Climate, culture, development and organizational change

The subject of organizational behavior covers a wide variety of topics, among these is that which refers to the climate, culture, development and change in organizations or companies. In this work, initially, the literal concepts of these terms are exposed to later analyze and get to know them from the perspective of administrative science, which provides an enormous diversity of knowledge that supports and bases the daily work of managers or directors of organizations Those who know that this power is a tool only if it is put into action.

The study of what is the organizational climate, leads us to understand why this element or characteristic of companies is of great importance, since the state that it keeps, positive or negative, greatly affects the implementation of projects aimed at achieving the efficiency and effectiveness of these organizations through management.

The corporate culture represents a pillar that supports the way and ways in which business activities are carried out, it has great strength since its birth is gradually formed over time, but despite this, there are mechanisms that could help us to modify those aspects that require variation and strengthen the positive values that fit into the vision and mission of the business to try the success of organizations,

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Organizational development turns out to be an administrative approach and tool to know how to project an increase in productivity, how to reduce absenteeism, how to reduce costs, how to manage changes in the elements of organizations, derived from the influence of internal forces or external, which oblige managers to be in a constant attitude of continuous improvement, since this lies in the survival of organizations. Change processes are not easy to manage, since the intervention of the human element, whose complexity is surprisingly diverse, requires flexible methodologies that are adapted to the problems that these changes generate, especially resistance,resistance whose expression is natural in people but which is the main obstacle to making changes in organizations, be they structural, people, technologies or the environment and the values and beliefs of the members: employees and leaders.

ORGANIZATIONAL CLIMATE

The organizational climate is a topic of great importance today for almost all organizations, which seek continuous improvement of the environment of their organization, in order to achieve an increase in productivity, without losing sight of human resources.

WHAT IS THE ORGANIZATIONAL CLIMATE

The environment where a person carries out his work daily, the treatment that a boss can have with his subordinates, the relationship between the company personnel and even the relationship with suppliers and customers all these elements are shaped by what we call organizational climate, this can Being a link or an obstacle to the good performance of the organization as a whole or of certain people who are inside or outside it, can be a factor of distinction and influence on the behavior of those who comprise it.

Based on the above organizational climate is:

The personal expression of the perception that workers and managers form of the organization to which they belong and that directly affects the performance of the organization.

Since this topic aroused the interest of scholars in the field of organizational behavior and administration, it has been called in different ways: Environment, atmosphere, organizational climate, etc. However, only in recent decades have efforts been made to explain its nature and attempt measure it. Of all the approaches to the concept of organizational climate, the one that has proven most useful is the one that sees as a fundamental element the perceptions that the worker has of the structures and processes that occur in the workplace.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ORGANIZATIONAL CLIMATE.-

The climate refers to the characteristics of the environment of the organization in which the members of these work and can be external or internal.

These characteristics are perceived directly or indirectly by the members who work in that environment and this determines the organizational climate since each individual has a different perception of the environment in which they operate.

The organizational climate is a temporary change in the attitudes of people that can be due to several reasons: final days of monthly and annual closure, process of personnel reduction, general increase in wages, etc. For example, when motivation increases, there is an increase in the organizational climate, since there is a desire to work and when motivation decreases, it also decreases, either out of frustration or for some reason that made it impossible to satisfy the need.

These characteristics of the organization are relatively permanent over time, they differ from one organization to another and from one section to another within the same company.

The climate together with the structures and organizational characteristics and the individuals that compose it, form a highly dynamic interdependent system.

A good climate or a bad organizational climate will have consequences for the organization on a positive or negative level, defined by the members' perception of the organization. Among the positive consequences we can name the following: achievement, affiliation, power, productivity, low turnover. Satisfaction, adaptation, innovation etc.

Among the negative consequences we can point out the following: maladjustment, high turnover, absenteeism, little innovation, low productivity, etc.

In an organization we can find various scales of organizational climates and according to how it is affected or benefited.

Structure Responsibility Reward Challenge Relations Relationship Cooperation Standards Conflict Identity

In conclusion, the elaboration of the organizational climate in a highly complex process due to the dynamics of the organization, the environment and human factors. So many companies and institutions recognize that one of their fundamental assets is their human factor. And to be sure of the strength of their human resources, organizations need to have periodic measurement mechanisms of their organizational climate that is linked to the motivation of the staff and, as previously indicated, this can have an impact on their corresponding behavior and job performance.

Therefore we know that the process of the organizational climate requires a deep knowledge of the subject, creativity and synthesis of all the things that compose it, so the organizational climate must offer quality of working life.

Organizational culture is one of the fundamental pillars to support all those organizations that want to become competitive. That is why the concept of culture is new in terms of its application to business management. It is a new perspective that allows management to understand and improve organizations

DEFINITION OF ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

It is the conventional conduct of a society, and it influences all its actions even though this reality rarely penetrates its conscious thoughts. It was also found that the definitions of culture are identified with the dynamic systems of the organization since the values can be modified, as an effect of the continuous learning of the individuals; In addition, they give importance to the processes of raising awareness as a specific part of the organizational culture.

HOW THE ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AFFECTS THE CLIMATE OF AN ORGANIZATION.-

The organizational climate has an important relationship in determining the organizational culture of an organization, understanding as organizational culture, the general pattern of behaviors, beliefs and values shared by the members of an organization. This is largely determined by the members that make up the organization, here the organizational climate has a direct impact since the perceptions that we previously said that the members had regarding their organization determine the beliefs, "myths", behaviors and values that form the organization culture.-

The perceptions and responses that span the organizational climate stem from a wide variety of factors. Some encompass leadership factors and management practices (types of supervision: authoritarian, participatory, etc. Other factors are related to the formal system and the structure of the organization (communications system, dependency relationships, remuneration promotions, etc.). Others are the consequences of behavior at work (incentive systems, social support, interaction with other members, etc.)

CONCEPT OF ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

It is a planned effort, covering the organization, administered by senior management that increases the effectiveness and health of the organization, through deliberate intervention in the organization's processes using knowledge of the behavioral sciences. Richard Beckhard

VALUES OF ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT.-

1.- RESPECT FOR PEOPLE.-

Individuals are held responsible, aware, and concerned. They should be treated with dignity and respect.

2.-TRUST AND SUPPORT.-

Effective and healthy organizations are characterized by trust, authenticity, openness and a climate of support.

3 .- EQUAL POWER.

Effective organizations stop emphasizing hierarchical authority and control

4.- CONFRONTATION.-

Problems should not be hidden under the rug. They should be openly confronted.

5.- PARTICIPATION.-

The more people affected by a change in the organization must participate in the decisions that surround it, the more committed they will be to putting those decisions into practice.

BASIC OBJECTIVES OF ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Among the main objectives of Organizational Development.-

1.- The development of a viable system capable of self-renewal, that is, that can be organized in various ways, according to the tasks: "The function determines the form". Instead of the tasks fitting into the structures already established.

2.- The optimal effectiveness of the stable system (basic organizational chart) and of the temporary systems (projects, commissions, etc.) through mechanisms of continuous improvement (analysis of work and resources for feedback).

3.- The advance towards a great collaboration and little competition between the interdependent units. One of the biggest obstacles to forming effective organizations is the amount of energy expended on inappropriate competition, energy that is therefore not useful in achieving goals.

4.-Create conditions in which conflicts arise and are managed. The organization must see conflicts as inevitable and that they must be “worked”. Generally, more energy is spent trying to avoid, cover or maneuver the conflicts, inevitable in an organization, instead of solving them.

5.- That decisions are made on the basis of the source of information and not on organizational functions. This not only means that decisions must be mobilized down the organization, but determine what the

best source of information to work on a particular problem and that is where decision-making should be situated.

ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT MODEL

CULTURE CONCEPT

Culture is a historical product-process of social construction of the system of meanings, linked through signs and symbols, which, when assimilated, has an operative impact on daily life, shapes behavior, gives it a peculiar shape and identity the lives of individuals.

ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE CONCEPT.

It is the set of important values, beliefs and understandings that the members of an organization have in common.

It refers to a system of meanings shared by a large part of the members of an organization that distinguish from one organization to others.

THERE ARE 10 PRIMARY CHARACTERISTICS THAT CONCENTRATE THE ESSENCE OF ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

According to SONNENFELD of Emory University, 4 types of organizational culture are defined.

1.- ACADEMY.- defines an organization that recruits, trains, specializes and guides human resources for various functions.

2.- CULTURE OF EXPERIENCE.- Antiquity, giving loyalty and commitment from adaptation and integration is essential and is called "CLUB"

3.- TEAM.- The risk of innovation is a profile, where talented and experienced human resources are adopted and are flexible and open, allowing people to grow.

4.- STRENGTH.- This oriented to survive since generally these groups have gone through the experience of the previous 3, they offer little security but great challenges to change.

FUNCTIONS OF CULTURE

It performs various functions within the organization, so Robbins (1996) refers to 5 of them.

1.- Define limits. - Make the difference between one organization and another.

2.- It reflects the identity of the members with the organization. - It is understood that the risks of organizational identity are included in the concept of culture, in the sense that they are established, known and shared elements by the social group.

3.- It generates the link between the members and the organization through loyalty and commitment.- For Arias Galicia (1974) he mentions that there is no doubt that each individual has an organism and a series of innate abilities that make it characteristic and different to all the others, but it is also true that through the acquisition of customs, norms, values, attitudes, etc. Culture stamps it with its stamp.

4.- Strengthens social stability.- They define successful companies as those and have a strong comparative culture, there are features that are defined by the organizational culture that allow each of its members to identify and self-classify within them, allowing any change to be oriented towards the needs that are generated optimally.

5.- It is a control mechanism.- It allows to point out the rules of the game.- Defined as different ways of thinking, believing and doing things within a system, whose established social modes of action are applied by the participants while they belong to the working groups.

DEVELOPMENT OF ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

The evolution or development of organizational culture in the field of management, from Fayol to Mintzberg, shows a mutation towards a fragmentation of managerial work in which a series of interpersonal, informative and decisive roles intermingle with the classic functions of administration. to plan, organize, direct, coordinate and control the roles that Mintzberg has been posing. The essence of organizational development today is to imagine, envision, create, innovate, integrate, monitor, "know how to be to integrate by doing." What constitutes fundamental organizational development is action. quality action is determined by senior management, quality is in the mind, it is in the heart of the manager, the manager's way of thinking about things, people and organizations,it is a critical factor for organizational development, productivity and staff integration.

NATIONAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURAL VALUES

Initiative Loyalty

Love for work Responsibility

Discipline Commitment to society

Laborious Companionship

Among all the values that make up the culture of the Organization, they are found as shared values: being honest, professional, disciplined and caring. Workers feel more identified with honesty and professionalism.

The values that are considered distanced are: achieving greater rapport, training, rationality, improving formal education and exemplary workers.

Burack mentions that values gradually emerge in organizations are basic indications developed by the same organization at the beginning and define how to deal with its environment.

Once culture is consolidated as a base of values within an organization, reference is made to 3 forces that allow it to be preserved as such:

THE PERSONNEL SELECTION PROCESS.- It serves as a framework for the presentation of the different values and culture of the organization. HIGH MANAGEMENT.- Whose aspects such as words and behaviors establish the norms that govern the activities of the organization. SOCIALIZATION.- It is the process of adaptation to the culture of the organization, since the critical stage is the beginning or entry into the organization.

The values identify the results that those involved in the organization most expect and indicate to the members of the organization how they should act.

Organizational values determine if the organization will be successful, when the members of the organization share a series of values united in a common sense of purpose or mission, they can have extraordinary results for it.

In the organizational field, values define the fundamental character of each organization, create a sense of identity, establish guidelines to implement its practices, policies and procedures, establish a framework to assess the effectiveness of its implementation, to determine the way in which resources were allocated, to provide direction as motivation.

MAINTENANCE OF ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

DEFINITION OF MAINTENANCE: Set of timely, continuous and permanent actions aimed at anticipating and ensuring the normal operation, efficiency and good appearance of the organization.

Maintenance must be carried out continuously and permanently through plans that contain precise and clearly defined goals, objectives and targets.

PREVENT means: to see ahead. Know, guess what is going to happen. INSURE: establish, firmly fix, preserve from damage to people or things. OPERATION: action to function. NORMAL: it is said that due to its nature, shape or magnitude, it complies with certain rules established in advance.

An efficient and effective maintenance division or management must be able to provide, in a safe and timely manner, an adequate maintenance service to all areas of the organization.

CHANGE OF ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE.

In principle, change in organizational culture is not an easy pattern. The essence of the change is to try first that the human groups are on our side according to the following phases:

PHASE 1 PREPARATION.- For this phase to be completed, the staff must recognize that there are problems either among the company's own members, with clients or in the structure of the company.

PHASE 2 DIAGNOSIS.- The commitment from above already indicates the need for action by conviction.

PHASE 3 INSTITUTIONALIZATION.- It must be accepted by the majority of the members, keeping in mind the fear or insecurity at the beginning of the process must be considered normal by the agents of change. Having the employees on our side would imply a real decrease in the risk that every change implies.

One of the biggest problems that man faces, is the "RESISTANCE TO CHANGE", this originates as the manifestation of insecurity in the face of the change of established routines and customs, using a defense mechanism against the inability to assimilate new criteria, systems or procedures.

PERFORMANCE AND ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE.

Performance management is important because it ensures the efficiency and satisfaction of the members of an organization, performance is the conduct of a person, executing their work, in terms of the results it produces and the satisfaction it achieves by doing so.

For a worker to have a good job performance requires three fundamental elements:

Resources Competences Commitments.

ETHICAL CONDUCT AND ORGANIZATIONAL CONDUCT.

Different forms of individual behavior can be assumed in relation to the beneficiaries of the services offered by the company.

In this sense, 2 types of behavior are defined:

ETHICAL CONDUCT

ORGANIZATIONAL CONDUCT.

ETHICAL CONDUCT.- Delimited by cultural factors and the formation of social networks of the members of the company, among which the following can be identified:

- Social tolerance against corruption. - The corrupt is socially accepted, being the most cunning, is the tax evader, the smuggler, etc.

Likewise, there is an impulse towards this type of people, apparently he is respected when he is in front of him and behind his activities.

- Political loyalty.- As public employees achieve the position by political militancy, they owe loyalty to their party and not to the public they serve.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONDUCT

The determining factors of this type of behavior are found in the constitution and operation of a certain organizational structure, in relation to the following elements:

BUREAUCRACY.- It is a system of the administration too big, which constitutes the consolidation of enormous organizational structures.

CONCENTRATION OF POWER.- When power is in the hands of few officials who feel they are the owners of the procedures and the time assigned to them.

ACCESS TO INFORMATION.- There are no information channels between boss-employees and this is a risk for the company when problems arise.

CONCEPT OF CHANGE

The word change literally means: action and effect of changing. Now, the term change is conceptualized as giving, taking, putting one thing or situation for another. In this last definition, it is necessary to consider the broad sense with which the word thing or situation must be understood in order to locate this concept in the study of organizational behavior.

Change is a process through which one passes from one state to another, generating modifications or alterations of a quantitative and / or qualitative nature of reality.

CONCEPT OF ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE

Organizational change can be defined in the following ways:

-	Ability of organizations to adapt to the different transformations that the internal or external environment undergoes, through learning.

-	It is a set of variations of structural order that organizations suffer and that are translated into a new organizational behavior.

Some examples of changes in organizations are:

-	Change personnel (Of any high, medium or low level)
-	Implement new work procedures.
-	Modify working hours
-	Remodeling, relocating or expanding the facilities.
-	Incorporate new tools, machinery and work instruments (technology).
-	Change policies, programs, budgets, and plans.
-	Staff reduction.
-	Change of company address.
-	Creation of new business units.
-	Redesign, totally or partially, the organizational structure.
-	Acquire new business
-	Merge companies

PROCESS OF CHANGE IN ORGANIZATIONS:

There are several authors of the administrative matter that have contributed what should be the structure of a process of change, in this research the following are considered:

Three-step model	Kurt Lewin
Action Research

KURT LEWIN'S THREE STEPS MODEL

According to Lewin, all behavior or situation is the result of a balance between the driving forces and the restrictive forces. Basically, his idea is to unfreeze old values, change and refreeze these new values.

01.-

Defrost

This step involves raising awareness of the need to change and removing or reducing any resistance to change. When starting the process of change the organization is in balance. This first stage will therefore consist of making the need for change so evident that all members of the group accept it. This stage is necessary to overcome the resistance of people who make change difficult and this can be achieved in three ways: by reinforcing the forces that favor change, weakening those that make it difficult, or combining the two previous ways

02.-

The change

It consists of altering the situation of the organization. In this stage, new values, attitudes and behaviors will be promoted, trying to make the members of the organization identify with them and internalize them. Among the activities that will have to be carried out to ensure that this stage is carried out in the most effective way are the following: drawing up a clear project for the implementation of the change; communicate it to all those affected; pose attractive challenges that encourage those affected to move; educate and train them in the new skills required and develop feedback mechanisms that allow for ongoing monitoring of the implementation process.

03.-	The freeze
	Here the organization must be stabilized after the change has taken place. Make the new pattern of behavior a general rule so that it can take root in individuals and the new situation is permanent.

ACTION INVESTIGATION

The Action Research method refers to the change process based on the systematic collection of data and then the subsequent choice of a change action based on what the analyzed information indicates. Its importance lies in the fact that it provides a scientific methodology to manage the planned change. This method comprises 5 steps that are:

Diagnosis Analysis Feedback Feedback Evaluation

DIAGNOSIS . -The change agent begins by gathering information about problems, concerns and necessary changes from members of the organization. This diagnosis is analogous to a doctor's search to specifically find a patient's condition. In the action investigation, the change agent asks questions, interviews employees, reviews files, and listens to workers' concerns.

ANALYSIS. -The information gathered during the diagnostic stage is then analyzed. What are the key problems for people? What patterns do these problems seem to follow? The change agent synthesizes this information into primary concerns, problem areas, and possible actions.

FEEDBACK.- In this third step it is necessary to share with the employees what has been found in steps one and two. Employees, with the help of the change agent, develop action plans to create any need for change. This is done because this method requires a broad involvement of the people subject to the change, since the people who will be involved in any change program must be actively involved in determining what the problem is and participating to create the solution.

ACTION. - At this point in the process, employees and the change agent carry out specific actions to correct the problems that have been identified.

EVALUATION.- Here the change agent evaluates the effectiveness of the action plans. The initial information collected and analyzed is used to compare the situations before and after the change, thereby obtaining the perspective of the modified element.

The action research technique provides at least two special benefits for an organization:

First.-	The problem is focused
Second.-	The resistance to change is reduced.

The problem is focused

The change agent objectively searches for problems and the type of problem determines the type of change action.

The resistance to change is reduced.

This happens due to the intense involvement of employees or people involved in the circumstances to change, since these, having actively participated in the feedback stage, the process of change adopts its own momentum. Employees and groups that have been involved become an internal source of sustained pressure to bring about change.

RESISTANCE TO CHANGE

We will begin by defining the term resistance, which according to the dictionary, is defined as opposition to the action of a force; Another meaning is that of capacity to resist, endurance.

Already enrolled in our theme, we will say, that resistance to organizational change refers to the forces that oppose organizational changes.

Based on the results of various investigations, organizations and their members resist change. Resistance to change can be a source of functional conflict. For example, resistance to a reorganization plan or a change to a product line can stimulate a healthy debate about the merits of the idea and result in a better decision.

Resistance to change has a downside: It hinders adaptation and progress.

Resistance to change does not arise in standardized ways. Resistance can be open, implicit, immediate, or deferred. It is much easier for management to deal with resistance when it is open and immediate. The biggest challenge for management is to deal with implicit or deferred resistance. The efforts of implicit resistance are more subtle: loss of loyalty to the organization, loss of motivation to work, increase in errors, increase in absenteeism due to “illness” and therefore it is more difficult to recognize. Similarly, deferred actions cloud the link between the source of resistance and the reaction to it. A change could produce what appears to be only a minimal reaction the moment it starts, but then resistance emerges weeks, months, or even years later.Or a single change that in itself has little impact becomes the drop that spills the glass. Reactions to change can accumulate and then explode into some response that seems totally out of proportion to the action of change that produced it. Resistance, of course, has simply been deferred and built up. What emerges is a response to an accumulation of previous changes.

Resistance to change can manifest itself in different ways and at different levels of analysis, whether individual, group or organizational. In this way we can mention eight primary forms of resistance that occur at the aforementioned levels of analysis, they are:

Confusion:	When it is present, it is difficult to visualize the change and its consequences.
Immediate criticism:	At the simple suggestion of any change, a denial towards it is demonstrated, regardless of the proposal.
Denial:	There is a refusal to see or accept that things are different.
Hypocrisy:	Demonstration of conformity towards change when in reality you disagree internally.
Sabotage:	Actions taken to inhibit or kill change.
Easy agreement:	There is an agreement if there is too much resistance to the change, although there is no compromise in said agreement.
Deviation or distraction:	The change in itself is evaded, thinking that perhaps in this way it will be forgotten.
Silence:	There is no opinion formed on the subject due to lack of information.

The introduction of changes initially causes considerable resistance. This occurs when it is a matter of modifying certain daily habits (of a time or food order, for example), or of promoting new methods of work or organization. The transition always turns out to be difficult.

Our daily life is governed by a set of customs, habits and models that affect both the way we eat and dress, as well as how we work or even establish relationships with others. Resistance to change can come primarily from the coercive character that change often has. The citizen, the worker, the user, are subjected to new operations without having been informed, in general, or consulted. They then have the impression that a higher power manages them at their will, without taking into account the way in which they had managed to adapt to the previous system, nor the suggestions that over time they had been able to present.

Furthermore, a phenomenon of inertia and rigidity tends to slow down the effort necessary to carry out a new adaptation. In that sense, it is inevitable that age or tiredness reinforce the resistance caused by change. The current modes of behavior have been the result of learning and adaptation to the physical or social environment. Anything that changes the usual appears difficult and dangerous. This resistance also includes a loss of prestige in case of failure or even less performance. The individual feels a risk of devaluation, both with respect to others and against the image they have of themselves. People who resist change often have some emotional wear and tear as a result of the tensions, restlessness, and anxiety that affect an individual's personality during a period of change.

The fact is that any change brings with it a certain degree of awareness of people regarding their previous experience in similar situations. If the previous experience was successful, people's predisposition will tend to be positive. Otherwise, people will experience a feeling of threat, danger, and uncertainty about their future.

The resistances can be of two types: Individual and organizational, the characteristics of each one are described below.

INDIVIDUAL RESISTANCE TO CHANGE

Resistance to individual change: Among the most important sources of individual resistance to change, may be mentioned:

Selective processing of information or perceptions. People tend to selectively perceive things that are most comfortably suited to their world view. Once people establish an understanding of reality, they resist changing it.

Personality. Some aspects of personality will predispose certain people to resist change, especially those whose thinking is very rigid and dogmatic.

Habits. Unless a situation changes dramatically, people may continue to respond to stimuli in their usual ways. A habit becomes a source of satisfaction for people because it allows them to adjust to the world and face it. The habit also provides comfort and security. Whether a habit becomes a major source of resistance to change depends, to some degree, on whether people perceive advantages in changing it. As human beings we are creatures of habit. Life is in itself complicated enough; we don't need to consider the full range of complexity options, we all rely on habits or programmed responses. But when faced with change, this tendency to respond in our usual ways becomes a source of resistance.

Security and threats to power and influence. People in high need of security are likely to resist change, as it threatens their feelings of security. Some people in organizations may view change as a threat to their power and influence. Controlling something that other people need, such as information or resources, is a source of power in organizations. Once a position of power is established, people or groups often resist the changes they perceive to reduce their power and influence.

Fear of the unknown. Changes replace what is known by ambiguity and uncertainty. Facing the unknown causes most people to become distressed. Every major change in a work situation brings with it an element of uncertainty. Uncertainty is produced not only by the possible change in itself, but also by the possible consequences of it.

Economic reasons. Money weighs heavily on people's thinking and, of course, it is logical that they resist changes that could decrease their income. Changes in job tasks or established work routines can also increase economic fears if people are aware that they will not be able to perform the new tasks or routines to their previous standards, especially when wages are closely tied to productivity.

ORGANIZATIONAL RESISTANCE TO CHANGE

The nature of organizations tends to resist change. Organizations are often more efficient when they perform routine tasks and are inclined to perform poorer when they do something the first time, at least at first. To ensure operational efficiency and effectiveness, organizations will create strong defenses against change. Not only that, change often opposes vested interests and violates certain territorial rights or decision-making prerogatives that groups, teams, and departments have established and have accepted over time.

The most important sources of organizational resistance to change are:

Organization Design : Organizations need stability and continuity to function effectively. The term organization implies that individual, group and team activities show a certain structure. People assigned functions, established procedures for carrying out work, appropriate ways of obtaining necessary information, and the like. However, that legitimate need for a structure also leads to resistance to change. Thus, rigid structures are more likely to eliminate new ideas because they threaten the status quo. More adaptable and flexible organizations are designed to reduce the resistance to change created by rigid organizational structures.

Limited focus of change: Organizations are made up of several interdependent systems. Therefore, limited changes in subsystems tend to be overridden by the larger system.

Organizational culture: Organizational culture plays a fundamental role in change. Cultures are not easy to modify and perhaps become the main source of resistance to change. One aspect of effective organizational culture lies in the flexibility to take advantage of opportunities for change. An ineffective organizational culture (in terms of organizational change) is one that rigidly socializes employees in the old culture, even in the face of evidence that it no longer works.

Limitations and threats to established resource distributions : Some organizations want to maintain the status quo, others would change if they had the resources to do so. Change requires capital, time, and skilled people. At any given time, managers and employees of an organization will have identified changes that could or should be made, but some of the desired changes may need to be deferred or abandoned due to resource constraints. Resource limitations are not restricted to organizations with insufficient assets. Some wealthy organizations will not change due to fixed investments in capital assets that cannot be easily changed (equipment, buildings, land).

Those groups in the organization that control resources often see change as a threat. They tend to be happy with the way things are. Would the change, for example, mean a reduction in their budgets or a reduction in staff size? Those who benefit the most from the current distribution of resources often feel threatened by changes that could affect future distributions.

Inter-organizational agreements : In general, agreements between organizations impose obligations on people that can limit their behavior, and thus limit the alternatives for change.

Group inertia.- The different ways in which team members perceive reality can become sources of resistance, since once the group shapes a vision of its reality, it is extremely difficult for them to change it.

To organize their daily tasks, the teams try to routinize their tasks, in order to acquire comfort and security. This creates habits in the group that conform to possible sources of resistance to change.

Threat to established power relations: Some groups within the organization have certain power bases and influences that were gained over time. In a situation of change, these groups feel threatened, seeing as probable the loss of said acquired power, which can become a barrier to change. In addition, the uncertainty that changes in equipment usually generate contribute to the emergence of resistance.

Threat to Skill: Changes in organizational patterns could threaten the expertise of specialized groups.

Customs, values and ways of thinking: These factors that the group shares and that it was acquiring in its internal adaptation process, can create barriers, since, in certain teams, the basic assumptions can become highly rooted in the unconscious of the members of it.

HOW TO OVERCOME RESISTANCE TO CHANGE

To overcome resistance to change, the following six tactics can be used as agents of change:

Education and Communication:

Awareness of change through empowering people and communicating with them openly can help them see the logic of change and gain mutual trust and credibility. Effective communication reduces gossip and unfounded fear. It is necessary that those who carry out the change build a clear vision of where the team needs to go in order to survive and be successful, and at the same time share it and convey why the team should take that direction. By giving team members as much information as possible and providing them with alternatives so that each can choose their destiny, they will be allowed to gradually get used to the changes and realize that they can survive in a changing environment.

Participation:

There is evidence that one of the best ways to help implement a change is to involve the affected system directly in the decision-making process. The more the system participates in the decisions that are made about how to handle the change, the less resistance there is and the more stable the change can be. It is difficult for people to resist if they have participated since the origins of the transformations.

Facilitation and support:

Change agents can offer a wide range of support efforts. Fear and anxiety decrease when people get immediate benefits. The downside of this tactic is that it is expensive and there is no guarantee of success. When those affected feel that those leading the change are interested in their concerns, they will be more willing to provide information that will jointly help overcome the barriers to change.

Manipulation and Cooptation:

Manipulation refers to disguised attempts to gain influence, providing false information. Cooptation is a form of both manipulation and participation. Attempts are made to bribe the leaders of a resistance group, giving them a leading role in the decision for change. These maneuvers are risky and compromise credibility.

Negotiation:

Some value is exchanged in exchange for decreased resistance. In this negotiation the risk is to fall into blackmail, which would be negative for those who want to carry out the change, as their efforts are misinterpreted.

Coercion:

The application of threats, punishments or the direct force of power on people who resist change. This is perhaps the riskiest of the strategies, since their results are generally negative, hardening resistance and creating a feeling of resentment in those affected by the change even more counterproductive than the original resistance.

REQUIREMENTS FOR EFFECTIVE CHANGE

To determine the requirements that can help us achieve effective change, it is necessary to know what the results of the failures in the change processes are. According to research, the factors that negatively affect the effectiveness of change processes are:

	Factor	Percentage
	Resistance to change	60%
	Limitations of the systems in use	42%
	Lack of executive commitment	37%
	Lack of an executive level sponsor	39%
	Unrealistic expectations	35%
	Lack of cross-functional team	33%
	Inadequate equipment and skills	31%
	Lack of staff involvement	19%
	Project scope too limited	17%

As we can see most of the causes have to do with the human aspects of change and this is obvious since the market is people, organizations are people, customers are people.

The process of planned change implies the presence of three very well defined elements:

The System (in which the change will take place). That it can be an individual, a group, a community, an organization, a country and even an entire region of the world.

The Change Agent (responsible for technically supporting the change process). One or more change agents, whose basic function is to provide the system with the technical or professional support necessary for the change to be carried out successfully.

A Desired State (the conditions that the system must achieve). A desired state, which defines the specific conditions that the system, with the help of the change agent, wants to achieve.

The planned change process consists of 5 major stages:

Diagnosis of the situation. Determination of the desired situation. Determination of the channels of action to follow. Execution of the actions. Evaluation of the results.

Diagnosis of the situation:

It includes all activities aimed at achieving a clear vision of the situation, so that we can determine if there really is a need to change and, if so, where should change efforts be directed.

Determination of the desired situation:

At this stage, the current situation is compared, based on the results of the diagnosis, with the ideal situation to subsequently determine a desired situation. Sometimes both are identical, but many times not. The difference between the latter and the ideal consists of what we could call the realism factor, that is, the desired situation is the one we can achieve, even if it does not represent the optimum.

Determination of the action channels to follow:

At this stage, the promoter of change chooses and develops the appropriate procedures to act on the situation that he wishes to change, based on the results of the diagnosis and the determination of the desired situation.

The activities that are usually carried out in this phase of the process are:

Development of Objectives. What is expected to be achieved as a consequence of the change, in terms of observable results and quantifiable preferences.

Elaboration of Strategies. Changes to follow to achieve the objectives.

Choice of Concrete Means of Action.

Identification of the human elements involved in the action.

Establishment of an action plan

Development of control and evaluation instruments.

Execution of actions:

The implementation of the strategy conducive to change, in which control mechanisms must also be provided to periodically verify whether the plan is respected or not, and if the experience gained indicates that it is on the right track towards achieving the objectives.

Evaluation of the results:

Analyze the results obtained to compare them with the established objectives, in order to measure the degree of success achieved and determine what factors or influences explain those results.

Now there are five techniques that can be used to project an effective change process:

SENSITIZATION TRAINING:.-It also receives other names such as training laboratory, awareness training, training groups (T. groups), but everything refers to a method of changing behavior through unstructured interaction. Members meet in a free and open environment in which participants discuss themselves and their interactive processes, led by a professional behavioral scientist (vrg. Industrial psychologist). The group is process oriented, which means that individuals learn through observation and participation rather than doing only what they are told to do. The professional creates the opportunity for participants to express their ideas, beliefs and attitudes.The objectives of the training groups are to provide subjects with a greater understanding of their own behavior and how others perceive it, a greater sensitivity to the behavior of others, and a better understanding of group processes. The specific results seek to include a greater capacity to empathize with others, better listening skills, greater openness, greater tolerance for individual differences and better conflict resolution skills. If individuals lack knowledge of how others perceive them, then the successful training group can produce more realistic perceptions of their own, greater group cohesion, and reduced dysfunctional interpersonal conflict. Also,ideally it will result in better integration between the individual and the organization.

FEEDBACK OF SURVEYS.- This is a tool to assess the attitudes of the members of the organization, identify the discrepancies between the members' perceptions and resolve those differences. Every person in an organization can participate in feedback from surveys, but the organizational family is of paramount importance - The manager of any unit and those employees who report directly to him or her. In general, all the members in the organization or unit answer the same questionnaire. Members of the organization could be asked to suggest questions or they could be interviewed to determine which topics are relevant. The questionnaire typically asks members for their perceptions and attitudes on a wide range of topics, including decision-making practices;the effectiveness of communication, coordination between units and satisfaction with the organization, work, colleagues and the immediate supervisor.

PROCESS OFFICE.- No organization operates perfectly. Managers often feel that the performance of their unit can be improved, but are unable to identify what can be improved and how they should do it. The purpose of this tool is for an external consultant to help a client, usually a manager, "to perceive, understand and act according to the events of the process" with which she has to deal. This could include workflow, informal relationships between unit members, and formal channels of communication. Process consultants "give the client insight into what's going on around him, within him, and between the client and other people." They do not solve the problems of the organization. Instead,Consultants are guides or instructors who advise on the process to help the client solve their own problems. The consultant works together with the client diagnosing which processes need to be improved. The term union since the client develops an ability to analyze the processes within her unit that can be continuously consulted long after the consultant has left. Furthermore, by actively involving the client in both diagnosis and development of alternatives, there will be a greater understanding of the process and the remedy, as well as less resistance to the chosen action plan.The term union since the client develops an ability to analyze the processes within his unit that can be continuously consulted long after the consultant has left. Furthermore, by actively involving the client in both diagnosis and development of alternatives, there will be a greater understanding of the process and the remedy, as well as less resistance to the chosen action plan.The term union since the client develops an ability to analyze the processes within his unit that can be continuously consulted long after the consultant has left. Furthermore, by actively involving the client in both diagnosis and development of alternatives, there will be a greater understanding of the process and the remedy, as well as less resistance to the chosen action plan.

It is important to note that the process consultant does not necessarily have to be an expert in solving the particular problem that has been identified. The consultant's experience lies in diagnosing and developing a helping relationship. If the specific problem discovered requires technical knowledge different from the experience of the client and the consultant, the consultant helps the client locate the expert and then instructs the client on how to get more out of this expert resource.

TEAM INTEGRATION.- Organizations are now increasingly relying on teams to accomplish job tasks. Team integration uses highly interactive group activities to increase trust and openness among team members. Team integration is applied within groups at the intergroup level where activities are interdependent. As a result, our interest has to do with applications to organizational families (command groups), as well as committees, project teams, self-directed teams, and task forces. Not all group activity has interdependence of functions. To illustrate this point, consider a soccer team and a track team: Although members of both teams are interested in the overall team result, they function differently.The results of the soccer team depend synergistically on how well each player does their particular job in concert with their teammates. The performance of the quarterback depends on the performance of his linemen and receivers, and ends in how well the quarterback throws the ball. On the other hand, the performance of the track team is largely determined by a simple addition of the performances of the individual members. The integration of the team is applicable to the case of interdependence, such as in soccer. The goal is to improve the coordinated efforts of the members, which will result in increased team performance. Activities considered in team integration generally include goal setting,developing interpersonal relationships among team members, analyzing the role to clarify each of the members' roles and responsibilities, and analyzing the team process. Of course, team integration could emphasize or exclude certain activities depending on the purpose of the development effort and the specific problems the team faces. Basically, however, team integration seeks to use high interaction among members to increase trust and openness. It would be beneficial to start by having members try to define the team's goals and priorities. This will bring to the surface different perceptions of what the team's purpose might be. After this, members can evaluate the team's performance.How effective is the team in structuring priorities and achieving goals? This should identify potential problem areas. This self-critical means and ends analysis is done with all team members present or when large size interferes with the free exchange of views, it takes place initially in small groups, after which the process of sharing their findings with All the team. The integration of the team can also be directed to achieve the role of each member in the team. Each role is identified and clarified. The above ambiguities are left afloat. For some individuals,This could be one of the few opportunities they have had to meditate deeply on what their position is and what specific tasks they are expected to carry out if the team seeks to improve their effectiveness. One more activity of team integration is similar to that carried out by the process consultant, that is, analyzing the key processes that occur within the team to identify the way in which the work is carried out and how these processes could best be done most effective team.

INTER-GROUP DEVELOPMENT.- An important area of interest in organizational development is the dysfunctional conflict that exists between groups. As a result, this has been the goal toward which change efforts have been directed. Intergroup development seeks to change the attitudes, stereotypes, and perceptions that groups have of each other. For example, in a company, engineers consider that the accounting department is made up of shy and conservative individuals, and that the human resources department has a lot of "ultra-liberals" who are more concerned with avoiding hurting the feelings of some protected group. of employees because the company makes a profit. Such stereotypes can have an obvious negative impact on coordination efforts between departments.Although there are various approaches to improve interpersonal relationships, one popular method emphasizes problem solving. In this method, each group meets independently to make lists of their perception of themselves, of the other group, and of how they think the other group perceives it. The groups then share their lists, after which the similarities and differences are channeled. The differences are clearly articulated and the groups look for the causes of the disparities. Are the goals of the groups in conflict? Were perceptions distorted? On what basis were stereotypes formulated? Have the differences been caused by misunderstandings of intent? Were the words and concepts defined differently in each group?Answers to questions like these make clear the exact nature of the conflict. Once the causes of difficulties have been identified, groups can move into the integration phase: Work to develop solutions that improve relationships between groups. Subgroups are formed, with members of each of the groups in conflict, for a subsequent diagnosis and to start formulating possible alternative actions that improve relationships.for a later diagnosis and to start formulating possible alternative actions that improve relationships.for a later diagnosis and to start formulating possible alternative actions that improve relationships.

CONCLUSIONS

The climate and the organizational culture are closely linked elements, ensuring that these keep positive states, and where appropriate, contain the correct values and beliefs, directed towards a trend of continuous improvement are and should be matters that require permanent evaluation so that When the business ship goes off course, we can again redirect it effectively. We are aware that corporate cultures evolve very slowly and unless there are cataclysms or massive destruction and the birth of new organizations, real cultural changes are rare, but we also keep an open and positive mind to believe that things can always be improved.

Not long ago, an organization could still be aspired to be competitive on the basis of a horizontal division of labor and vertical decision-making. Those who were at the highest level were those who only had the power to think, the rest were paid to do. Today the success of organizations is based on the values of organizational development, with which the adage that “two heads think better than one” is reinforced. Taking advantage of people, valuing them and granting them participation in the formulation of alternatives for decision-making creates enormous possibilities for business results to be achieved.

In the previous century, the success of companies was defined by the clear definition of functions, the specialization of tasks and control, among others. The current environment, characterized mainly by the speed of change, the high levels of uncertainty and the intensification of competition in the markets, imposes on companies an improvement in their change management. Due to the fact that different situations have to be faced than those that occurred up to now, companies will have to change the way of facing them. Therefore, creative and appropriate strategies are required, which contribute both to the benefit of the person and the organization. Traditional change management tools are not effective. The answer is to change our perception of change and its management.

Only companies that manage to adapt to the new environment in a flexible way will survive and be successful. “….Change so as not to die, it seems that is how progress is made…” (Filomena Ferreto- Character of “The next Victim”)

BIBLIOGRAPHY

ADMINISTRATION, David R. Hampton, Mc. Graw Hill.

ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR, Stephen P. Robbins, Prentice Hall.

HUMAN BEHAVIOR AT WORK. ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR, Keith Davis / John W. Newstrom, Mc. Graw Hill.

ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR, Judith R. Gordon, Prentice Hall.

ADMINISTRATION, Koontz / O'Donnell / Weihrich, Mc. Graw Hill.

LIBRARY OF CONSULTATION MICROSOFT ENCARTA 2003

Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy www.rae.es/

Gestiopolis.com

Monographs.com

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