Question

Piderit (2000) believes that the definition of the term resistance must incorporate a much broader scope. She states that "a review of past empirical research reveals three different emphases in conceptualizations of resistance: as a cognitive state, as an emotional state, and as a behavior" (p. 784). IN YOUR OWN WORDS: What is your understanding of these three types of resistance? Can you give an example of each type?

Piderit, S.K. (2000). Rethinking resistance and recognizing ambivalence: A multidimensional view of attitudes toward an organizational change. AOM Review, 25(4), 783-794.

Answer 1

If we consider the concept of change in an organization and the reaction of the employees based on this change we will observe that resistance can be defined as a cognitive state, an emotional state and as a behavior as well. Now if we look at the process of change we will observe that the employees generally may have a negative mindset towards the change and this is nothing but the cognitive state that may lead to the same. The emotional changes and expression caused by the change act as resistance as an emotional state and the state such such as frustration, aggression and depression may lead to the same as well. The way an employee reacts towards the change is the resistance as behavior. I believe that yes resistance can be expressed in various ways and in such a context it is very much natural.