Kurt Lewin’s change theory model is based on a three-step process (unfreezing, changing, and refreshing) that provides an approach to improvement at a high level. Kurt Lewin has developed a theory that explains the mechanism behind the change. He argued that for people to change, they must move from their current state to a state where they understand that change is feasible and necessary. He claims that knowledge is “frozen” until something “unfreeze” the individual. It may be new information or experience or something else they had never experienced before.
Changes in an organization develop in a natural way when structures have been set for a long time. It might be assumed that a company is moving in the right direction. However, if the processes within the organization are no longer relevant or valuable, they are performed out of habit, regardless of their legitimacy. Group members may be used to accomplish tasks in a particular way without considering other more efficient options. Unfreezing stands for helping employees make outlooks in their daily lives and learning habits and considering new approaches to achieving their goals.
However, one of the challenges that might occur is that in order for an organization to facilitate change by using the unfreezing method, it needs to evaluate current practices and processes. It could be difficult to identify the relevance and efficiency of previous practices, especially in the context of a large number of workers. After the organizational changes have been implemented and the structure has regained its effectiveness, all efforts must be made to adjust the changes to the new norms. Nonetheless, freezing allows employees to work in new organizational conditions and take full advantage of change. Another challenge that might occur at this point is that some employees might take a long time or need more effort in order to effectively adjust their work considering the changes.
When preparing for an organizational change, companies need to be aware that they need a large number of enthusiastic followers as well as successful change leaders. Organizations can gather supporters of organizational changes and gain their commitment. Reciprocity of influence is inherent in the interaction of leaders and followers. The influence of followers on the organization can facilitate positive organizational development and changes and help to approach a company’s weaknesses. Followers can enthusiastically support organizational change when there is a dedication to common goals and courage, but followers can ask unethical leaders and undermine organizational principles and goals. Supporters need to be empowered and have the means to work autonomously in order to make change successful. If a follower lacks the will to be creative or think, they become more robust and resistant to new things that impede organizational development and change. In that case, followers will contrarily block the organizational changes, and it will lead to stagnation of the process. In order to pass decisions to other people, teams, and departments, managers need to keep the lines of communication between all followers open and remove parts of the hierarchy.
Thus, the power of the followers in an organization plays a paramount role when it comes to the implementation of a change. Followers might provide the company with support; it might be a financial backup, help with the performance of different tasks, or supervision. If the followers have the same positive attitude towards the organizational change, then they will facilitate the process and make it more efficient. In contrast, if the followers do not share the organization’s views towards the effectiveness of the proposed change strategy, they will not support and commit to the company leaders. That will ultimately bring disparities and create risks of loss of resources.