Organizational Change Management: Culture, Resistance, and Strategies

This report provides a literature review on organizational change management, focusing on the critical relationship between organizational culture and change implementation. It delves into the causes and impacts of resistance to change, exploring both internal and external factors that drive or impede organizational transformations. The report examines the influential Lewin's change model, outlining its three stages: unfreezing, changing, and refreezing, while also considering alternative change management strategies. Furthermore, it discusses the role of technology, market conditions, workforce behavior, and managerial changes as key drivers of organizational change. The report also highlights various strategies for overcoming resistance, including effective communication, training, and incentive programs. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of adapting organizational culture to facilitate successful change management and the implementation of new policies and procedures.

Running Head: CHANGE MANAGEMENT 1
Organizational Change Management

CHANGE MANAGEMENT 2
Introduction
Background
Organizational culture has significant implications in organizations, which are confronted with
different types of changes. In an organizational culture, change is not the issue, but resistance to
change is an issue. Resistance to change, an implied impact, which can occur in each and every
change, it can be overcome by gaining better knowledge about the factors and reasons, which
generate it. This literature reviews that there is direct relationship between organizational culture
and resistance to change in the organizations for analyzing the different ways to overcome
resistance to change.
Aim/ Objectives
The major aim of this essay is to review a literature on organizational culture and its change
management. It includes different aspects of change implementation and how an organization
can overcome the resistance to change. In addition, the objective of this paper is to consider the
external and internal factors, which cause the change and resist the change.
Scope
The major emphasis of this literature review to analyze journal articles of different authors to
know about organizational culture and change implementation. It covers the different thoughts
and opinions of different authors about change management. It includes the Lewin’s change
model and different effective strategies to implement the change successfully. The information is
collected only from secondary sources of research.
Discussion
Literature Review
According to Zvanca (2011), organizational culture is a combination of operating and shared
values, beliefs and some shared assumptions within organization. It includes different
organizational activities and processes. Furthermore, Roger Harrison defined that an
organizational culture includes the components, which are important to the organization. It
prescribes the resources and capabilities of organization. Organizational culture is very important
for building and affecting the positive changes to the effectiveness of organization. Organization

CHANGE MANAGEMENT 3
culture and structure needs changes according the requirements of organizational processes and
objectives (Zvanca, 2011).
According to Mills & Smith (2011), an organizational structure focuses on improving and
increasing its effectiveness and performance. Thus, the top management examines some
important aspects, like; policies, systems, structures, work practices etc. to making changes and
restructuring (Mills & Smith, 2011).
Kumar & Singhal (2012) states that people in organization are significant elements of successful
change in the organization. In the organization, some people resist the changes and they did not
accept respective changes. CIPD (2009) stated about an important aspect of change
implementation, i.e. resistance to change. Resistance to change can be described as the disruption
in the process of changes, which is imposed by the individuals and group of individuals. A
popular business magazine stated that resistance to change may be organized or disorganized,
collective or individual and active or passive (CIPD, 2009). It can take different forms, like;
sabotage, strikes, jokes, restriction of productivity, sarcasm and whistle blowing. It includes the
example of this, i.e. active resistance to change can be seen in the forms of strikes, like Staff of
Royal Mail went on strike to resist the changes, which were not discussed with them (Kumar &
Singhal, 2012).
There are some reasons, which cause the employees to resist the change in organization.
According to Lussier (2009), one of the major reasons behind resistance to change is insecurity
among the employees. Generally, change is viewed as a possible threat and it is regarded as
undesirable as it reflects a level of uncertainty. Another reason may be inappropriate perception
of change objectives. Lack of communication among team and managers is one more reason for
resistance to change in organizational culture (Lussier, 2009).
In order to implement the change in organization, Kurt Lewin has developed a change model in
the year 1947. In this sense, Cummings, Bridgman & Brown (2016) explained that this change
framework is known as 3-steps model. This model is categorized in three steps; first is
unfreezing, second is changing and last one is refreezing. Lewin’s model shows the process, in
which the system shifts from one stability point to another point, known as transition model. This

CHANGE MANAGEMENT 4
model offers a unique process for understanding the changes in organization and development
(Cummings, Bridgman & Brown, 2016).
Armstrong (2009) stated, the first stage of this model, unfreezing that refers to changing the
current stable equilibrium that manages the existing attitudes and behaviors. This step considers
the challenges which change offers to the people and require motivating the affected people to
attain the natural position of equilibrium by implementing the changes (Armstrong, 2009). The
second step of the model is changing. It refers to the perceptive restructuring in which the people
get information and showing the fact that this change in the process is possible and desirable.
Changing step includes the alterations in the current activities and relationships, like;
restructuring the organization, installing new technologies, new behaviors and implementation of
performance management system. Connelly (2015) stated that all the changes are made in this
step. Finally, the last step is known as refreezing. At this stage, all the alterations, which are
made in last stage, are made permanent and a new set of policies and equilibrium is established.
Thus, Lewin’s model indicates the results of forces, which either increase or resist the change.
There may be two types of forces, i.e. driving forces and restraining forces. Driving forces
promote the changes and restraining forces resist the change (Connelly, 2015).
This change model only includes the steps for change implementation, but it does not include a
proper process for developing change. In the year 1969, Richard Beckhard developed a change
plan that includes different processes, like; establishing change objectives and defining the future
situations of the organization, recognizing the current situations, related to objectives and
defining the change activities and obligations to meet the future situation. In the last stage, the
organization will develop the strategies for managing the alterations on the basis of study of the
related aspects, which are expected to impact the starting of changes. This model includes the
strategies for managing the changes in the organization.
According to Hechanova & Cementina-Olpoc, (2013), in an organization, there are some
external and internal factors, which drive the changes in the organizations. External factors
impact the organizations both directly and indirectly. Technology is one of the most important
factors among external factors. The installation and implementation of new technology, like;
telecom system, computer and other technical operations in production and manufacturing

CHANGE MANAGEMENT 5
process, have a huge impact on the companies, which they implement them. Information
technology is also creating the firms more responsive. In the process, many of the jobs are
rebuilt. Another factor is market conditions, which are not stable (Hechanova & Cementina-
Olpoc, 2013). The organizations have to make changes according to needs, expectations of
markets and customer change very fast and frequently. There is an intense competition in the
market, which causes the organization to implement changes in the processes and methods. In
addition, other external factors are like; social factors, political factors etc.
Apart from external factors, there are some internal forces, which impact the operations and
functioning of the organization. According to Millar, Hind, & Magala, (2012), one of the most
effective internal forces is the nature and behavior of workforce. The nature of work force is
changing with the time. The difference in age group differ the thoughts and opinions of people.
Thus, the company has to make the changes in policies and create promotion and transfer
policies and fulfill the needs of people of all age groups (Millar, Hind, & Magala, 2012).
Change in administrative personnel is another factor that causes change at workplace. In this
process, the organization replaces the old managers by new managers that are necessary due to
transfer, retirement or firing. With the changes in managerial personnel, there will be changes in
the informal relationships. Moreover, an organization makes changes in eliminate the
deficiencies and issues in current management structure and organizational culture (Goetsch &
Davis, 2014). These deficiencies may be like; lack of communication among different divisions,
problems in coordination, lack of cooperation etc. These factors force the management of
organization to go with the changes and modify the organizational processes and policies.
Apart from these factors, there are some sources, which cause the employees to resist the change
in the organization. There are two types of sources, like; individual sources and organizational
sources. The individual sources are, like; self-interest, habits, fear of unknown, differences in
perception, conflicts, social disruption etc. in addition, organizational resources are, like; norms
of group, resistant organizational culture, inappropriate allocation of resources etc.
Each and every organization implements different and effective strategies to overcome the
resistance to change. Aiken and Keller (2009) stated that in the duration of change, there are
obvious implications for the management and leadership. Further, it is proofed by Kotter and the

CHANGE MANAGEMENT 6
requirement for communication and training to enable the willingness for organizational change
rather than resisting it (Aiken & Keller, 2009).
Furthermore, Matos Marques Simoes & Esposito, (2014) suggest that the ADKAR model of
change, which defines about how to implement the change. This model describes that training
and development, education, approach to the information and engagement in the processes will
enhance the knowledge of change in organization. Aiken and Keller (2009) suggest that there
may be four basic conditions, which are necessary, prior employees will alter their behavior; (1)
a story: workforce should look at the point and objective of change, (2) role modeling, in this
step, employees must see their top management and colleagues, they praise behaving in new
manner, (3) strengthening the systems, activities and processes, (4) capacity building, in this
process, workforce needs the skills to implement the required changes. Other strategies to
overcome the resistance to change are to provide motivation, incentives, rewards, personal
recognition etc. to the employees (Matos Marques Simoes & Esposito, 2014).
Conclusion
Thus, the literature review demonstrates that changes in organizational culture are very important
for the organization to implement new processes and policies. There are some external and
internal factors, which cause the change and resist the change. The organization can implement
the changes by using different change models, like; Lewin’s change model. The organization can
use different strategies to overcome the resistance to change.

CHANGE MANAGEMENT 7
References
Armstrong, M. (2009). A Handbook of Personnel Management Practice. Kogan Page Publishers.
Aiken, C., Keller, S. (2009). The irrational side of change management. McKinsey Quarterly.
Pp.100-109. Retrieved from <http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost>.
CIPD, (2009). Change Management. Retrieved from:
http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/corpstrtgy/changemmt/chngmgmt.htm?IsSrchRes=1.
Connelly, M. (2015). The Kurt Lewin model of change. The Change Management Coach.
Cummings, S., Bridgman, T., & Brown, K. G. (2016). Unfreezing change as three steps:
Rethinking Kurt Lewin’s legacy for change management. human relations, 69(1), 33-60.
Goetsch, D. L., & Davis, S. B. (2014). Quality management for organizational excellence. Upper
Saddle River, NJ: pearson.
Hechanova, R. M., & Cementina-Olpoc, R. (2013). Transformational leadership, change
management, and commitment to change: A comparison of academic and business
organizations. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 22(1), 11-19.
Kumar, P. & Singhal, M. (2012). Reducing change management complexity: aligning change
recipient sensemaking to change agent sensegiving. International Journal of Learning and
Change.
Lussier, R.N. (2009):Management fundamentals, concepts applications, Skills development:
(South-Western Cengage Learning). 4th Edition.
Matos Marques Simoes, P., & Esposito, M. (2014). Improving change management: How
communication nature influences resistance to change. Journal of Management
Development, 33(4), 324-341.

CHANGE MANAGEMENT 8
Millar, C., Hind, P. & Magala, S. (2012) "Sustainability and the need for change:
organisational change and transformational vision", Journal of Organizational Change
Management, Vol. 25 Issue: 4, pp.489-500.
Mills, A.M. & Smith, T.A. (2011). Knowledge management and organizational
performance: a decomposed view", Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 15 Issue:
1, pp.156-171.
Zvanca, G. (2011), Organizational Culture, Potential Cause of Resistance to Change in
Organizations. Faculty of Textiles & Leather Engineering and Industrial Management.