CHANGING STRATEGIES
The way of implementing change cane be done in various ways, and there are three common change strategies which are force-coercion, rational persuasion, and shared power.
Force-Coercion:
This change strategy uses bases of legitimacy, rewards, and punishments as primary ways of implementing change. A change agent who is suppose to implement the change believes that the workers are guided by self interest and the situation they are in which refers to their own personal gain or loss. People change only in response to situations that refer to personal gain or loss. In a direct forcing strategy,the change agent directs the change and commands the workers to abide by the change. The change agent utilizes the legitimate power in order to command workers to follow the change. In political manoeuvring, the change agent tries to get advantage over the other persons and tries to influence them to change. Most workers abide by the force-coercion method easily in hope for a reward or in fear of a punishment. Force-coercion usually brings change for a short period of time but is not successful for a longer period of time. Force Coercion is usually best used as an unfreezing device which allows the workers to break old patterns and introduce them to new change. Force coercion should be used in cases where strictness is required to assure employee discipline. Force coercion should be avoided to use unless it is really required in severe cases where nothing else works.
Rational Persuasion Strategies:
Change agents utilizing this method, try to implement change through persuasion and with back up knowledge, data to support and rational arguments. The change agent in this strategy believes that people are guided by reason in their decision making and actions. Once an action is inclined with one's self interest, the reason and rationality would allow the person to adopt the change. Rational persuasion would lead to reasonable commitment by the person. Good implementation of rational persuasion strategy is good for both unfreeze and refreeze a change situation. Even though this strategy is slower than the force coercion method but this strategy tends to have long term results. In order to implement the rational persuasion strategy successfully, the manager must convince others that the cost-benefit value of the of planned change is high and would result in better results. The cost benefit value can be shown through the change agent if he or she is an expert or through consultants or outside experts.
Shared Power Strategies:
A shared power strategy engages people in a process of identifying values, assumptions, and goals from which support will naturally emerge. The process to emerging change is slow but it tends to bring higher commitment than the other strategies. This strategy emphasizes on empowerment and is participation. The issues are related to personal values, norms, and operating goals. The decision of implementing the change is made by both the change agent and the workers in order to make the change successful. This involves group work, and allows others to make decisions regarding the planned change and could change the outcome to the planned change. As the planned change requires a lot of involvement in this strategy, it tends to much more time consuming than the other strategies. The change agent in this strategy realizes that the different people have different needs and behave according to their norms. The change agent should be careful that the group pressures do not inhibit change and are in support of the change. The change agent is responsible for knowing the feelings, opinions and expectations of everyone in order to incorporate those in the planned change.
Force-Coercion:
This change strategy uses bases of legitimacy, rewards, and punishments as primary ways of implementing change. A change agent who is suppose to implement the change believes that the workers are guided by self interest and the situation they are in which refers to their own personal gain or loss. People change only in response to situations that refer to personal gain or loss. In a direct forcing strategy,the change agent directs the change and commands the workers to abide by the change. The change agent utilizes the legitimate power in order to command workers to follow the change. In political manoeuvring, the change agent tries to get advantage over the other persons and tries to influence them to change. Most workers abide by the force-coercion method easily in hope for a reward or in fear of a punishment. Force-coercion usually brings change for a short period of time but is not successful for a longer period of time. Force Coercion is usually best used as an unfreezing device which allows the workers to break old patterns and introduce them to new change. Force coercion should be used in cases where strictness is required to assure employee discipline. Force coercion should be avoided to use unless it is really required in severe cases where nothing else works.
Rational Persuasion Strategies:
Change agents utilizing this method, try to implement change through persuasion and with back up knowledge, data to support and rational arguments. The change agent in this strategy believes that people are guided by reason in their decision making and actions. Once an action is inclined with one's self interest, the reason and rationality would allow the person to adopt the change. Rational persuasion would lead to reasonable commitment by the person. Good implementation of rational persuasion strategy is good for both unfreeze and refreeze a change situation. Even though this strategy is slower than the force coercion method but this strategy tends to have long term results. In order to implement the rational persuasion strategy successfully, the manager must convince others that the cost-benefit value of the of planned change is high and would result in better results. The cost benefit value can be shown through the change agent if he or she is an expert or through consultants or outside experts.
Shared Power Strategies:
A shared power strategy engages people in a process of identifying values, assumptions, and goals from which support will naturally emerge. The process to emerging change is slow but it tends to bring higher commitment than the other strategies. This strategy emphasizes on empowerment and is participation. The issues are related to personal values, norms, and operating goals. The decision of implementing the change is made by both the change agent and the workers in order to make the change successful. This involves group work, and allows others to make decisions regarding the planned change and could change the outcome to the planned change. As the planned change requires a lot of involvement in this strategy, it tends to much more time consuming than the other strategies. The change agent in this strategy realizes that the different people have different needs and behave according to their norms. The change agent should be careful that the group pressures do not inhibit change and are in support of the change. The change agent is responsible for knowing the feelings, opinions and expectations of everyone in order to incorporate those in the planned change.