The study investigated the relationships of margin in life (MIL) and demographic variables to readiness for change. Results, based on 131 employees of a manufacturing company, showed that overall MIL and five work subscales had significant positive relationships with readinessfor change. The demographic variables of department, position, and length of employment were also related to readinessfor change but not to MIL. Three variables combined to predict readiness: employees who get more personal power than burden from their relations with managers, employees who themselves are in managerial positions, and employees who are relatively new to the company. Among the MIL subscales, all of the work aspects, except social relations in the workplace, had higher ratings on load than on powel; whereas the reverse was truefor the nonwork aspects offamily, self, and health. The results suggest strategies to facilitate effective change interventions.
Organizations today face a major challenge in managing change effectively When an organization fails to change in necessary ways, the costs of failure are often high. In a dynamic environment, organizations must have the capacity to adapt quickly in order to survive. In most cases, the speed and complexity of change may severely test the capabilities of an organization's managers and employees. Unless members prepare themselves emotionally and are ready for change, they will be overwhelmed by the sheer speed with which change occurs.
Organization development (OD) programs are often concerned with solving organizational problems. As the problems emerge, managers attempt to take corrective actions. Often, these corrective actions affect patterns of work or values, creating resistance among employees. Many in the organization may view planned organizational changes as positive and may feel ready for the changes, yet many may not feel that way Before implementing any OD strategy or technique, the OD consultant must deal with potential resistance or reluctance to change.