Meaning of Resistance to Change (What is, Concept and Definition)

What is Resistance to change:

Resistance to change is called all those situations in which people must modify certain routines or habits of life or professionals, but they refuse for fear or difficulty to do something new or different .

The resistance to change presented by each individual is different depending, to a large extent, on previous experiences, and the capacity and disposition that one possesses to face changes.Resistance can be immediate, deferred, open and implicit.

Some people are afraid of the unknown, of changing routines, of Habits. The human being is an animal of habit and likes to have everything under control, consequently, new situations can generate chaos, uncertainty and lack of control.

On the contrary, There is another percentage of individuals who see change as an opportunity to improve, learn and improve themselves.This may be due to experiences, being accustomed to changes, age, as well as to how open and receptive the person can be with respect to changes.

For some people, it is more important preserve their customs than adapt to the new.Therefore it may be easier for young people to face change than for adults or the elderly.

For example, for many people, dieting is more difficult for others.Changes in eating habits can lead to resistance, anxiety or discomfort.Modifying certain customs is to face and overcome resistance to change.

Changes are necessary processes that must be carried out, however much you do not want to leave the place of comfort, especially with the current pace of life in which digital updates, management systems, work methods, study, among others, are constant.

See also the meaning of Resistance.

Reasons d e resistance to change

For specialists, there are different reasons to resist change, some consider, beyond age and experience, that the level of education influences the ability to cope with changes.However, the basic reasons are:

Habits: Human beings are animals of habits and routines, so changes generate resistance and insecurity when modifying some activity that is performs frequently.

Emotional balance: Mental balance plays a very important role in assuming change.Emotionally balanced people respond better to changes than those who do not They are.

Fear of the unknown: Changing jobs, universities, places of residence, among other situations, means the new.This can generate anxiety and fear of not knowing that can be found and how to face the unknown.

Other reasons whereby resistance to change may appear to a greater or lesser extent are the lack of tolerance for ambiguous situations, self-reliance, the attitude towards life, culture, personality, the ability to establish working relationships and friendship, the fear of failure, among others.

Also those occasions must be mentioned when changes come suddenly, if it implies a sentimental break or stop being self-sufficient and independent.

See also the meaning of Change and Comfort Zone.

Resistance to organizational change

Resistance to organizational change, meanwhile, is a situation that is constant , especially if you consider how important it is for organizations to maintain a high level of work, production and quality of product or service .

For an organization be competitive it is necessary that your human capital and machinery face from time to time changes in order to improve the systems, methods and working procedure.

Therefore, data analysis and response capacity are performed, in order to determine the need to make changes or not.

However, for those responsible for the management of a company or organization, it is not an easy task to consider moving procedures.

As with people, in an organization, seen as a group of people, You can also observe the resistance to change, which arises from the fear that invades employees to see the possibility of losing their job, of being deteriorated or not obtaining the possibility of ascending.

Without However, resistance to organizational change is positive, to a large extent, because it encourages workers to motivate themselves and do their best to avoid failure, generate debates, share opinions and demonstrate whether or not the change is corresponding.

But, on the other hand, also resistance to organizational change can generate more problems, especially when the people involved refuse to follow the new guidelines, delaying the work and hindering the work of others.

Reasons for resistance to organizational change

There is a list of reasons why in various organizations they resist change, which can be very true, but in turn can lead to disadvantages.Between the:

• Fear of failure.
• The economic investment to be made involves large amounts of money.
• Greater or lesser responsibilities and little flexibility in the workers.
• Loss of money, workers, customers or suppliers.
• Modify the foundations of the organizational culture, which is the guide of all those who work in the company.
• Salary changes and modification of the benefits offered by the organization.
• Ignorance or misinformation of why changes are made and their positive or negative aspects.
• Fear of the new.

Considering these reasons, in some organizations changes are limited due to fear and the inability to know how it will be affected.

To overcome resistance to change Organizational it is necessary that within the company the communication is constant and clear, explain why the changes and their positive side in general terms.

See also e l meaning of Flexibility.