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Resistance to Change

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Resistance to Change
There is no way to avoid change. Change is an everyday event. Change in the seasons, change in sports, and change at work. Organizations deals with different type of changes either through new personnel, new paperwork, and corporate takeovers, just to name a few. Employees, especially those who has time with their company haves some issues with change. The lack of knowledge of new personnel, new concepts, and paperwork will have a sense of hesitancy to tenured personnel. The resistance to change can hurt advancement in the company either through the lack of commitment, promotions, and proper training to new personnel just to name a few. “The model of theory that Kurt Lewin created in 1947 is still relevant today. The three stages that Kurt Lewin created was named: unfreezing, change, and freezing” (Change-Management-Coach.com, 2015).
Resistance is common to change. The understanding of the resistance and behaviors in order to create the change is essential to the company. Resistance managers understand what they may be up against when change occur. “Fear, lack of consultation, poor communication, changes in routines, low trust, misunderstand of change, exhaustion/saturation, and change in the status quo” (2015) are reason for resistance among employees in a company. Managers and fellow employees can recognize the behaviors of those who resist the changes by witnessing: “aggression and anger, unusual flare-up of emotions, encouraging resistance, belief of unreasonable expectations, disagreeable behavior, missing meeting and deadlines, disinterested behavior, and disruption of projects” (Change-Management-Coach.com, 2015).
Companies have tendencies to stay in a comfort zone where the employees work within a common routine. “Unfreezing which is Kurt Lewin first stage of change to resistance is about preparing ourselves, or others, before the change (and ideally creating a situation in which we want the change)” (Change-Management-Coach.com, 2015). Companies are in a constant state of change without employees even knowing. Major changes may require input from the employees who work on the production floors or in the area where the change is necessary. The inclusion of the employees who performs these duties on the daily bases can assist in maintaining the resistance that may come from the change. Changes without communication with the employees may lead to employees believing in unexplainable expectations, anger, disinterested behaviors, and/or lack of attendance just to name a few.
“Kurt Lewin second stage is the process of change known as change or transition” (Change-Management-Coach.com, 2015). The transition or change stage is the difficult stage. The ability to remain the same is simple, whereas adapting to something new has mixed emotions. Change could be for the better or worst depending the individual. As an example, Kangaroo Express employees has been working in polo-style shirts for a while. “Kangaroo Express was just bought out by Circle K” (2014) and the employees of Circle K wears company logo t-shirts. The change in uniform was accepted due to the material used and style. The customers of Kangaroo Express are not yet adapting to the change of Circle K. Customers have been informed that this would be the last year for the “Roo Cups” that Kangaroo Express has been selling over the past five years.
Once the change is accepted, people can continue on with the new routine. According to “Kurt Lewin’s model, stage three is known as freezing” (Change-Management-Coach.com, n.d.). This stage of resistance to change is the acceptance and the continuation of the new routines as well as any unchanged routines. Various routines that may have changed may not be seen by the employees at the organizational levels. The change may be positions and employment status. “The merger of Kangaroo Express and Circle K has led to the loss of 250 jobs” (Capital Broadcasting Company, Inc, 2015).
In conclusion, change is an everyday event in all aspects of life. The acceptance of that change is based on the individual who encounters it. Kurt Lewin’s model of resistance to change is a theory that every person experience in life. Changes can be for the good of a company, section, or just an individual. That same change can be resisted by the same groups. Resistance management has to look at every aspect before a change is completed. Ethics, profit vs. loss, keeping up with new technology, are just some the reasons for change. The resistance can be minimal if communication is maintained, ideas are shared, and/or if a common goal is met. Resistance managers will endure resistance without the knowledge of the signs of the resistance group and what is causing the feeling of resistance.

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