Page 265 - Fundamentals of Management Myths Debunked (2017)_Flat

264 Part 3 • Organizing
Exhibit 8–2 The Three-Step Change Process

Unfreezing Refreezing

Changing

Once the situation has been “unfrozen,” the change itself can be implemented. However,
just introducing change doesn’t mean it’s going to take hold. The new situation needs to be
“frozen” so that it can be sustained over time. Unless this last step is done, the change is likely
to be short-lived, with employees reverting to the previous equilibrium state. The objective,
then, is to freeze at the new equilibrium state and stabilize the new situation by balancing the
driving and restraining forces. (Read more about Lewin and his organizational research in the
From the Past to the Present box.)
Note how Lewin’s three-step process treats change as a break in the organization’s equi-
6
librium state. The status quo has been disturbed, and change is necessary to establish a new
equilibrium state. Although this view might have been appropriate to the relatively calm envi-
ronment faced by most organizations during the twentieth century, it’s increasingly obsolete
as a description of the kinds of “seas” that current managers have to navigate.

◂ ◂ ◂ From the Past to the Present ▸ ▸ ▸

Who Is Kurt Lewin? • Change is more readily accepted when people feel they
have an opportunity to be involved in the change rather
• German-American psychologist, known for his research than being simply asked or told to change
on group dynamics
• Use force field analysis to look at the factors (forces) that
• Often called the father of modern social psychology (an influence a change situation
academic field of study that uses scientific methods to
“understand and explain how the — Forces either drive or block move-
thought, feeling, and behavior of ment toward a goal
individuals are influenced by the Lewin’s ideas have — Make change work and overcome
actual, imagined, or implied pres- helped us better resistance by increasing the driv-
ence of other human beings”) 7 ing forces, decreasing the block-
What Did He Do? understand ing forces, or doing both
• Described group behavior as an organIzatIonal If your professor has assigned this,
intricate set of symbolic interac- go to the Assignments section of
tions and forces that affect group changE. mymanagementlab.com to com-
structure and also modify indi- plete these discussion questions.
vidual behavior.
Talk About It 1: Explain force field analysis and how it
• One particular study that looked at modifying family food can be used in organizational change.
habits during World War II provided new and important
insights into how best to introduce change. Talk About It 2: What advice do you see in this informa-
tion about Lewin’s ideas that managers might use?
Major Lessons from His Work:
• Change is more easily introduced through group decision
making than through lectures and individual appeals