Intervention: Implementing Transformative Change

INTERVENTION : IMPLEMENTING TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE

INTRODUCTION

Transformation is the introduction of new ideas / ways of doing things It is a move from one way of doing things to a new way . It is the alteration of the status quo in an organization that impacts upon the work environment of an individual or group . Transformative change entails in- depth planning and implementation and mitigating the impact of facilitating and restraining forces . Facilitating forces are those forces that facilitate the transition from the old stage to the new stage

THE CHANGE PROCESS AND

ITS IMPLEMENTATION

Kurt Lewin , a noted psychologist recommends that any planned transformative change effort be viewed as a three- phase process : - Unfreezing , changing and refreezing

PHASE 1-UNFREEZING

This involves loosening and weakening the existing attitudes and behaviors to create a felt need for something new or different . It also entails minimizing potential resistance to change . Unfreezing is facilitated by environmental pressures , declining performance recognition of a problem , awareness of an opportunity and recognition that there are other ways of thinking or doing things . People should believe that things could be better than they are .A problem is that old habits are hard to break considering that people tend to act habitually and in stable ways over time

PHASE 2 THE CHANGING PHASE

This involves the actual modification of organizational targets of change . Original targets of change are the various components of organization that constitute the essence of the organization . The targets of change include organization mission or purpose , objective policies roles and procedures , culture , valves , stresses , task technology , people and structure . Most often , planned organization change will involve more than one of the targets due to existing interrelationships . You could change people , task , structure or any other target of change

Entering this stage too quickly or pre-maturely should be refrained to avoid creating resistance and aborting the change . This situation must be properly unfrozen and people must see a felt need for change . It is recommended that change be introduced gradually as people tend to resist radical change

PHASE 3 THE RE-FREEZING PHASE

This entails re-inforcing , solidifying or stabilizing the desired outcomes of change so as to ensure that the changed behavior sticks and is not abandoned . Proper support should be provided in terms of resources both economic and emotional . Evaluating results and taking constructive action is also recommended to ensure the desired effects .2 .Andrew M Pettigrew , Richard Whipp , Managing change for competitive success

The members of the organization are then encouraged to adopt with the new change to avoid resistance . The following implementation strategies can be used : -

Use of legitimate , reward and coercive power basis . This entails using formal authority and offering special rewards or threatening people with punishment to ensure that they do the required things . This is actually inducing people to change

Use of persuasion and rationality - This is also referred to as empirical -rational strategy . This is implementing the change through persuasion backed by special knowledge and rational argument . It is assumed that...