Chapter 15 Strategies for change

Question 1

1.1 Types of change

Answer 1

Main factors to consider are pace of the change (introduced gradually or suddenly), manner of the change (forced or welcomed) and scope of the change (minor or far-reaching). The categories of change are:
- Management role is proactive, and the nature is incremental: tuning
- Management role is reactive, and nature is incremental: adaptation
- Management role is proactive, and nature is transformational: planned
- Management role is reactive, and nature is transformational: forced

Question 2

2.1 Lewins’s force field analysis

Answer 2

This can be used to visualise the change process and to identify change management issues. To reach the desired position the driving forces for change must be promoted and the restraining forces (barriers to change) must be removed.
The forces for change derive from external and internal environment change, including changing markets, globalisation, increased competition, new technology, new personnel and improved rewards.
Barriers to change include cultural barriers (structural inertia, group inertia and power structures) and personnel barriers such as habit, security, effect on earnings, fear of the unknown, selective information processing and psychological contract.
Power structures: existing decision makers fear that they will lose power and status as a result of the change and therefore are resistant to it.
Group inertia: groups will be resistant to change when their norms or the importance of their skills are threatened by the change.
Structural inertia: the cumulative effect of all the procedures and systems which the company has previously installed acts as a barrier to change.

Question 3

3.1 Lewin and Schein’s Iceberg model to managing change

Answer 3

Three-stage approach to managing change:
- Unfreeze: involves a trigger, a challenge of existing behaviour, involvement of outsiders, or alteration to power structure
- Move: means making the changes, communicating and encouraging adoption of the new situation
- Refreeze: means consolidation and reinforcement of the new situation

Question 4

3.2 Practical management styles

Answer 4

This involves choosing appropriate styles to adopt for each group of stakeholders:
- Communication: meetings, briefings reduces uncertainty and therefore resistance
- Education: training reduces resistance to new processes
- Participation: allowing change targets to participate in change process

Question 5

3.3 Using a change agent

Answer 5

Managers may choose to use a change agent to oversee the change and effectively manage the impact on the change targets. A change agent is an individual, a group, or external consultancy with the responsibility for driving and selling the change. Sometimes called a champion of change. The change target is those affected by the change.