Reasons for Resistance to Change

Different individuals, groups and organisations and societies possess varying capacities to accept change. There is usually resistance to it for a number of reasons -

• Changes are seen as criticism of existing methods, personnel or performance.
• Anxiety over whether the changes can be coped with or absorbed, and what it will take to come to terms with the changes.
• Uncertainty about the nature of the changes. This is especially fuelled by the absence of information - rumours and distortion will fill the vacuum left by hard facts.
• Reluctance to write off the investment (often very personal) in existing arrangements.

• The fear of losing out since typically change creates winners and losers, and the losers may be more vocal, united or powerful than the winners.
• Perceived conflict with personal goals. Our new business direction could be at variance with what the individual wishes to achieve from the workplace.
• Belief in the unworkability of the changes. Depending on the validity of the beliefs, this could be of use to the organisation as a means of modifying or even abandoning the changes.