An employee is an individual who is hired by an organization or
employer to perform specific duties or tasks in exchange for
compensation, usually in the form of a salary or wages. Employees work
under a contract (formal or informal) and are expected to follow the
policies, rules, and instructions set by their employer. Example
(Tanzania): A teacher employed by the Tanzania Ministry of Education is
an employee of the government, working under terms defined by public
service regulations. But Organizational change refers to the process
through which a company or institution modifies its structure, operations,
strategies, technologies, or culture to improve performance or adapt to
external and internal pressures. These changes can be incremental (small
and gradual) or transformational (large and disruptive), and they aim to
ensure the organization remains effective and [Link]
(Tanzania): When the National Microfinance Bank (NMB) adopted mobile
banking technology, it implemented organizational change to better serve
customers and compete in the digital banking era.
The following are the major reasons why employees may resist
change in an organization.
Fear of the Unknown ;Employees often resist change because
they are not sure what will happen next. They may worry about how the
change will affect their jobs, work conditions, or responsibilities. When no
one explains the change clearly, workers feel [Link]:At the
Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), when they started using a new digital
tax system, some employees did not know how it would affect their work.
They worried that they might be replaced or transferred. This made them
resist the change. But after proper training and communication, most
workers became comfortable with the new system.
Loss of Job Security;Some changes can make employees feel
that their jobs are at risk. This often happens when new machines,
technology, or systems are introduced that can do the work faster or more
[Link]:At Tanzania Telecommunications Company Limited
(TTCL), the introduction of automated customer care services caused fear
among long-serving workers. Many believed that their jobs would be lost
to machines. This led to strong resistance, especially from older
employees. The company had to conduct workshops and offer reskilling
programs to ease the concerns.
Poor Communication;Employees can resist change if they
don’t understand what is happening. This usually happens when
managers fail to share information clearly and in time. Misunderstanding
or rumors can make the situation [Link]:In many district
councils in Tanzania, financial reporting systems were changed from
manual to computerized methods. However, the new system was not well
explained to staff. As a result, some accountants ignored the system or
continued using old methods. Only after face-to-face meetings and demos
did they accept the change.
Lack of Employee Involvement;When employees are not
included in the planning or decision-making of a change, they may feel
ignored or unimportant. This makes them unwilling to support the
[Link]:At CRDB Bank, when management involved staff in
designing new customer service processes, employees gave ideas and felt
proud to support the change. But in branches where managers gave
instructions without asking for opinions, workers resisted and complained.
This shows that involving employees helps reduce resistance.
Habit and Comfort Zone;Many employees are used to doing
things in a certain way. Changing routines requires energy and learning
new things, which some people avoid. They prefer to stay in their comfort
[Link]:When the Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC) was
introduced in Tanzanian schools, many teachers resisted it. They were
used to the old method of teaching and did not want to change their style.
They saw the CBC as difficult and time-consuming. Only after training
sessions and support from education officers did they begin to slowly
adopt it.
Fear of Failure;Sometimes, workers fear that they will not
succeed with new systems or processes. They may feel they do not have
the skills to handle the change and worry about being embarrassed or
punished if they [Link]:In regional government hospitals, health
workers were asked to start using electronic health record systems. Many
nurses and records staff feared they did not know how to use computers.
They thought they would make mistakes or lose important data. This fear
delayed the change. After offering computer lessons and follow-ups, the
system was slowly accepted.
Distrust in Management;Employees may think that changes
are not really to improve the organization, but to benefit the managers or
reduce workers’ rights. If trust between workers and management is low,
change becomes hard to [Link]:At a textile manufacturing
company in Morogoro, management changed work shifts without
consulting employees. Workers believed the new shifts were meant to
increase work hours without giving extra pay. Because there was no trust
in management, the workers resisted by slowing down their output and
holding informal protests.
Poor Timing or Too Many Changes;Sometimes change fails
because it is introduced at a bad time or too many changes are made at
once. Employees feel stressed and overwhelmed, especially during busy
or difficult [Link]:During the COVID-19 pandemic, some
Tanzanian universities, such as the University of Dar es Salaam,
introduced online learning platforms. However, many lecturers and
students were already stressed by the health crisis and lockdown. The
timing was not good, and the pressure to adapt to new systems was too
much. This led to delays and complaints until support systems were
improved.
Conclusion;It is natural for employees to resist change,
especially when they feel scared, left out, or unsure. In Tanzania, many
organizations face this problem when they try to introduce new systems,
policies, or technology. To reduce resistance, managers should
communicate clearly, involve employees in decisions, provide training,
and build trust. By doing this, change becomes easier and more
successful for everyone.