I.

MANAGEMENT OF CHANGE

If it werent for change, the managers job would be relatively easy. Planning would be
without problems, because tomorrow would be no different from today. The issue of
organizational design would be solved: since the environment would be free from
uncertainty and there would be no need to adapt, all organizations would be tightly
structured.

A. The Manager As Change Agent

Persons who act as catalysts and assume the responsibility for managing the change
process.
Factors That Managers Can Change
1. People
- Changing people refers to changes in employee attitudes, skills, expectation,
perceptions, or behaviour, and all other characteristics of the human resources
within the organization.
2. Structure
- Changing structure refers to organizational controls such as policies and
procedures which include any alternation in authority relations, coordination
mechanisms, degree of centralization, or job redesign.
3. Technology
- Changing technology encompasses modifications in the way work is processed
or the methods and equipment used.

B. Forces For Change

1. External Forces
- The external forces for change originate in the environment of an organization
or arising from outside the company. They include the marketplace,
government laws and regulations, technology, and economic changes.
2. Internal Forces
- These forces can originate primarily from internal operations of the organization
or develop from the impact of external changes. It is arising from sources within
the organization. They include the workforce and employee attitudes.

C. Resistance to Change

Forces for change are a recurring feature of life. It is also inevitable that change will
be resisted. There is a human tendency to resist change, because it forces people to
adopt new ways of doing things.
An individual is likely to resist change for three reasons:
1. FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN
- Change often brings with it substantial uncertainty.
2. FEAR OF LOSS
- They fear the loss of status, money, authority, friendships,
convenience, or other benefits they value.
3. FEAR OF FAILURE
- Some employees fear changes because they fear their own failure.

personal

LEWINS FORCE-FIELD THEORY OF CHANGE

To better understand resistance to change, Kurt Lewin (1951) developed the
concept of force-field analysis.
Force-field analysis
- technique used to determine the forces that are for and against change.
Forces involved: Driving force and restraining force
Kurt Lewin wrote that "An issue is held in balance by the interaction of two
opposing sets of forces - those seeking to promote change (driving forces) and those
attempting to maintain the status quo (restraining forces)".

For change to happen the status quo, or

equilibrium must be upset either by adding
conditions favourable to the change or by
reducing resisting forces.
What Kurt Lewin proposes is that
whenever driving forces are stronger than
restraining forces, the status quo or equilibrium
will change.
The force field analysis integrates with
Lewins three stage theory of change as you
work
towards
unfreezing
the
existing
equilibrium, moving towards the desired
change, and then freezing the change at the
new level so that a new equilibrium exists that
resists further change.

D.The Change Process

The change process is made up of three stages: unfreezing, changing, and
refreezing.
Stage 1: Unfreezing
This step usually means reducing the forces acting to keep the organization in its
current condition. Unfreezing might be accomplished by introducing new information that
points out inadequacies in the current state or by decreasing the strength of current
values, attitudes, and behaviors. Crises often stimulate unfreezing. Creating the
perception that a change is needed.
Stage 2: Changing
Once the organization is unfrozen, it can be changed by moving. This step usually
involves the development of new values, attitudes, and behaviors through
internalization, identification, or change in structure. Moving toward the new, desired
level of behaviour.
Stage 3: Refreezing
The final step in the change process involves stabilizing the change at a new quasistationary equilibrium, which is called refreezing. Changes in school culture, changes in
staff norms, changes in school policy, or modifications in school structure often
accomplish this. Solidifying the new behaviour as the norm.

Managing Change
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Spend time reflecting on your own core values and your mission in life.
Be intentional about the changes you make.
Be flexible and creative.
Get the support of those in your organization
Accept uncertainty and be optimistic.
Communicate openly as much as possible
Acknowledge the process of change
See the big picture.

FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHANGING AN ORGANIZATION

The following factors should be considered whenever change is being contemplated
1.

The Change Agent

2.

Determining What should be Changed

3.

The kind of Change to Make

4.

Individuals affected by the Change

5.

Evaluation of the Change

THE CHANGE AGENT:

The change agent might be a self designated manager within the organization or an outside consultant hired
because of a special expertise in a particular area.5
This individual might be responsible for making very broad changes, like altering the culture of the whole
organization; or more narrow ones, like designing and implementing a new safety program or a new quality
program.
Special skills are necessary for success as a change agent. Among them are the ability to determine how a
change should be made, the skill to solve change related problems, and facility in using behavioural science
tools to influence people appropriately during the change process.
Perhaps the most overlooked skill of successful change agents, however, is the ability to determine
how much change employees can withstand.
Managers should choose agents who have the most expertise in all these areas. A potentially beneficial
change might not result in any advantages for the organization if a person without expertise in these areas is
designated as a change agent.
DETERMINING WHAT SHOULD BE CHANGED:
Organizational effectiveness depends on 3 classes of factors:
1.

People

2.

Structure

3.

Technology

People Factors are attitudes, leadership skills, communication skills, and all other characteristics of the
human resources within the organization; Structural Factors are organizational controls, such as policies
and procedures; and Technological Factors are any type of equipment or processes that assist organization
members in the performance of their jobs.
STRUCTURAL CHANGE:
Structural change emphasizes increasing organizational effectiveness by changing controls that influence
organization members during the performance of their jobs.
Structural change is aimed at increasing the organizational effectiveness through modifications to the
existing organizational structure like:
1.

Clarifying and Defining Jobs

2.

Modifying Organizational Structure to fit the communication needs of the organization

3.

Decentralizing the organization to reduce the cost of coordination, increase the controllability of
subunits, increase motivation, and gain greater flexibility.

Although structural change must take account of people and technology to be successful, its primary focus is
obviously on changing organization structure.
Managers choose to make structural changes within an organization if information they have gathered
indicates that the present structure is the main cause of organizational ineffectiveness.

The precise structural changes they choose to make will vary from situation to situation, of course. After
changes to organizational structure have been made, management should conduct periodic reviews to make
sure the changes are accomplishing their intended purposes.

PEOPLE CHANGE:
Although successfully changing people factors necessarily involves some consideration of structure and
technology, the primary emphasis is on people.
Organization Development (OD): People Change emphasizes increasing organizational effectiveness by
changing certain aspects of organization members.
The focus of this kind of change is on such factors as employees attitudes and leadership skills.
The process of people change can be referred to as organization development (OD). Although OD focuses
mainly on changing certain aspects of people, these changes are based on an overview of structure,
technology, and all other organizational ingredients.
INDIVIDUAL AFFECTED BY THE CHANGE:
To increase the chances of employee support, one should be aware of the following factors:
1.

The usual employee resistance to change

2.

How this resistance can be reduced

Resistance to Change:
Resistance to change within an organization is as common as the need for change.
After managers decide to make some organizational change, they typically meet with employee resistance
aimed at preventing that change from occurring.
Behind this resistance by organization members lies the fear of some personal loss, such as a reduction in
personal prestige, a disturbance of established social and working relationships, and personal failure
because of inability to carry out new job responsibilities.
Reducing Resistance to Change:
1.

Avoid Surprises

2.

Promote Real Understanding

3.

Set the Stage for Change

4.

Make tentative Change

Force field analysis is a management tool to analyze the driving forces and restraining forces which
affect change initiatives in organizations.

Driving force is the force favoring the proposed change or keeping it going. Restraining force is the
force resisting change or keeping the status quo.

Force field analysis can be presented in a visual depitcion which has arrows with opposite directions
(driving forces and restraining forces), different length of arrows (the strength of each force), current status,
and desired status.

Weights are added to the forces to indicate the relative importance of each force.

To make change successful, the sum of driving force must exceed the restraining force by the means of

Increasing the forces for the change, or

Reducing the forces against the change.

The functions of force field analysis can be applied in several areas, such as analysis, planning,
implementation, and evaluation.

Managing Change
The above ways of dealing with change tend to be innate, with some people having a greater capacity for one
or more of them than others. However, they can be learned, and the following are seven tips for improving your
skills in managing change.
1. Spend time reflecting on your own core values and your mission in life.
A sense of purpose is essential to success and effectiveness, and those without a clear idea of what they are
doing and why they are doing it will not have the foundation to keep going in the face of change.
2. Be persistent.
Success is usually more to do with tenacity that genius. Persistence is only possible when you have clarified
your values and when you are able to build on the bedrock of purpose. Successful people keep going in the
face of change, finding new and creative ways to achieve a positive outcome.
3. Be flexible and creative.
Persistence does not mean pushing through by force. If you are unable to achieve success one way, try
another, and then another. Keep looking for more creative solutions and innovative responses to problems.
4. Think outside the box.
Read widely, and dont confine yourself to your own area of expertise. Try to see links between apparently
separate and diverse elements in your life and experience.
5. Accept uncertainty and be optimistic.
Life is inherently uncertain, so dont waste your energy trying to predict the future. Of all the possible outcomes,
focus on the most positive one. This is not to be a Pollyanna, but to accept that if you respond well and work to
the best of your ability, a good outcome is as likely as any other. Dont waste your energy being negative.
6. Keep fit and healthy.
Eat well, get enough sleep, exercise regularly. Meditation can help, too. This will keep up your energy levels
and allow you to keep going in tough times. Not taking care of yourself physically, mentally and spiritually is
foolish and short sighted.
7. See the big picture.
Change is inevitable, but if you take a birds-eye-view of the landscape, the change wont be so disorientating
and you will keep perspective at all times.
Be intentional about the changes you make. If you initiate change just for the sake of change, it will be
challenging for you to get support from your leaders, employees, and clients. Have a good reason for each
change and be able to explain those reasons clearly to your organization.

Keep your whole organization in mind. It is easy to think about making a change in one department
without realizing the effects it will have on all the others. Explore all the potential consequences of
organizational change before announcing it.

Get feedback from leaders in the organization, as well as from others outside of the company. Different
perspectives will help you make a well-informed decision.

Make role changes for a specific purpose. Organizational change often leads to an adjustment in roles
and responsibilities. People are moved from one department to another or from one location to another. Do
your best to handle these changes sensitively and intentionally.
Get the support of those in your organization. This is vital to helping your organization transition and move
forward with the changes you would like to implement. The more you can engage and include those in your
organization, the better.

Explain the reasoning behind organizational changes instead of just announcing the change itself.
People are more likely to support you if they understand why you made a particular decision.

Start with the senior leadership team. If your leaders do not support you, it will be difficult to get the
support from the rest of the organization.

Include all employees. Everyone on staff needs to be committed to the new vision, mission, or whatever
the change might be. Work to earn their support and dedication. Invite employees to help formulate the wording
of the new vision statement.
Communicate openly as much as possible. Inform employees of changes before they hear it from
somewhere else. Utilize company email, all-staff meetings, newsletters, or whatever form of communication is
most beneficial for the news you are sharing.

Share major changes face to face and then follow up with an email. This makes your announcement
more personal. It also gives employees a chance to ask questions or clear up any confusion.

Communicate early and often. Keep employees informed throughout all aspects of your organizational
change so they can be on your side when the change actually takes place.

Encourage feedback. Give employees the opportunity to ask questions or provide suggestions as your
organization moves toward change.
Acknowledge the process of change. Change takes place in several stages. There are also different
emotions attached to the idea of organizational change.

Some workers will immediately accept announced changes, while others may deny the need for it,
prolong the change itself, or actively resist it. As your company encounters change, keep an eye on how
employees are responding.

Do not expect behavior to change all at once. It will take time for your employees to get used to doing
things differently. Do what you can to support them during the transition.
Model a positive response to the organizational change. Employees often take the lead from their
supervisors. Set the example by displaying a positive attitude about upcoming changes, supporting your own
leaders, and helping your team make changes. If you have any disagreements about potential changes, keep
that within the leadership team.
-

. Employees facing a technological change, such as the introduction of a new computer

system, may resist the change simply because it introduces ambiguity into what was
once a comfortable situation for them. This is especially a problem when there has
been a lack of communication about the change.

Computer systems experts, for example, may feel threatened when they feel their expertise is
eroded by the installation of a more user friendly networked information system. Another
common fear is that changes may diminish the positive qualities the individual enjoys in the job.
Computerizing the customer service positions at Southwestern Bell, for example, threatened the
autonomy that representatives previously enjoyed.
Introducing computers into the workplace often arouses individuals self doubts about

their ability to interact with the computer. Resistance can also stem from a fear that the
change itself will not really take place. In one large library that was undergoing a major
automation effort, employees had their doubts as to whether the vendor could really
deliver the state of the art system that was promised. In this case, the
implementation never became a reality the employees fears were well founded
1. Uncertainty
4. What is known causes fear and induces resistance. An organizational restructuring can
leave a person uncertain about its effect on his or her job.
2. Concern over personal loss
5. They fear the loss of status, money, authority, friendships, personal convenience, or other
benefits they value.
3. Belief that the change is not in the organizations best interest
There will always be driving forces that make change attractive to people, and restraining forces
that work to keep things as they are.
Successful change is achieved by either strengthening the driving forces or weakening the
restraining forces.
The force field analysis integrates with Lewins three stage theory of changeas you work towards
unfreezing the existing equilibrium, moving towards the desired change, and then freezing the
change at the new level so that a new equilibrum exists that resists further change.

Examples of crises are significant increases in the student dropout rate; dramatic
enrollment declines; demographic shifts in population within a school district/school; a
sudden increase in staff or leader turnover; a costly lawsuit; and an unexpected teacher
strike. Unfreezing may occur without crises as well. Climate surveys, financial data, and
enrollment projections can be used to determine problem areas in a school and initiate
change to alleviate problems before crises erupt
. Examples of the latter include a new evaluation system, restructuring of jobs and duties
performed by staff, or restructuring the school district, which necessitates relocating faculty to
different school sites within the system.