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Block 2 Assumption, Beliefs and Values in Organisational Development

Unit 4 A Normative Re-Educative Strategy For Change

1. Explain the concept of organisational change.

1. Organisational change refers to any alteration that occurs in the overall work environment of an organisation.
2. It can be described as a process of moving from one condition to another.
3. Change can be planned or unplanned, and may be influenced by external and internal forces.
   • External forces include ecological, demographic, and cultural changes.
   • Internal forces could be things like a new technology or a change in management.
4. Organisational change includes adapting to, controlling and effecting change.
5. Changes need to be implemented and managed effectively.

2. What are the various approaches to break resistance to organisational change?

• Rational-Empirical Approach: This approach assumes that people are rational and will change if provided with the right information, education, or training.
  • It includes providing the necessary information, ensuring the right people are in the right place, seeking external expertise, engaging in research and development, promoting creative thinking, and clarifying issues.
• Normative Re-educative Approach: This approach focuses on changing the norms, attitudes, and values of individuals within the organisation. It suggests that change begins from the bottom up by focusing on changing individuals within the social system.
  • It aims to improve problem-solving capacities and foster personal growth.
  • It uses an educational strategy with learning through experience.
• Power-Coercive Approach: This approach is associated with political movements and social activism and involves using authority to bring about change.
  • These strategies are oriented against coercive and nonreciprocal influence.
• Environmental Adaptive Strategy: This approach assumes that reaction and adaptation to change is natural. It focuses on creating a new environment and shutting down the old one so employees must adapt.

3. Explain the concept of normative re-educative strategy for change.

• The normative re-educative strategy is a method of organisational change that believes employees are social beings influenced by culture and norms.
• It is also called a shared power strategy.
• This approach aims to expose employees to new values and norms and the need to adopt these new values and norms.
• It is based on rational or scientific evidence or emotional appeals.
• The strategy promotes dealing with real problems using a planned strategy.
• This approach focuses on system renewal and the people in the organisation.
• An educational strategy with learning through experience is key to implementation.

4. Highlight assumptions of normative re-educative strategy.

The normative re-educative strategy is based on the following assumptions:

• Employees are strongly influenced by culture and norms.
• Change can be successfully initiated when organisational culture is dealt with and norms are redefined.
• The strategy is based on the principle that "norms form the basis of behaviour and change is a re-educative process of replacing old norms with new ones".
• It is a preferred method of counsellors, trainers and therapists.

5. Discuss the concept of organisational change and highlight strategies used by organisations to promote organisational change.

Organisational change is any alteration that occurs in the work environment, requiring adaptation, control and effective management.

Organisations use various strategies to promote change:

• Rational-Empirical Approach: Providing information and training.
• Normative Re-educative Approach: Changing values and norms.
• Power-Coercive Approach: Using authority.
• Environmental Adaptive Strategy: Creating a new environment.
• Organisations may also utilise an eclectic approach that combines multiple strategies to deal with change situations.

Change can be planned or unplanned.

6. Explain the concept of normative re-educative strategy for change.

1. This strategy believes employees are social beings influenced by culture and norms.
2. It is based on the idea that change is more effective when it focuses on changing the individuals that make up the system.
3. The aim is to expose employees to new values and norms, using rational or emotional appeals.
4. It employs an educational strategy that involves experiential learning, focusing on system renewal and the people within the organisation.

A detailed analysis of organisational structure, systems and processes is carried out as part of the change process.

7. Discuss implications of normative re-educative strategy.

• This approach suggests that a change in culture will lead to changes in the behaviour and performance of employees.
• It is a slow process because it focuses on changing culture, attitudes, values, and beliefs, and is therefore unsuitable for situations that demand urgent resolution.
• A manager or superior plays an extremely important role in implementing the strategy.
• Factors like the degree of change, resistance, organisation size, time constraints and the nature of the organisation need to be considered before employing this strategy.
• The results are generally accurate and long lasting.

8. Highlight the sub-strategies of normative re-educative strategy.

The sub-strategies include:

• Training programmes on problem-solving and decision-making for employees.
• Encouraging participation amongst employees, innovation and lateral thinking.
• Setting up challenging tasks and opportunities.
• Vertical slice benchmarking, which demonstrates developments across all units to make employees aware of the need for change.

9. Differentiate between and power coercive and empirical rational approach.

• Power-Coercive Approach:
  • This approach relies on authority, sanctions, and influence to enforce change. It is often associated with political movements and social activism.
  • It assumes that power is legitimate and that those in power have the right to direct others.
  • It involves using political and economic sanctions to bring about change, as well as the threat of punishment for non-compliance.
  • Change is implemented in a relatively mechanical way, often with little regard for the needs, ideas or input of those affected.
  • Top-down decision making is characteristic, where those with power give directions that others must follow.
  • The approach can be quick to implement but may result in low commitment from employees.
  • It does not focus on the underlying reasons for resistance.
  • It is based on the assumption that those in power know what is best due to their experience.
  • Examples include using political institutions to achieve change, non-violent methods and the use of economic sanctions.
• Empirical Rational Approach:
  • This approach assumes that employees are rational and will support change if they understand its benefits.
  • It involves providing relevant information about the change and its advantages to the organisation and the employees.
  • It focuses on open communication and raising awareness about the change to persuade employees to accept it.
  • It operates on the premise that people are driven by self-interest, and if information is presented appropriately, they will support the change.
  • Managers and superiors play a vital role in communicating accurate information about the change.
  • This approach can result in moderate commitment towards change, and the effects may last for some time, if not permanently.
  • It may not always be the most effective approach.

10. What is meant by eclectic method to break resistance to change?