Introduction
When implementing innovations in a workplace, managers might face challenges manifested via employee resistance to change. In the case of the physical therapy department’s faculty members’ reluctance to transform their teaching methods under the new innovation’s impact, one way to manage such resistance is by identifying the problem. This posting is designed to outline the plan of transforming a problem of fear of innovation into a need for training using the characteristics of innovations.
Plan to Address Resistance to Change
The approach toward problem-solving that might be used in this case is restating the problem into a need. Since reluctance is a symptom of an issue, one might assume that the real problem behind it is the lack of skills and knowledge fueling the fear of change (Al-Takhayneh et al., 2022). The need derived from this problem is proper training and leadership for building competence that would contribute to confidence in the future (Vlados, 2019). When designing a plan to restate problems into needs, one should refer to the five characteristics of innovation.
The relative advantage of the innovation might be justified by the opportunities to facilitate the teaching process and learners’ productivity (Oldenburg & Glanz, 2008). Technologies might be perceived as “cognitive problem-solving tools,” which should be perceived as an advantage compared to teaching methods with no innovation (Spector, 2016, pp. 123-124). When addressing compatibility, one might assure the resisting faculty members that upon learning the technology, they can accommodate it to their teaching strategies (Oldenburg & Glanz, 2008).
The complexity of innovation should be addressed by formulating the need for training under thoughtful and supporting leadership. As for trialability, one might encourage faculty members to test the new technology and judge its appropriateness on the experience. Finally, the observability of the results might be addressed by demonstrating the productive performance of other departments or organizations using the innovation.
Conclusion
The proposed plan of managing resistance to change when implementing innovation is based on restating problems into needs. In particular, the reluctance of faculty members to transform their teaching methods is a symptom of their fear of incompetence using the technology, which informs the need for training. The plan incorporating five innovation characteristics will likely shift the faculty members’ perception of innovative change toward acceptance.
References
Al-Takhayneh, S. K., Karaki, W., Hasan, R. A., Chang, B. L., Shaikh, J. M., & Kanwal, W. (2022). Teachers’ psychological resistance to digital innovation in Jordanian entrepreneurship and business schools: Moderation of teachers’ psychology and attitude toward educational technologies. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1-15. Web.
Oldenburg, B., & Glanz, K. (2008). Diffusion of innovations. In K. Glanz, B. K. Rimer, & K. Viswanath (Eds.), Health behavior and health education: Theory, research, and practice (pp. 313–333). Jossey-Bass.
Spector, J. M. (2016). Foundations of educational technology: Integrative approaches and interdisciplinary perspectives (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Vlados, C. (2019). Change management and innovation in the “living organization”: The Stra.Tech.Man approach. Management Dynamics in the Knowledge Economy, 7(2), 229-256. Web.
Loading...
