It is possible to deal effectively with resistance to the adoption of new technologies by carefully managing it. To address it, managers need to anticipate that resistance will be present in every technology adoption situation. Measurements can be defined to help managers monitor resistance during change implementation. Two strategies that play an important role in effective planning and monitoring of resistance are to involve the people who will be affected by change in the planning process and to establish an environment in which it is safe for them to surface resistance. Involvement is critical because it is impossible to anticipate or recognize every factor that may contribute to resistance.
People often resist change for good reasons.
Because they are the ones who know their jobs and their personal and social situations better than anyone else, it is important to tap into their knowledge, experience, and reactions to the changes that will be made. Creating a safe environment may be extremely difficult. Many organizations have a history, intended or not, of repressing negative feedback regarding change. The organizational culture, as well as the more general culture in which the organization operates, may well have strict rules, or even taboos, against such feedback. Still, ways can almost always be found to elicit feedback and get resistance out in the open.