In our current Hitech scenario, society is changing very rapidly. What skills are most relevant for leaders in the changing business environment? Leaders need to develop skills to drive innovation and change in order to play a more central role in the operations of their organizations. How do managers accept change and meet the expectations of companies by becoming a key player in driving change and innovation?
Change happens every minute
The Greek philosopher Heraclitus once observed that one could never enter the same stream twice. Although you can dip your foot in the water again, the creek itself is an ever-changing entity. The old water has drained away and although the creek may seem calm, in reality it is continually changing. You all know the flow changes all day, every day. You could say it changes twenty-four out of seven,” with every passing second.
If you look around you will find that ten years ago the face of the world was very different from what we know today, and in ten years the world will be totally different from what it is today. today. The same principle applies to every being. Indeed, change is a natural, universal and inevitable social phenomenon. If you want to know how fast society is changing, the right answer will be at the click of a mouse. Change, from time immemorial, has affected every aspect of human life, be it lifestyle, eating habits, thought processes, language, art, relationships, religion, family, marriage, social systems (political, economic, legal, and administrative), etc. What is important to note is whether the change leads to a positive end or not. Is the change helping the company expand or grow, or is the result just the opposite?
Concept of social and cultural change
We must understand that there are two types of processes that operate in society – one that supports the social system and the other that brings about changes in the system.
The first process can be called compliance or status quo.
The latter can be called the process of cultural and social change. Simply put, change denotes a difference in anything observed over a period of time. Similarly, social change means observable differences in any social phenomenon over a period of time, and cultural change means observable differences in any cultural phenomenon over a period of time.
Meaning of change
The dictionary meaning of change as a noun is to make or become different, different from the previous state, the substitution of one variation for another, etc. To change as a verb means to undergo a change, to do or to become different. Change essentially involves dissatisfaction with the old and craving for the new. Change involves a qualitatively different way of perceiving, thinking and behaving to improve upon past and existing practices.
The characteristics of change
After understanding the definition of change, it is also very important to understand the nature and characteristics of change. The main characteristics of the change are given below
- Change can be seen as continuous and intrinsic to an organization or as extrinsic and discontinuous.
- Change can be structured and predictable or complex and unpredictable.
- The change is double or bipolar.
- Continuity without change leads to stagnation, frustration and boredom in individuals and to ambiguity, conflict and degenerative pathology in individuals and organizations.
- Often the pace of change is faster than our ability to understand and deal with it.
- Change is universal
- The speed and pace of change are relative, they differ from society to society and from moment to moment.
- Social change is community change, which happens in the life of the whole community.
- Change is a law of nature. It’s natural. This can happen either in the natural course or as a result of planned efforts.
- One change can lead to many changes in a chain reaction sequence.
The term “change” refers to any modification that occurs in the overall work environment of an organization. According to Robbins, change means making things different. We know the changes brought about by the double phenomenon of liberalization and globalization in all areas of life. The banking sector adapted very quickly to the emerging scenario. And the power industry is now beginning to respond to these trends. Change results from the pressure of forces, which are both inside and outside the organization.
Change is continuous and intrinsic to an organization: There are changes in an organization that are small in nature but happen continuously. An organization can be seen to be in a state of flux (like the universe) and the elements of its systems and subsystems always undergoing subtle changes (incremental changes). Some changes felt inside the organization are very small, their impact is barely.
Change as extrinsic and discontinuous: Organizations are seen as normally stable and change is seen as disruptive, forcing organizations to modify, restructure or reconfigure. Some changes are cataclysmic in nature, leaving the organization barely time to deal with them. They are almost like natural calamities such as earthquakes, cyclones, etc. in their impact. Some organizations may manage change creatively or make drastic changes to their strategy and direction to get out of this turbulence, while others may get confused.
External forces like technology, the nature of work, economic shocks, competitions, social trends and politics necessitate a change in the internal organization. In one way or another, the influences of change, the entire organization, such as sub-units or different departments of an organization, are interdependent and interdependent.
Usually, many changes occur simultaneously in an organization. An effective management technique is therefore necessary to cope with the changes.