Breaking the Code of Change - Article Example

CHANGE CAN BE CATEGORIZED AS EITHER EMERGENCY OR PLANNED. Change can either be individual, intergroup or social. In individuals change is further categorized into emotional, behavioral and cognitive. Basically, change can be emergent or planned; this whole issue depends on the type of change that we are talking about. Change occurs in the second stage. According to Kubler-Ross's model change can also be emergent. This type of change happens without prior arrangements or plan. There is another type of change known as cultural change. Others encourage change less stability. This theory emphasis on mass communication as an agent to change. This theory is another example of planned change. Planned change has high probability of relapse and regression. Emergent change is sudden and not anticipated. The societies as well as individuals are always prone to change. Change basically refers to making or becoming different in some particular way without losing permanently the original characteristics. It may also mean, to become different in essence. Change can either be sudden or might be planned such that it is bound to happen, at one time or another. Change can either be individual, intergroup or social. In individuals change is further categorized into emotional, behavioral and cognitive. In inter-personal or relationships, change involves; contact hypothesis, de categorization and re-categorization and also acknowledgement, mourning and forgiveness. (Zaltman, 1977, p. 45). Basically, change can be emergent or planned; this whole issue depends on the type of change that we are talking about. If for instance we are talking about individual change management, Kurt Lewin in his model of change states that, there are 3 stages in this process. The first stage is called 'unfreezing'. (Harris 2004, p56.). According to Kurt, this stage involves overcoming inertia and dismantling the existing mindset of the individual. At this stage the natural defense mechanisms have to be by passed. Change occurs in the second stage. This stage is marked by period of confusion and transition. One is aware that the old ways are being challenged but he/she does not have a clear picture to replace them. The final stage according to Kurt is known as the "Re-freezing" stage. The new mind step is beginning to get into place and one's comfort level is returning to the earlier levels. (Macredie 1998, p.53). An example in this model would be a drug addict who is determined to quit drugs. During the initial stages or otherwise known as the unfreezing period, the person is trying hard to stop the abuse. He/she has to contend with withdrawal symptoms and some are even likely to go back to drugs. They enter the second stage. The second stage is characterized by confusion. One doesn't know what they want. They are out of drugs but still looking for alternative replacements. The 'unfreezing' stage marks the complete metamorphosis form drugs to a drug free person. One is also comfortable with his/her new life style. (Bennis 1976, p.38). According to this theory, we can therefore see that change was planned because it has to undergo all those stages. According to Kubler-Ross's model change can also be emergent. The stages in this model describe the personal and emotional states that a person encounters when dealing with loss of a loved one. This type of change happens without prior arrangements or plan. Indeed, in some cases, people have gone mad after learning that their dear ones have died. The impact of that news is so strong that someone who was jolly and completely happy may even faint after hearing bad news. (Zaltman, 1977, p.63). Other people's lives never remain to be the same after such an ordeal. A young man, who was always happy and kind to almost anyone, developed emotional problems as well as temperament problems after he had an accident and realized that he was never going to walk again because he had been paralyzed. The derivatives of Ross's model can also apply in other settings such as the workplace where it shows that similar emotional states are encountered as individual are confronted with change. (Macredie 1998, p.47). There is another type of change known as cultural change. There are certain dynamic processes operating that encourage the acceptance of new ideas and things. Others encourage change less stability. In this type of change, there must be a process. The process in cultural change therefore involves invention and culture loss. Inventions may be technological or ideological. This type of change such as creating a representative parliament as opposed to a rule by royal decree is planned change because it involves consultation and there is always anticipation from members of the public. However this change can turn out to be emergent, if for instance there is a military coup. When in one night people wake up to find that the representative government has been overthrown and now they are under military rule, the type of change on the part of an ordinary citizen can be said to be emergent, even though on the part of the military it is planned. (Bamford, 2003, p.55). The social cognitive theory of personal and social change by enabling the media provides a framework in which to determine how symbolic communication promotes personal and social change. This theory emphasis on mass communication as an agent to change. It has three components namely: Theoretical model, translational and implementation model, and lastly the diffusion model. The argument is that communication systems operate through two pathways. The first one is called the direct pathway. In this pathway theory argues that media promotes changes by informing, enabling, motivating and guiding the audience, in this case individuals. The second pathway is called the socially mediated pathway, here; media influence is used to link participants to community settings and other social networks. (Bandura, 1997, p.52). This theory can be used for providing the basis for intervention strategies. It explains how people acquire and maintain such behavioral patterns. This theory is another example of planned change. The basic idea is to use the media to implement change. This is done with full knowledge of the capabilities of the media. For example during the elections, various politicians use the media to influence voters. During campaigns one gets to hear of defections and shifting of alliances. Although the media may not claim full credit of that, it is a major player in influencing decisions of the electorate. This is planned change. (Luecke 2003, p.50) A theory closely associated with the social cognitive theory of change by the mass media is known as the cultivation theory. Theory implies that television shapes concepts of social reality. It is also referred to as the cultivation hypothesis or cultivation analysis. It suggests that television viewing contributes to change in social reality. The theory classifies viewers in two groups of television viewers the heavy viewers and the light viewers. The heavy viewers are more likely to be influenced by the images they see on television especially on topics that the views have little first hand information. A good example on the cultivation theory is the issue of climate change that has sparked world wide reactions. At first people didn't know much to do with the adverse effects that climate change has had in our environment. When televisions started bringing up pictures and documentaries showing dried up lakes and other devastating scenes, people realized that the planet was under threat. Various groups started advocating for change of behavior by humans. This kind of change is a planned change since a lot of efforts will have been put in place. (Green, 2002, p.69) Planned change is always faced with resistance from individuals and the society as a whole. This is evidenced in the 3 stages of Kurt. This is because people don't know how the change will impact on their lives or their society. Planned change has high probability of relapse and regression. This is because that the change may not always go according to plan. Once the plan is destroyed the anticipated change may not occur or it may revert to old ways. This may in turn invite unanticipated and negative consequences. (Bamford, 2003, p.69). Planned change may tempt its initiators or conveners into hypocrites and deluded fellows. For example, if presidential aspirants campaigned on the platform of change and fighting corruption and they get elected into office, they might initiate a change program in their governments. Suppose that some of the planned reforms don't go according to plan because of causes beyond or even within their control and rampant corruption thrives. People will view their president as a liar and a hypocrite who cannot keep his/her word. (Caldwell 2006, p.62) Emergent change is sudden and not anticipated. Sometimes it might not have desirable effects since the impact is strong and given he lack of unprepared ness one may think it's the worse form of change. Unlike planned change people may not have enough time to adjust to the new phenomenon. However, emergent change and its processes can give rise to flexibility. This is the capacity to develop receptive settings for change. The society or individuals also develop customized actions to meet local needs or conditions. Emergent change may trigger or initiate grounds for learning and experimentation in order to be compatible with society's local needs for control and independence. Innovativeness and dynamism are other ways of looking at emergent change. People come up with new ways never been seen before. (Downing 1996, p.98). An example of emergent change was the Tsunami of Indonesia and other countries along the Indian Ocean. No one expected it and so it caused a lot of suffering and death to the locals. However the society has since then learnt how to deal with such an emergency. Various measures have been put in place to ensure that even if it ever happens again, it won't cause such damage as it did then. (Beer, 2000, p.75). The societies as well as individuals are always prone to change. In fact is said that change is always a constant in an individual's life. Change may bring positive or negative effects to an individual, society of an organization. Whatever effects that change may bring, the fact is, nothing ever remains the same again. (Bamford, 2003, p.73). LIST OF REFERENCES Bamford, Dr, Pl Forrester. (2003). International Journal of Operations and Product Management. Managing Planned and Emergent Change with an Operations Management Environment Bandura, A. (1997). Self Efficacy: The Exercise of Control, Freeman. Beer, M. & Nohria N. (2000). Breaking the Code of Change, Harvard Business School Press Bennis W, (1976). The Planning Of Change, Reinhart and Watson Pig 12 Caldwell, R (2006) Agency and Change: Rethinking Change Agency in Organizations Downing, J. (1996). International Media Theory, Sage Publishers Green, M. Strange, J. Brock, T. (2002) Narrative Impact: Social and Cognitive Foundations, Lawrence Erbium Associates Harris, R. (2004). A cognitive psychology of mass communication, Routledge Luecke, R (2003) Managing Change and Transition, Harvard Business School Macredie R. (1998). Modeling For Added Value, Springer. Poole, M. (2004). Hand Book of Organizational Change and Innovation. Oxford Press University Zaltman, G. (1977). Strategies of Planned Change, Wiley Read More