A Change Strategy to Implement New Norms, New Styles and New Environment in the Work Organization

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/eb055299
Published date01 January 1976
Date01 January 1976
Pages13-18
AuthorRichard N. Ottaway
Subject MatterHR & organizational behaviour
A Change Strategy to
Implement New Norms, New
Styles and New Environment in
the Work Organization
Richard N Ottaway
Lecturer in Management
Sciences,
Department of Management
Sciences,
University
of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology
Introduction
Worker participation is suddenly a household word. It is
being written about in the media and used in speeches as if it
were a new piece of equipment, like a computer, that can be
installed easily in any work organization. The impression
gained is that to have worker participation, one need only
have workers participate in management meetings. The pur-
pose of this paper is to propose a method of implementing
change which can cope with the difficult problems faced when
implementing worker participation.
Whereas the difficulties to be faced when implementing
worker participation have been adequately described in other
places,1 a brief summary of them will set the stage for better
understanding the need for an adequate implementation pro-
cess (see Figure 1). Basically, worker participation is difficult
to implement because it is a new style of working together
based on a new value system.
In summary, the present work organization tends to be a
hostile environment of combat between worker and manager
with lines of demarcation well defined. In contrast to this
system of values, worker participation operates on a basic
value system of cooperation and working in less rigid roles in
a more flexible environment. One can easily see that the typi-
cal work situation is not going to be changed with a few
workers being shifted to board status. Worker participation
requires a change in the basic norms, styles, and environment
of the work organization. Therefore, the method of
implementation proposed in this paper is designed to cope
with the basic problem being dealt with in worker participa-
tion: a change of behaviour in work organizations based on a
change of norms, styles and environment.
A Method of Implementing Change in Seven Steps
By way of introduction, there are a number of basic charac-
teristics of this method which contribute to its effectiveness
and should be seen as essential for it to achieve the ends
proposed:
1 Bottom up. Implementation of worker participation is
effected on the shopfloor, or bottom of the organization
first and moves up; rather than the reverse.
2 Pilot site. The new norms, style and environment are
actually practised in a pilot site first, rather than across the
whole organization at once.
3 Training follows change. The acquisition of enabling skills
for workers, supervisors, and managers follows the
change to worker participation and is designed on the felt
needs of the participants; rather than beginning with
training in order to create change.
4 Contracting a key. Contracting on how, what, and when
between those changing to worker participation and those
responsible to effect that change is a chief characteristic of
this method; rather than some one or some group (man-
agement and union representatives, for instance) deciding
for all.
5 Made to order. Worker participation is so vast a
phenomenon and the particular variables of each organi-
zation are so unique that it can be successful only if it is
developed and implemented to fit the intrinsic needs and
circumstances of each organization and not if it is a pre-
planned package for installation.
6 Felt
need.
The prevailing criterion to determine what,
when, and how for any aspect of worker participation, as
well as whether to start at all, is the felt needs of the
organization; rather than the needs that are determined
by outsiders.
It should be noted that this paper is written from the perspec-
tive of an outside consultant acting as the change agent. How-
ever, the same method is applicable to an inhouse consultant
with skills of an organization development consultant.
Step One: Contracting
To establish a relationship between the consultant and the
client, a contract must be effected. This is basically a
psychological contract as described by Schein, 'The notion of
a psychological contract implies that the individual has a vari-
ety of expectations of the organization and that the organiza-
tion has a variety of expectations of him'.2 Schein is referring
to all employees in the organization and sees the contract as
the beginning point of the organization
itself.
This paper

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