Abstract:

The disruptive change brought about by the COVID pandemic uprooted organizational processes worldwide. The “change or die” mentality permeated organization across all sectors globally. Not all organizations survived and some are still struggling two years into this change. There are, however, plenty of organizations that embraced the crisis and turned it into an opportunity.

In this conceptual discussion, the author will analyze key organization-level roadblocks that prevented some organizations from adapting to the COVID and post-COVID world. The author will touch upon the concept of organizational change, resistance to change and institutional isomorphism with built-in structural mechanisms to sabotage needed changes and preserve the status quo in the drastically changed world. Institutional theory will be used to argue that organizations do not always behave rationally and efficiently, but also often decisions based on social aspects and legitimacy concerns in order to integrate into their environment (Wang, Tseng, & Yen, 2014). Once an organizational process or a cognitive framework is accepted, it is rarely scrutinized and the discourse of “best practices” is often used in organizations to legitimize, mimic, and not question the existing behavior patterns in organizations. (Evans, 2014).

The author will also evaluate how organizations with different organizational structures and organizational cultures may handle radical changes that would or would not result in innovation practices needed to thrive in the post-pandemic world. This paper can serve as a reflective tool for organizational leaders to evaluate key structures and practices in their organizations to make sure their organizations are well equipped to thrive in the change-driven post-pandemic environment.

References:
[1] Evans, C. (2014). Diversity management and organizational change. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, 33(6), 482-493. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.proxy1.ncu.edu/docview/1650544421?accountid=28180
[2] Wang, H., Tseng, J., & Yen, Y. (2014). How do institutional norms and trust influence knowledge sharing? An institutional theory. Innovation: Management, Policy & Practice, 16(3), 374-391. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.proxy1.ncu.edu/docview/1636384584?accountid=28180

Keywords:

Change management, resistance to change, institutional isomorphism, institutional theory, organizational behavior, organizational development.