change management theories

Assignment: Coping With Change: Change Management Models and Philosophies

Amateur and professional cooks who enter competitions will often spend hours searching for just the right ingredients for the perfect recipe. They have likely formed philosophies about cooking and food that either consciously or unconsciously guide their efforts. After they are satisfied, they may present their dish to judges and other tasters, who often try to guess the secret ingredients in the winning recipe. 

In a similar fashion, change management researchers spend considerable time trying to find the perfect recipe or model for managing change, because they realize that effective change management can mean the difference between business success and failure. To test assumptions based on underlying philosophies about change, researchers carefully analyze business leaders who were either successful or unsuccessful at managing change. Using these analyses, researchers put forth models as their “recipes” for change management. As a result, a multitude of sometimes-conflicting philosophies and models have emerged. Business professionals searching for advice on effective change management must be knowledgeable about the models available in order to choose a model or combination of models that best aligns with their own philosophies and beliefs about change and the organization they are leading.

To prepare for this Assignment, consider both successful and unsuccessful organizational changes of which you have been a part, or with which you are familiar, and evaluate how these organizational changes support or refute the philosophies and models offered by this week’s Learning Resources and/or any additional resources that you have selected. 

By Day 7

Submit a scholarly, 2- to 4-page evaluation of two change management philosophies and models. Your evaluation must include the following: 

• An examination of the reasons for successful organizational change 
• An evaluation of your personal experience with or knowledge of organizational changes, both successful and unsuccessful
• A dissection of the organizational change philosophies and or models that contain concepts that support and/or refute your successful and unsuccessful organizational change experiences 
• A synthesis of the Learning Resources along with appropriately formatted references to a minimum of twoscholarly, peer-reviewed articles per page of your paper to support your assertions