organizational change

change efforts

Business Horizons

Resistance to change can be such a significant factor in the success or failure of changes that researchers have spent over a half century studying the causes of resistance and how to manage resistance. There is much that can be learned from the resistance literature that applies to today’s times of unparalleled, non-stop change where an organization’s skills in managing change and resistance to change can not only impact the success or failure of changes, but may also determine whether an organization will thrive or survive. This article explores important lessons that have been learned from the resistance literature, and even more importantly, how what has been learned applies to today’s times and how we manage change. The article emphasizes the urgent need for organizations to become skilled at effectively managing change and resistance to change and offers recommendations on how they can do so.

Revisiting resistance to change and how to manage it: What has been learned and what organizations need to do