People related interventions in the management of change: a case study of the BDA and the BCC

Abstract

He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery" Harold Wilson. Nothing sums up the criticality and inevitability of change better than this statement. As societies and nations race towards their future, Change has become an indispensable part of life - something all of us need to initiate and grapple with. Organizational change is a complex phenomenon. It can be the result, but it can also cause turbulence and resistance. The question then becomes, how do we manage this complexity? What interventions does the change leadership need to initiate if positive changes are to be brought in and sustained? What human resource related interventions are critical towards managing change? These are some of the questions I have tried to address in this paper. To understand the complexity and dynamics of change management, I have analysed changes in two organizations - the Bangalore city Corporation and the Bangalore development Authority. My research has thrown up certain key insights into the phenomenon of change in Government organizations. Clarity of objectives of the organization stands out as the critical first step. The interventions in both the BCC and the BDA have emerged out of this understanding. It orients the organization towards a set of goals and helps initiating those changes, which are a subset of these objectives. Once this is clear, the next step is to prioritize. This would depend on the impact of change, the nature of resistance likely and a host of other factors. Research has brought out the importance of a quick success even if it is a limited one. This is what gets followers and sets the tone for positive changes in the organization. Another key learning has been the criticality of strategy both in terms of initiating as well as managing change in organization. Communication and building support constituencies make the change process smoother. It is also important to assess the field for potential support or opposition, before initiating any change. One of the key insights that have emerged out the research is the fact that human resource interventions have to be a subset of policy and process changes. It is important to attempt systemic change rather than tinkering on the periphery. HR interventions then become tools towards achieving the stated objectives of the organization. It also brings out the importance of co-opting the employees in the process - through empowerment, training, motivation etc. Another crucial learning has been the role played by the stakeholders. The proactive and supportive role played by the stakeholder platform has served a threefold purpose - of acting as a sounding board for new ideas, resource sharing in terms of skills and expertise as weal as the forum of social audit. It makes organization accountable and responsive to the stakeholders - both internal and external. Based on the key learning's, which my research has thrown up, I have attempted tantalize the implications of these learning's on change management. This would involve changes in terms of personnel, training, and planning and resource allocation policies. The government needs to give a serious thorough to the issue of stability of tenure to the top leadership especially in organizations, which deal with issues impacting a large section of the citizenry. Similarly, the training policies of the government have to be attuned towards imparting the skills of management of change across the leadership. Training has to be purposeful and should reflect the felt needs of organization(s).There is a need for Government to reorient the performance indicators of Government organizations in tune with their mission and vision. This would mean attuning the appraisal systems in terms of key deliverables of these stated objectives. Documentation systems in Government need to be strengthened. The Government should have a mechanism for collecting information on the best practices across the state/countries. These should then be adapted to suit individual organizations. Ultimately, all change is personal. A supportive environment with stress on accountability would produce results. And it is important that the Government harnesses the potential of the change leadership in the interest of the public.