Managing Change Upul Abeyrathne, Dept. of Economics, University
of Ruhuna, Matara
Slide 3
Kurt Lewins Model He is a social psychologist He developed his
theory 50 years ago. He name it as the Force Field Analysis.
Slide 4
This model is composed of two sides Driving Forces: They push
organizations towards a new state of affairs. Restraining Forces:
It maintains the status quo.
Slide 5
Driving Forces They are of two varieties. 1. External
environment E.g. Globalization, Virtual work and changing work 2.
Internal: Leaders create driving forces within organizations so the
organization anticipates the external forces. Remember that the
internally originated driving forces are difficult to apply because
they lack external justification. Effective transformational
leadership as well as structural change mechanism are necessary to
legitimate and support internal driving forces.
Slide 6
Restraining Forces They are called resistance to change. It is
because that employees behaviour is something that block the
change.
Slide 7
Stability It happens when driving forces and restraining forces
are roughly in equilibrium. That is when they are approximately
equal strength in opposite direction.
Slide 8
What does this model emphasizes? Effective change occurs by
unfreezing the current situation and moving to a desired condition
and refreezing the system so that it remains in the desired
state.
Slide 9
What is Unfreezing? It is the producing disequilibrium between
driving forces and restraining forces. It can be achieved by either
increasing the driving forces or reducing the Restraining
forces.
Slide 10
Refreezing It occurs when organization system and structures
are aligned with the desired behaviour. They must support and
reinforce the new role pattern and prevent organization from
sliping back into the old ways of doing things
Slide 11
Restraining Forces People likes to keep things the way they
are. Forms of Resistance: Passive noncompliance, complaints,
absenteeism, turnover and collective actions. Resistance is a
symptom of deeper problem in the change process. It is better for
managers to understand the reasons for not changing the behaviour
by employees.
Slide 12
Restraining Forces Direct Cost: People resists actions that
result in higher direct cost or lower benefits than the existing
situation. Saving Face: Some people resist change as a political
strategy to prove that the decision is wrong or the person
encouraging the change is incompetent.
Slide 13
Restraining Forces Fear of the Unknown: People resist changes
out of fear that they could not adjust to new work requirements.
Breaking Routines: People are creatures of habit. Routine makes
life more predictable.
Slide 14
Restraining Forces Incongruent Organizational System: Rewards,
selection, training and other control systems ensure that employees
maintain desired role pattern. However, organizations that
maintains stability discourage employees from adopting new ways.
Incongruent Team Dynamics: Teams develop and enforce conformity to
a set of norms that guide the behaviour. Conformity to the present
norms may discourage employees accepting organizational change.
Team norms conflict with desired changes need to be altered.
Slide 15
What a manager shall do? He should increasing the driving
forces and reduce the resistance forces simultaneously.
Slide 16
How to create urgency for Change It is clich that organizations
operate in more dynamic, fast-paced environment. Environment
pressure represent the driving forces for change. It pushes
employees out of their comfort zones. Change process has to begin
by ensuring employees feel an urgency to change: Informing of the
competitors, changing consumer needs, impending government
regulations and other driving forces.
Slide 17
How to create urgency for Change Customer driven change Urging
change without external forces
Slide 18
Reducing the restraining forces Communication Learning Employee
involvement Stress Management Negotiation coercion
Slide 19
Change Agent Every Organization Requires change agent. Change
agent is anyone who possesses knowledge and power to guide and
facilitate the change effort. Change agents form a vision for a
desired future, communicate it in meaningful manner to others,
behave in a manner consistent with that vision.
Slide 20
Approaches to organizational change Action Research Approach
Appreciative Inquiry Approach Parallel Learning Structure
Approach
Slide 21
Action Research Pioneer: Kurt Lewin Action Research takes the
view that meaningful change is a combination of Action Orientation
(Changing Attitudes and Behaviour) and Research Orientation(Testing
Theory). On the one hand change process needs to be action oriented
because the ultimate goal is to bring about change.
Slide 22
Action Research Action orientation involves diagnosing problems
and applying interventions to resolve the problems. On the other
hand, change process is research study because change agents apply
a conceptual framework( such as team dynamics and organizational
culture) to a real situation. As with any good research, it
involves data gathering to diagnose problems more effectively and
systematically evaluate how well theory works in practice. It
involves organizational learning and knowledge management.
Slide 23
Action Research Action Research assumes change agent originate
outside the organization. 1. Form Client-consultant Relationship.
2. Diagnose the need for change 3. Introduce interventions
4.Evaluate and stabilize change. This approach takes a negative
approach to organization.
Slide 24
Appreciative Inquiry Approach It tries to break out the problem
solving mentality of traditional change management practices by
reframing relationships around the positive and the possible. It
search for organizational strengths and capabilities Adapts or
applies that knowledge for further success or well-being.
Slide 25
Appreciative Inquiry Approach It highlights the importance of
positive traits and qualities of individuals and organization. It
directs inquiry to successful events, units and organizations and
strives to make them models. It increases open dialogue by
redirecting the groups attention away from its own problems It
helps organization by way of focusing on what is possible for
better future.
Slide 26
Appreciative Inquiry Approach 1.Discovery: Identifying the best
of What is 2.Dreaming: Envision What might be 3.Designing : Engage
in dialogue about What should be 4.Delivering: Develop objectives
about What will be
Slide 27
Parallel Learning Structures Highly Participative Follow action
research model to produce meaningful change. They are social
structures developed alongside the formal hierarchy with purpose of
increasing the organizations learning.
Slide 28
Ethical Issues Privacy rights of individuals Increase managers
power. Change undermines self-esteem
