4 models of change for it environments

Running Head: FOUR MODELS OF CHANGE FOR IT ENVIRONMENTS 1

Four Models of Change for Information Technology Environments

Teresa J. Rothaar

Wilmington University

FOUR MODELS OF CHANGE FOR IT ENVIRONMENTS

Four Models of Change for Information Technology Environments

Introduction

When implementing IT projects, emphasis is often placed on the technology itself, how

new and shiny it is, and how much an organization will benefit from it. However, research shows

that it is not the technology itself, or even its suitability to solving a business problem, that is the

key to a successful project. Project success depends on the human factor of an organization; a

change management process that engages employees and gets them to support a project will

ensure its success (Hornstein, 2008).

There are many change management models, ranging from very simple to quite complex.

This paper will discuss four popular models used by modern organizations: Lewin’s Change

Management Model, the McKinsey 7-S Model, Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model, and the Kubler-

Ross Model (also known as the Change Curve).

Lewin’s Change Management Model

Perhaps the simplest change model, Kurt Lewin’s three-stage change theory—Unfreeze,

Change, Refreeze—was introduced in 1947 (Connolly, n.d.). The first stage, Unfreeze, is the

“get ready, get set” phase, where management gets employees ready for the upcoming changes,

preferably by making them realize that the changes are necessary and will benefit them, and

making them want the change to occur. Lewin suggests the use of what he called Force Field

Analysis, which means simply weighing the pros and cons of the change, and moving forward if

the pros outweigh the cons. Further, Lewin points out, if the pros outweigh the cons, change is

inevitable, as eventually the forces for change will overcome the forces that wish to maintain the

status quo (Connolly). Figure 1 provides a visual of these forces:

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Figure 1. Force Field Analysis. Courtesy of ChangeManagementCoach.com.

Once the organization is “unfrozen” from its current state, the Change stage can

commence. Lewin pointed out that change does not happen immediately, all at once, but

gradually, as individuals adjust to the new way of doing things. Even if the Unfreeze stage has

gone well, unrest should be anticipated during the Unfreeze stage, as change is never easy, even

when it is necessary. Supporting employees during the Unfreeze stage, addressing their concerns,

and helping them adjust, is critical (Connolly).

The Refreezing stage focuses on establishing stability in the “new normal” implemented

during the Change state. Many modern experts feel that there is no “refreezing,” and that this

stage should be seen as more flexible. However, Lewin himself knew this, and saw this stage as

being about ensuring that the changes are actually accepted and maintained by the organization,

instead of individuals falling back into the old way of doing things (Connolly).

The McKinsey 7-S Model

The McKinsey 7-S Model is a “holistic” method that is usually applied to troubled

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organizations. It analyzes an organization’s structure and culture to determine how effective the

organization is, and specifically where changes need to be made. Seven organizational facets are

examined: Structure, Strategy, Skills, Staff, Style, Systems, and Shared Values. These seven

“S’es” are grouped into “hard” and “soft” categories. The “Hard S’es” are the organizational

structure elements: Strategy, Structure, and Systems. The “Soft S’es” represent the human

factors: Staff, Style, Systems, and Shared Values (Jurevicius, 2013). Figure 2 illustrates how all

of these factors are interconnected:

Figure 2. The McKinsey 7-S Model, courtesy of Strategic Management Insight.

While the Soft S’es are more difficult to control, they are what give an organization its

competitive advantage (Jurevicius). As billionaire and host of CNBC’s The Profit Marcus

Lemonis continually points out on his program, an organization’s people are its most important

element (Periu, 2013). It is far more difficult to duplicate people than to duplicate a business

process. The McKinsey model agrees with Lemonis in that “Shared Values” is at its foundation;

these values drive the behavior of both employees and the organization as a whole, and impact

every aspect of the organization. However, all of the S’es must be given equal importance when

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using the McKinsey model, because if any of them are out of alignment, the organization will not

be effective, and change will be difficult, if not impossible (Jurevicius). The first step when using

McKinsey is to determine which of the S’es are not properly functioning. Then, an optimal

organizational structure can be designed, after which it can be determined where changes should

be made. After the necessary changes are made, the 7 S’es should be continuously monitored and

reevaluated to ensure that the organization continues to operate at peak efficiency (Jurevicius).

Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model

Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model is comprised of eight overlapping steps, grouped into

three categories, which revolve around management building a campaign for change, and getting

employees to embrace the changes once they see how critical the need to change is and how the

changes will benefit them. The focus of the process is not on the change itself, but on rallying the

troops to accept and embrace it (Normandin, 2012). The steps and categories are illustrated in

Figure 3:

Figure 3. The Kotter 8-Step Model. Courtesy of LeadershipThoughts.com.

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Examining the steps, it is easy to draw comparisons between Kotter’s three phases and

Lewin’s three-step Unfreeze-Change-Freeze model. The first phase of both models emphasize

“selling” the changes to the organization’s employees by making them understand that the

changes are necessary. As Webster (2012) writes, many projects fail due to employees lacking

interest in the project or even outright resisting the changes the project seeks to implement.

The key difference between Kotter and Lewin, besides Kotter breaking down the three

phases into smaller sub-phases, or “steps,” contained within each phase, is that Kotter’s model

continues to build a growing sense of urgency among employees with each subsequent step.

Many times, projects will be kicked off with much fanfare and enthusiasm, only to have team

members and employees grow increasingly disinterested and skeptical as the project moves on,

especially if the project will take some time to complete. Kotter’s model is designed to keep

employees as excited and engaged at the end of the project as they were at the beginning.

The Kubler-Ross Model (a.k.a. The Change Curve)

In her 1969 book, On Death & Dying, psychiatrist Elizabeth Kubler-Ross identified her

famous “five stages of grief”: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance, which

model the thought processes of terminally ill patients as they come to grips with their diagnoses,

as well as anyone who is experiencing a catastrophic loss (Ramaswamy, 2010). The model was

subsequently adapted for the business world, where it is commonly referred to as the Change

Curve (MindTools, n.d.). The Change Curve models the thought processes of employees as they

adjust to major changes in the workplace, such as those that might occur when a large project is

undertaken. There are four stages—Status Quo, Disruption, Exploration, and Rebuilding—as

illustrated in Figure 4:

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Figure 4. The Change Curve. Courtesy of MindTools.com.

Changes in the workplace can be quite traumatic for employees, especially when the

changes involve IT. Automation has rendered many jobs obsolete, and continues to do so. Even

tech workers themselves are not immune; some experts believe that an IT worker’s skills have

just a two-year half-life from a marketability perspective (Bloom, 2011). Tech workers must

constantly retrain to stay employable, and most of the time, the onus of training is placed on the

employee. More than half of all college graduates report not receiving any formal training in

their first jobs post-college (Hollon, 2014). Employees are left to guess which skills employers

want now, and which ones they will want a year or two down the road. Then, they must invest

their own time and money into training on those skills, and hope that they guessed correctly.

In this type of climate, it is understandable for employees to have an extreme reaction to

a major IT project, fearing potential job loss and subsequent financial ruin. Employees who feel

this way are likely to do everything they can to sabotage the project. Just as terminally ill patients

do not find peace until they have reached the acceptance stage, an organization cannot fully reap

the benefits of a business process change until employees have reached the

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rebuilding/commitment stage, where they haven’t just accepted the changes, but embraced them.

The Change Curve is similar to the Lewin model in its simplicity. However, it differs

from Lewin, McKinsey, and Kotter in that it focuses on the emotional impact of change on

employees instead of describing the actions management should be taking to sell employees on a

project. If a project manager knows where employees are on the Change Curve, their concerns

can be addressed, and the stages can be moved through as quickly as possible (Bloom). Thus, it

is possible to use the Change Curve in tandem with another method.

Conclusion

IT projects often focus on implementing the proposed technology only, ignoring the

impact of the technology on the organization’s employees (Hornstein). This leads to projects that

do not fulfill their potential, or fail completely, due to lack of interest or outright rebellion by

employees. The SDLC does not even mention human impact. Formal change management

processes take the focus off of technology and put it onto the people who make up the

organization.

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