The Kurt Lewin Change Management Model
Developer
The model was developed by a German physicist Kurt Lewin who immigrated to the United States in the early 1930s. He is known as a founder of social psychology (NHS, n.d.).
Description of the theoretical perspectives
The framework of his model consists of three parts: unfreeze, change, refreeze (NHS, n.d.). All changes in the company’s structure have to be introduced after the recognition of these three separated stages.
Pros and cons concerning organizational change
The main argument for the use of Lewin’s approach to organizational change lies at the core of his model. The freezing stage allows companies to get ready for the upcoming change and make a transition from one position to another smoother (Longo, 2011). However, it is often criticized as “widely inappropriate” and “quaintly linear and static” (Longo, 2011).
Kotter’s Change Model
Developer
John Kotter described the model in his 1995 book “Leading Change” (AMCTO, n.d.).
Description of the theoretical perspectives
The model presupposes eight key steps: create a sense of urgency, form a powerful coalition, create a vision for change, communicate the vision, empower others to act on the vision, create short term wins, build on the change (AMCTO, n.d.).
Pros and cons concerning organizational change
The model is often lauded for the delineation of clear steps that help to guide the organization through the process of change and its suitability for the conventional hierarchical organization (AMCTO, n.d.). However, the top-down approach and the eight lengthy stages make it difficult for the enterprise to alter the direction once the implementation of the changes has started (AMCTO, n.d.).
ADKAR Model
Developer
The CEO of Prosci Change Management developed the model after the research on more than 300 companies (AMCTO, n.d.).
Description of the theoretical perspectives
The model focuses on individual change and emphasizes the need for a personal transition to the new organizational structure. It consists of five stages: awareness, desire, knowledge, ability, and reinforcement (AMCTO, n.d.).
Pros and cons concerning organizational change
A clear emphasis on the individual change and the ability to apply the structured management approach to it is a primary benefit of the ADKAR model.
The disadvantages of the ADKAR model are that it disregards the emotional aspect of the process of change and it does not differentiate between the roles of leadership and management (AMCTO, n.d.).
Bridges’ Transition Model
Developer
The model was developed by an English professor William Bridges in the mid-1970s (Bridges & Mitchell, n.d.).
Description of the theoretical perspectives
The model presupposes three phases of transition that organizations go through during the process of change (Bridges & Mitchell, n.d.). Those are endings, the neutral zone or zone of explorations, and the zone of new beginnings (Bridges & Mitchell, n.d.).
Pros and cons concerning organizational change
The main argument for using the Bridges’ model is that it makes an emphasis on transition, which occurs slowly, instead of rapid change (Bridges & Mitchell, n.d.). The major drawback of the Bridges’ approach is that it cannot be used separately but only in conjunction with another model (Bridges & Mitchell, n.d.).
References
AMCTO. (n.d.). Understanding Change Management.
Bridges, W., & Mitchell, S. (n.d.). Leading Transition: A New Model for Change.
Longo, R. (2011). Is Lewin’s change management model still valid?
NHS. (n.d.). Lewin’s Change Management Model. Understanding the Three Stages of Change.