Understanding how change and disruption affect organisations

The characteristics of change and disruption

Change is the process of making something different. Examples in the workplace include modifying processes, structures, technology or strategies. Generally, the aim is to improve business performance, workforce engagement or productivity, or enhance the organisation’s ability to adapt to new circumstances or challenges.

Disruption is a type of change—specifically, a significant disturbance that permanently changes how an organisation operates. Often, disruptions are unexpected, caused by factors outside the organisation, such as technology innovation, regulatory changes, disasters and recession. 

There are 5 characteristics of change. Understanding the interaction between these characteristics and mental health at individual and organisational levels can you help you to better support workers and improve the overall health of your workplace. 

1. Predictability – the extent to which change is anticipated. Examples include the unanticipated resignation of a senior leader at one end of the spectrum, to correctly predicting a new competitor entering the market at the other. 

At an individual level, a sense of certainty supports mental health. Being able to prepare ourselves can help us adapt positively to change.

At an organisational level, planning for change can better address mental health risks early. 

2. Source – whether change was initiated by an organisation or imposed from the outside. Internally, the source of change could be a restructure motivated by changes in leadership; externally, it could be a supply chain disruption that causes inventory issues. 

At an individual level, changes that are driven by an organisation, such as a restructure, can cause workers to blame the organisation and erode trust. An event that comes from an outside source can bring an opportunity for connection within the organisation when it is managed well (e.g. working together to find a solution). 

At an organisational level, you often have control over what happens with internal events, including putting in place mental health supports for workers. 

3. Duration – the length of time that change occurs. A change with a short duration could be an office relocation that is implemented quickly, and workers find easy to adapt to. Alternatively, the new office location could cause long-term negative consequences that accumulate over time (e.g. an inconvenient or stressful commute).

At an individual level, long-term change can be hard to adapt to. We often cope better when we know that change will be short, or we know the endpoint.

At an organisational level, clearly communicating timelines, and if possible, shortening the interval from start to finish, can lessen the impact of change. 

4. Scope – the size of the impact at work and beyond (such as personal lives or in the community). For example, a disaster like a flood may have wider effects beyond the workplace and spread into the community. A small-scale change, such as a minor adjustment to a job description, is less likely to cause negative effects.

At an individual level, experiencing change across multiple life domains (e.g. life and work) can have greater impacts on mental health.

At an organisational level, be aware that workers may experience increased vulnerability when change impacts multiple domains of life, and they may need increased support. 

5. Speed of onset – the time from knowing about a change to being impacted by it. Speed of change can range from the gradual (e.g. climate change), through to rapid transitions between hearing about an event to new work practices (e.g. COVID-19). 

At an individual level, a slower onset allows you more opportunity to learn about the disruption and prepare. A fast onset of an anticipated change makes planning difficult but may have the advantage of a short duration if there are no lasting negative impacts.

At an organisational level, a slower onset will allow you time to prepare, which can mean more time to address potential risks to mental health. This is not always possible for rapid change, which is why laying the foundations that protect and promote mental health and wellbeing is crucial.

Incremental change, such as continuous improvement, is likely to be predictable, internal, of short duration, limited to the work domain, and have a faster onset. By contrast, disasters are likely to be less predictable, come from an external source, have longer duration and impact many aspects of life.