The global situation of economical and political instability and the related turbulences caused changes in an inevitable part of any health organisation. Even companies with dominant positions in this market such as Apple after introducing its iPad are forced to innovate and keep their products up-to-date constantly. Simplistically change means doing things in a different way. Currently change is studied on the individual, group, national, and multinational levels during different time periods, from days to years.
Organisational change is a process where companies modify working methods, organisational structure and culture, mission and vision in order to survive, develop and cope with faced problems or situations. According to Fincham and Rhodes (2005), change management is at the peak of the organisational change process, which includes the important factor of minimizing change barriers.
Table of Contents
1. Organisational Change and its Drivers
2. Types of Change: Risks and Rewards
3. Theoretical Approaches to Change Management
3.1 Lewin’s 3-Step Behaviour Modification Technique
3.2 Kotter’s Eight-Step Model
4. Resistance to Change
4.1 Individual Resistance
4.2 Organisational Resistance
4.3 Methods to Overcome Resistance
Objectives and Themes
This paper aims to investigate the mechanisms of organisational change, exploring how internal and external forces drive these processes and how management techniques can be effectively employed to ensure success while mitigating employee resistance.
- The influence of internal and external triggers on organisational structures.
- Comparative analysis of fundamental change management models (Lewin vs. Kotter).
- Real-world application of change frameworks through industry case studies.
- Psychological and organisational factors contributing to resistance to change.
- Strategic communication and employee involvement as success factors.
Excerpt from the Book
Theoretical Approaches to Change Management
According to Robbins and Judge (2013), all theoretical approaches for change management are based on planned change, which is intentional and task oriented. When it comes to plan and implement change the fundamental technique was developed by Lewin (1951) who suggested 3-step Behaviour Modification technique. These stages are unfreezing the status quo (equilibrium state), movement to a desired state and refreezing change to make it permanent. During the unfreezing change agents identify initial problem and gather necessary data. The key point of this stage is motivation creation for change. Change agents try to persuade people to replace old working methods, attitudes by innovative and desired by management (Kreitner and Kinicki, 2010). In the ‘unfreezing’ stage managers identify key reason of change and prepare employees to modification process. During the movement stage change takes place. Managers introduce new information, procedure, equipment, technology or new view on culture and structure. The aim of this stage is supporting and stabilizing implemented changes. Support for workers is provided by helping them to combine implemented processes with past formal way of working. Monetary rewards is commonly used practice during this stage of change for employees who show performance and willingness to change.
Summary of Chapters
1. Organisational Change and its Drivers: This chapter defines organisational change and identifies the various internal and external forces, such as economic instability and technological advances, that necessitate change in modern organisations.
2. Types of Change: Risks and Rewards: This section categorizes change into four distinct types—automation, rationalization, reengineering, and paradigm shift—discussing the associated levels of risk and potential rewards for each.
3. Theoretical Approaches to Change Management: This chapter examines the core academic frameworks for managing change, specifically focusing on Lewin’s three-step model and the more granular eight-step model proposed by Kotter.
4. Resistance to Change: This chapter explores why employees and organisations resist change, detailing individual and systemic barriers and providing methods for managers to overcome these challenges, including the use of Maslow’s Needs Theory.
Keywords
Organisational Change, Change Management, Lewin’s 3-Step Model, Kotter’s Eight-Step Model, External Forces, Internal Triggers, Resistance to Change, Employee Participation, Planned Change, Remploy, Corus, Business Transformation, Performance Improvement, Communication Strategy, Organisational Culture.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this work?
This paper fundamentally investigates how organisations navigate the complexities of change management, focusing on the interplay between environmental drivers and internal management strategies.
What are the primary themes discussed in the text?
The central themes include the drivers of organisational change, theoretical frameworks for implementation, the classification of change types, and the management of resistance.
What is the primary research objective?
The objective is to explain how organizations achieve successful outcomes through change management techniques by leveraging employee participation and addressing both internal and external change triggers.
Which scientific methods are primarily analyzed?
The work analyzes Lewin’s 3-step Behaviour Modification technique and Kotter’s Eight-Step Model as the primary theoretical foundations for planned change.
What is covered in the main body of the text?
The main body covers the identification of change drivers, the spectrum of change types, a detailed breakdown of change management models, and specific strategies for managing resistance.
How would you characterize this paper with keywords?
Key terms include Organisational Change, Change Management, Resistance to Change, Lewin’s Model, Kotter’s Model, and Employee Participation.
How did Remploy use Lewin’s model in practice?
Remploy utilized the model by reducing restraining forces through intensive communication, consultation meetings, and involving employees at every stage of the transition.
Why is Kotter’s Eight-Step Model considered a powerful technique?
It is regarded as powerful because it expands upon Lewin’s foundation, offering a more detailed, actionable roadmap for managing fundamental business transformations.
What is the "mushroom management style" mentioned in the text?
The text suggests that managers should avoid this style—characterized by a lack of transparency—in order to effectively achieve success during change processes.
- Quote paper
- Aruzhan Zhomart (Author), 2017, Organisational Change and its Reasons, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/366386
