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Kurt Lewin - Change Management

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Kurt Lewin's Change Theory

Organizations face the continuous prospect of change as they fight to survive and remain competitive in a globalized economy. Changes exist in both the external and internal environments. As organizational environments exert pressure for change, organizations must adjust if they are to survive and prosper.

According to Medley and Akan (2008), theories concerning organizational change were dominated by Lewin’s planned change approach (1947), which brings together four complex elements: (1) field theory, which seeks to map the totality of human behaviors taking place; (2) group dynamics, which seeks to understand the behavior of groups; (3) action research, which requires analyzing the situation and choosing the best change for the situation; and (4) the three-step planned change model, consisting of (a) unfreezing human behavior that is supported by a complex field of driving and restraining forces, (b)changing- moving to learn new behaviors and effectuating required changes, and (c) refreezing an equilibrium to ensure new behaviors.

Unfreezing

According to Burnes (2004), Lewin believed that the stability of human behavior was

based on a quasi-stationary equilibrium supported by a complex field of driving and restraining forces. He argued that the equilibrium needs to be destabilized (unfrozen) before old behavior can be unlearnt and new behavior successfully adopted.

Unfreezing is altering the present stable equilibrium which supports existing behaviors and attitudes. This process must take account of the inherent threats that change presents to people and the need to motivate those affected to attain the natural state of equilibrium by accepting change.

This phase could be compared to overcoming bad habits by replacing them with new and better habits. The organization has to be resolved and committed to make the change

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