Manufacturing Change at GM: An appraisal of Kurt Lewin’s3-Step Model

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Introduction

Bringing about change in an organization is an extremely difficult task especially if it is at every level in the organization. Various methods and models of change have been formulated of which one of the most important method being Kurt Lewin’s 3-step model of change. Organizations change continually whether or not the people in the organization want the change to happen. In some cases the change may be planned while in some other the change will be unplanned (Kuriger, 2004). Bringing about change in an organization is not easy as there are many agents that can resist the process of change. Whenever the management tries to bring about a change in the organization as part of restructuring in the organization, one of the most important issues they face is from the employees who are not ready to accustom and adjust to the new system (Mills et.al, 2008). This resistance to change is difficult to deal with as they resist due to a lot of reasons like fear losing existing power, comfort zone they are in, and fear of losing their job as well.

Kurt Lewin’s 3-step model of change- special reference to GM case study

Kurt Lewin, considered to be the ‘father of change process’, proposed a three step theory of change management that gives a different level of approach to the process of change in an organization. Using this theory or model of change management, a manager or change initiators in an organization can easily implement the process of change as the three step model gives managers the opportunity to work within a framework of change that will help them tackle various issues associated with change in an organization (Srivastava B. K, 2007). Kurt Lewin identified three phases for change management namely Unfreezing, c...

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