Change Management and the process of Change Management

Definition of Change Management:

Change Management describes various studies in various ways. From the view point of consumers Moran and Brightman (2001) who is a famous researcher stated that the changing of organizational trend, hierarchy, and capabilities is an ongoing process. The changing is allowed by the management in order to meet the both external and internal consumer’s demands because the demand of the consumers is changing day by day.  In contrast Certo and Certo (2009) described that in order to achieving the organizational goal the organization changes its policy for enhancing its efficiency. Now-days it becomes a general matter for every organization to change its structure in order to adopting the existing condition for surviving in the competitive market.   

Force Field Analysis: The Process of Change:

In an organization the changes occur through three steps. Various researchers describe the changing process in various ways such as Kurt Lewin (1947) who is renowned psychologist stated in his comprehensive framework that the changes has occurred in three steps. He used force field analysis to describe those steps such as unfreezing (status quo), movement (desired end,) re-freezing.

In contrast Ford (2004) stated those three steps as ‘before’, ‘during’ and ‘after’. Conversely Bechard and Harris (1977) described those three steps as Current phase, Transition phase, and Future phase.

In contrast Ford (2004) stated those three steps as ‘before’, ‘during’ and ‘after’. Conversely Bechard and Harris (1977) described those three steps as Current phase, Transition phase, and Future phase.

                                    1^st PHASE       ====è2^nd PHASE      ====è 3^rd PHASE

Lewin                          Unfreezing                 Movement                   Refreezing

Beckhard & Harris      Current state             Transition state            Future state

Ford                            Before                         During                            After                     

   

Figure 1: The change process, Source: Kurt Lewin (1947); Bechard and Harris (1977), and Ford (2004).

If a person wishes to understand the changing steps described by Lewin (1947), he has to follow the following discussion:

 ‘Unfreezing’ is concerned with the auditing process of in an organization. The main purpose of the audit is to identify the weakness and strength of the organization as well as take necessary steps for changing the existing condition.

The summary of changing issue as well as future plan is described as ‘Movement’. According to Hitt et. al (2009) ‘Movement’ can be also described as “resist to change” that stated that without justification becomes costly for the resistance come with new changes policy. In other word it can be stated that barriers as well as expense concerned with the changes has to be reduced from the factors which makes the future changes. 

To evaluate the dynamic change of a situation as well as steps required to adopt with the new changes Field-force analysis is a crucial tool for a team or an individual. This tool was explored by Kurt Lewin (1947) and also used in psychoanalysis. From the Field-force analysis Lewin (1947) wanted to proof that when an organization or an individual want to change its present condition some obligations must come into the way of changing.  

Resistance to change:

In change management a lots of research had done on resistance to change by various researchers. Resistance can come out from difference for example motive, plans, priorities or ideas (Bovey and Hede, 2001). When a change is going to occur, resistance will be appeared so a manager should amalgamate all resistance to decrease the probable resistance (Malhotra and Galletta, 2004). In changing process delays for implementation process and some cost may arise for resistance (Ford et al., 2002). It is also stated by Ford et al. (2002) that the information which is required for the changing process can be derived by the resistance.    

There are two kinds of resistance such as passive resistance and active resistance. Active resistors directly stand against the changes and state their arguments (Lietz and Rea, 2004). On the other hand passive resistors support the changes initially but in the last moment they also stand against the changes.   

Sometimes workers also stand against the changes because they think the changes can affect their present position (Lietz and Rea, 2004). For instance when an organization adopts a new technology, it becomes a threat for the existing employees. Because by reducing the existing employees new technology will able to reduce the cost which will affect the employees working life. New changes can be failed by the resistance of users and it can also increase the cost as well as affect the application process (Joshi, 2005).   

Joshi (2005) identified top ten reason of resistance of change by the employees. They are as follows;

1. Individual’s personal disposition of change
2. Fear of not known
3. Environment mistrust
4. Fear of failure
5. Fear of loosing job security
6. Pressure of the peer
7. Relationship disruption with group and cultural tradition
8. Conflict in personality
9. Benefits invisible
10. Lack of benefits and poor timing