Organizations, like all cultures, must continue to evolve or they stagnate and eventually become obsolete. Using change management tools can help an organization to stay vibrant and evolve over time to remain competitive. Research change management models, and address the following:
- Describe 2–3 change management models.
•What are the pros and cons of each model
Change Management Models
Organizations have evolved significantly over the past few decades to keep pace with dramatic changes in the business environment. For example, organizational structures have become less and less bureaucratic to facilitate quicker decision-making, companies are now operating in multiple international markets as a result of globalization, not to forget the significant integration of technology in almost every firm’s system. As entities prepare for continuous evolution in future, they can adopt change management models, such as force field and planned organizational models, to help in the effective and efficient implementation of their plans.
One of the change model processes that firms can use to effect change and remain competitive is the force field model. This model, which was first proposed by Kurt Lewin, comprise three momentous stages in change implementation- unfreezing, change process and refreezing (Hussain, Lei, Akram, Haider, Hussain & Ali, 2018). According to Kurt Lewin, the first stage involves unfreezing of an organization’s system in preparation for the planned change (cited by Hussain et al., 2018). For example, at this stage, the change agents may build awareness of the imminent reactive or proactive change, manage resistance, and gather leadership support. Fundamentally, the unfreeze stage entails enlightening the change implementors and adopters about the planned change, its relevance in the entity and managing any splitting forces that may occur.
The second and third phase of the force field model is the change and unfreezing process, respectively. In the second phase, the planned change is executed into the entity through a pre-designed action plan. The change process involves a determination of where the firm is currently at, and where it needs to be in future, and formulating a strategy to get there (Hussain et al., 2018). Ones the change is implemented, Kurt Lewin’s model proposes the refreezing of the system. At this stage, the incorporated change, such as new policies, are ultimately accepted into the firm by the implementors, and training and support may be offered to sustain the implemented change.
Pros and Cons of the Model
As with any other methodologies, there are advantages and negatives associated with the force field model. The most visible pros of the model are its simplicity, straightforwardness and minimum use of industrial jargon, which makes it easy for change agents of any level of management to understand and implement it effectively. Conversely, the model is very simple and lacks enough details of the three steps which can easily lead to multiple interpretations by agents of change. Therefore, as firms choose to adopt the force field model, they should adequately address the advantages and disadvantages to ensure that the planned change is successful.
Besides the force field model, the management can also use a planned organizational change model to implement organizational change. According to Bullock and Batten, this model focuses on four stages of implementation of change- exploring, planning, action and integration (cited by Rosenbaum, More & Steane, 2018). Fundamentally, the planned organizational change model is a more elaborate process of force field model.
The planned organizational change model has eight well-defined steps within its four stages of implementation of change. The first stage, exploring, involves the establishment of the urgency of change and creating a support system in the organization. At this point, the agents of change can create awareness about the planned change and address any arising misinformation about the same. The second stage, planning, involves developing a compelling vision and diffusing it into the firm. At this stage, the management focuses on developing a vision intended to guide the change and communicating the idea to other participants in the firm. After the planning stage, the administration moves to the action phase, which entails instituting the planned change, training and empowering followers, and enlightening them about the benefits of the change. Ultimately, the fourth stage, which reflects the unfreezing phase of the force field model, entails the integration of the new change. At this stage, the management may consolidate the gains of the instituted change to create more enhanced benefits and institutionalize the same in the entity through training and offering support to subordinates.
Pros and Cons
Similar to the force field model, the planned organizational change model has its pros and cons, which must be considered before adoption for use in a firm. One of the positive aspects of the model is its precise details and illustration, which makes it easy to change implementors to understand. This aspect of the model differs significantly from the force field model, which is less detailed, thus leaving room for the management to interpret the model’s information in different ways. Conversely, the 8-step model has more concepts and can be a time-consuming roadmap to change. Therefore, as the management chooses to utilize the planned organizational change model, it should consider the time and resources allocated to the change process.
In conclusion, the force field and planned organizational change models are effective roadmaps for change in organizations. However, like any methodologies, these models have their pros and cons. Therefore, in selecting a change management model, firms should consider one that suits the management’s learning curve relative to the model and the available time of change.
References
Hussain, S.T., Lei, S., Akram, T., Haider, M.J., Hussain, S.H., & Ali, M. (2018). Kurt Lewin’s change model: A critical review of the role of leadership and employee involvement in organizational change. Journal of Innovation and Knowledge, 3(2018), 123-127. doi:10.1016/j.jik.2016.07.002
Rosenbaum, D., More, E., & Steane, P. (2018). Planned organizational change management: Forward to the past? An exploratory literature review. Journal of Organizational Change, 31(2), 286-303. doi:10.1108/JOCM-06-2015-0089
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