Presented by:

Debra Johnson

1. Describe forces that act as stimulants to change.

2. Contrast two views of change.3. Summarize Lewin’s three-step change model.4. Describe factors that lead to resistance of

change and how resistance can be reduced.

1. Nature of workforce: More culturally diverse workforce, aging workers, and entrants with inadequate skills.

2. Technology: Computers, cellphones PDA’s are an increasing presence in the new workplace. All aspects of the new workplace is faster paced and demanding.

3. Economic shocks: Ever changing stock market, ever changing gas prices.

4. Competition: Global competitors, mergers and consolidation, e-commerce.

5. Social Trends: Internet chat rooms, retirement of baby boomers, rise of discount, rise of “big box” retailers.

6. World politics: Iraq-US war, War on terrorism

Kurt Lewin offers a three step description of the change process which further illustrates

the “ calm water” simile.

Unfreezing Changing Refreezing

• The world is and constantly changing environment therefore “stability and predictability don’t exist”.

• One of the most well-documented findings from studies of individual and organizational behavior is that organizations and their members resist change.

1. As individuals we resist and out of both habit and the feeling of security we feel when the environments we live and work in stay the same.

2. Organizational factors that involved in resistance to change are structural inertia and limited focus on change

The selection process systematically selects certain people in and certain people out.

Training and other socialization techniques reinforce specific role requirements and skills.

Formalization provides job descriptions, rules, and procedures for employees to follow.

• Organizations made up of interdependent system. One cannot change without affecting others

• Limited changes in subsystems tend to get nullified by the larger system.

1. Education and Communication: Resistance can be reduced by communicating with employees to help them see the logic of a change.

2. Participation: Prior to making a change, those opposed can be brought into the decision process.

3. Building Support and Commitment: Counseling and therapy, new skills training to facilitate adjustment.

4. Selecting People Who Accept Change: People who adjust best to change are those who are open to experience, take a positive attitude toward change, and are willing to take risks, and are flexible in their behavior.

5. Coercion: Application of direct threats or force on the resisters.

• Understanding change and how individuals accept or reject change is the basis for an organization’s growth in today’s economic climate. “…to effect change, to capture the opportunities that arise in this dynamic business environment, companies need to be able to access the right people in the right places” (Developing corporate flexibility to exploit global trends, 2007-2008).

• Organizations are structured in such a way that change is difficult to implement without changing the entire focus of the business, but these obstacles to change can be overcome if the organization is willing hire new people who are adaptable to change or is willing educate and train existing employees on the need for change. Learn to recognize “change optimist”.

• There also has to be a commitment from both the individuals and the organization to participate in the establishment of new goals with the understanding that these goals are subject to constant reassessments based on a constantly shifting economic environment.

De Bonvoisin, A. (2009, January). Be Good at Change. Personal Excellence, 14(1), 7-7. Retrieved February 23, 2009, from Business Source Complete database

Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2008). Essentials of Organizational Behavior (Ninth ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.