UNDERSTANDING RESISTANCE TO CHANGE: A Challenge for Universities

Change is inevitable. Today more than ever the pace of change is accelerating. Where
there is organizational change there will be resistance to this change. To deal with the
resistance effectively university administrators must understand the nature and causes
of resistance to change. Only by dealing effectively with resistance to change can
organizational change be implemented successfully. This paper explores organizational
change and the challenge it poses for universities. Because universities are slow to
change due to maintaining a balance of tradition and change successful
implementation of change will continue to be a challenge both now and in the future.
The challenge of change is real but the task is not impossible. Historically, universities
have met the challenges that faced them; they must be prepared to confront this
challenge too.