10 Reasons Customers
Might Resist Windows 8
Executive Summary:
Has
Microsoft become too innovative? Professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter, a
leader in the field of change management, discusses reasons that people might
not rush to embrace Windows 8.
Software giant Microsoft is
launching the Windows 8 version of its operating system this week, and suffice
it to say that it's radically different from Windows 7. The familiar Start
button and menu are gone, for example, replaced by a series of large, colorful
tiles. And there's a new feature called the "Charm Bar."
Give
Microsoft credit for innovation. But will corporate customers rush to embrace
the change, or will they resist it at first? Signs point to resistance,
according to Rosabeth Moss Kanter, the Ernest L. Arbuckle professor of Business
Administration at Harvard Business School, and a leader in the field of change
management. "Even in an era where young techies are looking to get the
hottest and latest, people are resistant to change," she says.
Microsoft's
launch of the new operating system accompanies its launch of a new tablet PC,
the Surface RT, which will compete against Apple iPad. And industry observers
have noted similarities between Apple's tightly-controlled marketing tactics
and Microsoft's marketing campaign for the upcoming OS—Microsoft is even using indie
rock music in
its Windows 8 advertisements.
But
what works for Apple might not work for Microsoft. Alas, when it comes to
embracing the latest technology, consumer hardware and corporate software are
as different as apples and orang… well, as different as Apples and corporate
software. "Software is the method by which people do their work, and if
you're requiring a radical change in how they do their work, it's a lot to
ask," Kanter says.
"If you're requiring a
radical change in how they do their work, it's a lot to ask"
In
a September blog post for Harvard Business Review, Kanter discusses 10 of the most common reasons people resist change, in the context of
leadership. This week, Kanter sat down with HBS Working Knowledge to discuss
how these same reasons might hinder corporate adoption of Windows 8.
1. Loss
of Control—Unsolicited change naturally meddles with autonomy, and the
world's IT directors and other department heads may not appreciate having a
completely different operating system thrust upon them from on high.
"People don't like it when they're forced to change their plans, rather
than determine the changes they want to make," Kanter says.
2. Excess
Uncertainty—"People will often prefer to remain mired in misery than
to head toward an unknown," Kanter explains in her blog post.
"There
will be questions about Windows 8," Kanter says. "Will it work? Will
it help me? Will this require further upgrades as Microsoft fixes the bugs?
People might wait until there's more certainty, reasoning that if the current
software works well, then why should they change?"
3. Surprise,
surprise!—Sudden change almost always faces resistance, Kanter says. To
that end, Microsoft has made a point of preparing the public for Windows 8,
briefing the press months in advance and even offering downloadable preview version. Still, Kanter wonders,
"Has there been sufficient time for the influencers to get used to this
and help other people get used to it? And why launch on October 26? There's a lot going on in the world right now."
4. Everything
seems different—Drastic change is more uncomfortable than incremental
change, Kanter explains. And early reviews indicate that Windows 8 feels like a
journey into the unknown. She cites the Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg,
who reports, "even its most devoted users won't recognize the venerable
computer operating system in this new incarnation."
"Of
course all change brings difference, but how many differences can we handle at
once?" Kanter asks. "In Windows 8 there's the tile interface, there's
no more start button, there's this 'Charm Bar'… These tools may work well, but
human psychology says that if it's too different and too jarring, you turn away
from it. You don't want to have to think about the tool. You want to think
about the job you need to get done."
5.
and 6. Loss of face and Concerns about competence—Let alone dealing with
a change that wasn't their idea, people don't like it when a change makes them
feel incompetent. And some early reviews of Windows 8 indicate that it's not
much of an ego booster. In the comments section of a review
on cnet.com,
beta-testing computer science teacher 'jabnipnip' vented: "Sure it loads
fast, but you lose productivity time just trying to figure out how to do things
like print! No joke. Open up a PDF in the native viewer and you have to
'intuitively' know to press ctrl + p to print the file. I can't tell you how
many times I've sat there getting angry trying to figure out how to get
something done. I'm not an idiot when it comes to computers, but this OS made
me feel like one."
"Your
software should not make anyone feel like an idiot," Kanter advises.
7. More
work—This is an unavoidable biggie. Change generally requires work. That
can feel like an irony when it comes to a software upgrade that's advertised as
a tool to make work easier. Even the most positive reviews of Windows 8 have
acknowledged a steep learning curve, which is likely to induce some chafing
among the weary corporate masses.
"We're
talking about an incredibly overloaded population of people who don't need more
work," Kanter says. "They need something to do the work for them,
like Siri."
8. Ripple
effects—"Like tossing a pebble into a pond, change creates ripples,
reaching distant spots in ever-widening circles," Kanter writes in her HBR
blog post.
"Your software should
not make anyone feel like an idiot"
There
are key ripple effects inherent in adopting a drastically different operating
system, she says. Confused individual users are likely to overload the IT
department with "how-do-I" requests. Managers may be late for
meetings as they try in vain to find their calendars with the new user
interface. And so on. Some problematic are more likely than others, but
"concern about ripple effects can cause considerable foot-dragging when it
comes to change," Kanter says.
9. Past
resentments—"Leaders should consider gestures to heal the past before
sailing into the future," Kanter writes. "The ghosts of the past are
always lying in wait to haunt us."
We
have two ghostly words for Microsoft: Windows Vista. It's been nearly six years
since the launch of that version of Windows, but harried IT managers may never
forget the glitches. (PC World magazine rated Vista the Biggest Disappointment
of 2007.) "Microsoft has had problems in the past," Kanter says.
"The company tries so hard to do something disruptive, but then all it
accomplishes is getting disruptive to users."
10.
Sometimes the threat is real—In her blog post, Kanter explains that many
people fear change because it can be truly dangerous, posing a threat not only
to old ideas but jobs as well. In the case of the Windows 8 launch, there's a
threat to Microsoft's competitors-including Apple, Google Inc., and
Amazon.com—who could lose market share if the operating system and the new
tablet prove successful. "Competitors certainly resist the change,"
Kanter says. "They are going to do everything they can to try to
capitalize on any wary customer and fan the flames of user resistance."
And
the dramatic overhaul of the operating system is also a risk for Microsoft,
which needs Windows 8 to succeed in order to maintain its own market share,
especially among consumers.
"Microsoft
has produced a bold innovation in Windows 8, and the company deserves
applause," Kanter says. "But its marketplace success will depend on
whether users are ready for such a giant leap. Does this big change activate
too many classic sources of resistance? That is the question."
n Rosabeth Moss Kanter ,the
Ernest L. Arbuckle Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School.
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