Watch "Lean on me video" Compare Joe Clark performance against the following 3 questions. 1. If any, what were the political opportunities the Change Agent missed? 2. Which methodologies e Agent use?to reduce resistance to change did the Change? 3. Which strategies did the Change Agent ignore?

Most people are, in the hectic world that we currently live in, subject to some form of change affecting their lives.  Whether it be a new job, a different scenario at work, a marriage or divorce, a newborn baby, or even a new pet dog, they are all forms of change that mankind has to deal with.  Some persons deal very well with change and thus adapt quickly to any new situation.  Other persons do not find this easy at all, and therefore resist any changing situation that might occur.  The object of this paper is to help identify the reasons for change, the challenges change presents, the reasons for resistance to change, how to overcome this resistance, and how to better cope in a changing environment.  Once one understands more about change, the easier it is to adapt.

Organizations face similar scenarios, but in this instance it is not only changes for the individual, but also changes applicable to groups. Change can thus be defined as an alteration to the status quo.

Reasons for Change

There are a number of factors that constitute the reasons for change in an organization, which will affect either the individual or the group.  These forces are:

Internal Factors

• Alteration of strategies and plans:  A company decides to improve productivity.  This has the effect on workers to change and be more productive.  Can have an effect on the individual or the group.
• Ethical difficulties arising from employee behavior:  An employee might have an ethical problem with a given situation that arises.  Group pressure will force the individual to change to the norm of the group of leave the group if the change is unacceptable.
• Decisions that entail change:  This can affect both groups and individuals.  For example, a company in the process of retrenchment will affect change to the individual, i.e., having to find a new job or the group, having to cope with less personnel.
• Organizational cultural shifts:  Typically happens when two companies merge.  The culture of the organization changes, forcing employees from both sides to adapt to the new situation.
• Reorganizations:  Changes in the methods of doing things result in groups and individuals to adapt.
• Leadership changes:  Working under a new manager, who has a different management style to the previous manager will result in the group and individual reporting to the new manager to adapt.
• Technological advances:  Changes occurring from updated, faster machinery, for example, have the effect of requiring the group or individual operating the machines to adapt by learning how to operate them.

External Factors

• Political:  Changes in government or its policies have the effect that the organization has to adapt to, i.e., a Communistic way of doing things rather than a Socialistic way.
• Legal:  Changes in legislation force companies to change, for example, the new LRA.
• Customer requirements:  Customers may want a cheaper product and the manufacturer will have to find a means to change the product to be acceptable.
• Technological changes:  New machinery must be acquired for a company to stay competitive, resulting in, for example, changes in the production planning, process and delivery times.
• International:  Tourism is a source of requirement to change.  The tourism trade in RSA is down 50% from 05/96 to 08/96.  The result is that change has to happen in order to combat crime, to improve the tourism trade.
• Competitors:  Competitor activity also contributes the change as a company will have to change strategy to stay competitive.
• Suppliers:  Changing from one supplier to another, for example, to get a higher quality sub-assembly.