Today's business organizations must understand that we live in a dynamic and constantly change world. Both as indidviduals and as organizations, we must learn to accept and adjust to change.

1. Presented by:
Debra Johnson

2. 1. Describe forces that act as stimulants to
change.
2. Contrast two views of change.
3. Summarize Lewin’s three-step change model.
4. Describe factors that lead to resistance of
change and how resistance can be reduced.

3. 1. Nature of workforce: More culturally diverse
workforce, aging workers, and entrants with
inadequate skills.
2. Technology: Computers, cellphones PDA’s are an
increasing presence in the new workplace. All aspects
of the new workplace is faster paced and demanding.
3. Economic shocks: Ever changing stock market, ever
changing gas prices.
4. Competition: Global competitors, mergers and
consolidation, e-commerce.
5. Social Trends: Internet chat rooms, retirement of baby
boomers, rise of discount, rise of “big box” retailers.
6. World politics: Iraq-US war, War on terrorism

4. Kurt Lewin offers a three step description of
the change process which further illustrates
the “ calm water” simile.
Unfreezing Changing Refreezing

5. • The world is and constantly changing
environment therefore “stability and
predictability don’t exist”.

6. • One of the most well-documented findings from studies
of individual and organizational behavior is that
organizations and their members resist change.
1. As individuals we resist and out of both habit and the
feeling of security we feel when the environments we
live and work in stay the same.
2. Organizational factors that involved in resistance to
change are structural inertia and limited focus on
change

7.  The selection process systematically selects
certain people in and certain people out.
 Training and other socialization techniques
reinforce specific role requirements and
skills.
 Formalization provides job descriptions,
rules, and procedures for employees to
follow.

8. • Organizations made up of interdependent
system. One cannot change without
affecting others
• Limited changes in subsystems tend to get
nullified by the larger system.

9. 1. Education and Communication: Resistance can be reduced by
communicating with employees to help them see the logic of
a change.
2. Participation: Prior to making a change, those opposed can be
brought into the decision process.
3. Building Support and Commitment: Counseling and therapy,
new skills training to facilitate adjustment.
4. Selecting People Who Accept Change: People who adjust best
to change are those who are open to experience, take a
positive attitude toward change, and are willing to take risks,
and are flexible in their behavior.
5. Coercion: Application of direct threats or force on the
resisters.

10. Understanding change and how individuals accept or reject change is the basis
•
for an organization’s growth in today’s economic climate. “…to effect
change, to capture the opportunities that arise in this dynamic business
environment, companies need to be able to access the right people in the
right places” (Developing corporate flexibility to exploit global trends, 2007-
2008).
Organizations are structured in such a way that change is difficult to
•
implement without changing the entire focus of the business, but these
obstacles to change can be overcome if the organization is willing hire new
people who are adaptable to change or is willing educate and train existing
employees on the need for change. Learn to recognize “change optimist”.
There also has to be a commitment from both the individuals and the
•
organization to participate in the establishment of new goals with the
understanding that these goals are subject to constant reassessments based on
a constantly shifting economic environment.

11. De Bonvoisin, A. (2009, January). Be Good at
Change. Personal Excellence, 14(1), 7-7.
Retrieved February 23, 2009, from Business
Source Complete database
Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2008). Essentials of
Organizational Behavior (Ninth ed.). Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.