1

Approaches to Change Management

Lecture 4

Chapter 8 & 9

Managing Change

2

Learning Objectives

• Theoretical foundations of change management.

• Lewins planned approach to change

• Organisational Development

• Models of Organisational Change

• Emergent Approach of Change

• Role of change agent

3

3

4

The Individual Perspective School

• All behaviour is learned; In order to change behaviour, it is necessary to change the conditions that causes it (Skinner, 1974).

• Behaviour modification is used to modify the behaviour of individuals (rewards etc)

• Individual should also understand of themselves and the situation which they believe, will lead to changes in behaviour (Gestalf-field perspective).

5

The Group Dynamics School

• This school emphasis on bringing about organisational change through teams or work groups, rather than individuals (Bernstein, 1968).

• The focus of change must be at the group level and should concentrte on influencing and changing the group’s norms, roles and values (Cummings and Huse, 1989)

6

The Open Systems School

• They sees organisations as composed of a number of interconnected sub-systems.

• Any change in one part of the system will have an impact on other parts of the system and, in turn, on its overall performance (Scott, 1987).

• They emphasis on overall synergy through clearly defined lines of coordination to pursue overall business objectives.

7

7

8

Planned Change

Planned ChangeActivities that are intentional and goal oriented.

Goals of Planned Change:– Improving the ability of the organization to

adapt to changes in its environment.– Changing the behavior of individuals and

groups in the organization.

9

9

10

10

11

11

12

Field Theory

• This is an approach to understanding group behaviour by trying to map out the totality and complexity of the field in which the behaviour takes place.

13

Force Field analysis

A method proposing that two sets of forces operate in any system-forces that operate for change (the driving forces) and forces that operate against change (the resisting forces). If the two sets of forces are equal in strength, then the system is in equilibrium

14

Force field analysis

Source: Samulson, 2003

15

Group Dynamics• Group behaviour, rather than that of individuals

should be the main focus of change (Lewin, 1947).

Action Research• It is based on Gestalt psychology, which

stresses that change can only successfully be achieved by helping individuals to reflect on and gain new insights into the totality of their situation.

• It stresses that for change to be effective, it must take place at the group level and must be a participative and collaborative process which involves all of those concerned (Lewin, 1947)

16

16

17

• Kurt Lewin’s three-step change Kurt Lewin’s three-step change processprocess

UnfreezingUnfreezingStatus Status quo(1)quo(1)

ChangingChanging

RefreezingRefreezingStatus Status quo(2)quo(2)

Driving forces ↑Driving forces ↑Restraining forces↓Restraining forces↓

Equilibrium statusEquilibrium status

18

Three distinct steps for achieving behavioural and attitudinal change

• Unfreezing• the diagnosis stage• Participants are made aware of problems in order to

increase their willingness to change their behaviour.• Changing• the intervention stage• Individuals experiment with new workplace behaviour.• Re-freezing• the reinforcement stage• Individuals acquire a desired new skill or attitude and are

rewarded for it by the organisation.

19

19

20

20

21

21

22

22

23

23

24

Can we use Lewins approach to all the three models of change?

24

25

25

26

26

27

27

28

The emergent approach to successful change

• Organisational structure

• Organisational culture

• Organisational learning

• Managerial behaviour

• Power and politics

29

Harvard Professor John P. Kotter’s eight-step plan for

implementing change1 Establish a sense of urgency.2 Form a powerful coalition of managers.3 Create a vision to direct the change and the strategies for achieving that vision.4 Communicate the vision throughout the organisation.5 Empower others to act on the vision.6 Plan for visible, short-term performance improvements and crate those improvements.7 Consolidate improvements.8 Articulate the relationship between new behaviors and organisational success.

30

Change Agent

People who act as a catalysts and assume the responsibility for managing the change process.

31

31

32

32