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Managers’ Role in Implementing Organizational Change: Case of the Restaurant Industry in Melbourne

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Managers’ Role in Implementing Organizational Change: Case of the Restaurant Industry in Melbourne
MANAGERS’ ROLE IN IMPLEMENTING ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE

MANAGERS’ ROLE IN IMPLEMENTING ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE: CASE OF THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY IN MELBOURNE
Mindy Man Min Chew, Joseph S. L. Cheng and Sonja Petrovic-Lazarevic1
“You know, I’m all for progress. It’s change I object to” Mark Twain, cited by Pietersen, 2002

ABSTRACT
The restaurant industry is an integral segment of the hospitality sector that is sensitive to external environmental changes. In order to remain competitive, restaurants must be flexible to quickly react and adapt to external environment challenges. Due to the close interactions and relationships between employees and managers, there can be direct effects on a restaurants performance when internal and external change occurs. This research project was conducted in the city of Melbourne, known for its fine dining and cosmopolitan style cuisine. The study investigated managers’ role when initiating and implementing organizational change in order to minimise possible employees’ resistance to change. The findings support previous theoretical approaches to effective change management. The key elements to support change were effective communication, employees’ attitude and perception of managers’ undertaken actions. INTRODUCTION Change, defined as an effort that consists of actual physical changes to operations and different emotional stimulation (Bernerth, 2004) is painful in the workplace, going from what is certain and known to the otherwise. Employees lose the comfort of the known and the familiar, the sense of competency they used to possess, the status and/or financial security they once enjoyed and networks they have gone at length to build. Mindy Man Min Chew holds a Master of Business degree in Professional Accounting from Victoria University, Australia. Prior to that, she completed her Honours Degree of Bachelor of Business in Monash University in 2004. Mindy’s research interests include: employee performance and management,


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