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Technology and Change : Overcoming Resistance to change when Implementing new Information System.

"Change cannot occur if energy is misdirected. Focused concentration is how the martial arts expert directs the maximum amount of energy toward the target. Vision and mission, strategy and objectives, performance drivers and key people, and processes and technologies must be closely aligned and in balance. Lack of organizational alignment means energy is being wasted in places not critical to the mission. Maximum transfer of energy comes from focusing your efforts only on those key areas having the greatest impact on mission success"(Murray 2007)

To overcome or mitigate resistance to the implementation of new information systems an organization must first address the issue of the change prior to introducing the system. " A fundamental principle of effective change management is that people support what they help to create. Active participation by the affected parties in the change process is the most important element of effective change "(Levasseur, 2001) Everyone in the organization should be an active participant when it comes to overcoming resistance to change because with any change within an organization everyone is affected in some way. But, there are some key factors that play an important role in attempting to overcome any resistance to changes within an organization especially when it involves implementation of information systems and those factors involve: planning, education and communication, training and support and most importantly leadership

First the planning stage. This plan should start with analyzing its current situation it should lay out the specific tasks, sequences and responsibilities that must be completed for a successful change. The next step is identify factors that will facilitate or hinder any changes, Then comes educating and communicating- employees in an effort to help them understand the need for change and the ways it will affect them(end-users)in advance of the system being implemented has to be shown what the system is about and told what it can do for them going forward."No communication and no participation induces the highest barrier to change"( Levasseur, 2001) By participating in the process they can provide answer to questions about the system. When an organization educates its workforce and communicate the reasons for change this helps remove some the fear and anxiety that causes resistance and opposition. Next would be making an effort to actively involving employees(end-users) in the process. "Most failures in the introduction of new technology occur because lack of effective communication at the beginning coupled with the failure to involve affected individuals in the change process creates barriers too great to scale later in the implementation phase of the project."( Levasseur, 2001) So, It's crucial that end-users to have an active role in developing and implementing new policies and procedures with regards to the system. This in turn could help make them less likely to oppose and resist the system implementation. In addition the organization gains additional insight from the perspective of the end-user on the new policies and procedures.

In an ideal world, when an organization decides to make changes those changes are planned. But, in order to overcome that fear of change any change processes has to be instilled through-out the organizational culture by policies, procedures and individual behavior. This then puts the issues of training at the forefront of any change process. "Developing training requirements based on skill, knowledge, and behavior is necessary to implement change" (Hiatt & Creasey, 2003) Training is an integral part for building knowledge about change in an organization. Kurt Lewin's "Three Phases of Change" process outlines best practices for implementing change within an organizational architecture. According to Lewin's model the three phases of change are "unfreezing, changing and refreezing". Each part of this theory shows the importance training is in the change process. Unfreezing is the stage in the change process in which to break down the status quo which has been embedded in the organization over a long time. This where the vision regarding the change will be created. This where the end-users are presented with reasons for the change. The second phase, changing is the stage where new learning happens. The employee/ end-user takes on new processes and changes their behavior model to accommodate the planned changes. Refreezing, the last phase of the change model, involves stabilizing new processes having it become standard operating procedure. These are changes are put into place or ‘frozen’ to make sure that they become part of normal work procedures and this is accomplished by establishing support strategy such as policies, procedures, support, and orientation to the new information system. Finally there is leadership. Along with support from the organization is vital to any successful change initiative. Leadership and Support strategies are very important at every stage of new technology implementation. It's important that leadership inform their employees of changes before implementation."Strategic leaders at any organizational level play an important role in the change process" (Coulter, 2010) Leadership can help foster change on the end-user level by offering support on mastering changes in processes. As various processes and employee behaviors changes, it is important for the organization keep an eye on the results of the new process that were initiated. Change is always going to be ongoing whether it's a new system or not but involving employees/ end-users in the design and completion of new technology systems makes them more likely to take responsibility for ensuring that the proposed changes work and not be that much less resistant to changes when it involves system information.

Conclusion

Here's is what we know. Organizational changes will always occur and resistance to change is always going to happen regardless if the change are planned or random. It's a natural sign of progress that happens to all organizations.Its said that "Technology does not drive change -- it enables change". What organizations assume however is that if end-users are in support of specific change or give their approval of an idea they will not be resistant to it. But, when the change is major like the implementing of a new information system it disrupts the outlook of what's going to happen going forward.We aren't are comfortable with change. Mark Twain said " It's not the progress I mind, it's the change I don't like. We are especially uncomfortable with change when it involves the way we do things. There are various social, technical, internal and external factors play an integral role in any organizational culture. Each aspect has an effect on the other which in turn can make change difficult to accept not just with information systems but with the organization as a whole.

The key for any organization overcoming the resistance to change is their abiity to manage that change.But, the key is strong leadership and the ability to recognizing that both change and resistance inevitable. "Strong strategic leadership can't eliminate all the challenges associated with change, it can smooth the process and facilitate successful implementation of the change"(Coulter, 2010) Address the issues candidly, honestly and be consistent with what you're tell the organization."The details are what make change work for those whom it impacts most sharply. It's hard work to make a significant additional effort while continuing to run a complex business, but there's a high price if that effort is not sustained" (Bevan, R. 2011). Recognize that resistance will be looked at differently based on the reactions to new change. The leadership that is visible and consistent. Make sure everyone is involved and have full resources and capabilities needed to support them through the changes and most important keep communicating. There can be never too much communication. Mahatma Gandhi put it best when he said, "We must be the change we want to see in the world.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:



Coulter, M. (2010). Strategic Management in Action (5 ed.). Upper SaddleRiver, NJ: Pearson

Hiatt, J. M., & Creasey, T. J. (2003). Change Management_ The People side of Change. Loveland, Colorado: Prosci Research





Magal, S. R., & Jeffrey, W. (2009). Essentials of Business Processes and Information Systems. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Son Inc.



People Skills: Change Management Tools - Lewin's Change Management Model.Understanding the Three Stages of Change, 31(4), 71-73. Retrieved from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newPPM_94.htm#sthash.GLPjItJM.dpuf|accessdate=1 March 2013}]]