Process of Change Management Organizations large and small undergo change almost on a constant basis. It has been said that the only constant is change. Organizations must change in order to survive in today's global marketplace. Organizations from the smallest of mom and pop businesses to the largest multinational corporations must utilize change management principles. Change management theories are part of the process of change management in business. There are different change management theories that have been developed over the years. Change Management Theories One of the early change management theories was a three step model developed by Kurt Lewin in 1947. Lewin believed that change was inevitable but short lived. Lewin's model consisted of three steps. The first step was unfreezing whereby the old behaviors were stopped or broken. This process of breaking the behavior could be easy or very difficult depending on the situation (Burnes 2004). The next step was that of moving. Moving was the actual changes taken place or where the old behaviors were replaced with new behaviors. Resources were identified and used during this step to make the change (Higgs 2005). Lewin believed that in order for change to occur. In order for change to occur all elements of the change needed to be identified and reviewed. The third and final step was called refreezing. Refreezing was the step in which the behaviors that were changed were stabilized. Lewin believed that change without reinforcement was short lived. Sometimes in order for refreezing to occur organizations had to change their culture and policies and procedures (Burnes 2004). Lewin's change management theory approach was uniform in nature. Anothe... ... middle of paper ... ...es, 41(6), 977-1002. Christensen, C. (2006). Assess Your Capabilities. Leadership Excellence, 23(8), 5- 6. Higgs, M., & Rowland, D. (2005). All changes great and small: Exploring approaches to change and its leadership. Journal of Change Management, 5(2), 121-151. Kotter, J., & Schlesinger, L. ([YEAR]). Choosing strategies for change. Harvard Business Review, 57(2), 106-114. Masood, S., Dani, S., Burns, N., & Backhouse, C. (2006). Transformational Leadership and Organizational Culture: The Situational Strength Perspective. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers -- Part B -- Engineering Manufacture, 220(6), 941-949. McClenahen, J. (2006). FIVE (AND MORE) CHANGE TOOLS. Industry Week/IW, 255(7), 19-19. Pheng, L., & May, C. (1997). Quality management systems: a study of authority and empowerment. Building Research & Information, 25(3), 158-169.
Leading Change was named the top management book of the year by Management General. There are three major sections in this book. The first section is ¡§the change of problem and its solution¡¨ ; which discusses why firms fail. The second one is ¡§the eight-stage process¡¨ that deals with methods of performing changes. Lastly, ¡§implications for the twenty-first century¡¨ is discussed as the conclusion. The eight stages of process are as followed: (1) Establishing a sense of urgency. (2) Creating the guiding coalition. (3) Developing a vision and a strategy. (4) Communicating the change of vision. (5) Empowering employees for broad-based action. (6) Generating short-term wins. (7) Consolidating gains and producing more changes. (8) Anchoring new approaches in the culture.
Kurt Lewin, a social psychologist developed this theory in the early 20th century. He was the first to recognize that change should be planned and not allowed to happen by chance or haphazardly. There are three stages of change according to Lewin’s theory.
Lewin’s Change Theory contains three phases which are unfreezing, movement, and refreezing. The first phase unfreezing consist of “gathering data, diagnosing the problem, deciding if change is needed, then making others aware of the need for change” (Marquis & Huston, 2017). The second phase is movement. In this phase the “plan is developed, goals are set, strategies are developed and the change is implemented” (Marquis & Huston, 2017). The last phase of refreezing is “supporting others so that the change continues” (Marquis & Huston, 2017).
The only constant in life is change. This statement is especially true within a business organization. Implementing change is a process and managers need to understand the various ways in which people react and respond to any changes made. Depending on how change is implemented, it can strengthen, weaken or stabilize a team or an organization. As managers, we must understand the dynamics of our team or organization and manage change effectively. I will explore two models of change. These two models, the Tuckman model and the Lewin model, focus on different aspects of change. Tuckman focused on team change and characteristics that a team exhibits during the change process while Lewin focus on initiating and guiding change within an organization. Although the focus of the models is on different aspects, both provide insight as to how a leader can provide support and assistance to the team or organization during the process (Cameron, 2012).
Kotter, J. P., & Schlesinger, L. A. (2008). Choosing strategies for change. Harvard Business Review, 86(7/8), 130-139.
Graetz, F., & Smith, A. C. T. (June 2010). Managing organizational change: A philosophies of change approach. Journal of Change Management 10(2), 135–154.
Change is a fundamental element of individuals, groups and all sorts of organizations. As it is the case for individuals, groups and societies, where change is a continuous process, composed of an indefinite amount of smaller sub-changes that vary in effect and length, and is affected by all sorts of aspects and events, many of which cyclic are anticipated ones. It is also the case for organizations, where change occurs repeatedly during the life cycle of organizations. Yet change in organizations is not as anticipated nor as predictable, with unexpected internal and external variables and political forces that can further complicate the management of change (Andriopoulos, C. and P. Dawson, 2009), which is by itself, the focus of many scholars in their pursuit to shed light on and facilitate the change process (Kotter 1996; Levin 1947; et al).
Kotter, JP 1995, Leading change: why transformation efforts fail. In Harvard Business Review on Change, Harvard Business School Press, Boston.
Changing situations throughout the world affect all organizations in business today. Therefore, most organizations acknowledge the need to experience change and transformation in order to survive. The key challenges companies face are due to the advancements in technology, the social environment caused by globalization, the pace of competition, and the demands regarding customer expectations. It is difficult to overcome the obstacles involved with change despite all the articles, books, and publications devoted to the topic. People are naturally resistant to fundamental changes and often intimidated by the process; the old traditional patterns and methods are no longer effective.
Mills Helms Jean, Dye Kelly, Mills J Albert, (2008), “Understanding Organizational Change”, Taylor & Francis, pp.10-13
Kotter, J. P & Schlesinger, L. (2008). ‘Choosing strategies for change’. Harvard Business Review, July-August, 130-139.
Management and change are interrelated. It is impossible to undertake a journey without addressing its purpose (Paton and Mccalman, 2008, p.3). “Managing change is about handling the complexities of change; it is about evaluating, planning, and implementing operational tactics and strategies” (Paton and Mccalman, 2008, p.3). According to Armenikas and Bedeian organisational change is greatly responsive to management; its possibility remains high as managers strive for successful and perfect change in the organisation (Paton and Mccalman, 2008, p.3). Change management is a complex, and dynamic process; it is about finding best fit for the organisation to get best results (Paton and Mccalman, 2008, p.4). The environment is rapidly changing resulting from changes in technologies, customers’ preferences, alteration in the economy and many other factors (Paton and Mccalman, 2008, p.10) so organisations have to take the journey of change to cope with the external forces facing them and that is done through management.
The change process within any organization can prove to be difficult and very stressful, not only for the employees but also for the management team. Hayes (2014), highlights seven core activities that must take place in order for change to be effective: recognizing the need for change, diagnosing the change and formulating a future state, planning the desired change, implementing the strategies, sustaining the implemented change, managing all those involved and learning from the change. Individually, these steps are comprised of key actions and decisions that must be properly addressed in order to move on to the next step. This paper is going to examine how change managers manage the implementation of change and strategies used
Change management has been characterized as "the process of continuously reloading the organization's structure, structure and capabilities to serve the ever-changing necessities of external and internal clients (Woodman, 2004), and suggests the adoption of a new idea, strategy, process or behavior on the Society (CAMERON, 2012).
The world is constantly changing in many different ways. Whether it is technological or cultural change is present and inevitable. Organizations are not exempt from change. As a matter of fact, organizations have to change with the world and society in order to be successful. Organizations have to constantly incorporate change in order to have a competitive advantage and satisfy their customers. Organizations use change in order to learn and grow. However, change is not something that can happen in an organization overnight. It has to be thought through and planned. The General Model of Planned Change focuses on what processes are used by the organization to implement change. In the General Model of Planned Change, four steps are used in order to complete the process of change. Entering and Contracting, Diagnosing, Planning and Implementing, and Evaluating and Institutionalizing are the four steps used in order to complete the process of change in an organization. The diagnostic process is one of the most important activities in OD(Cummings, 2009, p. 30).