1. presented by: Belinda, Deborah, Pamela, & Stephanie
Challenging “Resistance to Change”
The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science
Eric B. Dent
Susan Galloway Goldberg
presented by: Belinda, Deborah, Pamela, & Stephanie

2. Perspective Shift People do NOT resist change WHAT?
Most change initiatives fail because of the assumption that people resist change

3. What are people resisting?
Loss of Status
Loss of pay
Loss of comfort
The unknown
Management ideas that are not feasible
Being dictated to
That is not the same as resisting change
According to Kotter (1995) People understand the new vision and want to make it happen
However there are obstacles to making it happen. that usually makes the employee choose between the new vision and their own self-interest.

4. How Resistance to Change Theory began
Began with Kurt Lewin
perspectives handed down in two ways;
shared commitment to beliefs
exemplars (basic material all students are taught about a subject)
This explanation is offered by Kuhn (1970)

5. What do the Textbooks Say?
Kreitner
management must foresee & neutralize resistance
Griffin; Aldag & Stearns; Schermerhorn
Causes of resistance,
Strategies to overcome resistance
Employees can be manipulated by withholding information
Dubrin & Ireland
Change is due to;
fear of poor outcomes
personally inconvenienced
fear of the unknown
These are the exemplars that perpetuate the theory. They do not even define resistance to change, they just assume that it exists and that it is the responsibility of management/administration to overcome it.
Also assumed is that it has a negative impact on change, and that it prohibits progress.
Noteworthy is the context of the birth and fruition of these ideas that have not significantly been challenged. It was during the 1950’s when it was common for managers to think dichotomously of labor vrs. management and when labor union membership was at its peak.

6. Getting back to Lewin….
Lewin’s concept is different from today’s model
resistance to change could come from anywhere within the system, less likely from employees
Kotter also concluded the same
Group dynamics is an important force and resistance to change is more of a systems phenomenon, not a mental one

7. Reframing our Approach or Asking More Beautiful Questions
Am I soliciting participation from all stakeholders?
Do I understand group dynamics and their impact on the change system?
Have I removed known obstacles?
Have I considered the effect of change on social aspects of employees?
Is this really resistance to change or just resistance to bad management decisions?
Are there ways to channel resistance constructively
It is important that all people participate in the change process
Social aspects of change need to be addressed
Total blame for resistance is on the employees?????
Assumption is that resistance to change is ALWAYS inappropriate.
Management always implements change
Resistance to change is to be expected
Textbook strategies for overcoming resistance to change are ineffective

8. Connection to Leadership
Because management deals mostly with the status quo and leadership deals mostly with change, in the next century we are going to have to try to become much more skilled at creating leaders.
John P. Kotter