Organizational Change Models Introduction Change management models are models that are used by organizations in order to ensure swift change management. In order to apply change in an organization then the management needs to adhere to certain principles to effect the change. Different organizations experience different situations; thus they prefer different models. Change cannot be forced on employees and the organization at large therefore the change needs to be achievable, measurable, and realistic. Some of the important aspects in developing of the models are the role of the leaders in the change, the communication process, and overcoming resistance to change. This paper will focus on McKinsey’s – 7’s framework and the Kurt Lewin change management model in respect to the three important aforementioned aspects of change management models. The McKinsey’s 7-s framework was developed in the 1980’s by Tom Peters and Robert Waterman, who were consultants working for McKinsey & Company consulting firm. The model has stood the test of time as it has been able to be relevant till date. This model centers on seven internal factors or aspects that any organization need to be aligned in order for it to be successful. The model can be used in a wide variety of company situations, making it a universal model. The model helps the management to determine how best they can implement a proposed strategy, determine the probable effects of company changes in the future and to improve the general performance of the company. The seven elements in McKinsey’s model are broadly categorized in to either hard elements or soft elements. The soft elements are intangible and difficult to describe; they include skills, shared values, staff and style. On the other hand, hard elements are easily identifiable, concrete and can be easily be influenced by the management. The hard elements are; systems, structure and strategy (Waterman, Peters & Phillips, 1980). In order for an organization to succeed then it needs a strategy to do that. The strategy can be attained through setting of objectives and performance metrics of both the employees and the organization. The organization should implement strategies that are geared towards dealing with the competitive pressure and gaining competitive advantage. The strategic plan should be able to deal with client needs and at the same time adapt to the dynamic environmental changes in the business world. The structure of an organization in defining its success, the structure entails how the company or its workforce is divided and the hierarchy. Various departments should be able to coordinate effectively. The structure of the organization defines how the team members align and organize themselves, and the lines of communication present in the organization. An organization has many systems that run the organization e.g., the IT system and HR system. These systems should be in such a way that it works properly with the culture.

1. Organizational Change Models
Introduction
Change management models are models that are used by
organizations in order to ensure swift change management. In
order to apply change in an organization then the management
needs to adhere to certain principles to effect the change.
Different organizations experience different situations; thus
they prefer different models. Change cannot be forced on
employees and the organization at large therefore the change
needs to be achievable, measurable, and realistic. Some of the
important
aspects
in developing of the models are the role of the leaders in the
change, the communication process, and overcoming resistance
to change. This paper will focus on McKinsey’s – 7’s
framework and the Kurt Lewin change management model in
respect to the three important aforementioned aspects of change
management models.
The McKinsey’s 7-s framework was developed in the 1980’s by
Tom Peters and Robert Waterman, who were consultants
working for McKinsey & Company consulting firm. The model
has stood the test of time as it has been able to be relevant till
date. This model centers on seven internal factors or aspects
that any organization need to be aligned in order for it to be
successful. The model can be used in a wide variety of company
situations, making it a universal model. The model helps the
management to determine how best they can implement a
proposed strategy, determine the probable effects of company
changes in the future and to improve the general performance of
the company.

2. The seven elements in McKinsey’s model are broadly
categorized in to either hard elements or soft elements. The soft
elements are intangible and difficult to describe; they include
skills, shared values, staff and style. On the other hand, hard
elements are easily identifiable, concrete and can be easily be
influenced by the management. The hard elements are; systems,
structure and strategy (Waterman, Peters & Phillips, 1980).
In order for an organization to succeed then it needs a strategy
to do that. The strategy can be attained through setting of
objectives and performance metrics of both the employees and
the organization. The organization should implement strategies
that are geared towards dealing with the competitive pressure
and gaining competitive advantage. The strategic plan should be
able to deal with client needs and at the same time adapt to the
dynamic environmental changes in the business world. The
structure of an organization in defining its success, the structure
entails how the company or its workforce is divided and the
hierarchy. Various departments should be able to coordinate
effectively. The structure of the organization defines how the
team members align and organize themselves, and the lines of
communication present in the organization.
An organization has many systems that run the organization
e.g., the IT system and HR system. These systems should be in
such a way that it works properly with the culture of the
organization. The systems should be properly evaluated,
monitored and controlled. Each company has core values that
are shared among the employees. The organization should have
a corporate culture that is aligned with the objectives of the
organization. The strength of the shared values is imperative
and the fundamental values the company was built on. The
management and leadership style should are instrumental in
guiding an organization in the right direction. Some
organization may require transformational leadership while

3. others may require charismatic leadership. The leadership
should be effective so that the employees can cooperate. The
Leadership and management of the organization should ensure
that the functional groups and teams are functioning.
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Since the division of labor and specialization, staff is placed in
areas they are experts in. The positions in an organization
should be filled with the right kind of people. It is the mandate
of the management to determine the different skills required for
the different task jobs and determine if there is and skill gaps.
The management should be able to determine if the current
employees possess the necessary skills for the job.
In this change model, the communication process can be varied
and multi-channeled. The processes and systems in the
organization should facilitate good communication flow. The
staff should be equipped with good and effective
communication skills. The leadership style should react in a
way that promotes good communication. The organization
should implement strategies that embrace proper communication
channels to clearly communicate the goals of the organization.
McKinsey’s model can be used as an analytical tool to gain
competitive advantage in the market but one of its major short
comings is that it does not clearly address the resistance to
change factor therefore it needs to be used with other
management tools in order to be effective. The model has
several integral parts that can be unified and combined in
different form to achieve the success of an organization. The
model has an in-depth analysis of the organization covering the
overall entity, which is an effective method to diagnose and
understand it. The model combines rational and emotional
component in understanding the organization. Since the

4. components in this model are interrelated, a change in one
component leads to a change in all components and this can be
costly and timely to an organization subscribed to it (Cawsey,
Deszca & Ingols, 2012). The model has a history of failure
especially due to its complex nature.
The Kurt Lewin change Management is simple compared to
McKinley’s -7s models. Kurt’s model involves three simple
steps i.e., unfreezing, changing and refreezing. Kurt stated that
change involves creating a perception that a change is needed
(unfreezing), then implementing the change or moving to the
new desired change (changing) and lastly, solidifying the new
behavior as the norm (refreezing) (Clayton, 2008).
The unfreezing is the first step in Kurt Lewin’s change
management model, and as stated earlier, it involves the
creation of the perception of a change. Most employees in an
organization are resistant to change when it occurs; therefore, a
process of unfreezing needs to be initiated, and this can be done
through motivation. It is the role of the leader to create
awareness of how the current or status quo is hindering the
progress of the organization and help them to understand the
situation. It is important that this is communicated to all the
employees in an organization so there may be no rebellious
group due to lack of communication and misunderstanding. All
the elements in the McKinsey’s -7’s model should be evaluated
to determine how they affect the organization. The skills,
systems, styles, structures, staff, shared values, and strategies
should be studied and carefully communicated to the employees
to show how they should be altered in order for the organization
to succeed. The key to unfreezing is communication; the more
the employees know about the change, the more they will be
willing to adapt and embrace the change. Communication is
important in ensuring that the stakeholders are informed about
the change, why it is important for the change to occur and how
the change will improve the performance of the organization.

5. Once the change has been communicated and people are
unfrozen, then the organization can start to move in the new
state. Change is the second step in the model, and it involves
the transition from the old to the new state. This is the hardest
step in the Lewin’s model because it involves the actual
implementation of the change as people struggle to adapt with
the change and it is marked with uncertainty and fear. The
employees are used to the old routines, and a change in status
quo proves difficult to adapt. This stage is marked with slow
growth, performance, and development due to the teething
problems that is associated with the new system. It is the role of
the leadership to provide support and training programs to
educate the employees on the new changes. At this point, it is
important for the leaders to practice both participatory
management and autocratic leadership to spearhead the changes.
Participatory management helps in ensuring that the wellbeing
and opinions of the employees are considered amidst the
changes. According to Bass & Stogdill (1990), in order for the
changes to occur quickly, there need to be fewer layers of
management where a few people are involved in decision
making, this can streamline any resistance to change with
strictness and identifying areas of inefficiencies. Time is
critical in effective change; therefore, multiple communication
channels should be utilized to ensure there is correct and timely
delivery of information and there is also communication
between different groups and departments. For this phase to be
successful it should be strategically planned and executed.
The last phase of this model is refreezing, which involves
reinforced the new state or changes in the organization. The
essence of this stage is to ensure consistent change occurs in the
organization and people do not revert to the old state.
Communication is key in this stage to reinstate the goals and
objectives of the change. The changes should be engrained in
the organization’s culture, rewards can be used to reinforce and

6. cement the new changes. It is the role of the leaders to reinforce
this new state through performance appraisal, evaluation and
providing corrective action where necessary.
The major criticism of the model is that it lacks flexibility to fit
in the current dynamic world. The third stage of the model talks
about refreezing, but critics say that today’s business world is
so dynamic to have time for the third stage of Lewin’s model.
The model directly addresses resistance to change, which is the
biggest impediment when it comes to change management. Of
the entire change management models, this is the simplest of
them all and therefore easy to plan. Lastly, Lewin’s model
simplicity cannot solve the issues of a large organization
because big organizations have complex structure and systems;
therefore, in this case, it can act as a foundation to change
management that may require a supplementary model.