Easing fear of new technology at work

By JULIUS OLAYO

Resistance to change is a challenge to management and takes many forms.

Like every other social grouping, work groups develop norms - or rules of conduct - that make interaction predictable to enable the group work together towards common goals.

However, problems often occur when those who promote and implement technological change ignore the existence of formal and informal norms.

If managers overlook the culture of employees who are slated to become the users of new technology, they will encounter resistance.

Since norms, whether formal or informal, reflect some underlying values, they are difficult to change unless it can be shown that the new behaviour is also consistent with an important value, or that the old value itself needs to be changed.

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Formal norms can be directly addressed because they are explicit.

However, strongly-held informal norms may be among the hardest to change because it may be difficult to explicitly identify them, let alone verbalise the value they represent.

Many managers fail to recognise such cultural problems when they arise to deal with them effectively. This may result in roadblocks and failure to implement the new technology.

For successful change, a smart manager should use the organisation’s values and customs as a foundation for new and innovative approaches to productive work.

They also need to identify the rationale for change. The working culture of employees is a mixed bag of formal, informal, and technical norms that can produce both rational and emotional resistance to change.

Avoiding the unknown when it comes to technological change is also important. When the nature of change and its outcomes are unknown, uncertainty and anxiety abound in the minds of those who perceive that they might be affected.

esteem and respect

Managers should also recognise the influence of others.

Employees are not likely to support change if they are asked to adapt, but are not supported by those in positions of esteem and respect.

Employees will be more open to technological change when they see their peers accepting it, hence managers should identify innovators and laggards.

Rather than forcing technological change on laggards, managers should let early adapters lead the way in establishing a new set of norms for handling work procedures and policies.

New technology should not simply be introduced and then ignored. It should be fully supported until it becomes operational.

There are many examples of technological innovations that have been shelved by employees who were expected to benefit.

Employees, especially those who are not familiar with complex technologies, need to be assured that they will not be held responsible for any piece of equipment that they do not fully understand.

Managers should always know that employees adapt to technology at different pace, and anxiety among them causes resistance to final acceptance and productive use.

Promoters of technological change often argue that everyone is a winner. Attention to emotional and financial needs of those who lose their jobs or whose job status drops due to technological change is a critical investment in the morale of the remaining wokers.