Change management questionnaire design and implementation

Change Management

Describe at least three internal and external drivers of change for the organization in this simulation.

Internally, organizational changes are driven by three external pressures, as defined by Lewin's along the three-stage model of unfreezing, changing and refreezing employee behaviors. Motivating people during each of these change stages reinforces the acquired behaviors. Unfreezing involves the motivational factor of persuading people to replace the old behaviors and attitude with the preferred behaviors and attitudes by demonstrating the need for change by infusing employees with the knowledge and the confidence that the new behaviors and attitudes are needed to cope with external pressures. (Kreitner and Kinicki, 2004). Then, refreezing means the new behavior and attitude become integrated into the normal standard operating procedures of the organization. Then, the external pressures of positive reinforcement, modeling and coaching should be used to encourage the desired behaviors continuance. 'Change and constancy are relative concepts; group life is never without change, merely differences in the amount and type of change exist' (Burnes, 2004) Internally, changing behavior involves instilling current employees with new data, behavioral models and new concepts to make them willing to change.

The organization in question was in a continuous state of adaptation, but because of a stagnant system integration market, the CEO of Synergetic Solutions had to integrate and design new complex network systems that demanded that the organization invest in new training and certification for the top engineers. This change generated an increase in revenue that equated to 20% of the company's revenue. The desire to maintained skilled employees convinced the CEO to take action by unfreezing existing behaviors an offering incentives for competency growth and including variable pay packages. This additionally motivated the employees and retained the most qualified engineers within the organization, creating and freezing the new positive behaviors of loyalty and willingness to learn new skills.

Thus, the external influences of the market, finances of the industry, and the new organizational demands created external change pressures that created new training programs, new revenue, and new retention strategies for the most qualified engineering personnel.

What factors does a leader in this organization need to weigh to implement a change strategy successfully?

To implement the above change strategy in response to pressures, the CEO had to weight he current personnel needs, the changing needs of the external environment, the internal demands of the corporate hierarchical structures, and the emotional and economic demands of the employees.

What kinds of resistance might the leader expect to see? Identify and explain at least five of these. What strategies might you employ to manage each of these areas of resistance?