Acta Universitatis Danubius. Œconomica, Vol 8, No 6 (2012)

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to identify if the change agent represents or not a force generating resistance to change within an organization. The employees affected by a change process are usually the ones who oppose to new implementations. Their opposition is bigger or smaller, depending on the extent that they are affected and also by the direction, either positive or negative. However, employee’s opposition can be potentiated or reduced, depending on the manifestation of the following forces within an organization: communications, the type of organizational structure, management style and organizational culture, forces which refer to the organizational climate. To answer our question, we have researched the current literature and discovered that the change agent can represent a force generating resistance to change within an organization in those situations when he or she identifies with a middle or top manager from the organizational pyramid. This information is valuable to researchers and practitioners, as for a long time, employees were considered the only ones manifesting resistance, the possibility that the change agent can oppose new changes being ignored.