Lewin's Three Step Model
Review of the Existing Research Findings in This Domain
Lewin's 3 Step Model to Counter Resistance to Change
Application of Lewin's Change Model in a Manufacturing Industry
The Change Process Implementation Using Lewin's 3 Stage Model
The process of change in any organization involves the process that enables a company to take control over the implementation of improvement mechanisms. Such improvement and change entails the transition of individuals, teams and organizations from a present state of existence within the organization to a predefined and desired condition for the future. This change thus involves change in roles and responsibilities of employees of the organization. However people tend to oppose any change in an existing system. This means that employees of an organization would want the present state of affairs to continue. This opposition to change stems primarily from the fear of losses due to a proposed change and the shifting of the balance of state that are associated with negative changes for the employees. therefore any attempts to bring in change within an organization is often met with resistance against the change from the employees (Pugh and Mayle, 2009).
Research Questions
1) How does Lewin's three step model address the inherent resistance to change found within an organization?
2) How can I/O psychologists apply Lewin's model to introduce change within a manufacturing, service, or retail organization?
Review of the Existing Research Findings in This Domain
Lewin's 3 Step Model to Counter Resistance to Change
Lwein's 3 Step model:
Companies and organizations use several established approaches and models for organizational change (Valle Santos & Teresa Garcia, 2006). The Lewin, s model is one of the older models that comprises of three stages of change and the model assumes that most people prefer to remain and work in the old system of functioning. It is also assumed that such change attempts would be met with resistance from such sections of stakeholders (Lewis, 2011).
This model recognizes three stages of change after assuming that most people prefer to remain and work in the old system and are generally reluctant to change; the three stages are:
Unfreeze: A period of thawing or unfreezing is necessary in a change process for those people who make an effort to resist change. The change process is often resisted by those people who are against change and this step in the change process is the period that essentially thaws or unfreezes a situation. This means that the change managers slowly but surely instills a sense of change in the organization (Green, 2007).
At this stage organizations need to develop compelling and convincing messages for the employees that explain why the existing way of doing things cannot continue and the reasons and importance of change. Driving home the importance of change can be made through the communication of vital company information like declining sales figures, poor financial results, worrying customer satisfaction surveys and other information that indicate that a change is absolutely necessary in for the betterment of the company and the employees.
The attempt at unfreezing of employees should begin with addressing the core issues of the organization like the beliefs, values, attitudes and behaviors that define the company's functioning at present. This is often the most difficult and the most stressful of the change process. Everyone and everything off balance when there is talk about transition and change in the way things are done at the present moment (Lewis, 2011). The unfreezing process essentially creates a controlled crisis within the organization that begins with the re-examine the core values and hence motivate the employees to look out for an out a new and perhaps better equilibrium.
Transition: After the thawing process, a company goes through a transition time where resources need to be used to reassure employees (Gill, 2002). This process is a relatively long one and often takes time and does not happen overnight: this is the actual process of change when new strategies and policies are implemented. The employees generally take time to adjust to and accept the new direction and until they proactively and voluntarily participate in the change. During this process focus should be placed both the organizational transition as well as the personal transformation of the employees in the changing environment.
This is also the process where employees understand their new roles and responsibilities and by accepting the transition, the employees make the change successful. Efforts should also be made to adequately communicate the concerns and compensate the people who genuinely get harmed by the transition or change process. Organizations need to invest both time and communication at this stage for...
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