WOP: Organisational Change

Question 1

What does Lewin’s force field analysis model describe?

Answer 1

Lewin’s force field analysis model describes the forces that drive and restrain proposed organizational change.

Question 2

What are driving forces?

Answer 2

forces that lead to organizational change.

Question 3

What are restraining forces?

Answer 3

forces that maintain the status quo

Question 4

When does stability occur?

Answer 4

when both forces are equal.

Question 5

What is meant by unfreezing and refreezing?

Answer 5

Unfreezing occurs when there is disequilibrium between the driving and the restraining forces, leading to effective change. Refreezing occurs when systems and structures are introduced that reinforce and maintain the desired behaviours

Question 6

How does this model state effective change occurs?

Answer 6

s. This model states that effective change occurs by unfreezing the current situation, moving to the desired position and then refreezing the situation.

Question 7

How may people experience change differently?

Answer 7

Some people experience change as relational conflict, although experiencing it as a task conflict would be more productive.

Question 8

Give six reasons why employees resist change

Answer 8

1. Negative valence of change
   Employees resist change when they believe the new situations will have more negative than positive outcomes.
2. Fear of the unknown
   Change has a degree of uncertainty and employees tend to assume they are worse off when they are unsure about the outcomes of the change.
3. Not-invented here syndrome
   This is resisting change when it comes from another place (e.g: department) than where the change is implemented.
4. Breaking routine
   People tend to resist change that requires them to break habits.
5. Incongruent team dynamics
   If there are incongruent norms in a team, change may be resisted.
6. Incongruent organizational systems
   If organizational systems are incongruent, change may be resisted.

Question 9

When does unfreezing occur?

Answer 9

when the driving forces are stronger than the restraining force

Question 10

Name two unneffective methods of inducing change

Answer 10

Increasing the driving forces can be done by using threats, but this is ineffective. Weakening the restraining forces doesn’t lead to motivation to change.

Question 11

What can be developed in oder to induce change? How can this be done?

Answer 11

Urgency, by informing and reminding employees about competitors and other forms of external turbulence.

Question 12

What is the effect of having a successful company on change?

Answer 12

A successful company is often less vigilant about threats. Creating an urgency to change when the organization is ahead of the competition requires a lot of persuasive influence that helps employees visualize future competitive threats and environmental threats.

Question 13

What are the six main strategies for reducing the restraining forces?

Answer 13

Communication, learning, Employee involvement, stress management, negotiation and coercion

Question 14

What is the negative side of communication?

Answer 14

it is time-consuming and potentially costly.

Question 15

What are the benefits of communication?

Answer 15

It decreases uncertainty about the future and creates an urgency to change.

Question 16

What are the benefits of the learning strategy ?

Answer 16

This helps employees perform better after the change as it also promotes their confidence in their ability to change.

Question 17

What does coercion include?

Answer 17

This includes a range of assertive influence behaviours. It includes threatening and replacing staff that resists. Firing people that resist change leads to reduced resistance to change.

Question 18

How can refreezing occur?

Answer 18

changing the physical structure and situational conditions.