AN IMPLEMENTATION MODEL FOR REDUCING RESISTANCE TO TECHNOLOGICAL-CHANGE

The process of implementing advanced manufacturing technologies in an organization can impact the way in which individuals adjust to the new technology. The acceptance of or resistance to new technologies by individuals in the organization ultimately impacts the success of advanced technologies in achieving the organization's objectives. A framework model is presented for guiding managers and implementation teams through the implementation process with the objective of facilitating positive individual adjustment to new technologies and minimizing resistance to change. Five major stages are proposed in the model: initial decision, introduction, initialization, early job experiences, and institutionalization. Major factors that impact individual adjustment to technological change in each stage are discussed. (C) 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.