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Change Management in Public Organizations

When it comes to organizational change, the process of implementing change is just as
important as the contents of the change itself. No matter how good the changes are for the
organization, they might not achieve the desired effect if they are not implemented appropriately.
In fact, poor implementation of change can leave the organization worse off than it was before
the changes were introduced.
Reactions to implementation of organizational changes
When an organization’s change plan is implemented, employee will react in different
ways. The type of reactions that employees show depends on various factors. One of them is how
the changes are going to affect their jobs (Anderson, 2016). For instance, employees who are
used to comfortable routines may react with hostility to changes that destabilize such routines.
Other employees may react with anxiety is they are unsure how the changes are going to affect
them in particular and the organization in general (Smollan, 2015). In the case of conflict
management change policy proposed, senior police officers who are used to making orders and
having their way may not positively welcome changes that encourage more compromising. They
may, therefore, interpret the changes as targeting them unfairly. It is such issues that need to be
considered during implementation of change.
When the change plan is not appropriately implemented, it is likely to cause unnecessary
uncertainty and stress among employees in the organization. Sometimes employees may be
direct and expressive about this stress (Fernandez & Rainey, 2017). They may write letters to
management and voice their opinions in various forums. However, in many cases they just keep
quiet. In such cases it easy to see the stress and anxiety reflected in their work (Smollen, 2015).

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They may exhibit low morale, poor performance, and general withdrawal (Smollen, 2015). That
is it important that changes be implemented in a smooth manner that does not cause unnecessary
stress that may negatively impact productivity and performance of employees.
Strategies for addressing reactions to change implementation
Widespread negative reactions to change plans that have been implemented or in the
course of being implemented can have serious consequences for an organization’s performance.
An organization may experience low productivity, reduced effectiveness and, in some cases,
employees leaving for other organizations (Burke, 2017). Thus, it is important to keenly monitor
the reactions of employees to changes and act appropriately.
One strategy of addressing employee reactions is showing genuine concern. No concern
should be treated lightly or dismissed outrightly (Fernandez & Rainey, 2017). Rather, every issue
that an employee may raise should be treated with seriousness and with genuine concern.
Employees are likely to have a positive view of changes if they feel that their concerns are given
serious consideration by the management.
Another strategy is to keep lines of communication between the management and
employees open. Employees should be able to feel free about expressing their views on how the
changes are affecting them (Lewis, 2019). For instance, there should be regular meetings where
employees can air their opinions about the changes without any fear of negative repercussions.
Lastly, reaction to changes can be far more positive if there is more input from
employees. Employee input should not just be sought during policy formulation. It should also
be sought after the implementation. The changes should be flexible enough such that the input of
employees can be used to modify the changes (Anderson, 2016). The goal should be to get the

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most buy-in possible for the changes from employees. Employees will generally show more
commitment to changes when they know that their input is reflected in the changes.
These strategies apply not just to employees of the organization but also other
stakeholders such as the public. One factor that makes public organizations unique is the highly
complex environment in which they operate in (Denhardt et al., 2018). Complexity of
environment is the number of factors that an organization or entity depends on for its operations.
Compared to private organizations, public organizations operate in a much more complex
environment.
Public organizations, for instance, have more stakeholders than their private counterparts.
These stakeholders include the general public, social and human rights activists, unions and
politicians. Due to these large number of stakeholders, it is not enough to just monitor the
reaction of employees. It is important that the reactions of these other stakeholders be monitored
as well (Denhardt et al., 2018).
The strategies suggested above such as soliciting for input from concerned parties and
keeping channels of communication open apply not just to employees but to other stakeholders
as well. Unions, for instance, can have a much more positive view of a given change if there’s a
clear avenue that allows them to communicate their concerns and have them addressed.
Another unique aspect of public organizations is high levels of bureaucracy and
formalization (Denhardt et al., 2018). These two factors make it hard for employees and other
stakeholders to express their concerns in an informal and free environment. The soliciting of
employee input and organizing informal meetings where employees can air their opinions is
because of the understanding that the environment of public organizations is often highly formal.

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Changes in an organization have the potential of transforming an organization for the
better. However, if they are not implemented well they can lead to negative reactions from
employees and other important stakeholders who, without their buy-in, the changes cannot be
successful. The strategies discussed in this paper are meant to help employees and other
stakeholders to have a more positive reaction to changes implemented in an organization.

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References

Anderson, D. L. (2016). Organization development: The process of leading organizational
change. Sage Publications.
Burke, W. W. (2017). Organization change: Theory and practice. Sage Publications.
Denhardt, R. B., Denhardt, J. V., Aristigueta, M. P., & Rawlings, K. C. (2018). Managing human
behavior in public and nonprofit organizations. CQ Press.
Fernandez, S., & Rainey, H. G. (2017). Managing successful organizational change in the public
sector. In Debating Public Administration (pp. 7-26). Routledge.
Lewis, L. (2019). Organizational change: Creating change through strategic communication.
John Wiley & Sons.
Smollan, R. K. (2015). Causes of stress before, during and after organizational change: a
qualitative study. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 28(2), 301-314.