It is inevitable for a company to experience the need for organizational change. Strategic choices taken by leaders of a firm are often based on the need to gain or keep a competitive advantage (Oreg & Berson, 2019). This transition can be a result of restructuring, merging, new technology, optimization, and other factors that affect the performance of a company in the market (Oreg & Berson, 2019). In this essay, the acceptance of change will be discussed in the context of the restaurant industry.
In this type of business, an organizational change is often linked with shifts in customers’ preferences. Simultaneously, a significant portion of customers expects a level of consistency from an establishment, leading to controversial signals and a stressful work environment (Prange, 2020). The temporary decrease in performance is inevitable during these transitions, but they also bring an opportunity to increase output in the long term (Gigliotti et al., 2018). Miscommunication, negative feedback, troubles in the kitchen, and other adverse encounters are to be expected when such a change is introduced.
Despite these factors, there are methods of mitigating their impact on employees’ stress levels. Workers are more likely to accept new practices when they perceive their benefits, and leaders must be able to explain the positive effects of a change (Gigliotti et al., 2018). Moreover, support of a new practice depends on employees’ trust in the competency of their leaders (Gigliotti et al., 2018). Positive relationships also increase the emotional resilience of employees, which can be promoted via such practices as leisure time in the workplace, employee clubs, and teambuilding activities (Yang et al., 2020). Personally, as a leader within this industry, I would work towards the creation of a team that is emotionally prepared for changes in their routine.
A leader needs to monitor any changes in productivity of employees during a transition period to decide whether the group can handle the stress without additional intervention or not. A short questionnaire can reveal new data regarding the impact of a change. For example, it might be necessary for a restaurant to redesign an entire menu or some items from it, which can lead to numerous stressful factors introduced to employees. The analysis of the profitability and popularity of each dish is an essential tool in determining the need for such a change (Prange, 2020). First of all, this information needs to be delivered to employees in a clear statement that defines the reasons and increases the acceptance among workers.
However, a new item on the menu is more likely to cause mishaps during its preparation, which increases the stress and anxiety of workers. As a leader, I must provide meaningful assistance that will reduce these mishaps to a minimum, which can be achieved by assigning chefs to train each other in tasks that are not yet perfected. I must be open to any feedback and be able to help employees with frustration that might come from a temporary drop in performance. A major part of the success of an organizational change will lie in the past work aimed toward the creation of a team spirit.
In conclusion, many stressful situations may occur in the workplace in the restaurant industry stemming from the changes in an organization. It is up to a leader to mitigate the impact of this stress by providing an emotional outlet for employees, and increasing their understanding of the situation and its benefits. A leader can alleviate this stress by gaining workers’ trust and promoting mutual positive relationships among them.
References
Gigliotti, R., Vardaman, J., Marshall, D. R., & Gonzalez, K. (2018). The role of perceived organizational support in individual change readiness. Journal of Change Management, 19(2), 86-100. Web.
Oreg, S., & Berson, Y. (2019). Leaders’ impact on organizational change: Bridging theoretical and methodological chasms. Academy of Management Annals, 13(1), 272-307. Web.
Prange, J. (2020). Why your restaurant menu should always be changing. TouchBistro. Web.
Yang, C., Wang, Y., & Yang, J. (2020). Hotel restaurant service employees’ sources of positive and negative emotions. Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism, 21(5), 542-563. Web.