What Are the Classifications of Change, and Where Does Your Organization Stand?
What Are the Classifications of Change, and Where Does Your Organization Stand?
When organizations face growth challenges or realign their strategic direction, change becomes inevitable. However, the success of change does not depend solely on the decision itself, but on how it is managed. By its nature, change touches people, processes, and institutional culture, requiring a conscious approach that balances speed of execution with absorption of its impact.
This article explores the classifications of change management from an organizational perspective, highlighting when and why each type is applied and which tools help ensure effective implementation for successful and sustainable transformations.
The Journey of Change: From Major Dimensions to Fine Details
Change is a broad and multifaceted concept that does not apply only to one area of organizational or personal life. Understanding the different types of change management allows us to identify the right tools and approaches for each context, increasing the chances of success and reducing resistance.
Strategic Change: Redrawing the Roadmap
Strategic change serves as the compass guiding an organization toward its future. It involves redefining vision, mission, and overall objectives in response to shifts in the market, technology, or competitive environment. This type of change requires a careful analysis of resources, opportunities, and threats, and often involves comprehensive restructuring or integration of new technologies. Its ultimate goal is to ensure the organization remains competitive and innovative over the long term.
Models for Leading Strategic Change
Organizations often adopt proven models to lead strategic change. John Kotter’s 8-Step Model is among the most notable, emphasizing the creation of urgency, building a strong coalition, communicating the new vision, and empowering employees to realize quick wins.
Institutional and Organizational Change: Redefining Structure and Culture
Institutional change refers to comprehensive adjustments within the organization that affect its policies and structures to enhance performance and flexibility. Organizational change is part of this broader shift, focusing specifically on the impact of change on culture and values. This type of change requires the involvement of all organizational levels, as it influences how individuals work and interact.
Applying Lewin’s Model in Organizational Change
Kurt Lewin’s three-phase model divides change into:
- Unfreezing: creating awareness of the need for change,
- Changing: implementing new initiatives, and
- Refreezing: stabilizing gains to ensure sustainability.
This framework serves as a powerful tool for managing institutional transformations.
Functional Change: Enhancing Daily Performance
Functional change focuses on improving the performance of daily functions and processes. It includes employee training, skill development, and adjusting operational procedures to boost efficiency and outcomes. This type of change is often incremental, targeting productivity and innovation at the operational level.
ADKAR Model and Its Role in Functional Change
The ADKAR model (Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, Reinforcement) is an effective tool for understanding the human side of functional change. It ensures individuals are aware of the need for change, willing to engage, equipped with the knowledge and ability to act, and supported with reinforcement for sustainability.
Developmental Change: Continuous Improvement
Developmental change focuses on continuous improvement of systems and processes without introducing radical transformations. It builds on evaluating past performance and adopting best practices to enhance efficiency and quality. This type of change emphasizes gradual evolution and ensures long-term performance sustainability.
Transformational Change: The Quantum Leap
Transformational change is the most profound and complex, triggering a fundamental shift in the organization’s culture, vision, and business model. It is not merely an improvement it is reinvention. Often sudden and impactful, this type of change aims to replace old patterns with entirely new ones. It requires decisive leadership, extensive communication, and thorough preparation.
The Difference Between Change and Transformation
It is important to distinguish between “change” and “transformation.” Change may mean improving the current state or making incremental adjustments, whereas transformation is deeper and more radical often tied to identity and purpose, leading to a completely new state that may involve leaving past assets behind. Put simply: change improves the past, while transformation creates the future.
Cultural Change: Shaping Values and Behaviors
Cultural change focuses on reshaping organizational values and behaviors to align with new strategies. It aims to build a culture that supports adaptability, innovation, and collaboration. This type of change requires significant time and effort, as it deals with altering deeply rooted beliefs and practices.
Tactical Change: Quick and Targeted Improvements
Tactical change addresses operational processes and temporary improvements designed to boost short-term performance without altering the organization’s broader strategy. It is typically fast to implement and limited in scope.
Conclusion
Change management is not a one-size-fits-all path but a comprehensive system of approaches and models that must be tailored to the organization’s nature and objectives. From strategic to cultural change, from operational improvements to transformational shifts, the strength of an organization lies in its ability to select the right type of change and implement it through conscious leadership, effective communication, and a balance between planning and flexibility.
With a consulting partner like Empower, change becomes clearer, more actionable, and more sustainable in its impact.