Organizational Change: Theories and Application
Bus 160 – Individual Paper (40 points)
Each person will submit a 5 page written paper on a sub-topic within a chapter. Cover page does not count. Pick a topic of interest and read about it in the book. Then, do further research in the online library or web-search. Evidence of research beyond the book is required and should be documented in the bibliography with a minimum of 3 references including the book. Use APA format and double spaced with 11 or 12 point font. Page 6 is your Bibliography.
There are many interesting topics and sub-topics in the book. Pick something you are interested in that will serve you for the future. Study that topic in the book first and if interested in continuing do further research by finding two more references (e.g. articles, books, websites). It’s generally helpful to create an outline before you start writing. That way you can complete a paragraph or section at a time. One way to do this is to state the theory first and any research you were able to uncover. Be sure to reference anything you copy from another source by making a citation in your paper i.e. (George & Jones, 2012, pg 38). Then, you could relate this topic to your personal experience or how you might use this knowledge in the future.
There are too many sub-topics to list but here are a few:
Motivation
Perception
Communication
Teams
Conflict
Careers
Learning
Personality
Power
Decision Making
Ethics
Change
Org Design or structure
Stress
Organizational Change: Theories and Application
The dynamic nature of the business environment in the contemporary world has prompted organizations to confront and embrace change. Constant shifts in the competitive, economic, political, and global landscape are the primary instigators of organizations toward change. Earlier case studies demonstrate that when an organization fails to change, its effectiveness drops, and the company lags behind its competitorsCITATION Geo12 \p 533 \l 1033 (George & Jones, 2012, p. 533). Resistance to change is one key reason why some renowned industry leaders have been toppled from their leadership positions by their competitors. Dell Inc. is an excellent example of one such organization, replaced by Apple in the tech industry. Due to resistance, change initiatives can fail. Evidence suggests that 25% of all change initiatives fail, with 40% employee turnover and a further 25% decline in productivityCITATION Wil19 \p 99 \l 1033 (Will & Mueller, 2019, p. 99). Thus, the need to manage change successfully. Successful change management is critical to organizational behavior CITATION Geo12 \p 533 \l 1033 (George & Jones, 2012, p. 533). This paper details the model and theories of change, including the force-field theory and the congruence model of change. It further outlines the sources of resistance to change and how they can be managed but also offers a new view of resistance from literature. Finally, the paper describes how I will apply the change knowledge gained from my research in practice as an OD practitioner.
Theories and Models of Organizational Change
Various models explain how change occurs in an organization. Most of the existing models of change are based on empirical evidence, while others are articulated from the experiences of practitioners. Thus, these theories of change offer different perspectives and approaches to organizational changeCITATION And17 \p 114 \l 1033 (Anderson, 2017, p. 114).
Lewin’s Force Field Theory and Three-Step Model of Change
Kurt Lewin articulated his “force-field theory of change” in 1951. He argued that forces that promote the status quo always oppose forces that drive an organization towards change. Thus, when these forces are balanced, there is no change. Lewin’s theory posits that for organizations to achieve change, managers must either decrease the forces promoting the status quo while increasing forces for change or achieve both simultaneouslyCITATION Geo12 \p 538 \m And17 \p 120 \l 1033 (George & Jones, 2012, p. 538; Anderson, 2017, p. 120). Lewin further developed a model that depicts “change” in an organization in three phases. The first phase is unfreezing the company from its existing state so that change may be initiated. Once the change desired change has been made in the second phase, the new desired practices are refrozen in the final stage CITATION And17 \l 1033 (Anderson, 2017).
The Nadler-Tushman Congruence Model
Articulated by Nadler and Tushman (1981) and founded on systems theory, the congruence model is more practical and valuable to OD practitioners in organizational change. The model emphasizes on transformation process and is founded on the premise that organizations are a composition of several components that interact with each other. The components are in a state of “fit” with each other and thus work effectively if they fit poorly, problems, performance drops, and dysfunctionCITATION And17 \p 122 \l 1033 (Anderson, 2017, p. 122). Therefore, Nadler and Tushman posit that changing a system’s components or “parts” can increase or decrease the “fit” with other system parts. Therefore, the model emphasizes the need to identify the areas of an organization that can be affected if a change is initiated in other areas. Thus, Nadler and Tushman recognize the significance of motivating change, managing transitions, and noting the political dynamics of changeCITATION And17 \p 123 \l 1033 (Anderson, 2017, p. 123).
Resistance to Change
Sources of Resistance
While shifting environmental conditions pressure organizations to change, various forces maintain the status quo, thus causing organizational inertiaCITATION Geo12 \p 537 \l 1033 (George & Jones, 2012, p. 537). These forces originate from an individual, group, and organizational level. Individuals often resist change because they feel uncertain about the outcome of the change. Additionally, individuals often perceive new information according to their current views and are thus selective. Moreover, people seek to maintain the status quo because of the difficulty associated with modifying their habits or adopting a new oneCITATION Geo12 \p 538 \l 1033 (George & Jones, 2012, p. 538).
A high level of cohesiveness in a group can also cause resistance to change. Members are likely to reject activities that threaten the group’s cohesion or the addition of new members. Moreover, groups often develop informal norms that dictate the acceptable form of behavior for all members. Any disruption in su...