What are some change management theories?

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For many people, change is difficult to accept, whether in their personal lives or in a work environment. Human resource departments and business managers have developed ways to make changes, such as relocation or implementation of a new computer system, easier for employees to handle and profitable for companies. Change management involves planning and implementation so that transitions go smoothly.

Important principles of change management theories typically involve clear communication, delineation of a goal and an outline of the steps that are necessary to achieve the desired change.

John M. Fisher’s Process of Transition is based on Kubler-Ross’s identification of the stages of grief. He incorporated this knowledge in his change management theory that plots how people will react to change and the stages they will go through until they accept the change. He believes that people will be initially opposed to change, and only after they have moved through emotional stages including fear, happiness and hostility, will they be ready to think logically about the impending change. According to Fisher, change cannot be forced.

Harvard Business School Professor John P. Kotter came up with a practical eight-step model for successfully achieving change, based on his research: act with urgency by examining competition and potential crises; assemble a team to guide the change; create a vision for the change; communicate this vision and the strategy; remove obstacles from the path of change and encourage creative thinking; set smaller goals that can be achieved en route to the big change; continue forward, employing the necessary means and people to make change happen; and ascertain that the change will last by making it clear that the change is beneficial. His steps place importance on communication, empowerment and focus.

Michael Beer and Nitin Nohria, also of the Harvard Business School, observe two general types of change model: “Theory E” is based on economic considerations and comprises planned structural and systematic changes. “Theory O” is a more dynamic approach in which participants are highly involved in change as it happens. Beer and Nohria have seen each exist independently and also have witnessed cases that involve a combination of the two theories.

The ADKAR model of change management is goal-oriented, and it utilizes the sequential steps of creating awareness as to why change is needed: facilitating desire to participate in the change; providing the knowledge necessary to bring about the change; making sure everyone has the ability to implement the change; and offering the reinforcement necessary to make the change last.

In a 1994 article in Sloan Management Review, Robert M. Grant, Rami Shani and R. Krishnan challenge traditional theories with TQM (Total Quality Management). As opposed to other management theories, which are based on economics, sociology and psychology, TQM is based on statistical theory that uses sampling analysis. Like “Theory O,” it is a more populist than hierarchical system.

According to most theories of change management, companies’ failures to adapt to change are a result of forgetting the human element of the company. While strategies can be plotted and outlined, the human employee factor is a variable. Inability to communicate goals clearly and to simplify the process to its most basic terms are factors in failure. In addition, failure to create a sense of participation will lead to a larger-scale failure.

Generally, whenever there is big change, people will shift their focus from the work at hand to the change. Most likely, there will be a decline in productivity, but after change has been successfully implemented, productivity will increase. Many companies hire consultants to help them implement big changes.

Resource by Will

I am the editor for TheFreeResource.com, and owner of LinchpinSEO, a small business content creation company. The Free Resource has a select community of talented writers, teachers, and business people (and we are always looking for more) that bring you the most trusted resources on the web and credible articles about many topics.

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