Abstract
The literature on organizational change and resistance to change is contradictory. Some scholars find resistance a hindrance to successful change (traditional paradigm), whereas others find it a valuable source (modern paradigm). The objective of this study is to enhance our understanding of how resistance affects organizational change by providing a coherent system dynamics perspective. Based on interviews, expert modelling and group modelling, this inductive case study develops a causal loop diagram that displays eight interacting feedback loops to explain resistance to change and the role that participatory strategies play in addressing this. The model contributes to the theoretical debate on how resistance affects change by providing propositions that integrate the traditional and modern paradigms. When managers face decisions about when to increase, stabilize or decrease the use of participatory strategies, our findings imply to base these decisions upon currently dominating feedback loops, such as the Stress Trap or Slow Trap. © 2018 The Authors. Systems Research and Behavioral Science published by International Federation for Systems Research and John Wiley & Sons Ltd
Highlights
To be successful, organizations must effectively adapt and respond to changes in their environment (Jaramillo et al, 2012)
In line with Burnes (2005) and Shirey (2013), we suggest that contradictions in the literature on resistance to change relate to the internal dynamics occurring between organizational change and resistance to change
We argue that when an organization finds itself trapped in a Slow Trap or Stress Trap, successful change is hindered by strong resistance to change
Summary
Organizations must effectively adapt and respond to changes in their environment (Jaramillo et al, 2012). Sustainable organizational change is crucial to the development, Received 3 January 2016 Accepted 14 January 2018. Res. RESEARCH PAPER organizational change as a process starting with an initial stimulus that motivates organizations to move from one state of being to another. 85) states, ‘changing organizations appears to be getting more rather than less difficult’ One reason for these difficulties is a lack of knowledge and understanding of the internal dynamics of organizational change (Samuel and Jacobsen, 1997). We need to expand our dynamic understanding of the barriers that impede effective change in order to gain more competence in successfully managing change
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