Introduction
Changes in companies are necessary because they become the main driver for development. However, the main problem that this initiative can cause is resistance on the part of the organization’s employees. Issues related to this transition may also arise for organizations that wish to transition from a local culture to a global one. The University of Doha for Science and Technology (UDST) faces these difficulties. Policies and procedures, such as organizational culture and design interventions, multiple organizational interventions, and employee engagement, are necessary to limit the possible consequences of implementing changes.
Issues Resulted from the Change
First, it is necessary to consider what changes have occurred in the USDT and what issues it has encountered. The main goal of the organization was to change Canadian culture to a more international and inclusive one. They will take place in the transition of vision and mission in the direction of technology development, with an emphasis on job satisfaction and job design. This kind of transformation is quite severe for the organization, but it can lead to a significant improvement in its activities and improve competitiveness in the global market.
Cultural conflict can be one of the leading reasons for employees’ resistance to cultural changes. It occurs due to the collision of local values and views with global ones. In other words, the lack of inclusion and diversity in the workplace after transformation can cause employees to spread prejudice against representatives of other cultures. Moreover, it can be the result of increased stress situations and tension, which negatively affect the productivity and efficiency of the organization (Li et al., 2021). Former employees may also express dissatisfaction with the decrease in the value of local culture due to the introduction of new ones into the workplace.
Overcoming Resistance to Change
Organizational culture and design interventions can be particularly effective. Human process approaches that are based on relationships and dynamics within the organization will help to achieve the best effect when introducing cultural changes. They are aimed at carrying out initiatives to build a team and improve communication among the team. Employees’ awareness of the importance of their opinions also plays a valuable role in this process. Thus, they should understand that their views are essential, and the company’s managers should consider them when developing and altering the strategy being implemented.
In order to limit the undesirable consequences of a culture change in the UDST organization, it is necessary to introduce measures for overcoming resistance. Thus, managers should pay attention to developing policies to increase awareness and disseminate knowledge through communication with employees. It is necessary to “inform, create understanding, guide, call for action, and, if necessary, alter behavior and reactions to change in a useful, timely, and effective manner” (Shulga, 2021, p. 2).
With the help of this policy, the company finds an opportunity to spread among the staff an understanding of the leading causes of change, the visions and missions it strives to achieve, and the measures that will be taken to do so. Thus, employees will be better prepared, and the possibility of misunderstanding and resistance will decrease. The main approaches that can provide communication in the workplace are holding specialized meetings with the team and disseminating information through leaders (Oreg & Berson, 2019). The latter plays a significant role in motivating employees and bringing them together.
Employee Engagement
Human resources are of the utmost importance for the organization when implementing changes. Their engagement should be a mandatory component of any policy. It will be ensured through the implementation of a communication policy. An example of involving personnel in the policy of changes in the UDST organization can be the active management of UDST’s strategic planning to prepare for changes. Employees of this department worked on selecting the most suitable and productive strategies that corresponded to the mission and values of the organization and satisfied job design.
The most effective way to introduce and involve employees in the process of change is to provide feedback. The company should establish communication channels through which the staff will be able to transmit input and suggestions regarding the company’s policy. This will give an opportunity to better understand how employees react to major transformations associated with the transition to a global culture. Moreover, such a concept as inclusion requires a step-by-step implementation to avoid possible disruption of the organization’s activities.
Another way to involve employees is to provide sources of education (Errida & Lotfi, 2021). This is especially valuable when changing the culture, which requires awareness and readiness on the part of employees.
Global Issues in Organizational Development
When implementing changes in an organization, global problems may arise, knowledge of which will allow managers to cope with them more efficiently and faster. When changing the Canadian culture to a global one, which will be aimed at inclusion and diversity, such an issue as misunderstanding may arise. This is due to different values, worldviews, traditions, and practices that are unique to each culture.
The consequence of this shift at the workplace may be the occurrence of conflict and stressful situations during personnel activities, which reduce their performance indicators. The second global problem may be the unwillingness of the organization to implement the desired changes. Thus, when implementing any transformations, managers and authorities should make sure that the human resources are prepared for them.
Organizational and multiple organizational interventions can assist when tackling issues related to the implementation of changes. The first of them is an organizational culture assessment designed to “discover all cultures that may exist in a company, expected and unexpected” (“Assessing organizational culture,” n.d., para. 18). This tool will allow UDST to gain an understanding of the different cultures within the organization and understand what problems they may face when moving to the global level. In addition, this assessment contributes to the awareness of what measures can be introduced into the change strategy to limit the negative consequences mentioned earlier.
The second approach, when issues related to the transition to a global culture arise, is strategic planning, real-time change, and scenario planning. In other words, the organization should consider all possible outcomes of transformation, even at the preparation stage. This measure will allow it to gain control over the situation during its development, have ready-made policies for its alteration, and fight against resistance.
Conclusion
In conclusion, introducing changes is a complex process for the organization, necessitating careful preparation and finding ways to limit problems. For UDST, it is necessary to develop approaches that will ensure a correct transformation from Canadian culture to global, taking into account the vision and job design. Moreover, managers need to involve employees in order to achieve the most satisfactory outcomes.
References
Assessing organizational culture & impacts on culture from company transitions. (n.d.). OCM Solution. Web.
Errida, A., & Lotfi, B. (2021). The determinants of organizational change management success: Literature review and case study. International Journal of Engineering Business Management, 13. Web.
Li, J. Y., Sun, R., Tao, W., & Lee, Y. (2021). Employee coping with organizational change in the face of a pandemic: The role of transparent internal communication. Public Relations Review, 47(1), 101984. Web.
Oreg, S., & Berson, Y. (2019). Leaders’ impact on organizational change: Bridging theoretical and methodological chasms. Academy of Management Annals, 13(1), 272-307. Web.
Shulga, L. V. (2021). Change management communication: The role of meaningfulness, leadership brand authenticity, and gender. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 62(4), 498-515. Web.