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Abstract
The concept of "resistance to change" is undergoing a shift, even a transformation. In this article, resistance is reconsidered under two apparently divergent paradigms: from "the enemy of change" (traditional paradigm) to "a resource" (modem paradigm). OD change practitioners are exposed to sequencing those two paradigms in interpreting and dealing with resistance to change. A model using the underestimated construct of "preoccupation" is proposed as a means to cope effectively with resistance to change.
Keywords: resistance to change, paradigm, preoccupation, concern
For more than sixty years (Coch & French, 1948; Lewin, 1952), human resistance to change has been a recurring theme and constant source of interest for practitioners and scholars alike. While some suggest overcoming, minimizing, or eliminating resistance to change (Coch & French, 1948; Judson, 1991; Lawrence, 1969; Ortiz, 2012; Palmer, 2003; Tobin, 1999), others propose decoding (Ford & Ford, 2009), diagnosing (Kotter & Schlesinger, 2008), or utilizing (Waddell & Sohal, 1998) resistance to change. Instead of being interpreted as a threat, and the enemy of change, resistance to change can also be considered as a resource (Ford & Ford, 2009), and even a type of commitment (Burke, 2011) on the part of change recipients. It is becoming increasingly clear that the concept of resistance to change is undergoing a shift, even a transformation.
As Organization Development (OD) practitioners constantly deal with planned change (implementing programs or organizational changes), this article aims to present an enlightening and more comprehensive interpretation of the abundant descriptive, prescriptive, and critical literature on resistance to change. This will drive two targeted avenues for interpreting and dealing with resistance as OD professionals, based on two paradigms (traditional and modem) that are put forward. Finally, a model and its application will be discussed.
The Urgent Need for an Enlightening Interpretation of Resistance
What justifies the need for an enlightening interpretation of resistance to change at this time? Three main elements lend legitimacy to our attempt to provide such an interpretation: the importance of the topic, its popularity, and the advent of critical texts.
First, resistance to change is an important phenomenon relating to change management. It is often associated with one of the main obstacles to implementing organizational change (Bovey & Hede, 2001; Vales, 2007). In Deloitte and...