Kim Woods 81 (5.2)

Running head: LEADING ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE

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Course Review of OLCU 615: Leading Organizational Change

Kimberly Barnes, Maria Brown, Kirstie Colin, Leslie Laine

Brandman University

OLCU 681: Leadership Capstone Seminar

July 23, 2018

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Purpose

This course review examines organizational change and various theories that can be

applied to affect change within an organization. An overview of organizational change roles,

Lewin’s Theory of Change, Kotter’s 8-Step Process, and The Change Path Model will be

provided. Summarizing these areas will display insights gained and change leadership strategies

to enhance effectiveness. However, as Axelrod and Axelrod (2017) caution, “There is no “one

size fits all” in organizational change,” so “we must continually update our work by staying

current with the research, learning from clients, and creating our own learning experiences inside

and outside of our field” (p. 563).

Course Description

This course is designed to introduce organizational development concepts to be used

when implementing change. Students study history of organizational development as well as

some change theories including Lewin’s theory of Change, Kotter’s 8-Step Process, and the

change path model. Students participate in exercises using practical application of theories

learned relating to change, implementing change, resistance to change, along with principles and

values that are applicable.

Organizational Change Roles

Change Leader or Change Agent Roles

Change leaders take an active role in driving change. They may take on the role of

initiator, meaning that they have the initial idea and build interest within the organization to

make a change (Cawsey, Deszca & Ingols, 2016, p. 25). The terms change leader or change

agent can be used interchangeably. Change agents “may play any or all of the initiator,

implementer, or facilitator roles” (p. 26). The change agent is often a formal leader within the

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organization but can sometimes be an informal leader (p. 26). The change initiator is the person

that recognizes a need for a change and builds support for the new “vision of a better future” (p.

26). The change implementer does the work of carrying out the change initiator’s idea and

turning it into action (p. 27). A change facilitator may be the initiator but is often in a consultant

role (p. 27). Facilitators are able to leverage relationships and interpersonal skills to help guide

the process of change, provide participants with council, and overcome resistance to change

efforts (p. 25).

Change Recipients

Change recipients are those affected by the change initiative. They frequently need to

make a change in their own behavior for the organizational change effort to be successful

(Cawsey, Deszca & Ingols, 2016, p. 25). Part of the transition involves letting go, or ending and

old way of doing things before moving into the new beginning. Bridges (2004) states, “we come

to beginnings only at the end” (p. 157). The change recipient may be resistant to changes, either

passively or actively, or they may have a positive perception of the change initiative and actively

participate (Cawsey, Deszca & Ingols, 2016, p. 27).

Change Theories

Lewin’s Theory of Change

Kurt Lewin (1951) introduced his theory on how to change which featured a 3 stage

model represented by the terms: unfreeze -> change -> refreeze. The strength as well as potential

weakness of this model is in its simplicity. Since it offers few directives its three phases are

open to leadership interpretation and might not offer the clearest advice for new managers.

1. Organizations get stuck or frozen into patterns and beliefs that they may not recognize the

need for change until something awakens them to this need. In unfreezing, a sense of

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urgency must be established, and status quo beliefs and assumptions disrupted.

(Cummings, Bridgman & Brown, 2016)

2. During the change phase, an organization’s leadership decides what to change, how to

approach it, which members are involved in the change. It is a period of necessary

uncertainty as the organization shifts into action.

3. Lastly, in the refreeze phase, the organization must adjust to the new normal and once

again become established in its patterns. Stability is key to this phase as the organization

attempts to regain “homeostasis” (Cawsey, Deszca, & Ingols, 2016, p. 46).

Kotter’s 8-Step Process

Kotter (1996) proposed that organizations who successfully navigate the change

processes do so by following a specific sequence of stages. The benefit for this model is in its

prescriptive nature because it provides managers with clear direct instructions to effectively lead

change (Appelbaum, Habashy, Malo, & Shafiq, 2012). The steps are as follows: (1) Establish a

sense of urgency (2) Create a guiding coalition (3) Develop a vision and strategy (4)

Communicate the change vision (5) Empower employees for broad based action (6) Generate

short term wins (7) Consolidate change and produce more wins (8) Anchor new approaches in

the culture.

The Change Path Model

“The Change Path Model combines process and prescription: There is more detail and

direction than Lewin and less instruction than Kotter” (Cawsey, Deszca, & Ingols, 2016, p. 53).

The Change Path Model suggests that there are four phases to successfully achieve change. The

four stages are: (1) Awakening: identifying the need for change (2) Mobilization: access and

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communicate the need for change (3) Acceleration: planning and implementing change and (4)

Institutionalization: track change, develop and deploy.

During the awakening process a vision must be developed for change. Information is also

disseminated through several channels to ensure communication is optimal. Mobilization

includes specific actions to determine what needs to be changed and a change strategy. A

detailed analysis of operating systems, organization structures, cultural dynamics, stakeholders

and change agents must be identified during this phase. The acceleration process is continued

engagement of support, empowerment of employees. New ways of thinking, knowledge, and

skills are implemented for change. In the institutional stage the organization should be successful

operating in its new desired state of change.

Conclusion

Change is an inevitable part of life that affects the personal and business field on a

regular basis. How change is dealt with and implemented has a direct effect on acceptance and

success. OLCU 615 provided theories such Lewin’s Theory of change, Kotter’s 8-Step Process,

and The Change Path model to aid in implementing changes of varying types. With the

instruction from the course and the reading materials, this class aids leaders in becoming better at

adapting to and implementing change.

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References

Appelbaum, S. H., Habashy, S., Malo, J., & Shafiq, H. (2012). Back to the future: revisiting

Kotter's 1996 change model. Journal of Management Development, 31(8), 764-782.

Axelrod, R. H., & Axelrod, E. M. (2017). The Scholar-Practitioner Mindset: How Texts and

Experience Influence Organizational Change Practice. Academy of Management

Review,42(3), 561-571. doi:10.5465/amr.2016.0224

Bridges, W. (2007). Transitions: making sense of life’s changes (2nd ed.). Cambridge, MA:

DaCapo Press.

Cawsey, T., Deszca, G., & Ingols, C. (2016). Organizational change: an action-oriented

toolkit. Thousand Oaks, CA. SAGE Publications.

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.

doi:10.1177/0018726715577707

Jackson, J. C. (2006). Organization development: the human and social dynamics of

organizational change. Lanham, MD: University Press of America.

Kotter, J. P. (1996). Leading change. Boston, MA. Harvard Business School.

Lewin, K. (1951). Field theory in social science. New York, NY. Harper and Row.