Unit 2: Change Management Models and Methods
Now that you understand leadership and change management and how employees can affect that change, we will look at the various change management models, methods, and theories used in business today. Change management is a necessary process that organizations must use to progress forward in our ever-changing world. Technology is constantly being updated and changing, which has pushed the business community to continually update methods of doing business. Using a change management model can be helpful to assist in facilitating change.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 7 hours.
Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- compare the various change models, theories, and methods used in a given situation;
- determine which change model might work best in a given organization;
- analyze the change management framework in a given organization; and
- outline the change management model in a given organization.
2.1: Understanding Change Models, Methods and Theories
Change models, methods, and theories help organizations to better facilitate change, and some offer a system to follow to help implement change. This section will cover a few change models, methods, and theories.
As discussed in the first unit, change is difficult for companies to implement, and many factors may cause this. By understanding the various change models, methods, and theories, you will become better informed to facilitate organizational change. Read this section to see why change can be difficult and how change might be organized.
Each organization will use and implement change differently. Because of that, change will need to be specific to the organization. It is important to understand the culture, employees, management, and how a company has dealt with change in the past before choosing a change management system. This video about change theory gives information about what it is, what to expect, and how it works.
After completing organizational research about the change process, and before you choose a change management model, method, or theory, you will create a framework to work and understand change. A change management framework is a plan for change and a process to follow to implement that change. By better understanding how the company operates and the culture in which the change will occur, you can develop a change plan to make it easier to implement change. Read this case study for Sustainability and Response Management about the NHL implementing change and what information needed to be collected first. When you are done, write a two-page summary answering the two questions at the end to improve your understanding.
2.2: Types of Change Models and Systems
Quite a few change models and systems exist in business today. Understanding all potential options is important to make an informed decision and match the model or theory to the organization. This section will cover a few change management models and systems.
Kotter's change model is one of the most popular and includes eight steps to assist organizations in making change. These steps include creating a sense of urgency, building a guiding coalition, forming a strategic vision, enlisting a volunteer army, enabling action by removing barriers, generating short-term wins, sustaining acceleration, and instituting change.
Lewin's Change Model describes organizational change in three phases. Lewin explains the change using the words unfreeze, move, and refreeze. He focuses on the change process and what occurs in each stage.
The appreciative inquiry model assists an organization in uncovering strengths, weaknesses, or opportunities by asking questions and having conversations with individuals who understand the organization. This model allows an organization to better understand what needs to change and helps create a story about your organization and how you want that business to grow and change. It uses ideas from employees as a group and includes the culture of the business in the background as a guide for how to change.
Complex adaptive systems are a way of analyzing patterns and relationships in an organization to determine where they are, where they want to go, and how they might get there. Review this section, which gives an overview of this change management tool.
Read this section about the McKinsey 7-S Model. What are your most important takeaways about this model? Can you answer the two concept check questions at the end of this section?
This video gives a good overview of the ADKAR change management model, how it works, what to look for, and what to expect when using it.
Another change management system is Lean Six Sigma which helps to change efficiency in an organization. Lean Six Sigma works well with assembly line production to improve continuously. This short video shows how the Lean Six Sigma process works.
Kaizen is another change management system developed by the Japanese and is part of Six Sigma. Kaizen is the process of using small incremental changes to constantly improve. This process can be used in the workplace or for personal change.
This section covered information on change in various management models and systems. Can you outline a change management model and framework that best fits your organization? Why would you choose that model? If you are not currently working, choose a company you want to know more about and consider how you would respond if you were part of that organization.
Conclusion
This unit covered information about change management systems that organizations use to facilitate change. As you can see, some information about the overall organization will be needed before a sound change management system can be chosen. This will ensure that a suitable model is chosen that matches where the organization is and where it would like to be after the change.
Unit 2 Study Resources
This review video is an excellent way to review what you've learned so far and is presented by one of the professors who created the course.
Watch this as you work through the unit and prepare to take the final exam.
- Unit 2 Review Slides File PDF document
You can also download the presentation slides so you can make notes.
We also recommend that you review this Study Guide before taking the Unit 2 Assessment.
Unit 2 Assessment
- Receive a grade
Take this assessment to see how well you understood this unit.
- This assessment does not count towards your grade. It is just for practice!
- You will see the correct answers when you submit your answers. Use this to help you study for the final exam!
- You can take this assessment as many times as you want, whenever you want.