Dive Brief:
- Resistance to large-scale structural change is a common reason why corporate change fails. But there are ways to decrease employee resistance and improve these initiatives, according to the Association for Talent Development.
- A study based on 143 employees working in seven different large companies in Spain revealed the three key variables affecting employee resistance: perceived benefits, communication involving participation, and organization-based self-esteem.
- Recommendations include identifying social networks within the office and involving an employee team to help identify benefits “that actually matter to your employees,” according to the article.
Dive Insight:
While the Spanish study does involve variables that are unique to Spanish workers, the general recommendations are applicable worldwide. For any structural shift to be successful, administrators should understand the social network of their employees and make sure employees feel competent and valuable throughout the transition.
Use a chosen team of high-profile employees as champions for employee benefits so that the rest of the staff feels heard, the article said. If any structural changes will result in employees having new team members, make sure those team members get to know one another prior to the chage. Implementing these steps will ensure that employees’ Organization-based Self-Esteem (OBSE) is intact, which is crucial for employee support of structural shifts, according to the study.
