Week 12 : Lewin’s Three-stage Change Process

Reference :
1. http://www.lmcuk.com/management-tool/lewins-3-stage-model
2. http://www.scribd.com/doc/21556594/Change-Management-Lewin%E2%80%99s-3-Step-Model

Content :

Lewin’s Three-stage Change Process is a model about the change of a business involves a move from a stable state to another stable state through a transition. The model consists of unfreeze state, change state and refreeze state.

Unfreeze

This state helps managers or stakeholders to understand the change is required and let the employees comfort the change to the next state. If they do not first understand there is a need to change or the detail about the change, company may innovate in difficulties. In order to reduce the resistance of change, mangers should provide sufficient information. Having a detailed description about the change with employees may be a good process.

Change

The old process or system is replaced by the new one in this state.  Employees need to adapt the new working procedure, environment. So, good leadership and support are needed in order to achieve the goal of the company. Otherwise, the goals may be lowered or even though become failure.

Refreeze

This is the latest state in the model. The goal of this state is to establish a new, stable state and make sure their employees comfort with their new working environment.

Limitation

In the real world, the environment of the company faced is actually changing continuously. It may violate the concept of the model since the model assumes to change a business process from a stable state to another stable state. If the condition is relative stable, then the model is still useful. Otherwise, company should adopt other method to redesign her process.