Change Blockages at the organizational level

Change in the organizational environment is a common and unavoidable phenomenon. Although you often experience these changes, there are times in an organization's life when the change seems unattainable. This is due to blockages, with various causes, at the level of the organization, which prevent short or long term changes.

1. Failed changes increase the resistance to change of change agents, by diminishing confidence in the positive effects of change.
2. Organizational myths, statements such as: 'The boss wins anyway, why should I make an effort?' Or 'That's right, these people will never change' are part of informal culture and prevent acceptance of change.
3. The high cost of change determines the acceptance or non-acceptance of change, increases or decreases resistance to change. The cost problem is not a simple one, but cost-benefit evaluations can support change, when the benefits outweigh the short-term costs the organization has to bear;
4. The ‘tested’ feasibility is due to the consideration of similar attempts in the past that failed. The assumption that even it will not work a second time, because something similar has been done in the past, can lead to this type of blockage, which may be avoided if one takes into account the results of comparative analysis of past and present change contexts, change standards or criteria.

The management team of an organization must consider these blockages when they want to implement a new process, a new standard or a new methodology, because the ways to unblock must be planned before proposing change to ensure a good adaptation of those affected by that change.