Read the chapter titled “Resistance to Change” from Iverson (2010) The 7 Phases of Change and Breaking through Resistance to Change. In this chapter, you will note several key barriers that cause organizations to resist needed change. Namely, these are:
- Lack of Knowledge or Skill
- Physical or Resource restrictions
- Negative Projections (Future or Past)
- Discomfort
- Fear of the Unknown
It is important to note the author’s emphasis that any one of these factors creates organization-wide resistance to change.
After reading the chapter “Resistance to Change,” respond to the following in a well-written, 3- to 4-page paper to include 2 Scholarly Sources from the Required and Optional readings List:
Part One: Description
Think of an experience you had with an organization that failed to change when change was needed.
Describe the change and explain why the organizational change you identify was needed. Describe what negative consequences (or outcomes) resulted from the organization’s failure to enact the needed change. What were the costs to the organization (e.g., poor employee morale, loss of customers, poor company image, financial losses, etc.)?
Part Two: Application and Analysis
Apply Iverson’s (2010) perspective to demonstrate how lack of knowledge, physical or resource restrictions, negative projections, discomfort, and fear of the unknown contributed to the resistance to change in this organization. In other words, explain how Iverson helps us understand why the barrier you have selected caused organization-wide resistance to needed change (keep in mind that we are focused on organization-wide, and not individual resistance to change).
Part Three: Solution and Recommendations
Finally, as a leader, what could you have done to avoid or minimize this resistance to change? Be specific and be sure that your recommended actions target the barrier you identified in Part Two (e.g., lack of knowledge, physical or resource restrictions, negative projections, discomfort, and fear of the unknown). See Davidson’s (2009) “5 ways to overcome resistance to change” to help you “connect the dots” by making a clear argument regarding how these specific recommendations would have helped the organization implement the needed change without resistance. If the resistance to change is ongoing, what suggestions do you have for resolving this problem going forward?
SLP Assignment Expectations
- Minimum length requirements for the Module 1 SLP assignment are 3–4 pages (not including Title and Reference pages).
- Be sure to cite a minimum of 2 scholarly sources from the Required or Optional Readings List using APA Style.