...Analysis of Lewin’s Force-Field Theory of Change Management and Organizational Behavior Abstract This core content of this research is concentrated around Kurt Lewin’s Force-Field Theory of Change and how it affected the landscape of the business word and how it applies to the world we live and operate in currently. Many of theories and principles that are generally accepted in the business world today derive from some of the principles outlined by Lewin and his research. His work has been discounted by scholars as it is deemed to be outdated and not applicable to the current world. The paper specifically looks at certain ways in which Lewin’s principles do still apply and how the Force-Field Theory is still a foundational value throughout much of the business world whether directly or through an evolutionary process. It is with this in mind that the paper is created and analyzes real world cases where this process has been executed to successfully help firms and also where it has been abandoned with consequences for other businesses. The creation and implementation of the main focus principles of Lewin’s Force-Field Theory is explained in depth and demonstrates how firms in the present can learn foundational and evolved theories from the work that Lewin executed in the 1900s for success in the present and future of firms across different platforms of business segmentation. An Analysis of Lewin’s Force-Field Theory of Change During his life, Kurt Lewin analyzed change before...
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...stages of OD as suggested by Kurt Lewin and subsequently modified by Lippitt, Watson &Westley? ANSWER: 1) FOUNDATION OF OD (a) The field of OD rests on a foundation of values and assumptions about people and organizations. These beliefs help to define what OD is and guide its implementation. (b) Values have always been an integral part of OD package. OD values and assumption developed from research and theory, by behavioral scientist and from the experiences and observations of practicing managers. OD values tend to be humanistic, optimistic and democratic. (d) The knowledge base of OD is extensive and is constantly being upgraded. The most important concept on which OD is constructed is as follows: i) Model & theories of planned change : Organization development is directed at bringing about planned change to increase an organization's effectiveness, generally initiated and implemented by managers, often with the help of an OD practitioner either from inside or outside of the organization. Organizations can use planned change to solve problems, to learn from experience, to reframe shared perceptions, to adapt to external environmental changes, to improve performance, and to influence future changes. The theories describe the different stages through which planned change may be effected in organizations and explain the process of applying OD methods to help organization members manage change. (ii) System theory: The organization is an open...
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...Matrix of Theoretical Models HCS/587 Theoretical Model | Description of Theoretical Model | Type of Health Care Change Situation Where Model Best Applies | 1. Kurt Lewin’s field theory model 2. Lippitt’s change theory model | Kurt Lewin’s field theory model has three stages of change: * Unfreezing * Change or Moving * Refreezing The unfreezing stage requires altering the patterns of employee behavior. The employee adaptive behavior must align with the organizational goals and vision. The lack of alteration in behavior changes can result in employees’ resistance during the implementation process. The management should communicate effectively with the staff explaining the need for change. The management should encourage the staff to submit their ideas and be a part of the change process. The change stage refers to the introduction of new organizational policies and procedures. The management should ensure that the affected staff fully understands the reasoning behind the changes and offer support for adapting the new organizational business culture. It is imperative that management includes the staff in the development of new policies and designing the new procedures. The refreezing stage requires reevaluation of the implemented procedures in which the management evaluates the efficacy of the implemented changes and makes adjustments to meet organizational goals (Borkowski, 2005). The management should seek feedback from the staff and fine tune the...
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...Abstract Change is inevitable and oftentimes when Organizations announce change, they are met with resistance and opposition. Many people are often times afraid of the uncertainties, what it will mean for them, will they fit into the dynamics etc. Several psychologists and professors have their theories on the best models for facilitating change. Lewin’s Change Management Model –According to the web site, change management coach, Kurt Lewin emigrated from Germany to America during the 1930's and is recognized as the "founder of social psychology" which highlights his interest in the human aspect of change. Kurt Lewin’s change theory has 3 stages. Unfreeze, Change, And Freeze. The principal behind this theory is: Prepare for the change- The first step in Lewins change theory is preparing ourselves or others for the change. Making them want the change. The basis for Lewin’s theory is weighing the pros and cons or as he called it, the force field analysis. “This first 'Unfreezing' stage involves moving ourselves, or a department, or an entire business towards motivation for change”. Make the Change- The transition phase might be the hardest phase of Lewins theory. Rightfully so as this phase is when fear sets in. Most people begin questioning if the decision they made was the right one. Did I do the right thing, what if it doesn’t work, maybe I’m not ready are all questions that one might ask him or herself when making the change. Accept the Change- The logic...
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...Phases of Change and the Concord Bookshop HCS/587 Creating Change Within Organizations Phases of Change and the Concord Bookshop The need for organizational change is inevitable. Technological advances, variations in the consumer marketplace, and evidence-based research dictate that in order for an organization to remain viable, it needs to be amenable to change. This does not mean, however, that organizations change effectively (Spector, 2010). Scientists have formulated many theories for describing processes to implement change in an organization, in hopes that understanding change and forces that resist it will lead to effective strategies. In this paper, I will review one of these theories and apply it to an actual organization that attempted to implement change. Kurt Lewin’s Field Theory One of the best known theories, and still applicable after 66 years, is Kurt Lewin’s Field Theory. Lewin “offered…insights that, to this day, shape our understanding of how to alter patterns of behavior” (Spector, 2010, p. 26). According to Ford, Lewin’s theory was linear and process driven (2009). It was based on the idea that variable forces acting upon a group can modify individual behavior. Therefore, as Burnes stated, Lewin believed that individuals affected by change would resist less if the organization involved them in the process (2007). Additionally, Lewin identified three distinct phases of change. During the first phase, unfreezing, the equilibrium of the...
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...Resistance to Change Cha Xiong MGT/426 June 03, 2014 Resistance to Change Resistance to change is considered the act of opposing or struggling with changes and has a common problem for the management teams. When organizations are seeking to improve an aspect of their business, some of their employees will naturally show resistance. It is not important how the resistance manifests itself, but it is important that resistance still threaten the success of the change initiative. Resistance to change has an effect on the way other employees feel at various stages of the implementation process and it ultimately affects quality of goods and services, productivity of employees, and work relationships. Management of resistance can be challenging to manage because resistance can be covert by organizationally or individually. In this paper, I will identify the causes of resistance by the organization and the causes of resistance by the individual. I will also describe how Lewin’s theory of change can be used to overcome the resistance. Causes of Resistance by Organization Stoica, Popescu, and Mihalcioiu (2012) defined, “Organizational causes of resistance means that the change is resisted at the level of the organization itself” (p. 115). Resistances are expressions of reservations, which arise as reactions to the changes at the organizational levels. The causes to resist can be defined as direct consequences of leaderships’ failure. Based on recent research, there...
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...organizational efficiency and performance. The objective of this paper is to examine organizational development by providing an explanation of the process followed by identifying the theories associated with organizational development. In addition, the paper will illustrate which specific conditions are necessary for successful organizational change and development. Close assessment of the objective will lead to a clear understanding of the bond between organizational development and organizational psychology. Process of Organizational Development Organizational development is the systematic process to implement planned and effective change using technologies, research, theories, and behavioral science in effort to promote change that will “improve” the performance and overall health of an organization. More specifically, “organization development (OD) is a complex strategy intended to change the beliefs, attitudes, values, and structure of organizations so that they can better adapt to new technologies, markets, and challenges”(University of Virginia Leadership Development Center, n.d., ¶ 1). The primary step in the process of organizational development is for the organization to do a self-reflection of its current state, and then plan on what specific interventions they wish to apply to make changes. The next step is to hire an organizational-development consultant to help in the intervention process; intervention can differ and can be at the individual, group, or organizational...
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...Organizational Change Wanda Martin Change in Organization April 19, 2010 Organizational Change Organizational change can be a difficult process. When change is implemented incorrectly, resistance can be encountered. Kurt Lewin’s theory provides three stages to change. “It is important that members of the affected work force understand the reasons for change and participate in the design of new approaches” (Borkowski & Maxwell, EdD, 2005, Resistance to Change, p. 385). he first stage in the model is Unfreezing. The moving stage consists of implementing new skills, reorganization, and dismal of resisters (Implementing Organizational Change, 2010). Participation is important in this stage.he new behaviors taught in this stage will create equilibrium in the next stage. The final stage in the change model is refreezing. Kurt Lewin’s theory of change would have decreased conflicts encountered in this change. One conflict the bookshop encountered was; the employees were not given a precise reason for the change. The employees were told that finances were a problem and also the management structure was not working for the company. Change in an organization is an ongoing process. When implemented correctly, change can be rewarding to the organization and employees. Unfreezing, moving, and refreezing will help decrease resistance to change. There will always be some type resistance met with change. Determining the reason for resistance is important. Overcoming...
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...Organizational Change Process at Concord Bookshop HCS/587 Organizational Change Process at Concord Bookshop The intense competition and economy are two major drivers of organizational changes. The development and implementation of any significant organizational changes requires strategic planning. Kurt Lewin’s change model offers a simple and an effective approach for implementing the organizational changes. The lack of a strategic planning to implement the organizational changes could be demoralizing for the staff and disastrous for the entire organization. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the impact of poor organizational change planning at Concord Bookshop in New England. Additionally, the paper will describe the Kurt Lewin’s three phases of organizational change. The failure to follow three phases of organizational change resulted in employees’ resistance to embrace the proposed changes. The Concord Bookshop was a highly regarded bookstore famous for its knowledgeable staff and friendly service. The online mega bookstores, such as Amazon, Barnes and Noble have created a stiff competition forcing the Concord Bookshop owners to implement significant organizational changes. The owners failed to include the staff members in the change process creating an environment of resistance that forced many long-time employees to leave the organization. Kurt Lewin’s Phases of Change Model Unfreeze Phase During this phase, the top management effectively communicates with...
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...INTRODUCTION a) Organisational Change –an overview b) Kurt Lewin and his theories of change c) General Motors International 2. APPRAISAL OF KURT LEWIN’S 3- STEP MODEL (Manufacturing change at General Motors as a case study) 3. CRITIQUES OF THE MODEL 4. CONCLUSION INTRODUCTION In a dynamic world of increasing technology, competition, power relations and managerial opportunism, investment in Research and Development (R&D) by organisations and fluctuations in consumer demand, a complex phenomenon such as change is imperative. Change can be defined as the art of altering the current state of an entity from its present state to another while organisational change is the transformation process of taken up by an organisation in order to move from its existing level to a strategically proposed level by taking up new ideas and a different approach to its operational practices and procedures (Beckhard and Harris, 1987. cited by: Andriopoulos and Dawson, 2009). In analysing the various categories of change, research works have identified a number of traits used to classify the various levels and sorts of change. These include substance of change, scale and scope of change, timeframe of change.(Dawson and Adriopoulus,2009). Grundy (1993) also stated that three varieties of change has set a basis for how managers view change as a homogenous concept and coined them as Discontinuous, Smooth incremental and Bumpy incremental change(Senior and Fleming 2006). Many...
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...Resistance to Change There is no way to avoid change. Change is an everyday event. Change in the seasons, change in sports, and change at work. Organizations deals with different type of changes either through new personnel, new paperwork, and corporate takeovers, just to name a few. Employees, especially those who has time with their company haves some issues with change. The lack of knowledge of new personnel, new concepts, and paperwork will have a sense of hesitancy to tenured personnel. The resistance to change can hurt advancement in the company either through the lack of commitment, promotions, and proper training to new personnel just to name a few. “The model of theory that Kurt Lewin created in 1947 is still relevant today. The three stages that Kurt Lewin created was named: unfreezing, change, and freezing” (Change-Management-Coach.com, 2015). Resistance is common to change. The understanding of the resistance and behaviors in order to create the change is essential to the company. Resistance managers understand what they may be up against when change occur. “Fear, lack of consultation, poor communication, changes in routines, low trust, misunderstand of change, exhaustion/saturation, and change in the status quo” (2015) are reason for resistance among employees in a company. Managers and fellow employees can recognize the behaviors of those who resist the changes by witnessing: “aggression and anger, unusual flare-up of emotions, encouraging resistance, belief of...
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...Type of health care change situation where model best applies Kurt Lewin’s Change model. Lewin’s model allows viewing change as a series of forces working in different directions. According to Lewin (1947), change may be achieved in one or two ways: increasing the force for change in the desired direction or reducing the strength of opposing forces (Spector, 2010). Lewin provides to agents with a three –steps process for implementing planned changes: 1. Unfreeze: The forces and workers associated in keeping resistance acquire an understanding of variances that exist between current practice and behavior and desired activities and behavior. One of the critical elements of unfreezing is to break the group inertia, to change the status quo. 2. Moving or changing is the second stage for this theory. In this step, the group alters its performance or habits. Depending on the new objectives, subsequent revised policies, procedures, and operating practices are introduced. 3. Refreezing: Third and last stage in this theory: Change is assumed and new status quo is established. At this point, changes are already executed and monitored, and adjustments are conducted if necessary. Additional organizational goals are reinforced by subsequent changes in daily activities. This theory hinges on the presence of a driving and a resistant force. The driving forces are the change agents, who are pushing employees in the direction of change. They are the facilitators of change and the. On the other...
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...Concord Bookstore University of Phoenix Creating Change within Organizations HCS587 David Harrell 16 January, 2012 * The Concord Bookshop is a small town bookstore with a 64-year history and a cultural appeal enjoyed by the citizens of the town. In recent years the economic environment created fierce competition for the bookstore, coupled with a need for innovative technology meant a need for restructuring. The financial status of the bookshop was in grave distress. Fearing financial ruin the board members made a unanimous decision to implement significant changes. However, the board did not take the necessary steps of including the appropriate stakeholders in the change process and obtaining employee support. Several phases of organization change were not executed during the Concord Bookshop discussion, which ultimately led to the failure of the company. Strategic Renewal The board did not consider the employees talent, capabilities or experience as an important component to achieve the future goals of the bookstore (Spector, 2010). The residents of Concord frequented the bookstore, yet the board did not seek customer or employee support for their vision. Appropriate consultation may have saved the bookstore from financial despair. By failing to see the importance of stakeholder input and implementing changes before any valuable dialogue took place led to the gradual destruction of the bookstore. Strategic renewals are required by companies...
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...Organizational Change Process HCS/587 October 14, 2013 The Phases in the Organizational Change Process Spector (2010) stated “organizational change is typically initiated in response to a trigger event or a shift in the environment that precipitates a need for altered strategies and new patterns of employee behavior” (p.18). According to Spector (2010), to understand and analyze the dynamics of change it is important to sort out and distinguish the different approaches that can be taken. In chapter one Spector gives the reader insight into the Concord Bookshop, a bookstore that is in the process of implementing new changes. Spector (2010), states that “for the Concord Bookshop, the increasing penetration of online booksellers into the store’s market space triggered the requirement for strategic renewal” (p.18). Kurt Lewin developed a change model to assist organizations such as the Concord Bookshop with changes. There are three steps in Lewin’s model and they...
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...Change is an inevitable part of any organization. Organizations are faced with the challenge of choosing how to correctly handle the organizational change process. Establishments have two options when it comes to the change process they can choose to handle the change with organization and proper planning or they can choose to implement the change without ensuring proper planning or implementation. Many theoretical models have been established to ensure that organizations have references to use when implementing change in an organization. Below Kurt Lewin’s change model will be explained and used to analyze the change that occurred several years ago at successful independent bookstore called Concord Bookshop. The Concord Bookshop is a 64-year-old independent bookstore in New England that underwent big changes. Kurt Lewin was a psychologist who studied change implementation. Lewin’s change model includes three phases the unfreezing, changing, and refreezing stage. The first stage in Lewin’s model is the unfreezing stage. In this stage the individual or individuals are proposing a process to change and have to provide the individuals affected with an understanding of why this change is necessary. Nancy Borkowski (2005) states that the unfreezing stage is when the, “workers involved in perpetuating resistance acquire an understanding of variances that exist between current practices and behavior and desires activities and behavior” (p.384). This stage did not occur during the...
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