'Resistance' Managaement

One of the most important problems faced by public administrator in implementing policy decisions is ‘resistance’. Whether the policy is good or bad for the society, resistance will come from effected and concerned sections of the society. The resistance problem is more in transforming countries, like India. Media and civil society activism decreased the option of coerciveness against resistance. So, public administrators are in search of new strategies to handle ‘resistance’.


Recently, Government of India issued an order to ban plastic carry bags whose thickness is less than 40 microns. Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) was very keen on implementing it. Expecting the resistance from the plastic manufacturing units, GHMC officials strategically announced that they are planning to ban plastic carry bags completely irrespective of thickness. But technically, the power of banning of plastic is reserved with the Union environment ministry and GHMC Act doesn’t have any power to ban plastic except to implement the Government of India orders relating to it. GHMC officials deliberately passed the information to media that they are planning for complete ban on plastic carry bags. As expected by GHMC officials resistance came from political parties and industrial units, and they staged protests to not to ban plastic carry bags. After few days, GHMC announced only those plastic products are banned whose thickness is below 40 microns. Political parties and industrial units were pacified because their resistance had an impact on the final outcome. In this way, GHMC is managed to implement the plastic ban without any resistance to its actual policy.