University Change Management Assignment: Kurt Lewin's Model

This homework assignment delves into the principles of change management, focusing on the application of Kurt Lewin's model. The student analyzes the major issues and challenges associated with organizational change, highlighting resistance to change and the importance of effective leadership. The assignment explores the exciting aspects of Lewin's model, particularly the force field analysis and the three-stage model of unfreezing, change, and freezing. Furthermore, the student discusses how these concepts can be applied in various business contexts, emphasizing the role of leaders in creating a sense of urgency, providing training, and sustaining change within organizations. The assignment draws upon relevant literature to support its analysis, offering a comprehensive understanding of change management strategies.

Running head: CHANGE MANAGEMENT
CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Name of Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Table of Contents
Response to question 1: The major issues, dilemmas and conundrums raised by the reading?......2
Response to question 2: Ideas that I found most exciting...............................................................2
Response to question 3: Using the same ideas in work?.................................................................3
References........................................................................................................................................5

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Response to question 1: The major issues, dilemmas and conundrums raised
by the reading?
Change refers to the process of developing, altering, or doing things differently.
Therefore the present problems faced by various institutions including the schools are that either
they need to adapt themselves to the changes taking place internally and externally or they may
have to shut down. Change in organizations can take place through social interaction that can
help in sustaining new perspectives and practices. Therefore in order to adapt to these changes
successfully, the people in the organization need to learn new ways of thinking, interpretation,
perception and various others (Bridgman, 2016). However some of the major problems in
carrying out any changes arise mainly because of resistance of people to change because they do
not want to change their normal routine and they are afraid and insecure of adapting to changes.
There is fear of unknown that also causes people to resist changes. An organization can carry out
these changes effectively through proper leadership and leaders who can help in managing and
guiding the learning and change process in the organization. The main challenge in front of the
school leaders is to carry out the process of change in a more planned way or the change has to
be an intentional one (Cameron & Green, 2015). They need to carry out proper planning,
direction and establishment activities such that the teachers can learn properly and that can
ultimately help in providing better outcomes for the students. These are some of the reasons why
organizations adopt the model of Kurt Lewin to carry out changes in the organization in response
to the changes taking place in the external and internal environment.

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Response to question 2: Ideas that I found most exciting
The idea that I found most exciting in the readings is that of change management with the
help of the Kurt Lewins model of change. According to Kurt Lewin there are two main theories
on which the change process is dependent that is the force field analysis and the three stage
model of change. According to the force field analysis, whenever a change is taking place, there
are some forces that will resist the change and there are some factors which support the changes
and are known as the driving forces (Hayes, 2018). Through the continuous existence of the two
opposing forces equilibrium is tried to establish by changing the present situation to reach a stage
of balance between the two types of forces. According to the 3 stage model, change in any
organization takes place in three main steps- Unfreezing, change and Freeze. In the Unfreezing
stage, the organizational leader tries to unfreeze the present behavior of the organizational
members by creating a sense of urgency to change in people. The change stage is aimed at
changing the present behaviors and perceptions of the people by providing them with more
information such that they become ready to change and freezing stage aims at sustaining the
change and stooping the people from moving back to their original status quo. I found this
concept exciting because this concept can be used in different organizations to carry out any
change effectively.
Figure 1: Kurt Lewin model of Change

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Source: (Cummings, Bridgman & Brown, 2016)
Response to question 3: Using the same ideas in work?
The idea of change management through the use of Kurt Lewin model of change can be
used in different businesses (Dawson, 2019). It can be used in schools, in corporate business
organizations and various others. In case an organization wants to make use of some modern
technology to meet the needs of the customers in a better way, it may have to face various
problems from the employees and also other people because of various reasons. People will
initially be unwilling to change because of their fear to unknown, fear of becoming obsolete, fear
of uncertainty and various other reasons. In this situation it becomes the responsibility of the
leader to show them the necessity to change and create a sense of urgency in them. For this
purpose the leader can expand the thinking of people about change by giving them more
information about the same (Hassan, 2018). The leader may also decide to properly provide
training and development to the employees and the members such that they can face the change
through proper preparation. The second stage involves actual change and at this stage the leader
ensures that the employees embrace change by providing them proper direction. At the third
stage of change, the leader ensures that the employees maintain the same behavior and to sustain
the same by rewarding the change and to reinforce their behavior.

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References
Bridgman, T. (2016). Unfreezing change as three steps: Rethinking Kurt Lewin’s legacy for
change management.
Cameron, E., & Green, M. (2015). Making sense of change management: A complete guide to
the models, tools and techniques of organizational change. Kogan Page Publishers.
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.
Dawson, P. (2019). Reshaping change: A processual perspective. Routledge.
Hassan, A. T. (2018). Organizational Change Management: A Literature Review. Available at
SSRN 3135770.
Hayes, J. (2018). The theory and practice of change management. Palgrave.