Investigating Causes of Resistance to Change in Kenyan Public Sector: A case of Postal Corporation of Kenya

Abstract

Resistance is an inevitable response to any major change. Individuals naturally rush to defend the status quo if they feel their security or status is threatened. Resistance has been defined differently by different scholars. Most organisations are facing aggression and frustration in employees as the emotional factors that caused undesirable behaviours and resistance to change. The study investigated the effects of leadership, employee attitude, organisation culture and communication in organisation on resistance in change. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. Data was collected from 57 employees in top level, middle level and low level management working' in Postal Corporation of Kenya. Since the population of the study is small, the study was conducted through a census approach. The study collected both primary data and secondary data. Primary data was collected using questionnaires while secondary data was collected from companies' annual reports, manuals and newsletters. After data collection analysis was done using descriptive statistics. The study findings were presented using tables and graphs for further analysis and to facilitate comparison. Further in the descriptive analysis, the study used multivariate regression model to determine the relative importance of each of the four variables with respect to resistance to change in public sector. The study found that leadership through management involvement, documentation, employee motivation, employees' involvement, consistency and control influence resistance to change at Postal Corporation of Kenya. The study further deduced that organisation culture influence resistance to change at Postal Corporation of Kenya. The study also concludes that communication in organisation influence change resistance at Postal Corporation of Kenya to a very great extent. There is a clear vision that governs change in the organization and change management is communicated effectively within the department. The study finally concludes that organisation culture had the greatest effect on the resistance to change at PCK, followed by leadership while level of communication had the least effect to the resistance to change at PCK. The study recommends that managers should be self motivated towards attending their responsibilities in order to realize the intended results of strategic change decisions within the organization. The study also recommends that the organization culture should ensure that coordination of activities are streamlined to enhance success in strategy implementation by ensuring that employee across the organization understand their roles to ensure that they stay focused on the key targets given the everyday pressures. Formal education should be emphasized that would broaden the employees level of knowledge and skills and enable them cope with the change without resistance. Further, there should be a mutual relationship among the workers which enables communication and hence reduced resistance.