Course MBA 530 Organizational Behavior

The Organizational Journey - Focus on the Individual

Writing Assignment Week One

Case Steve Jackson Faces Resistance to Change

A paper submitted to
Instructor

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for MBA 530
At Benedictine University, Lisle, IL.

Abstract

The Harvard Business Review of Steve Jackson Faces Resistance to Change case study intent is to provide an intricate description of how employees resist change. Different personality traits, egotism, awareness, and social diversity are all factors that affect the outcome when implementing a system that will create change within an organizations workforce. Education, training, and employee expectations of what …show more content…

Although Barnett is highly respected throughout the company, Dija should have engaged fully in the situation, even if it placed their personal relationship in jeopardy. Of all the individuals involved, Dija is the one person that has a personal relationship with Barnett, and should understand his character, as well as, his concerns. With personal insight, it takes less time to develop a plan of intervention, and then confront the problem head on. Instead, he continued to delegate his responsibility to rectify issues with a disgruntle employee to Jackson. Not once did Dija inquire about his concerns, or take the opportunity to actively search for resolution. Possibly, Barnett may have needed individual training, or an assistant to keep from falling behind in his duties during the transition period, yet the only message received from management was the company is moving forward with the implementation of the software, with or without you.

During the two demo presentations, at no point did Barnett present any constructive criticism, or objectives of why the BSO software change was detrimental to the company. He emphatically indicated that productivity would slow down, the software is to complex, and the shift would cost time, money, and the probable loss of a few of the company’s most valuable people. This leads me to think that his confidence in adapting to new concepts are in question, or he possesses an internal fear to change that would disrupt