CHANGE MANAGEMENT IN PUBLIC SECTOR

Wan Narita Mustapha

Noor Hamimah
Hamidun Noryanne
Amer
Rugayah Hashim

Introduction

Change is the engine which drives success for an individual or even an entire industry.
This statement is supported by Burnes (2004) that change is an important factor for an
organization’s life both at a strategic and operational level. For the public sector, during
unwarranted periods, for example during an economic downturn, change is crucial to sustain
progress. By its very nature, progress involves change, via technological advancement, new
concepts or simply a refocusing of efforts. Managers are the individuals designated to lead the
employees to betterment by their actions and behavior they can create an atmosphere which is
either stifling, encouraging the maintenance of status quo or vibrant with enthusiasm for change
and improvement. In response to that, Burnes, 2004; Riley and Clarkson, 2001 further discussed
that it is necessary for organization under change process to effectively respond to and closely
related to organizational strategy or vice versa. Senior (2002) explained that in order to ensure
realization of change process, government and public sectors have to strive and acquire good
managerial skills. Successful and effective management is important to ensure an organization
survival and success in today’s competitive business environment.
In addition, change is a fact of life. And as the pace of change accelerates, organizations
in public administrative services are being pulled in many directions by several factors such as
new technologies, customer demands, e-commerce, workforce demographics, and competitions
among its competitors, shrinking cycle times, and shifting work ethics. Researchers have agreed
that change being triggered by both internal and external factors and it also affected and come in
all shapes, form and sizes (Balogun and Hope Hailey, 2004; Burnes, 2004; Carnall, 2003; Kotter,
1996; Luecke, 2003). Now, more than ever, organizations need the bonding glue of a strong
culture to hold everything and everyone together.
Change happens. And while we cannot control much of the world around us, it can
control how we respond to it. We can choose to anticipate and embrace changes or resists them.

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Resisting changing is like trying to push water upstream. In the view of Folger and Skarlicki
(1999:36) resistance is defined as "employee behavior that seeks to challenge, disrupt, or invert
prevailing assumptions, discourses, and power relations". Generally, we are quick to point to
others who resist change. It is much harder to recognize or admit to our own change resistance.
Today, employee resistance to change is a complex issue facing management in the complex and
ever-evolving organization. The process of change is inevitable, and employee resistance has
been identified as one of a critical and important potential contributor to the failure of many
well-intend and well-conceived efforts to initiate change within the organization.
Organizational change in government and public sectors also require driving forces. In
order to facilitate, ensuring smooth and successful transition from the old to the new,
organizations must be competent in effective change management. Coetsee (1999) states, "any
management's ability to achieve maximum benefits from change depends in part of how
effectively they create and maintain a climate that minimizes resistant behavior and encourages
acceptance and support" (p. 205). The process of change management consists of getting of those
involved and affected to accept the introduced changes as well as manage any resistance to them.
This means that management has to ensure that every employee in an organization have an
urgency to change and fostered by their awareness of the environmental conditions that demand
change in the organization. The change process also requires refreezing the new behaviors by
realigning organizational systems and team dynamics with the desired changes. Lewin (1951)
further discussed that successful change rests in "unfreezing" an established symmetry by
enhancing and responding to the forces driving change, or by reducing or removing resisting
forces, and then "refreezing" in a new equilibrium state.
Some people considered change as “progress” and celebrate the improvements that it
brings. Others curse those same changes and wish for the good old days. Every successful
change requires a clear, well-articulated vision of the desired future state. A change agent that is
referred to anyone who possesses enough knowledge and power to guide and facilitates the
change effort guides strategic visions. Leaders have a deeper and more lasting influence on
organizations and provide more comprehensive leadership if their focus extends beyond
maintaining high standards. Change agents rely on transformational leadership to develop and
transformational leadership to develop a vision, communicate the vision and build commitment
to the vision of a desirable future state. A good change agent needs to effectively address the

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emotional state of participants who are confronting change with little or no appeal. The change
process also often applies a diffusion process in which change begins as a pilot project and
eventually spreads to other areas of the organization.
Change forces choices. If we are on the growth, we will embrace many changes and find
the positive in them. It is all in where we choose to put our focus. Even change that hits us in
the side of head as a major crisis can be full of growth opportunities – if we choose to look for
them. Some change and improvement efforts have been hugely successful. There have been
increases in response times, cycle times, customer service, quality, teamwork, morale,
productivity, innovativeness, cost effectiveness, and the like in the dozens or even hundreds of
percentages. Others have been somewhat successful in some areas of their improvement
activities. And some ended up in the swamp.
However, whether change is a threat or an opportunity depends on how prepared we are.
Whether we become change victims or victors depends on our readiness for change. Resistance
to today’s change comes from failing to make yesterday’s preparations and improvements.
When organization fails to learn, grow, and develop at the speed of change, then change is a very
real threat.

Ethical Issues
The term ethical behavior refers to how an organization ensures that all its decisions,
actions and stakeholder interactions conform to the organization’s morale and professional
principles. These principles should support all applicable laws and regulations and are the
foundation for the organization’s culture and values. Many believe that ethical behavior is some
abstract term that sounds nice and looks good on paper, but are confused as to what being ethical
really means in the workplace. Practicing ethical behavior is important because it can grow a
business, promote teamwork among employees, and build confidence and trust.
Ethics is not just the code of human conduct. It is also a branch of philosophy that deals
with the questions of what is morally right and wrong and what is morally good and evil. It
concerns our judgments, beliefs and values pertaining to aspects of life, be it social, economic,
political or even cultural.
It has often been said that the only constant in life is change, and nowhere is this truer in
the workplace. As one survey concluded, “Over the past decade, the U.S. Corporation has been

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battered by foreign competition, its own out-of-date technology and out-of-touch management
and, more recently a flood of mergers and acquisitions. The result has been widespread
streamlining of the white – collar ranks and recognitions that the old way of doing business is not
longer possible or desirable” (U.S. News & World Report, 1982, p.42).
As the twenty first century approaches, companies face a variety of changes and
challenges that will have a profound impact on organizational dynamics and performance. In
many changes, these changes will decide who will survive and prosper into the next century and
who will not. One of the ethical concerns in organizational change is threat to the privacy rights
of individuals.
The action research model is built on the idea of collecting information from
organizational members, yet this requires employees to provide personal information and
emotions that they may not want to expose. The scientific nature of the data collection may
mislead employees into believing that their information is confidential when, in reality,
executives can sometimes identify opinions of individual employees.
Another ethical concern is that some change activities potentially increase management’s
power by inducing compliance and conformity in organizational members. This power shift
occurs because change creates uncertainty and reestablishes management’s positioning directing
the organization. Furthermore, action research is a system wide activity that requires employee’s
participation rather than allowing individuals to get involved voluntarily.
Some organizational change interventions undermine the individual’s self-esteem. The
unfreezing process requires participants to disconfirm their existing beliefs, sometimes including
their own competence at certain tasks or interpersonal relations. Some specific change practices
involve direct exposure to personal critique by co-workers as well as public disclosure of one’s
personal limitations and faults.

Resistance to Change
Resistance to change is an important factor to be considered in any change process.
Proper management of resistance is the critical factor for change success or failure. Resistance
to change is the action taken by individuals and groups when they perceive that a change that is
occurring as a threat to them. The threat need not be real or large for resistance to occur. In its

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usual description it refers to change within organizations. Resistance may take many forms,
including active or passive, overt or covert, individual or organized, aggressive or timid.
Employee resistance is a symptom, not a problem, in the change process. Leaders need
to understand why employees are not changing their behavior in the desired way. In some,
situations, employees may be worried about the consequences of change, such as how the new
conditions will take away their power and status. According to Hut et. al. (1995),
communication barriers that lead to information distortion or misinterpretation is seen as one of
the sources of resistance to change. In addition to that, Waddell and Sohal (1998) further
explained that conflicting interest that exist between employee and management resulted in lack
of motivation among employees who eventually will see change results less than manager values
them.
Another reason why a person happily ignores the change is because they can stop it.
People in senior positions often threat change as being a good thing – as long as it is for someone
else. When faced with change themselves, they may do whatever it takes to scupper the change,
for example bye refusing to give needed access or other support.
When resistance to change occurs, then it is very helpful to be able to spot it coming and
hence respond appropriately to it rather than be surprised when the change mysteriously failed.
When the change is announced, almost everybody will start beating loudly and grapevine will
bear fruit of much and varied opinion. Grumbling and complaint are natural ways of airing
discomfort. The biggest danger of it is when it has allowed fermenting in an information
vacuum. Resistance can happen both on an individual case-by-case basis or people may band
together. Individually, people may resist, although this is generally limited to the extent of their
personal power. For those with lower power, this may include passive refusals and covert action.
For those with more posers, it can include open challenge and criticism.
When people find a common voice in organized resistance, then their words and actions
can create a significant threat to the change, even though they are individually less powerful.
Organized resistance is usually a sign of a deep divide. People will not go to the bother or
organizing unless they have serious issues with the change.
Sometimes resistance is out in the open, but more often it starts out in a more underhand,
covert way. Covert resistance is deliberate resistance to change, but done in a manner that

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allows the perpetrators to appear as if they are not resisting. This may occur, for example,
through sabotage of various kinds.
Overt resistance does not try to hide, and is a result either of someone comfortable with
their power, someone for whom covert acts are against their values, or someone who is
desperate. This may take forms such as open argument, refusal or attack. Overt resistance does
not need to take positive action – sometimes it can be passive.
Passive resistance occurs where people do not take specific actions. At meetings, they
will sit quietly and may appear to agree with the change. Their main tool is to refuse to
collaborate with the change. They may agree and then do nothing to fulfill their commitments.
This can be very difficult to address, as resisters have not particularly done anything wrong.
Active resistance occurs where people are taking specific and deliberate action to resist
the change. It may be overt, with such as public statements and acts of resistance, and it may be
cover, such as mobilizing others to create an underground resistance movement. Overt active
resistance, although potentially damaging, is at least visible and employers have the option of
using formal disciplinary actions, although, more positive methods should normally be used first.
The main reasons why people resist change are people tend to block actions that result in
higher direct costs or lower benefits than the existing situation. Some people resist change as a
political strategy to prove that the decision is wrong or that the person encouraging change is
incompetent. And they are worried that they cannot adopt the new behaviors. This fear of the
unknown increases the risk of personal loss. Many people resist organizational changes that
force them out of their comfort zones and require investing time and energy learning new role
patterns.

Energizing Communication
Communication is the key to almost everything that happens, or fails to happen in
organizations. This is certainly true for change initiatives. Effective communications make the
difference between success and failure. If leaders do not keep people adequately informed
during the change process, levels of uncertainty and anxiety increase. This often leads to greater
resistance, unproductive behavior and lack of support.
Organizational communication is a powerful instrument in assisting leadership to achieve
their strategic objectives. However, to be effective in this role, communications cannot be

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merely a conveyor of information. Instead, it must set broader goals, to reach and affect the
“whole person”, not only including peoples’ understanding but also their opinions, feelings and
behaviors as well. To serve an organization’s leadership at a strategic level, communications
must reach people’s hearts as well as their minds.
Communications needs to go beyond packaging and presenting information to affecting
people’s feelings, stirring their emotions and energizing them on a personal level. These are
significantly deeper levels than traditional organizational communications address, yet they are
the levels that must be reached to actually affect people’s behavior and job performance. All
information is lading with emotional meaning. It is proven that successful corporate mission and
change programs utilize the unique abilities of a communication program as one of the catalysts
for change throughout the organization. The meetings and presentations bring people together to
share a common, unifying purpose. They create memorable, motivational, bonding experiences.
In the hands of a dynamic leadership team, communications can be powerful instruments in
transforming an organization’s priorities, behavior and performance. If developed and
implemented professionally, a program of strategic communications can focus the human
resources of the entire company and energize a critical mass of employees to action.
You cannot over-communicate when you are asking your organization to change.
Communication is one of the toughest issues in organizations. Effective communication requires
four components inter-working perfectly for “shared meaning”. Firstly, the individual sending
the message must present clearly and in detail, and radiate integrity and authenticity. Then, the
person receiving the message must decide to listen, ask questions for clarity, and trust the sender
of the message. The delivery method chosen must suit the circumstances and the needs of both
the sender and the receiver. The content of the message has to resonate and connect, on some
level, with the already-held beliefs of the receiver.
Many managers in public administrative service assume that if they communicate clearly
with their employees, their job is done. However, there are many reasons why employees may
or not hear or understand what their managers are saying the first time around. In fact, you may
have heard that messages need to be repeated six to seven times before they are cemented into
the minds of employees. That is because each employee’s readiness to hear depends on many
factors. Effective communicators carefully consider three components: the audience, what is
said and when it is said. Initial communications are typically designed to create awareness

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around the business reasons for change and the risk of not changing. Likewise, at each step in
the process, communications should be designed to share the right messages at the right time.
Communication planning, therefore, begins with a careful analysis of the audiences, key
messages and the timing for those messages. The change management team or project leaders
must design a communication plan that addresses the needs of front-line employees, supervisors
and executives. Each audience has particular needs for information based on their role in the
implementation of the change. Communication improves the change process in at least two
ways. First, it is the conduit through which employees typically learn about the driving forces
for change. Second, communication clarifies an otherwise uncertain future. The more corporate
leaders communicate their images of the future, the more easily employees can visualize their
own role in that future.

Leading Change
Leaders in government and public sectors play a key role in managing change.
Ultimately, the direct supervisor has more influence over an employee’s motivation to change
than any other person at work. Unfortunately, leaders as a group can be the most difficult to
convince of the need for change and can be a source of resistance. It is vital for the change
management team and executives sponsors to gain the support of supervisors and to build change
leadership. Individual change management activities should be used to help these supervisors
through the change process.
Once managers and supervisors are on board, the change management team must prepare
a coaching strategy. They will need to provide training for supervisors including how to use
individual change management tools with their employees. Leaders and executives play a
critical sponsor role in change management. The change management team must develop a plan
for sponsor activities and help key business leaders carry out these plans. Sponsorship should be
viewed as the most important success factor. Avoid confusing the notion of sponsorship with
support. The CEO of the company may support the project, but that is not the same as
sponsoring the initiative.
Most change efforts fail far short of their potential. Usually that is because leaders fail to
address the deep behavioral changes they are seeking. Resistance from employees is normal.

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Persistent resistance, however, can threaten a project. The change management teams needs to
identify, understand and manage resistance throughout the organization.
Change is everywhere in business today. That is why it is important that managers and
change team leaders possess a strong change management skills for the company or
organizations to move through a successfully change. As the top person, others look at leaders
for direction, not only in terms of business needs, but also related to behavior, ethics and
standards. If we need employees to change, we must set an example for them to follow.
Leaders of today especially in public administrative services should interact more with
their employees. They should walk around and getting to know their employees and learning
about the problems they are facing on a day-to-day basis. As a leader of change, it is important
to be as real and honest as possible in your interaction with employees. By interacting with
employees on a one-to-one basis, you will build rapport and trust.
To be a strong leader, you must have passion around your vision. Without it, you will
soon find yourself facing burnout. Leadership is tiring and saps energy at a very rate so make
sure you are passionate about what you do. Building our ability as leaders is the first step in the
change management process. When employees believe in you and trust what you are doing, the
campaign for change is much more likely to succeed. Once a change occurs, it is very important
to communicate on a regular basis with all affected. Let the employees know what is happening.
If your communication skills are weak or you do not have a formal way of letting your
employees know what is happening, set one up before you hit the stage of the change process.

Organizational Development
Organizational development is a family of techniques designed to help organizations in
government and public sectors change for the better. They involve the use of behavioral science
principles and procedures that help employees improve performance and interact with co-

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workers more effectively. An organizational development effort or program involves employees
at all levels of the organization. It is implemented by a person or persons referred to as change
agents. The change agent is the catalyst for change within the organization. The change agent’s
job is to act as a guide and trainer for the organizational development process.
Organizational development and other changes are not easy to be implemented.
Armenakis and Bedeian (1999) discuss a multistage process that an organization must go
through to successfully implement a change. The specific form of the change has to be
determined, often with the participation of the employees affected. Once suitable plan is
produced, the change can be implemented.
Several factors are involved in successful change. Wanberg and Banas (2000) studied the
implementation of change within U.S. government agencies over a 14-months period. Two
important factors leading to acceptance of change by employees were the extent to which
sufficient information about change was given and the extent of participation by employees in
the process. Klein, Conn, and Sorra (2001) studied change in 39 U.S. manufacturing plants and
found that sufficient financial resources and support from management were associated with
successful change efforts.

The four organizational change techniques in organizational efforts are management by

objectives (MBO), survey feedback, team building, and T-groups. These techniques have been
used extensively by organizations throughout the world.
1. Management by Objectives
This is an organizational change technique that is based on goal setting. Each
employee’s own goals are coordinated with the goals of both supervisors and
subordinates. Goal setting begins by having those at the top of the organization set
broad objectives for the entire organization. The process of setting goals then filters
down level by level, with all employees’ goals being related to the goals of their
supervisors. The goals serve as motivational tools to direct effort, as criteria against
which employee performance is appraised, and as the means of coordinating
everyone’s efforts toward a common set of organizational objectives.

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 Implementation of an MBO program begins with the change agent meeting with
the top officials of the organization to set organization-wide goals and objectives.
These goals are specific and measurable, allowing everyone to know precisely what
needs to be done and when it has been achieved.
The next step, the change agent meets with managers and trains them in the goal-
setting process. The program will work only when managers understand how to state
measurable goals and how to set goals with subordinates and superiors. Then, a
series of meetings involving every subordinate-supervisor pair in the organization.
Once all goals have been set, employees try to achieve them. After a 6-12 months
period, each employee’s job performance is evaluated against progress toward his or
her goal.
Research on MBO has supported its use as an effective means of increasing
organizational performance. Rodgers and Hunter (1991) conducted a meta-analysis
of the effectiveness of MBO. They found positive effects on employee productivity
in 68 of the 70 studies they reviewed.

2. Survey Feedback
A survey of employee attitudes and opinions and then feeding back the
results to the entire organization. Employees can express their opinions in a non-
threatening way through anonymous or confidential questionnaires. The survey
data will be used as the starting point for discussions about needed changes in the
organization.
A survey feedback program consists of two major stages. First, the
change agent designs and administers questionnaires to the employees of the
organization. Employees are asked about job attitudes, job satisfaction,
perceptions of job conditions and problems at work. Standardized scales can be
used to assess some of these variables.
The second stage of a survey feedback program is providing feedback
about the survey to employees. Data from the survey are compiled into a report,
and the report is presented to employees, usually at a series of group meetings.
Bowers (1973) reported that the results of a large-scale longitudinal study

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 involving more than 14,000 employees from 23 organizations. Positive changes
in job satisfaction and employees reports of job conditions were found after
survey feedback program were introduced. If done properly, survey feedback can
help to solve problems and give employees a greater sense of involvement in the
organization.

3. Team Building
Designed to enhance the functioning of work teams. Team building focus on
interpersonal issues, such as communication, tasks on smooth coordination of
effort. With the task-oriented approach, the change agent helps work team
improve their task performance by learning how to work together more
effectively.
With the interpersonal approach, the change agent helps work teams to
improve their communication and interaction. An organization in which work
teams do not work well will have a hard time being effective. Improving team
functioning can go a long way toward improving an organization.

4. T-Group
T-group, or training group is an intervention designed to enhance the
communication and interpersonal skills of individual employees through specific
group exercise techniques. Most are conducted at a site away from work; take
place over a three day to two week period, and involving several people who do
not know one another. The idea is for the group of strangers to experience a
series of interpersonal skills exercise with a trainer to guide them.
A T-group experience encourages participants to experiment with their
interpersonal behavior in a situation in which they receive non-judgmental
feedback. This allows group members to gain insights into their effects on others
and how others perceive them. The purpose is for organizational members, most
often managers, to increase their interpersonal skills in the hope that they will be
more effective on the job. Bowers (1973) found detrimental changes in reports of

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 job conditions and job satisfaction among employees who participated in T-
groups.

Conclusion: Future Issues and Challenges

The biggest challenge facing government and public sectors today is dealing effectively
with rapid change in both the internal and external environments. Change is produced by both
social and technological forces that impinge on organizations. Globalization and rapid advances
in computers and related technologies have produced an environment that demands the ability of
organizations to adapt and change (Coovert, 1995).
It must be kept in mind that change can be extremely stressful for employees (Mack,
Nelson & Quick, 1998). Organizations in public administrative service must take steps to help
employees cope with change, which can adversely affect their job performance and well-being.
Global economics require organizations to have the flexibility to deal with people from many
different cultural backgrounds, which might have different expectations about acceptable and
unacceptable practices. The multicultural nature of a global workforce brings new challenges for
finding appropriate and effective ways of dealing with different sorts of people.
Technological change means that organizational practices and structures can quickly
become ineffective and obsolete. Technological advances now allow people to telecommute,
that is, to commute work without leaving home by logging into the office computer system with
a modem. Another major challenge is the worldwide trend greater efficiency by downsizing.
With fewer supervisors, organizations must find ways for employees to work with greater
autonomy. The point is, change is life. Successfully dealing with change means choosing to
grow and develop continuously. Failing to grow is failing to live.
In today’s business world, should the project structural change occurs, the managers,
administration and other stakeholders in government and public sectors will have no choice but
to adapt to change and foster the change to ensure that the change is effectively implemented.

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wannarita@perak.uitm.edu.my
yanne386@perak.uitm.edu.my
norha190@perak.uitm.edu.my
hajahgy@gmail.com

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