Business leaders need to realize that resistance to change is an inevitable part of the technological change process, so it should be anticipated. This may be because of a myriad of reasons. One of them is that the users may not see the importance of this new technology. They may already be very efficient at using a current technology that the thought of changing it simply disturbs them. In such situations, managers need to educate members of the organization on existing performance gaps. Leaders should make them see that they are not performing at their potential and that the new technology would help them do it. This education can be done through formal settings such as company presentations and memos or informally when supervisors interact with their workers.
Alternatively, employees could resist change because they may feel threatened by the change. In other words, they may assume that the technology will be replacing them or that it could make them less useful to the firm. Managers can deal with this issue by involving employees in decision-making processes, i.e., the design of the technology and the planning process for implementation. This would be inclusive and could dispel those fears. Some employees may already be having a bad relationship with their seniors and would therefore resist any new development in the organization. A firm can avoid being in such circumstances by cultivating a good relationship with its employees.
It can do so by always communicating with them and by getting feedback from them about operational needs. It needs to demonstrate its commitment by implementing suggestions and comments made by employees. Sometimes, it may be the timing of the technological change or the suddenness of it. Employees or consumers can resist it if they have not been warned. Companies can counter this resistance by training and informing the users about the change beforehand. It may sometimes be possible to witness resistance to change due to peer pressure. Here, employees may simply want to defy authority. One way in which the organization’s administrators can avoid such resistance is through the introduction of rewards.
Members who worry about their job security would be thoroughly assured once a change in technology is accompanied by a monetary reward. On the other hand, a company could try to negotiate with its employees. If the resistance is too intense and is mostly based on peer pressures, then trying to listen to the users’ side of the story can go a long way in eliminating some of these problems. Lastly, acceptance of the status quo can also be another issue in the wake of technological change. Corporations should try as much as possible to keep other things constant. For instance, it should try and use the same person if they can acquire needed skills. It should also maintain the same long-term objectives so that users can feel a sense of connection to the firm even after the change has been instated. At the end of it all, the users need to be able to identify with the said organization so that profitability can be sustained.