Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 14/e

Resistance to Change

Our egos are fragile, and we often see change as threatening. Even when employees are shown data that suggest they need to change, they latch onto whatever information they can find that suggest they are okay and don’t need to change.2 Employees who have negative feelings about a change cope by not thinking about it, increasing their use of sick time, or quitting. All of these reactions can sap the organization of vital energy when it is most needed.3 Resistance to change doesn’t just come from lower levels of the organization. In many cases, higher-level managers will resist changes proposed by subordinates, especially if these leaders are focused on immediate performance.4 Conversely, when leaders are more focused on mastery ...