Reflective Report: Managing Change Concepts and Theories

This reflective report delves into the multifaceted concept of managing change, examining its implications at both individual and organizational levels. The report explores various theoretical models and perspectives on change, including teleological and evolutionary approaches, while also analyzing the influence of cognitive, behavioral, psychodynamic, and humanistic factors on an individual's capacity to adapt. It utilizes methodologies such as PESTLE analysis, the emotional cycle of change, and the Beckhard and Harris Change Equation to assess the external and internal triggers of change. The report highlights the importance of understanding different change metaphors and the impact of individual traits and attitudes on responses to change. The report concludes by discussing the VUCA model and the importance of individual adaptability in navigating the complexities of change, emphasizing the need for proactive strategies to maximize positive outcomes and mitigate risks. The report examines concepts from various authors such as Cameron, Green, and Burke to analyze the dynamics of change.

MANAGING
CHNAGE
Reflective Report
By

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The process of change is an internal element of every routine function of a person's life.
However, the basic understanding over the thought for change remain volatile, uncertain and
complex because it comes with various hypothetical and functional approaches (Cameron and
Green, 2012). Further, the impact of change could be significantly conducted by two key factors
-- (i) changes which could be controlled and managed; (ii) resulting change from non- linear
adaptations.
This factor of change is unpredictable and is majorly depended on the advance
changeable elements which are covered in various settings engaged in different policies.
Meantime, requirement of change is generally identified from the mixture of intrinsic and
extrinsic environmental component which renders the growth of change into an uncertain way.
Sense of cognizance and ability of presenting issues and events generally contributes towards the
change.
The belongingness of quality and factors of change is not enough to set an individual
against its occurrence, more particularly when there exists many other elements which impacts
result towards the change. This report highlighting the effects of four concepts – (1) behavioural,
(2) cognitive, (3) psychodynamic, and (4) humanistic – for the change. The aggregation of all of
these elements causing and rising the factors in which individuals will result in emerging the
changes.
This present study concludes: (a) identifying the writer's powerful behaviour for
achieving objectives which are genuinely built on strong want and consciousness for the demand
to change (b) by understanding his goals and motivations. Moreover, there are important
weaknesses that require author's intention on issues lie social awareness. Skills sets, etc; (c)
understanding that, while they recognizing the importance of change, the planned and/or
unplanned changes may affect the crucial outcomes of the author’s goals; lastly, (d) this report
gives the vagueness of actuality and the risk of confusions. Writer need to maximize their chance
in a significant manner so that they can accommodate and evaluate the risk. These will further
result into the targeted results.

1.0 INTRODUCTION
As the concept of change is broad and it is usually acknowledged by business
organization so that they get a competitive advantages over their major competitors. Further, the
basic perception of change would be applicable as a reason for an individual change. This
present report will majorly emphasize on implementing the change thought at the individual
level (Bareil, Savoie and Meunier, 2007). Further, this study will also centralise on assessing the
capacity for supporting change in order to measure the personal growth and development.
Moreover, the utmost points of the report has been discussed down under:
 Evaluating the basic understanding of change by taking into consideration various
hypothetical methods along with their significance and applications (i.e. teleological vs.
evolutionary models of change). It will also focus on that basic reason and concept of
change which has been changed over time to time.
 Analysing different changes by including the four attributes (e.g. cognitive, behavioural,
psychodynamic, and humanistic) which generally influences the individual's capacity for
accepting the change.
 Identifying the capacity of individual to lead and support the changes within external
environment.
 Emphasize on author's personal responsiveness to change by applying various models,
tools and questionnaire parallel to the four dimensions which generally impacts the
individual capability for change.
2.0 METHODOLOGY
 Report will have a study whose reviews will look over the causes of change, various
methods and perspective of change, major importance of nature of change and also how
this thought has been changed drastically.
 For analysing the triers of change, this present study will show the PESTLE model in
order to describe the capacity which is present in the outside environment being as a
reason for the change (Bridges, 2009). Further, it will also show the demonstration which
is done on the inside environment in order to trigger the change.
 This study will show the four methods whose framework will be also based on the
applicable literatures in order to examine the individual response to the change.
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 Moreover, for analysing the author's response to the change, this study will majorly
emphasize on:
◦ PESTLE Analysis of External Environment
◦ Affection and emotional Cycle of Change
◦ Beckhard and Harris' Change Equation
3.0 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS
3.1 Plan for Change
The change nature has been resulted through various points of subject and Cameron &
Green (2012) has conferred four figures of nature and discussed it from four assorted
perspective. These metaphors have been discussed down under:
 From the perspective of machine- change is considered as a universal development that
need to be efficiently managed, planned as well as possessed.
 From political perspective- change has to be backed up by a compelling person.
 From organism perspective- change is generally adjustive in nature.
 From flux and transformation perspective- change cannot be managed alone
However, for establishing healthy and sound relation between individuals, struggle
consequent plays a crucial role. Moreover, on the other side Buchanan and Badham (2008)
evaluated various views of nature on the basis of the theoretical approaches and these approaches
have been discussed effectively: (a)Planned approach: Here, people work in constant working
conditions and in pre- defined manner, the change need to be increasing in nature,
transformational and planned for being highly effective; (b) emergent approach view change as
non-linear, uncontrollable and unpredictable rising that from internal and external environment.
However, in support of the emergent change _____ stated that this change occurs due to
operational chaos or due to cause and effect process which is eventually trigged up by different
complex factors. Moreover, the VUCA model which is related with the complex change
management is considered as an impelling tool which help in managing the change within the
business organisation. This will further lead into growth of individual as well as establishment.
However, Burke (2013) argued that individual need to become opportunistic in the emergent
change and they need to be alert for unplanned and also have to be ready for the interventions in
order to respond towards the change urgency.
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Directing towards the significance of the nature of change, the understanding is generally
depended on the nature of change which determines the individual views, value systems,
responses and adoption of the different phenomenon. However, in the early 16th century Niccolò
Machiavelli innovated the nature of change as a major problem because of their consequent
resistance. However, traditional change model suggested that: (a) interrelation which is related to
the change can be neglected; (b) individual cause of change can be easily assumed (c) instead of
situation or complex situation, change management is viewed as an entity (d) the focus of change
management is majorly on outcome rather than on process. Apart from it, the pragmatic model of
change has emerged into (I) teleological model [it is scientific or planned change concept] and
(ii) Evolutionary models [i.e. those who adapts the change]. However, industrial and scientific
revolution has influenced the teleological view upto a great extent. In relation to that statement,
change was considered as a controllable by time and moment calculations. Further, the
behavioural computations of people is involved. This was implied only in the manufacturing
firms at the time of industrial revolution only (Gill, 2002). On the contrary side, Hawthorne
studies in the year 1920, developed the principles of human factors which were in the relation
with organizational change. Organization change is considered as a degree of autonomy when
compared with the resistance of change. Moreover, these views were eventually supported up by
the survey feedback studies, training programs and different socio-technological systems. Apart
from this, they were also supported up with the model of organization development along with
the concept of management consulting.
3.2 Triggers of Change
Individual is being continuously pressurized by the complexity as well as work pressure.
Further, continuous increment in competition and demand for multi skilled and talented
employees is considered as a crucial factor for having the change. Moreover, by making the
comparison of current lifestyles with that of the past will help individual in evaluating the gap
which is there (Graetz and Smith, 2010). Moreover, the need of market and constant changes
which are there in external environment are generally not in control of any person. They just
have to adopt the change according to the situation and time. Triggers of change are majorly
depended on the internal and external environment of individual. Moreover, it is very important
for a person to understand the major components which causes the beginning of change. They
have to plan and act according to that only so that they can adapt the change in proper and
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systematic manner. However, there exists various factors in the external environment which are
generally capable in order to induce the change. These factors are (a) political (b)economic (c)
social (d) technological (e) legal (f) environmental. These triggers should develop awareness in
the emergent change and change emergence by understanding the external components.
Moreover, internal environment also consist of change which are eventually derived from the
personal as well as different work environments (Hamel, 2012). These internal environment also
involve family and career related decisions, marriage, birthday and deaths and other important
family events. Further, self knowledge in presence of internal variables impacts the response of
individuals to the change
3.3 Individual Issue to Change
As both the internal and external factor influences the trigger to change, individual traits
on the other side responds to these change. Moreover, the attitude to escape the change majorly
appears when (a) individual has been not able to accommodate the relation of change (b)
understanding about the emergent change is lacking (c) by the implementation of change, the
upcoming situation will be insecure (d) to control one's happening there must be a powerlessness
feelings which do reside.
However, Cameron and Green (2012) has come up with 4 methods of formulation in
order to identify the capability of individual for change. Firstly, there exist cognitive approach
which is generally built up on individual feeling and influences on changing their approach.
According to HBR (2005) people can adjust and introduce some new changes by directing a
chain of psychological stages. These stages are (a) stupor or the vulnerable state which results by
the evaluating the change; (b) offensive area or the call for the transformed past situation; (c)
acceptance of negative results from change; and (d) attitude and adjustment
The cognitive processing involves each stages in order to influence the individual
response for the change. Like for example, individual generally experience emotions of anxiety,
frustration, and discomfort when they are confronted by change. Further, especially when they
are not able to realize the context behind the alteration.
Secondly there is a behaviour activity approach which generally binds an individual’s
mental ability of responding towards the goals and penalties which generally impact their
perspective over change. Moreover, for rising a constructive behaviour which is linked with
change, these results need to be distinct and meaningful for the person (i.e. constructive support).
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Whereas, importance of penalization results in non-compliance (e.g. dodging the difficulty which
is related with the non-compliance, and/or defending area) to change may arouse the related
constructive effect to change.
Next, there is a psychodynamic approach which focuses on exploring individuals results
to change with the help of grasping changes. Further, as per the Kubler-Ross model, an
individual who act to change direct such phases: (1) defensive reaction for change; (2) prediction
of angriness for oneself or finding other external points of blame; (3) negotiation happen when
an individual reaches to a level of tiredness from being offensive for another or their own. For
example, ‘I promise to work hard if my family stay with me’; (4) mental state of a person realise
him that no sum of negotiation can cater a diversion from this change; and at last, (5) attitude
comes into play when individual tend to decide in order to make a step from the previous
attempts and values the reality that he/she has to accept the change (Hiatt, 2006).
At last, there is humanistic approach which set a person eventually to react over the
change when they concern humanistic dimension like love concern, idea creativity skills, self-
actualisation needs, and other related to the same. Further, the humanistic aspect concentrate on:
(a) personal cognizance which is experienced by an individual at the advance level of change; (b)
the thought of having social control for one’s personal quality like the manner of thinking,
feeling, acting; and (c) the sensitivity of one’s importance in both ethical and social knowledge.
For example, if an individual can link-up the connection of change to their own self-actualising
content (i.e. ‘imagination’ of becoming significant in social group), an individual is likely to
expect the change as an affirmative, accordingly and abide by the security of change.
3.4 Designing an Individual Change
For examining the writer's respective response towards the change, different types of
approaches, instruments, and forms can be used in this written material. In addition to this, these
subdivisions is applicable towards the formulation presented by author Cameron & Green (2012)
in deciding person respond towards the change. However, Kark Smollan (2006) concerned that
alone not able to make a transition happen as precisely as planned. Further, some notable actions
may include in the transitioning process and these are: (1) sharing the problem; (2) assessing and
understanding the information that whether it is essential to the problem or not; (3) evaluating
one’s readiness to transition in pursuit of understanding one’s relevant strengths and weaknesses;
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(4) realize the crucial difference between transition and change; and (5) accept the possibility and
impacts of resistance towards the change.
Firstly, the cognitive approach centralises on achieving results with the help of positive re
framing and different associated techniques, peculiarly goal setting and coaching in order to
achieve one's goals and objectives (Lee and Krayer, 2003). Moreover, The Emotional Cycle of
Change can be prove useful in understanding the author’s feelings towards the change process.
By considering that, the plans and goals this model guides the writer in understanding their own
potential emotional responses by proceeding towards the stages of pessimism, optimism, and
ultimately, completion. Meantime, the Boston Questionnaire can also be used in order to
examine the emotional intelligence of the author. Further, on the basis of that results the author
stand out in the areas of emotional self-awareness and self-management. But, there were some
notable weaknesses in the areas of social awareness, particularly in the area of empathy.
Secondly, the behaviourist approach emphasizes on changing behaviours with the help if
rewards and punishments. Further, in order to get the writer's response to the changes this report
utilises Beckhard and Harris' Change Equation. Notably, the application of this model generally
reveals (a) the author’s controlling expression of dissatisfaction by considering the current
situation of their family, (b) strong desire, attraction, and motivation author needs for his family,
(c) writer strongly feels that his vision is quite realistic and feasible, and (d) by considering this
components author confronts very minimum resistance to change (Todnem By 2005).
Third, there is psychodynamic approach which focuses on understanding links with the inner
world of change. Further, in order to meet major obstacles towards tthe change, one need to
understand that: (a) change is non-linear, unpredictable, and unmanageable; (b) major people
must only involved in process of change inflection; and (c) outgrowth of pocket size resistance
need to be addressed efficiently and effectively. Thus, by considering these rules, this report
applies the Change Management skills in order to find out the author’s readiness in
understanding the changed skills. Further, this assessment tool discovered that the author
understands many essential elements which are necessary for managing change. Further, by
putting these elements into practice do not work properly..
At last, the humanistic approach centralise on many elements and some of them are
development and growth, potential maximisation through healthy development, development of
healthy authentic relationships and progressive participation in healthy organisations. Reynolds
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and Holwell (2010) stated that instead of simply sharing the views, change concerns on itself
with the renegotiation of certain dominant values and different types of attitudes in
establishment. This will further result into introduction of new systems and subsystems.
Moreover, The ADKAR change management model renders a goal-oriented tool which enables
writer to understand ways that why changes may not work as intended which need to be
introduced in the new systems. It also emphasizes on humanistic elements which contribute
towards the processing of changes. Further, by the implementation of this model, the author is
able to find out that: (a) there is strong awareness of the need which need to be change and desire
to make that change happen (Senge, 2014). In this, the writer is also in need to acquire much
knowledge in order to make a successful change; (b) new abilities and educational degrees are
important and helps in meeting the targeted change; and (c) the author’s family plays a crucial
role in the reinforcement for making a targeted change
4.0 CONCLUSION
By identifying different perspectives and principles which explains the nature of change,
this report concludes that change is a major concept and it is significantly depends on the
confronting discipline. Such as in the case of teleological versus evolutionary models we
discussed above. Moreover, this report also showcase the changes which can generally occur as
planned, linear, and manageable (i.e. such as in the machine / scientific perspective). It may
occur as non-linear, uncontrollable, and unpredictable as well. (i.e. in the organism / evolutionary
perspective). However, even after so much variation, the emergence of change remains
dependent on various triggers which determines when the change will become predictable or
vice versa of that. This report will also showcase the external environment which will involve
political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental factors. Report will also
elaborate the internal environment involving person, his/her personal environment and his/her
working environment. These both factors contributes towards the emergence of change.
This report also gives the nature and triggers of change and responses to change which
eventually depends on various dimensions. Further, responses to change can be adjusted towards
the cognitive, psychodynamic, behavioural, and/or humanistic attributes. Moreover, people also
differs in terms of their responses towards change and also in acceptance of the change as well.
Resistance, emotions, perspectives, and resultant behaviours of change also differs in each and
every dimension
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Further, this study also focused on examining the nature of change, that triggers change
by utilising the PESTLE model in order to examine the external environment. The life Line of
the writer was to examine his internal environment, and also the people responsiveness to change
by using up the four dimensions.
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5.0 REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Bareil, C., Savoie, A. and Meunier, S., 2007. 'Patterns of discomfort with organizational change',
Journal of Change Management, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 13-24.
Bridges, W., 2009. Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change, New York: Da Capo
Press.
Buchanan, D. and Badham, R., 2008. Power, Politics, and Organizational Change: Winning the
Turf Game, New York: SAGE Press.
Burke, W.W., 2013. Organization Change: Theory and Practice, New York: SAGE
Publications.
Cameron, E. and Green, M., 2012. Making Sense of Change Management: A Complete Guide to
the Models Tools and Techniques of Organizational Change, New York: Kogan Page Publishers.
Gill, R., 2002. 'Change management-or change leadership?', Journal of change management, vol.
3, no. 4, pp. 307-318.
Graetz, F. and Smith, A.C., 2010. 'Managing organizational change: A philosophies of change
approach', Journal of change management , vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 135-154.
Hamel, G., 2012. What Matters Now: How to Win in a World of Relentless Change, Ferocious
Competition, and Unstoppable Innovation , New York: John Wiley & Sons.
HBR., 2005. Managing Change to Reduce Resistance, New York: Harvard Business School
Press.
Hiatt, J., 2006. ADKAR: A Model for Change in Business, Government, and Our Community,
New York: Prosci Learning Center Publications.
Kark Smollan, R., 2006. 'Minds, hearts and deeds: Cognitive, affective and behavioural
responses to change', Journal of Change Management, vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 143-158.
Lee, W.W. and Krayer, K.J., 2003. Organizing Change: An Inclusive, Systemic Approach to
Maintain Productivity and Achieve Results, New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Luecke, R., 2003. Managing Change and Transition, New York: Harvard Business Press.
Todnem By, R., 2005. 'Organisational change management: A critical review', Journal of
Change Management, vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 369-380.
Reynolds, M. and Holwell, S., 2010. Systems Approaches to Managing Change: A Practical
Guide: A Practical Guide, London: Springer Science & Business Media.
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