Change processes
Compare and contrast these two types of change processes. The response should be 3-4 paragraphs in length and including Kurt Lewin’s three-step description of the change (p. 195, Exhibit 7-2) process in your response.
Organization change refers to any alteration made to the structure, technology, or individuals of an organization. There are two metaphors of change that gives various suggestions concerning the thinking of practicing managers. They include the “Calm Waters” and the “White-Water Rapids.” The “Calm Waters” view of change proposes it as a disruption that rarely occurs in the usual activities flow. Until recently, this type of metaphor controlled the thinking of practicing managers as well as that of academics. Lewin’s three-step change process description enhances this metaphor with the aim of helping managers design and control change as it occurs.
According to Lewis, effective change can be achieved by developing and releasing the status quo, altering a new state, and freezing to create a permanent change. Here the status quo denotes an equilibrium state that needs to be thawed for alterations to occur. This process manages change as a path from the current equilibrium condition of an organization. It helps manage disruption and pave the way for events to proceed in a newly altered situation, although this type of metaphor is outdated.
This is contrary to the “White-Water Rapids” metaphor, which implies an operational condition with changing patterns that are constant and high competition levels. The disruptions are no longer temporary and occasional, and managers react to unexpected events in a faster and more effective way than in the “Calm Waters.” Most managers today never panic or lack the ability to think as they face a specific type of change that has never been encountered before, directed by rules developed as the change process progresses. In this scenario, change is managed as a continuous process.