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Lewin’s three step process - Coggle Diagram
Lewin’s three step process
Resistance to change in business
The work of theorists such as Lewin and Storey demonstrate that change is not easy; it has to be planned and reinforced.
Often the structure of planning for change is an attempt to overcome such resistance to change.
Resistance can take a number of forms including
Supplier resistance
Suppliers may be reluctant to adapt to changes made by their customers.
For example, manufacturers who change to a Just in time (JIT) system may find that some of their suppliers resist having to supply components ‘as and when’ the manufacturer requires
This may well result in an increase in costs as deliveries need to increase in frequency.
Smaller suppliers may have no choice but to accept the situation or lose a valuable customer.
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Owner resistance
Owners may fear that change will increase risk.
Shareholders may need convincing that operating in new markets will not damage their dividends, especially as implementing change may be costly and may involve investment.
Management will need to explain their plans to the shareholders carefully to convince them that sacrifice now will lead to better profit in the future.
Worker resistance
There are many documented cases where businesses have tried to install new technologies or systems of working without considering how the people who actually do the work feel about the changes.
Fear of unknown creates problems such as making employees ask themselves
Will I have to work longer hours?
Might I be made redundant?
Will I still earn as much?
Failure to address the fear of unknown can result in an expensive failure, with employee reactions ranging from simple misunderstandings to sabotage and organised industrial action.
The best ways to avoid resistance to change are also the best ways to assure that employees are motivated to support the change effort.
So managers should
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Lewin’s three step process
Lewin recognised that it was not the difficulty of creating change, but of re-enforcing the change that really mattered.
He was concerned with ensuring that the change continued into the future and that workers did not slip back into old methods of working.
Lewin saw three stages of creating and maintaining change:
Stage 2 - Change or Transition
Lewin described the period of transition as a potentially difficult time as workers are now moving toward a new way of doing things.
They are learning about the changes and need to be given time to understand and adapt to these changes.
Support from management and supervisors is important in making the transition period work.
Support can come in the form of training, education, and learning from, and not being criticised for mistakes.
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Stage 3 - Refreezing (Most Desirable)
This final stage in the change process is about establishing stability once the changes have been made.
Workers have now accepted the change, and the new methods of working have become the new norm.
Workers are settled in new structures, methods of communication and are comfortable with their routines.
This refreezing clearly implies workers must not be forced into continual change but allowed time to adapt.
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Stage 1 - Unfreezing
This involves creating a motivation for change. Creating a realisation amongst employees that change is necessary.
They therefore have to ‘unfreeze’ from current approaches to work and be prepared to adapt to a new method of working.
Employees have to be shown that change is necessary and then managers need to create a situation in which employees desire the change.