FACTORS INFLUENCING

CONTINUOUS ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE

Alexandru RIZESCU*
Cosmin TILEAGA**

* “Nicolae Bălcescu” Land Forces Academy, Sibiu, Romania,

**“Lucian Blaga” University, Sibiu, Romania
Change involves the continuous adjustment to the external conditions of
organizations in the operating environment, in parallel with the growth of domestic
stability. This process constitutes the dilemma of change-stability, which can be
tackled only through a vision of the future, meaning the idorganization of organization-
environment interaction along with a flexible organizational structure, the use of
advanced technology and the existence of a system of rewarding employees that reflects
the values and priorities of both, organizational norms and individual needs.

Key words: organizational change, management change, organizational environment.

1. FACTORS INFLUENCING organizational changes are designed
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE to deal with external factors.
Thus among the factors that trigger
Organizations are faced with change, the following can be identified:
two sources of pressure in favor of • External factors that can be
change: external and internal. In terms controlled to a lesser extent by
of external factors, organizations managers.
are trying hard to stabilize inflows • The managers of the companies
and outflows. For example, an must respond to the changes taking
organization may use a system just in place in the marketplace: new
time for the management of material products introduced by competitors,
resources and trying to obtain quality the amplification of new products,
products in order to secure orders. advertising discounts to various
On the other hand, however, the categories of products or the
extent to which the organization improvement of services offered to
is able to control the environment customers who want to buy products
is greatly reduced, environmental or services more cheaply and better
changes must be compensated quality.
with organizational changes, if the • Changes in technology by
organization is to remain effective. introducing computers and industrial
Change can be determined by the robots that allow rapid resolution of
forces of the internal environment of complex problems in production and
the organization. Low productivity, management, helping to reduce costs
absenteeism, turnover, sabotage, and improve quality.
strikes are factors indicating that • The increasing complexity of life
change management has become generates complex communication
necessary. In many cases, internal systems, as well as social mutations.
forces that arise in response to • Internal factors acting through
changes within the organization: must adapt to the new conditions
the decision making processes, created, implying the operation of
communication, interpersonal changes leading to organizational
relationships, leadership, management development, with a favourable
style, etc. effect on efficiency.
- Computerization determines
changes in used knowledge from
different fields. Improved procedures
for the collection, storage,
transmission and use of data are cost
reduction and quality improvement
of the products or services. Changes
in information, leading to increased
Fig. no. 1. Business and Human factors possibilities of information sharing
affecting organizational changes between organizations determine the
changes within the organization.
Organizational development - Innovations in the field of
represents a response to changing managerial response to globalization
technical, economic, political, social, and the trend of informatization
cultural, that occur in the internal creates a new structural forms of
and external environment of the organization (for example, network
organization. The organizations type organization), the new strategic
work in an environment increasingly alliance what changes the way of
uncertain, where the changes thinking on manufacturing products
succeed quickly. The organization's or providing services. In terms of
ability to adapt quickly to these an increasingly complex and ever-
changes depend to a large extent changing environment, no company, no
to its competitiveness and finally matter how powerful it may be, can no
performance in the use of resources at longer control the single these changes,
its disposal. Of all the changes taking which in turn requires recourse to
place in the external environment various strategic alliances.
of the organization, the most Organizational development is
prominent of which leads to effective necessary to change the managers
organizational development actions and subordinates mentalities within
are: globalization, computerization the respective organization, relating
and management innovations. to the increase in flexibility and get
- Globalization entails changes its adaptation to the changes that
in the framework of the general occur in the environment, with the
markets of the external environment aim of increasing the use of resources
in which the organization operates. in an efficient way. Any changes in
New markets, changes within exogenous or endogenous variables,
the former socialist countries, which influence the work of the
developing countries in the area of organization, shall entail changes in
Asia, etc. lead to the creation of a the organizational domain, which,
new world economies, with a view under-performing organizations,
towards globalization trends. In these should materialise in improvements
circumstances the generally and of all the components of the
particularly productive enterprises management system. Obviously that
in the case of a solid organization, that other ideas, practices do not
organizational development may offer an equivalent measure. This
include all or some of the issues dimension is important in the
related to the changes imposed by the assessment stage of the decision-
variables taken into account. making process. The relative
Also, the employees of the advantage of a change in the form
organization should be helped of a higher savings influences social
to understand that the current conflicts, psychological or security,
organizational structure should be forming a high productivity.
adapted to the new requirements Impact on social relations:
involvedintransitiontomarketeconomy many of the changes are likely to
and that the current information system have a decisive impact on the social
should be changed and transformed relationships inside the "target"
into an effective instrument available system and the relationship between
to managers. Obviously, their decisions the "target" individuals or groups
need a justification, using participatory from external environment. Change
methods and modern management can create new leaders, as it can
techniques. create other roles.
This step is essential because Divisibility: refers to the extent
one presumes, in effect creating the in which change can be implemented
belief of human resources within on a limited scale.
the organization that the present Reversibility: the size of the
management system and the current reversibility is closely related to
staff policy are not consistent with divisibility. It refers to the ease with
market demands. Understanding the which it can be restored the status quo
need for change assumes knowledge ante, in the situation where a change
of the fact that the continuation of introduced is subsequently rejected.
the process of management and It is also an important dimension of
execution with old structures in new the stage of adoption (change).
conditions, inevitably lead sooner or Complexity: the probability that
later to situations that are critical to a change should be done willingly is
the organization. even smaller, the difficulty of use and
understanding of change is greater.
This characteristic is important in the
assessment stage and use (change).
Different individuals may respond
in a manner different from other
individuals. Change agents must be
prepared to consecrate a considerable
Fig. no. 2. Forces of organizational change time explaining the technical aspects
and levels of change of the change and training, for the
2. CHARACTERISTICS OF purpose of its use.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE Compatibility: appropriateness
of the change in which it is to be used
Relative advantage is a is very important. A situation includes
dimension that refers to the unique psychological factors, sociological
benefit brought by change, benefit and cultural. Change agents must
have a considerable care to ensure
that the change harmonizes well with fact that organizational development
a number of elements, such as the is planned a different from routine
values and beliefs of the group, level or accidental efforts taking place in
of education, the history of change in all organizations. Continuous efforts
the organization, etc. of organizational development in at
Communicability: the ease with least two senses: they stretch over
which information can be disseminated a long period of time and become
to change is another fundamental elements of organizational culture.
feature. Some social structures are
more open to direct communication
between people than others. This is true
both for major social groups, as well as
in the case of small groups. In addition,
some topics are more appropriate as
interpersonal direct communication Fig. no. 4.The commitment curve
than other people. Communication is of the organization
important in the phase of awareness
and it is of interest to the decision- Forming team spirit is a
making process. strategy aimed at increasing the
Time: the speed at which a change effectiveness of work teams by
is introduced is an important factor. improving interpersonal processes,
There is a need to think in terms of clarify objectives and roles. The
an optimal time. The most appropriate term spirit may refer to permanent
pace of change may not correspond work teams, operative groups,
to the maximum possible rate. The departments, or people from different
change can then be introduced too sectors of the organization that must
quickly or too slowly. This size work together to achieve a common
is considered as a criterion in the goal. The formation of the spirit
selection of strategies for change. of usually starts with a diagnostic
session held often far from work, in
which the team evaluates its current
level of functionality. The objective
of this phase is to build a picture of
the strengths and weaknesses of the
team, and the ideal result is a list
of changes required to improve the
Fig. no. 3. Change curve (productivity and
functioning of the team.
performance versus time) Total quality management
is a systematic attempt to achieve
3. STRATEGIES FOR continuous improvement of the
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE quality of the products and/or
AND DEVELOPMENT services of the organization. Among
the typical characteristics of TQM
Organizational development is (Total Quality Management) include
a continuous and planned effort to the focus on customer satisfaction,
change organizations to become the concern for good relations with
more effective and more human. The suppliers, continuous improvement
of work processes, prevent errors, order to find a new job, etc.
quality metrics and evaluation, • it is centered on increasing the
extensive training and the efficiency of the organization.
involvement of employees. • it affects work processes, whether
Reengineering is a radical intentionally or unintentionally.
redesign of organizational processes If the size of the reduction strategy
to achieve major improvements in has been appreciated and adopted as
terms of time, cost, quality or service. a solution for increasing performance
Do not adjust the existing posts, and competitiveness, it is important
structures or technologies, but rather to know what line exists between the
a question of “what we are dealing initial expectations and achievements.
with?” or “If you were to create It seems that the effects are not far from
the organization today, how would the expected ones. When the strategy
it look like?”. The strategy can be was used, with no previous training,
applied to the entire organization or it has produced serious organizational
just a department. Essentially, a large dysfunctions, especially prominent in the
portion of reengineering is geared impossibility of introducing any form
towards one or more goals like of improvement of activity and even in
reduction of intermediate steps to increasing organizational inefficiencies.
streamline the process; strengthening
cooperation between those involved in
the process. This strategy is extended
in areas where bureaucracy is at
high limits, large gains are possible
through advanced technology and
deregulation of competition. Such
fields are insurance, banks, brokerage, Fig. no. 5. The organizational
or telecommunications. development process
Downsizing consists of a set of
activities centred on the management 4. CONCLUSION
of the organization in order to
improve efficiency, productivity and/ Organizational development is
or competitiveness. The adoption of the road to take when approaching
this strategy affects both the number organizational change because
of people working in the organization, it plays an important role in
and the processes of work. Four organization self-assessment, as
characteristics of this strategy are well as in assessing the external
considered essential to distinguish environment, the development of
phenomena such as organizational new strategies and the design of new
decline or even dismissal: organisational structures, generally in
• it involves a set of actions increasing economic efficiency. All
undertaken intentionally. the steps required by organizational
• although the strategy involves development are aimed at the
downsizing, there are a number of ultimate change of the management
strategies associated with this, such system and the overall behaviour of
as transfers, assistance to people in members within the organization,
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