Problems at Perrier Essay

The case study Problems at Perrier faces issues of resistance to change and strained relationships. By the end of this short essay we will understand two things about Perrier’s troubles. There will be a clearer definition of the key elements of the resistance to change and we will have also developed a strategy for dealing with the situation. The Communication Connection One thing that can be noted is management may not agree with the changes because of the unfamiliarity and lack of knowledge based on the real issues. Managers, at least as much as any other category of employee, are likely to have within their ranks a range of opinions as to whether a proposed change is a good idea. † (Palmer, Dunford, & Akin, 2009, p. 170). When the managers look back and see that profits were large and growth developed at a rapid pace, moving forward with change is difficult. Often people need to see what is in it for them or have a clear idea of why exactly any change is needed when t hings worked fine previously. Personal Attachment Change can be taken personal and have an affect on a person’s interest in the organization. People who have stocks or retirement plans built in as part of their income might show a strong resistance to the change. That self-interest shows concern for how the change will affect them rather than focus on whether it will be good for the organization. [no notes on this page] -2- Working With Change at Perrier 3 This personal attachment can be built on many factors and opinions which people use to justify their resistance. Something that is similar to personal attachment is the fact that the employee’s and management at Perrier had different ideas as to why the change was happening. They can possible take if personally because they have different thoughts and are confused about the plans being applied. According to the Nestle CEO Peter BrabeckLetmathe, â€Å"We have come to the point where the development for the Perrier brand is endangered by the stubbornness of the CGT† (Palmer, Dunford, & Akin, 2009, p. 183). A New Strategy for Management One of the most effective forms of delivering a solid speech and plan is to have clear communication. The managers at Perrier should help educate the employees and build a chart defining the connection between the change and new strategies. People can be afraid of the unknown and being uneducated and then not being involved with the change is relevant to the â€Å"unknown. † Nestle and the management at Perrier should have began a strategic plan by developing a higher level of communication between themselves first. Once that relationship was established, a plan to rebuild the relations between anagement and the employees would have been easy to build. Becoming Involved People like to generally be involved with things when it will have an impact on them, whether it be at work or at home. Jean-Paul Franc, head of the CGT at Perrier was continuously working against Nestle. Having the employees involved could have brought new insight and ideas into the negations which might have been relevant for Jean-Paul Franc to use in making plans with Nestle. Allowing people to have the opportunity to be involved also increases their knowledge about the situation and allows them to form their no notes on this page] -3- Working With Change at Perrier 4 own opinions which will not be based just on pure resistance. If they have an understanding then their acceptance or resistance will feel justified. Leadership and motivation can also be high points for management at Perrier. Motivation through education and rewards for increasing productivity could encourage new direction. Conclusion A level of support and education needs to be built into a solid f oundation for anyone to understand why change is needed.