implications in organizational settings. (DiMaggio, 2003)

Organization and environmental uncertainty

It has been noted that organizations adopt various strategies to neutralize the effects of environmental uncertainty, such as stockpiling, creating new markets, boundary spanning, resource diversification, lobbying government, vertical and horizontal integration, mergers, and even illegal activities. Overall, a generalist strategy, that is, providing diversified services or products that serve several different niches simultaneously, is more likely to afford an organization protection in times of environmental uncertainty. (Hannan, 2004)

While one niche may be rapidly changing, stability in the organization's other niches can give the organization the necessary time and organizational slack to undertake the changes needed to reengage in the niche. On the other hand, organizations with specialist strategies, providing only one product or service to a single niche, are less likely to survive changes in their niche. Before they can complete the changes, they will be replaced by new organizations that better serve the changed niche. (Eisenhardt, 2000)

Organizational Transformation

One of the most important and most overlooked aspects of managing organizational transformations is remembering that an organization is a complex system in which the various formal and informal subsystems are intricately interrelated. A change in one part of the organization can have ripple effects throughout the enterprise; thus, a holistic perspective on change is ...