Until Recently, Employees at a Regional Building of a Large

Essay

Until recently, employees at a regional building of a large telephone company were throwing out nearly two tons of rubbish every day. To reduce the amount of waste at the 12-storey building, a special task force was set up consisting of respected employees representing most areas within the building. The task force reviewed practices in other organizations and developed action plans to implement the changes. Employees received weekly information via email during the two months before the program started about what changes they should expect. Employees attended special sessions that showed them how to reduce paper waste by using both sides of paper, using scrap paper as memo pads, reusing office envelopes and relying more on email and voice mail than written memos. A special telephone hotline was set up so that employees could get answers to questions about recycling and ease their concerns about the change. The program also created barriers to wasteful behaviour. Paper towels were replaced with electric hand dryers in the washrooms. Styrofoam cups were replaced with reusable mugs at each employee's desk. Wastepaper baskets in each cubicle were removed. In their place, employees were given tiny reusable bags to carry non-recyclables to specially marked trash cans located elsewhere in the building. The task force monitored waste every week and displayed the results on a large graph in the building entrance. What strategies did this company use to minimize resistance to change?