Change Management

Many models have been developed to explain organizational change. One of the earliest models was developed by Kurt Lewin, a German psychologist and researcher on communication and organizational development. Lewin's three-step approach views change as a break in organizational equilibrium, or a thaw. Once the thaw is complete, the change itself can be introduced, but simply introducing the change does not ensure that the change will last; the new state needs to be refrozen. The new state needs to be refrozen so that it can be maintained for a significant period of time. Thus, the purpose of refreezing is to stabilize the new state by balancing the two forces of driving and binding forces.

Lewin's Change Management Model is a comprehensive change model designed to understand why change happens and what must be done to effect change in the most seamless way. Lewin developed the change model as a way to illustrate how people react when faced with change in their lives. Lewin's change management model can be applied in a wide range of contexts. For example, it can help you understand why some people and organizations are motivated more by the need for social recognition than by financial incentives, and it teaches you how to engage employees in important organizational change.