Definition of Change

 Change is making something different than it was. 

 In many instances, the outcome remains the same, but
the process is changed.
 Change is inevitable in nursing.

Chapter 16 Copyright © 2003 Delmar Learning, a Thomson Learning company 1

 Types of Change
 Personal change: voluntary change with the goal of
self-improvement
 Professional change: deliberate change with the goal
of improving professional ability/status
 Organizational change: mandated change with the
goal of improving the organization’s efficiency

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 Traditional Change Theories
 Lewin’s force-field model
 Lippitt’s phases of change
 Havelock’s six-step change model
 Rogers’s diffusion of innovations theory

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 Commonalities and Differences Among
the Change Models
 Commonalities
• All the theories relate to the process of “unfreezing,
moving, freezing.”
• Many of the theories describe linear processes that move in
a step-by-step manner. 
 Differences
• Some theories do not work well in complex or nonlinear
situations.
• Some theories work better for one type of change than
another.
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 Emerging Theories of Change
 Emerging theories are more complex and respond to
more complex situations than some traditional
theories.
 Chaos theory
• Order emerges through fluctuation and chaos
• Process is cyclical
• Little time for orderly, linear change
• Organization must be able to act with speed, adaptability,
and intensity

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 Emerging Theories of Change
 Learning organization theory
• Emphasis on interrelationships of all parts of the
organization
• Organizations respond to changes by using a learning
approach
• Focus on communication, education, and cooperation
among all parts of organization

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 The Change Process
 Planned change involves a natural process that should
be used as a guide for implementing change: 
• Assessment: identifying the problem or opportunity that
necessitates change 
• Data collection and analysis: gathering structural,
technological, and people information and effects of these
elements on the process
• Strategic determination: identifying possible solutions,
barriers, strategies

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 The Change Process
• Planning: establishing the who, how, what, and when of
change
• Implementation: communicating and conducting change
• Evaluation: determining effectiveness of change and change
implementation

Chapter 16 Copyright © 2003 Delmar Learning, a Thomson Learning company 8

 Types of Change Strategies
 Power-coercive: uses authority and threat of job loss to gain
compliance with change
 Normative-reeducative: uses social orientation and the need to
have satisfactory relationships in the workplace as a method of
inducing support for change; focuses on the relationship needs
of workers
 Rational-empirical: uses knowledge as power base; assumes
that once workers understand the organizational need for
change or the meaning of the change for them as individuals
and the organization as a whole, they will change

Chapter 16 Copyright © 2003 Delmar Learning, a Thomson Learning company 9

 Response to Change
 Factors affecting individual ability to cope with
change:
• Adaptability
• Satisfaction with status quo
• Anticipated effects of change
• Perception of benefits/losses created by change

Chapter 16 Copyright © 2003 Delmar Learning, a Thomson Learning company 10

 Responses to Planned Change
 Innovators: embrace change 
 Early adopters: open and receptive to change
 Early majority: enjoy status quo, but readily adopt
change
 Late majority: skeptical of change, but will accept it
 Laggards: prefer status quo and accept change with
reluctance and suspicion
 Rejectors: openly hostile to change

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 Change Agent
 The change agent is the one responsible for
implementation of a change project.
 The role of the change agent is to manage the
dynamics of the change process.

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 Characteristics of Change Agent
 Ability to elicit trust and respect from executors and
recipients of change
 Credibility
 Flexibility
 Ability to maintain and articulate change vision
 Ability to communicate well
 Good manager of interpersonal relationships
 Ability to involve and empower people in change
process
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 Conflict
 Conflict is a disagreement about something of
importance to each person involved.
 Ability to resolve conflict is an important part of
change management.
 Conflict is not necessarily bad.

Chapter 16 Copyright © 2003 Delmar Learning, a Thomson Learning company 14

 Sources of Conflict
 Allocation/availability of resources
 Personality differences
 Differences in values
 Internal/external pressures
 Cultural differences
 Competition
 Differences in goals
 Issues of personal/professional control
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 Types of Conflict
 Intrapersonal
 Interpersonal
 Organizational

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 The Conflict Process
 Antecedent conditions
 Perceived and/or felt conflict
 Manifest behavior
 Conflict resolution or suppression 
 Resolution aftermath

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 Approaches to Conflict Resolution
 Avoiding
 Accommodating
 Competing
 Compromising
 Collaborating
 Negotiating 
 Confronting

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 Strategies to Facilitate Conflict
Resolution
 Open, honest communication
 Private, relaxed, comfortable setting for discussion 
 Expectation of compliance to results by both sides

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 Roles of Leaders and Managers in
Conflict Resolution
 Model conflict resolution behaviors. 
 Lessen perceptual differences of parties.
 Assist parties to identify resolution techniques.
 Create environment conducive to conflict resolution.
 If conflict cannot be resolved, minimize or lessen
perceptions of conflicting parties.

Chapter 16 Copyright © 2003 Delmar Learning, a Thomson Learning company 20