With the purpose of gaining a unified understanding of the intention of this master thesis, the following sections provide not merely the background of the research topic, but also postulates the objective of the paper including the working hypothesis and an overview of the used methodology.
“Speed of change is the driving force. Leading change competently is the only answer”
In recent years, dealing with change and transformations has become a crucial task for managers and their organizations as companies executed comprehensive and deep reaching change projects. It is out of the question that companies simply have to change in order to be successful in the long term. As a result, working routines in today ́s organizations are subject to constant change and transformation arises in ever industry and branch, regardless of the size of the business and the number of employees. Today, change management can be stated as an essential task for managers and leaders as organizations have to adapt to change constantly in order to keep operating profitably.
Reasons why companies undertake such complex transformations are manifold and comprise different aspects like the reorganization of business divisions, mergers & acquisitions, cost reduction and the overall rehabilitation of companies.
The specific competence and knowledge to manage and supervise change projects in an adequate and fruitful manner is a crucial factor of an organization to compete in an ever increasing competitive environment. Companies have to adapt to fast changing markets and customer requirements in a short period of time in order to secure their success in the long run. Therefore, change management is a fundamental aspect for every organization, as implementing and successfully managing change is strictly a matter of survival.
Paradoxically, although the successful implementation and managing of change and transformation has become such an essential subject for organizations, it is often executed without the necessary diligence respectively carefulness and therefore, without success. Most of the researches investigating the topic of the success of change projects such as KOTTER, MCKINSEY and KPMG state that approximately only thirty percent of all transformation projects are carried out successfully. However, the researches do not attest a total failure for most of the change initiatives, but transformation projects often do not fulfill the set targets regarding scope, budget and timeframe.
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
1.2 Objective, Goal and Limitation
1.3 Methodology
2. CHANGE MANAGEMENT / THEORETICAL OVERVIEW
2.1 Terminology
2.1.1 Definition of the Term 'Change Management'
2.1.2 Definition of the Term 'Change Project'
2.2 Triggers of Change
2.3 A universal Process of Change / Kurt Lewin`s Three Phase Model
2.3.1 The Three Phases / Unfreezing, Moving, Refreezing
2.3.2 Critical Remarks on Lewin´s Work
2.4 Resistance to Change
2.4.1 Characteristics and Indications of Resistance
2.4.2 The Causes of Resistance / Why People resist Change
2.4.3 The Emotional Stages of Change / The Coping Cycle
3. DEVELOPMENT OF A UTILITY ANALYSIS / SCORING MODEL FOR THE EVALUATION OF SELECTED CHANGE MANAGEMENT METHODS
3.1 Utility Analysis / Theoretical Overview
3.2 Critical Remarks
3.3 The Evaluation of Decision Criteria
3.3.1 The Assessment of Critical Success Factors of Change Management based on Case Studies and Empirical Data
3.3.1.1 Case Study I / IBM
3.3.1.2 Case Study II / Commerzbank
3.3.1.3 Empirical Data I / Capgemini
3.3.1.4 Empirical Data II / IBM Global Business Service
3.3.1.5 Empirical Data III / Key Findings of other Empirical Researches
3.3.2 Final Formulation of Scoring Criteria / Critical Success Factors
4. INTERIM SUMMARY
5. DESCRIPTION, ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF CHANGE MANAGEMENT MODELS
5.1 Description of Change Management Models
5.1.1 Kotter´s Eight Steps of Change
5.1.2 ADKAR
5.1.3 HBRS Seven Steps to Change
5.2 Analysis and Evaluation of Change Management Models
5.2.1 Assessment of Kotter´s Eight Step of Change
5.2.2 Assessment of ADKAR
5.2.3 Assessment of HBR´s Seven Steps to Change
5.2.4 Comparison of the Models
6. OVERALL CRITICAL REMARKS
7. CONCLUSION
Objective and Research Focus
This master thesis aims to analyze and evaluate selected change management models regarding their effectiveness in the holistic implementation of transformation projects. Based on a weighted utility analysis, the research examines whether these models focus on homogeneous critical success factors and provide appropriate frameworks for organizational change management.
- Theoretical foundation of Change Management and Kurt Lewin's Three Phase Model
- Identification of critical success factors through case studies and empirical data
- Development of a utility analysis and scoring model for change management methods
- Comparative analysis of Kotter's Eight Steps, ADKAR, and HBR's Seven Steps to Change
- Evaluation of change management models based on identified critical success factors
Excerpt from the Book
2.4.2 The Causes of Resistance / Why People resist Change
In order to holistically analyze the reasons for resistance to change, both hard as well as soft factors within an organization have to be reflected. As resistance to change is unavoidable, it is fundamental to understand the reasons for occurrence and how to minimize its influence on change and further, to consider the soft factors as such are often not appropriately recognized. A common approach to outline the hard (formal) and soft (informal) factors of an organization is the so-called 'iceberg-model' (see figure 6), which was originally postulated by FRENCH/BELL and is further developed till today. Formal aspects are on the top and therefore, easy to recognize and identify such as, e.g. structures, tasks and objectives. However, soft or correspondingly informal aspects are below the obvious surface at the bottom of the model. This pictures the fact that in contrast to the hard factors, informal parts are not as easy to identify and thus, often are not reflected. The focus in this chapter is on the informal aspects, as the hard factors are mostly considered sufficiently. As a quintessence, three diverse levels of soft factors influencing the reasons for resistance to transformation can be differentiated.
Summary of Chapters
1. INTRODUCTION: Provides the research background, defines the objective of the master thesis, and outlines the chosen methodology.
2. CHANGE MANAGEMENT / THEORETICAL OVERVIEW: Examines terminology, triggers of change, Kurt Lewin's three-phase model, and the dynamics of resistance to change.
3. DEVELOPMENT OF A UTILITY ANALYSIS / SCORING MODEL FOR THE EVALUATION OF SELECTED CHANGE MANAGEMENT METHODS: Develops a scoring framework based on case studies and empirical data to create objective criteria for evaluating change models.
4. INTERIM SUMMARY: Summarizes the theoretical findings and the methodological approach used for the subsequent evaluation of models.
5. DESCRIPTION, ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF CHANGE MANAGEMENT MODELS: Applies the scoring framework to evaluate Kotter's Eight Steps, ADKAR, and HBR's Seven Steps to Change.
6. OVERALL CRITICAL REMARKS: Discusses the limitations of the selected models and the importance of the human factor in transformation projects.
7. CONCLUSION: Synthesizes the evaluation results and confirms the thesis's working hypothesis regarding homogeneous critical success factors.
Keywords
Change Management, Transformation Projects, Critical Success Factors, Utility Analysis, Kurt Lewin, Kotter's Eight Steps, ADKAR Model, HBR Seven Steps, Organizational Change, Resistance to Change, Employee Involvement, Management Sponsorship, Scoring Model, Empirical Research, Change Agents
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this master thesis?
The thesis focuses on analyzing and evaluating popular change management models to determine their effectiveness in supporting the holistic implementation of organizational transformation projects.
What are the central thematic areas covered?
The study covers the theoretical basics of change management, the identification of resistance to change, the derivation of critical success factors, and the structured evaluation of three specific change models.
What is the primary objective of the research?
The objective is to develop a weighted utility analysis (scoring model) based on empirical data and case studies to objectively compare the strengths and weaknesses of selected change management approaches.
Which scientific methodology is utilized?
The research utilizes a qualitative approach involving a literature review, the analysis of specific case studies (e.g., IBM, Commerzbank), and empirical surveys (e.g., Capgemini, McKinsey) to develop a standardized scoring framework.
What topics are discussed in the main section of the paper?
The main section evaluates three specific models: Kotter's Eight Steps of Change, the ADKAR model by Hiatt, and HBR's Seven Steps to Change, applying the developed critical success factors to each.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Change Management, Critical Success Factors, Utility Analysis, Transformation, Kotter, ADKAR, and organizational resistance.
How are 'hard' and 'soft' factors differentiated in the context of change?
The work uses an 'iceberg-model' to explain that hard (formal) factors like structures and tasks are visible, while soft (informal) factors like emotions, social norms, and corporate culture are hidden but significantly impact resistance.
What is the significance of the 'Coping Cycle' in this research?
The Coping Cycle, when superimposed with Lewin's phases, explains the emotional stages employees go through during change—such as denial, defense, and adaptation—which is crucial for managers to handle effectively.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Roman Salzger (Autor:in), 2017, An Analysis and Evaluation of Critical Success Factors of selected Change Management Models for the holistic Implementation of Transformation Projects, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/441172
