In the ever-changing business landscape, organizational change is inevitable. Organizations must know how to effectively face and implement change in order to stay competitive. My organization has recently undergone a corporate restructuring, which included territory realignments, department consolidation, as well as downsizing. I have witnessed both the need for the change and downside of change on employees.
Problem Statement
The issue being addressed concerns an organization’s ability to deal with organizational change. As will be discussed in greater detail herein, approaches to managing organizational change and resistance to change are two concepts that are associated with dealing with change within an organization. Effectively …show more content…
Common approaches to managing change include: Lewin’s Three-Step Model, Kotter’s Eight-Step Plan, action research, and organizational development (Robbins & Judge, 2009). Lewin’s Three-Step Model is a basic method that include the steps of unfreezing the status quo, moving to the sought after end state, and making the change permanent by refreezing (Fischer, n.d). Kotter’s Eight-Step Plan, which builds on Lewin’s model, is a popular approach where all eight steps should be fulfilled in order to effectively manage change (Appelbaum et al., 2012). Action research is a scientific approach where change is evaluated, employee feedback is considered, and changes are addressed (Fischer, n.d). Organizational development is a collective approach that places value on individual and organizational growth and collaborative processes in an effort to improve both the effectiveness of the organization and the welfare of the employees (Robbins & Judge, …show more content…
Employees can view change as a threat, and resistance to change can come in many forms, including apparent, implied, immediate, or delayed (Robbins & Judge, 2009). Resistance to change can have negative consequences on employees including lack of motivation, withdrawal, sabotage, and whistleblowing (Pieterse, Caniëls, & Homan, 2012). During times of change, communication is key in effectively reducing the resistance to change felt by employees. Leadership should communicate why the change is needed, explain the implications and impact of the change, and dangers of not making the change (Fischer, n.d.). Communicating the change is not a one-time event and should be continuous with regular updates to alleviate employee’s fears of the unknown (Fischer,
Problem Statement
The issue being addressed concerns an organization’s ability to deal with organizational change. As will be discussed in greater detail herein, approaches to managing organizational change and resistance to change are two concepts that are associated with dealing with change within an organization. Effectively …show more content…
Common approaches to managing change include: Lewin’s Three-Step Model, Kotter’s Eight-Step Plan, action research, and organizational development (Robbins & Judge, 2009). Lewin’s Three-Step Model is a basic method that include the steps of unfreezing the status quo, moving to the sought after end state, and making the change permanent by refreezing (Fischer, n.d). Kotter’s Eight-Step Plan, which builds on Lewin’s model, is a popular approach where all eight steps should be fulfilled in order to effectively manage change (Appelbaum et al., 2012). Action research is a scientific approach where change is evaluated, employee feedback is considered, and changes are addressed (Fischer, n.d). Organizational development is a collective approach that places value on individual and organizational growth and collaborative processes in an effort to improve both the effectiveness of the organization and the welfare of the employees (Robbins & Judge, …show more content…
Employees can view change as a threat, and resistance to change can come in many forms, including apparent, implied, immediate, or delayed (Robbins & Judge, 2009). Resistance to change can have negative consequences on employees including lack of motivation, withdrawal, sabotage, and whistleblowing (Pieterse, Caniëls, & Homan, 2012). During times of change, communication is key in effectively reducing the resistance to change felt by employees. Leadership should communicate why the change is needed, explain the implications and impact of the change, and dangers of not making the change (Fischer, n.d.). Communicating the change is not a one-time event and should be continuous with regular updates to alleviate employee’s fears of the unknown (Fischer,