5-1 Milestone One: Change Management Problems
MBA 687 Leading Organizational Change
Marques Vance Pedescleaux
Southern New Hampshire University
Professor Chris Mendoza
Prosci founder Jeff Hiatt created the ADKAR change management model, which stands
for Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, and Reinforcement. Awareness is the first step in the
process, focusing on the need for change; Desire develops after an employee understands why
they need the change and finds the desire to change; Knowledge is the next step, identifying all
the knowledge they will need to learn to successfully make the change; Ability involves the tools
and confidence needed to effectively gain the skills and behaviors intended because of the
transition; and Reinforcement is the last step, offering a follow-up procedure to guarantee the
change is permanent.
Kurt Lewin created the legendary "Unfreeze, Change, and Refreeze" process model for
organizational change in the 1940s. It consists of three steps: unfreezing the organization's
current organizational process, changing it, and then refreezing the newly implemented
organizational process.
The steps required to make an effective change in an organization are as follows: step one
is to create a sense of urgency; step two is to build a guiding coalition; step three is to form a
strategic vision; step four is to enlist a volunteer army; step five is to enable action by removing
barriers; step six is to generate short-term wins; step seven is to sustain acceleration; and step
eight is to institute change and strengthen gains through change anchoring. John Kotter first
presented his eight-step organizational change model in his 1996 book LeadingChange
The Main Advantage of These Change Models
Unlike some other models that gauge their effectiveness using social and psychological
metrics, the ADKAR model is simple to implement and understand. It has been in use for more
than 20 years by organizations and business executives worldwide. The Kotter change model is
the most complex of the three. Unlike the other two, Kotter lists the steps business leaders need
to take to affect organizational change. What I like about this model is that it focuses on the
people affected by the change; additionally, it is easy to use and deploy. Lewin's change model is
the most elegant of the three. It has three steps: Unfreeze, Change, and Refreeze. Some
psychology is built into this model, but it is within reasoning. It is designed to resist change and
to help employees transition into a new state of mind and into the new organizational mode of
operation.
The most complicated of the three is the Kotter change model, which, in contrast to the
other two, focuses on the individuals impacted by the change and outlines the procedures
business leaders must follow to effect organizational change. What I find appealing about this
model is that Kotter observed over 100 business transitions within an organization, rather than
focusing solely on the change itself. Furthermore, this model is useful for fostering
communication and preparing staff for change. Finally, this model is appropriate for companies
that recognize they will have difficulty guiding employees into a comfortable change.
The Kotter Change Model is the change model that I would use for the U.S. branch. It
will address issues like productivity, performance, and communication that have been bothering
the U.S. branch. It will do this by improving communication by providing management in the
U.S. branch with precise instructions on how the interface with headquarters in Singapore works.
Kotter's model will prove effective because it focuses on each employee and encourages
transparency by allowing everyone to access organizational improvements. Performance and
productivity will increase with improved communication between the two branches. Another
feature of the Kotter Change Model, employees are typically resistant to change, but this model
helps them understand why the change is necessary and how it will improve them as an
individuals.
References
1. Admin, & McPheat, S. (2023, July 24). Putting Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model Into
Action. Leadership and Management Training Courses UK | MTD Training.
https://www.mtdtraining.com/blog/kotters-8-step-change-model.htm
2. Kurt Lewin Model of change. (2019, December 3). The Intact One.
https://theintactone.com/2019/08/28/ob-u5-topic-4-kurt-lewin-model-of-change/
3. Leading Organizational Change for Southern New Hampshire University, Lewis,
Kouzes, and Posner (2021). Wiley Global Education US.
https://wileyplus.vitalsource.com/books/9781119832591
4. Miller, K. (2023, October 17). Comprehensive explanation of the PROSCI ADKAR
change model. Crowjack. https://crowjack.com/blog/strategy/change-management-
models/prosci-adkar-model
