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Personal Impact of Change
It would be too simplistic to argue that people resist all change, regardless of
its form. In fact, people tend to be more welcoming of change that is favorable to
them on a personal level (such as giving them more power over others or change that

improves quality of life such as bigger and nicer offices). Research also shows that
commitment to change is highest when proposed changes affect the work unit with a
low impact on how individual jobs are performed. [12]
Prevalence of Change
Any change effort should be considered within the context of all the other
changes that are introduced in a company. Does the company have a history of
making short-lived changes? If the company structure went from functional to
product-based to geographic to matrix within the past five years and the top
management is in the process of going back to a functional structure again, a certain
level of resistance is to be expected because employees are likely to be fatigued as a
result of the constant changes. Moreover, the lack of a history of successful changes
may cause people to feel skeptical toward the newly planned changes. Therefore,
considering the history of changes in the company is important to understanding why
people resist. Another question is, how big is the planned change? If the company is
considering a simple switch to a new computer program, such as introducing
Microsoft Access for database management, the change may not be as extensive or
stressful compared with a switch to an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system
such as SAP or PeopleSoft, which require a significant time commitment and can
fundamentally affect how business is conducted. [13]
Perceived Loss of Power
One other reason people may resist change is that change may affect their
power and influence in the organization. Imagine that your company moved to a
more team-based structure, turning supervisors into team leaders. In the old structure,
supervisors were in charge of hiring and firing all those reporting to them. Under the
new system, this power is given to the team. Instead of monitoring the progress the
team is making toward goals, the job of a team leader is to provide support and
mentoring to the team in general and ensure that the team has access to all resources
to be effective. Given the loss in prestige and status in the new structure, some
supervisors may resist the proposed changes even if it is better for the organization to
operate around teams.
In summary, there are many reasons individuals resist change, which may
prevent an organization from making important changes.
Is All Resistance Bad?
Resistance to change may be a positive force in some instances. In fact,
resistance to change is a valuable feedback tool that should not be ignored. Why are
people resisting the proposed changes? Do they believe that the new system will not
work? If so, why not? By listening to people and incorporating their suggestions into
the change effort, it is possible to make a more effective change. Some of a
company’s most committed employees may be the most vocal opponents of a change
effort. They may fear that the organization they feel such a strong attachment to is
being threatened by the planned change effort and the change will ultimately hurt the

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