Business Organization

Organization Change and its Affects

There many models or theories of organizational change this paper will focus on the following three: Lewin’s three step model, Kotter’s eight steps, and Carnall’s change management model. Kurt Lewin (1951) explored a change model from the viewpoint of how established concepts must be “unfrozen”, new ideas presented, and finally implementation of activities “frozen” to ensure their continued practice. John Kotter (1996) created an eight step model that begins with a statement of urgency, alliance with employees, developing the vision, disseminating the vision, giving power to act, strategizing and implementing accomplishments, continue improvements, and finally standardize new avenues. C.A. Carnall (1990) view places emphasis on the importance of management. He explains three skills that should be practiced in management: effective transition; contending with cultures; and coping with the politics of an organization.

All three of the above models of change have varying degrees of relevance when an organization is considering making a change to their business structure, practices, or culture. The existing foundation of an organization can easily become static and progress slowed or non-existent. Lewin’s psychological model of melting the ice block of old ideology and then re-freezing it into a modern form seems a forceful method. Companies that have excessive resistance to change may find decomposing and re-composing works best. A drastic re-sculpturing of the company’s existing practices may be the only option to improve organizational growth and expansion. Kotter’s eight steps of organizational change gradually expose an organization to a change process. This self-driven, people involvement model allows for participatory action on behalf of those affected by the change process as well as those implementing it. “Success in the workplace of the future will heavily depend on the ability to anticipate change,...