Final answer:
The correct option for actions that would not help mitigate change risk is 'Reduce employee costs.' This approach can increase resistance, lower morale, and decrease productivity, unlike effective strategies like training, incentivizing learning, and clear communication.
Step-by-step explanation:
Inquiring about which activity would not help mitigate change risk is particularly pertinent within the business domain when discussing change management strategies. The option 'reduce employee costs' in this context stands out as the least effective approach for mitigating change risk.
Reducing employee costs often means cutting down on staff or reducing the resources available to employees, which can lead to increased resistance to change, lower morale, and possibly reduced productivity, thereby exacerbating the risks associated with change.
Other options such as 'conduct training,' 'incent employees to learn new system,' and 'communicate changes to employees' are recognized strategies that support change management efforts. A 2003 study by Arthur, Bennett, Edens, and Bell reinforced the efficacy of training, signifying its importance.
The study showed positive outcomes from training, including improved immediate responses from employees, the attainment of learning outcomes, better job performance as measured by supervisors, and incremented productivity and profits. Additionally, the anti-harassment tutorial ratings in the post-training survey highlight that employee perception of training efforts is generally positive when the material is deemed highly informative.
Therefore, when considering mitigation strategies for change risk, it's crucial to focus on those that have a proven positive impact rather than on cost-cutting measures that could negatively affect the organization. In conclusion, the correct option for the question 'Which of the following would not help mitigate change risk?' is 'Reduce employee costs.'