Question 1. XYZ’s approach to change management in comparison to Lewin’s three-step Model
Kurt Lewin three-step model to change management
Lewis Kurt adopts a straight forward approach with three steps including Unfreeze, transition and freeze (Schein, 1995).
Unfreezing
Unfreezing basically means breaking the norm. This involves adjustment or total scraping of previous systems, procedures or policies that were a routine to the organization. This can be achieved by presenting new problems to the company and ensuring involvement in such a way that parties within the organization will be prompt to come up with new solutions as they identify need for change.
Transition
After getting rid of organization procedures that maintain company’s status quo, introducing new procedures and policies is the next step. At this point, people’s mindsets are prepared to adopt change. This can be achieved through company structure, branding of company products, departmental procedures and development of new ideas or improving existing techniques. The management can bring in new preferred attitudes and organizational values. According to O’Brien (2008), resistance might arise at this point as a result of leaders underrating the levels of reactions by their followers in case change is introduced in the organization. Other than underestimating rate of reaction, the response of management to people’s resistance may also encourage or elucidate the resistance. Singh (2010) notes that, when leaders implement one change after another, employees become exhausted and lament instead of appreciating any further change. This in turn affects their commitment towards organizational changes and they become resistant towards any changes proposed by the leaders (Ford et al, 2002).
Freezing
Finally reinforcement of introduced procedures need to be done for change to be effective, otherwise, people within the organization will resolve to previous procedures. Freezing might involve implementation of effective activities Leaders or the management of the organization are the major contributors to change management. Beaudan (2006) illustrates how leadership and leaders can impact on change. He states that mid cause adjustments provided by leaders can help the whole group to re-energize and adapt to change which kills the change fatigue. Change stalls and needs to be re-energized. Organizational change loses its energy at one given point without any warning. Leaders are therefore expected to be in a position to identify the signs indicating chances of change fatigue so as to device ways of making adjustments.
Comparison – Lewin three-step model and XYZ’s approach to change management
Lewin’s approach to change management summarizes the change management process into three major stages. XYZ adopts a five step approach. However, both approaches consider assessment of the organization to identify need for change. This is what the change management consultant refers to as audit of change readiness. The business environment is increasingly becoming dynamic and the capacity of an organization to change is the only way. According to Klarner (2007), understanding the company’s change capacity is vital so as to be in a better position to handle the determinants of its capacity and attain an improved adaptation level for its ultimate survival. Understanding organization change capacity and readiness to change gives the management an upper hand in helping their staff identify need for change. This approach worked out for XYZ. By identifying organization competitive position, the consultant was establishing current conditions of the organization. From the analysis, organization staff had also acknowledged that they needed change as a solution to the existing structure.
In both approaches leaders have ensured that the zeal to change among followers has been aroused and brought about a
