Change Management

Change management is the process of developing ainterplay of emotions and cognitive processes.
planned approach to change in an organization.Because of this complexity everyone reacts to
Typically the objective is to maximize the collectivechange differently. On the positive side, change is seen
benefits for all people involved in the change andas akin to opportunity, rejuvenation, progress,
minimize the risk of failure of implementing the change.innovation, and growth. But just as legitimately, change
Change management can be either 'reactive', in whichcan also be seen as akin to instability, upheaval,
case management is responding to changes in theunpredictability, threat, and disorientation.
macro-environment (that is, the source of the changeWhether employees perceive change with fear,
is external), or 'proactive', in which case management isanxiety and demoralization, or with excitement and
initiating the change in order to achieve a desired goalconfidence or somewhere in between, depends
(that is, the source of the change is internal).partially on the individual's psychological makeup,
To be effective, change management should bepartially on management's actions, and partially on the
multi-disciplinary, touching all aspects of the organization.specific nature of the change.
Its most common uses are in information technologyAn individual's attitude toward a change tends to
management, strategic management, and processevolve as they become more familiar with it. The
management.stages a person goes through can consist of:
Change management can take many forms andapprehension, denial, anger, resentment, depression,
include many change environments. The mostcognitive dissonance, compliance, acceptance, and
common usage to the term refers to organizationalinternalization. It is management's job to create an
change management, which is the process ofenvironment in which people can go through these
developing a planned approach to change in anstages as quickly as possible and even skip some of
organization. Typically the objective is to maximize thethem. Effective change management programs are
collective benefits for all people involved in the changefrequently sequential, with early measures directed at
and minimize the risk of failure of implementing theovercoming the initial apprehension, denial, anger, and
change. The discipline of change management dealsresentment, but gradually evolving into a program that
primarily with the human aspect of change, and issupports compliance, acceptance, and internalization.
therefore related to pure and industrial psychology.Management's first responsibility is to detect trends in
Change management can be approached from athe macro-environment so as to be able to identify
number of angles and applied to numerouschanges and initiate programs. It is also important to
organizational processes. Its most common uses are inestimate what impact a change will likely have on
information technology management, strategicemployee behavior patterns, work processes,
management, and process management. To betechnological requirements, and motivation.
effective, change management should beManagement must assess what employee reactions
multi-disciplinary, touching all aspects of the organization.will be and craft a change program that will provide
However, at its core, implementing new procedures,support as workers go through the process of
technologies, and overcoming resistance to changeaccepting change. The program must then be
are fundamentally human resource managementimplemented, disseminated throughout the organization,
issues.monitored for effectiveness, and adjusted where
Attitudes towards change result from a complexnecessary.