Organizational Change Models: Strengths and Limitations
This paper surveys several prominent organizational change models—including Lewin's unfreeze-change-refreeze framework, Kotter's 8-step model, and the emotion-focused Satir and Kubler-Ross approaches—evaluating their practical strengths and weaknesses. Using the failed FedEx/Kinko's integration as a case study, the paper argues that existing models are ill-equipped to capture the fluid, culturally nuanced realities of modern organizational change. The paper concludes that successful change requires understanding the boundaries of what can realistically be altered, strong execution planning, and sound decision-making at the conception stage—elements largely absent from established change frameworks.
- Overview of Organizational Change Models: Introduction to major organizational change frameworks
- Lewin's and Kotter's Frameworks: Comparing Lewin and Kotter step-based models
- Emotion-Based Models and Cultural Challenges: Satir and Kubler-Ross emotional responses to change
- The FedEx/Kinko's Case: A Model Failure: FedEx acquisition illustrates model blind spots
- Critical Elements of Successful Organizational Change: Key factors models overlook for change success
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What makes this paper effective
- Uses a concrete, well-known corporate failure (FedEx/Kinko's) to ground abstract theoretical critique, making the argument more persuasive and memorable.
- Moves logically from describing models to critiquing their shared weaknesses, building a coherent evaluative argument rather than simply summarizing each framework.
- Identifies overlooked factors—cultural boundaries and flawed decision-making at conception—that go beyond what any reviewed model addresses, demonstrating independent analytical thinking.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates comparative model critique: rather than evaluating each framework in isolation, it identifies a common structural flaw (assumption of static states and absence of cultural fluidity) that cuts across all discussed models. This technique allows the writer to synthesize multiple sources into a unified argument about the field's collective blind spots.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with an overview of Lewin's model, then moves to Kotter's as an incremental improvement. It broadens to include emotion-focused models before applying all frameworks to the FedEx/Kinko's case study. It closes by identifying three elements of successful change—understanding limits, strong planning, and sound initial conception—that the models collectively fail to address.
Overview of Organizational Change Models
There are several different models for organizational change. One of the older models is Lewin's Change Management Model, which is simplified as unfreeze, change, refreeze (MindTools, 2018). This model outlines what needs to happen at a very high level. It does not recognize change as a fluid process to be influenced, but rather as three concrete steps, ending with a completed change and a return to the status quo. The weakness in this theory is that most modern organizations do not accept the idea of a base state that can be exited in anticipation of the organization returning to a new base state at a later point. Fluidity is more the accepted norm, given the rapid pace of change in today's world relative to when Lewin developed his theory.
Lewin's and Kotter's Frameworks
Kotter's 8-step change model builds on the Lewin model to some extent, in that it begins with ending the prevailing status quo and ends with the establishment of a new one. The difference is that Kotter elaborates a series of steps, providing more guidance for leaders and managers as to what they actually have to do in order to implement organizational change (MindTools, 2018). Having the different steps explained represents an improved model, but the Kotter model still assumes a static state and does not fully address the nuances of organizational change — it is designed more for the implementation of a single major change.
The lack of fluidity and nuance in these models means that they are also ill-equipped as anything other than a rudimentary guide for leaders seeking to implement change in a modern organization. There are other philosophies of change built into models as well.
Emotion-Based Models and Cultural Challenges
Both the Kubler-Ross and Satir models are rooted in emotional response to change, providing some guidance to managers as to what they might expect and helping them figure out in advance how to deal with it (Mulholland, 2017). While these frameworks add a human dimension absent from the Lewin and Kotter models, they remain incomplete when it comes to addressing the deeper cultural forces that shape how employees experience and resist change.
The FedEx/Kinko's Case: A Model Failure
When change fails, one of the challenges — if you are thinking about organizational change models — is to identify whether the model could have helped make that change work. A classic example of a failed organizational change is the FedEx/Kinko's acquisition, which failed largely because FedEx underestimated — by a significant margin, apparently — the differences between Kinko's organizational culture and its own (Traub, 2008).
This example highlights a gap in organizational change models. None of the models could have properly captured the challenges FedEx faced in trying to integrate Kinko's into its business. Changing an organizational culture illustrates the fluid nature of change, and also reveals that the traditional emotional pathways described by the Satir and Kubler-Ross models are incomplete. Employees are attracted to a particular organization for specific reasons, and if the core of that culture resides in the employees themselves, it will be nearly impossible to implement change that challenges that core.
References
MindTools (2018). Kotter's 8-step change model. MindTools. Retrieved May 15, 2018 from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newPPM_82.htm
MindTools (2018). Lewin's change management model. MindTools. Retrieved May 15, 2018 from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newPPM_94.htm
Mulholland, B. (2017). 8 critical change management models to evolve and survive. Process.st. Retrieved May 15, 2018 from https://www.process.st/change-management-models/
Traub, S. (2008). FedEx removes Kinkos with a write-off. CFO Magazine. Retrieved May 15, 2018 from http://ww2.cfo.com/accounting-tax/2008/06/fedex-removes-the-kinkos-with-a-write-off/
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