CHange change change, what will I get from it??

Change- an Omnipresent entity in our lives! It is constant, everywhere and also accelerating. The only way to cope up with this whirlwind is to adapt to it. In fact, adaptability is inherent to human nature and with our very first breath; we learn to adapt, a continuous process for the rest of our lives, each hour bringing in a new change.

Likewise, change is an also an integral part of organisational growth and essential for its survival. The question here, however, is not whether to change but when and how it can be brought in successfully. Ironically, man, whose second nature is adaptability resists changes in work environment and of course sometimes at home too. Thus to manage and implement change fruitfully, is a crucial matter. Managers need to be equipped with their most logical arguments and persuasive skills to support it. To be able to handle such situations, it is pertinent to know the nature of and responses to work changes.

Nature of work change

It can be defined as any alteration that occurs in the work environment. Change, immaterial of which part in the organisation is undergoing it, effects the whole organisation. It demands that employees make dramatic adjustments either directly or indirectly. Thus it is a human as well as a technical problem. A word of caution, though, to the staunch advocates of change, repeated changes might lead to pressures that cause a breakdown in the organisation.

Organisations achieve a state of equilibrium, i.e., a balance between opposing forces. In such a state people coexist, perform their jobs and know what to expect next. When changes harbour in, employees are required to readjust. If they fail to do so, the organisation becomes unbalanced and attains disequilibrium. This leads to chaos in the system and the managers are faced with the daunting task of handling this unsavoury situation. The manager dons two roles in such situations- proactive and reactive. He introduces changes- anticipates events, initiates change and takes control of the organisation’s destiny- a proactive role. Apart from this, he has to restore and maintain the equilibrium that the change upsets. Here the manager assumes a reactive role wherein he responds to events, adapts to change and deals with the consequences of change.

Change is of two types- minor and major. The daily changes are predictable and come under the minor category, where the employees need not make drastic adjustments. The equilibrium, in such situations is reached readily. Major changes like hostile takeovers, buyouts and subsequent organisational restructuring, reengineering, naturals disaster like oil spills and gas leaks, take a longer time to reach a new equilibrium. The onus is on the managers to guide the employees through the emotional shock that usually accompanies such changes.

Responses to change

A fact evident in any organisation that brought in changes time and again is that there can never be a direct adjustment to change. It develops through each employee’s attitude to respond to change and interpreted according to his or her attitudes. In other words, the way a person feels about change determines how he responds to it. These feelings are again a result of personal history and work environment. Personal history includes biological processes, background and social experiences away from home. Work environment reflects how a group reacts to codes, patterns and norms.

Another kind of response that is also observed in matters of change is the group response. People belonging to a group show their attachment by joining in a uniformed response to change. This response may sometimes result in walkouts, strikes and demands. Basically, they respond in a “we are all in this together” attitude. The group also tries to maintain equilibrium in an attempt to return to its ‘normal life’. This results in a counter pressure within the group, which is a self-correcting measure. Such self-correcting measures to restore balance whenever change comes in are called homeostasis.


Changes come in with some costs, which are not just economic, but also are psychological and social.

Economic: Costs associated with change need to be analysed. The cost-benefit should be considerable and the benefits should always be greater than the costs.

Psychological: These costs are also referred to as psychic costs as change affects the inner self or psyche of the employee. Costs of this nature can be debilitating as they may also affect the physical health of the employee.