Organizational Change and Employees’ Resistance: The Strategic Role of Human Resource in Managing the Menace in Manufacturing Companies

Abstract

The study investigated organizational change and employee’s resistance: the strategic role of human resource in managing the menace in manufacturing companies. The objectives of this are to investigate the critical factors that are triggering change in companies, examine the reasons for employee’s resistance to emerging changes in companies, and to ascertain the strategic roles of human resource professionals in change management in companies. The change management theory proposed by Lewin (1947) was adopted. The study adopted cross-sectional research design for the collection of both primary and secondary data. The secondary data were sourced from textbooks, journals, magazines, newspapers as well as internet publications. Primary data was collected purposively with the use of questionnaire structured in four Likert format. The findings have shown that critical factors trigger change in companies, such as social factor, political factor, economic factor, technological factor, and government factor. In addition, the finding shows further that the fear of job loss, inadequate release of useful information, poor communication channel, lack of proper engagement and management, distrust between management and employees, and improper timing. The finding also revealed that the strategic role of human resource professionals in companies is to provide employees the needed awareness and information. Management should ensure that every individual is given the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the factors that trigger change in other to make the workforce have first-hand awareness of the factors. Management should also organize forums where employees can be communicated the benefits of organizational change.