The three most popular approaches to manage change are
i. Lewin’s three step model
ii. Action research and
iii. Organizational development
Approaches to Managing Change
The three most popular approaches
to manage change are
i.
Lewin’s
three step model
ii.
Action
research and
iii.
Organizational
development
I) Lewin’s Three Step Model
Kurt Lewin argued that
successful change in organizations should follow three steps as shown in Figure
19-2. Unfreezing is the release of forces dormant in the status quo. Movement
is transforming form old to new situation or to a new state. Refreezing is
consolidation in the new situation to make change permanent.
Every change situation Kurt Lewin presents as a
force field as depicted in Figure 19-3. The status quo can be considered to be
an equilibrium state. To move from this equilibrium-to overcome the pressures
of both individual resistance and group conformity –unfreezing is necessary. It
can be achieved in one of three ways. The driving forces, which lead to
change, can be strengthened. The restraining forces, which hinder movement from
the existing equilibrium, can be decreased. A third alternative is to combine
the first two approaches.
II) Action Research
Action research is a
data-based, problem-oriented process that diagnose the need for change,
introduce the intervention and then evaluates and stabilizer the deserved
changes. The Action research process is given in Figure 19-4
1. Establish
client-consultant relationship – Action research usually
assumes that the change agent originates outside the system (such as a
consultant), so the process begins by forming the client-consultant
relationship. Process consultation
is a method of helping people within the system solve their own problems by
making them aware of organizational processes, the consequences of those
processes, and the means by which they can be changed. 2. Diagnose
the need for change – Action research is a problem-oriented activity
that carefully diagnoses the problem through systematic analysis of the
situation 3. Introduce
intervention – This stage in the action research model applies
one or more actions to correct the problem. It may include any of the
prescriptions mentioned in this textbook, such as building more effective
teams, managing conflict, building a better organizational structure, or
changing the corporate culture. Some experts recommend incremental change in
which the organization fine-tunes the system and takes small steps toward a
desired state. Others claim that quantum change is often required in which the
system is overhauled decisively and quickly. 4. Evaluate
and stabilize change – Action research recommends evaluating the
effectiveness of the intervention against the standards established in the
diagnostic stage.The
action research approach has dominated organizational change thinking eve since
it was introduced in the 1940s. III) Organizational Development (OD)
Organizational development (OD encompasses
a collection of planned-change interventions built on humanistic-democratic
values that seek to improve organizational effectiveness and employee
well-being. The following briefly identifies the underlying values in most OD
efforts. 1. Respect for people Individuals
are perceived as being responsible, conscientious,
and caring. They should be treated with dignity and respect. 2. Trust and support The
effective and healthy organization is characterized
by trust, authenticity, openness, and a supportive climate. 3. Power equalization Effective,
organizations deemphasize hierarchical authority
and control 4. Conformation Problems shouldn’t be swept under
the rug. They should be openly confronted. 5. Participation The more that people who will be
affected by a change are involved in
the decisions surrounding that change, the more they will be committed to
implementing those decisions. There are
broadly six OD interventions discussed by experts of organizational behavior 1. Sensitivity
training – This is done in training groups that seek to change behavior through unstructured group interaction. It can go
by a variety of names – sensitivity training, laboratory training, encounter
groups, or T-groups (training groups. Members are brought together in a free
and open environment in which participants discuss themselves and their
interactive processes, loosely directed by a professional behavioral scientist.
The group is process-oriented, which means that individuals learn through
observing and participating rather than being told. 2. Survey feed back – Uses questionnaire to identify
discrepancies among
member perceptions; discussion follows and remedies are suggested. 3. Process consultation – A
consultant assist a client to understand process
events with which he or she must deal and identify processes that need
improvement. These might include work flow, informal relationships among unit
members, and formal communication channels. Process Consultation is more
tasks-directed than is sensitivity training. 4. Team building – uses high-interaction group
activities to increase trust and
openness among team members. Team building can be applied within groups or at
the inter group level, at which activities are interdependent. 5. Inter group development – These
include efforts to change the attitudes,
stereotypes and perceptions that groups have of each other. This approach used
problem solving techniques. 6. Appreciative enquiry - Seeks
to identify the unique qualities and special
strengths of an organization, which can then be built on to improve
performance.
Tags : Strategic Management - Strategy Implementation
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