Resistance to Change: A Guide to Harnessing Its Positive Power

by Thomas R. Harvey, Elizabeth A. Broyles

Overview

Resistance is at the heart of the change process, yet it is often overlooked or perceived as a negative force. This book explores resistance as a natural, positive, and necessary component of change. Twenty discrete resistance factors—likely to be found in a variety of circumstances—are described. The short vignettes that accompany each make the resistance factors come alive.
Beyond gaining greater insights into the nature of these sources of resistance, the reader is provided with specific strategies, or antidotes, to harness the power of resistance, transforming it from a negative to a positive force. An included survey tool, built based on questions presented at the end of each chapter, will assist leaders in assessing potential sources of resistance to change events. An eight-step resistance-based change model—transactional in nature and simple in application—supports the reader in successfully moving nearly any change project toward a positive outcome.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781607092148
Publisher:	R&L Education
Publication date:	06/16/2010
Pages:	140
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Thomas R. Harvey is a professor of organizational leadership in the doctoral program and the Abrahams Chair in Leadership Excellence at the University of La Verne, California. He has been the dean of the School of Organizational Management for fourteen years and is the author of several books including Checklist for Change; The Practical Decision Maker; Building Teams, Building People; The Soul of Leadership; and The Politically Intelligent Leader.
Elizabeth A. Broyles is an adjunct faculty member for the College of Education and Organizational Leadership and the College of Business and Public Management at the University of La Verne. In addition, she has been a consultant for nearly twenty years, providing a wide range of organizational development services to nonprofit, educational, religious, and government organizations.

Table of Contents

Part 1 Part I: Introduction to Change Resistance
Chapter 2 Resistance to Change
Chapter 3 Change Theory
Part 4 Part II: Resistance Factors
Chapter 5 Lack of Ownership
Chapter 6 Lack of Top Brass Support
Chapter 7 Lack of Benefits
Chapter 8 Lack of Recognition
Chapter 9 Increased Burdens
Chapter 10 Loneliness
Chapter 11 Insecurity
Chapter 12 Norm Incongruence
Chapter 13 Boredom
Chapter 14 Chaos
Chapter 15 Superiority
Chapter 16 Differential Knowledge
Chapter 17 Sudden Wholesale Change
Chapter 18 Fear of Failure
Chapter 19 Extremes of Organizational Structure
Chapter 20 Suspicion
Chapter 21 Ambiguity
Chapter 22 Lack of Leadership Skills
Chapter 23 Inertia
Chapter 24 Referent Power
Part 25 Part III: Survey
Chapter 26 Questions to be Asked
Part 27 Part IV: Model
Chapter 28 Resistance-Based Change Model
Chapter 29 Epilogue

Editorial Reviews

Harvey and Broyles skillfully present both an important and provocative, theory-based, and practical book on change. Highly readable and loaded with strategies to help today's leaders and organizations understand and navigate through the realities and challenges of change. A must-read for all.

Lawrence Kemper

Resistance to Change is an insightful, commonsense approach to plan and manage change in today's volatile environment of diminishing resources. This is an easy read for all levels of management in the public or private sector. It provides a practical framework to successfully implement change. It is a commonsense, practical guide full of analyses that illustrate how important the change process is in this era of diminishing resources.

Martin Lomeli

Harvey's book, Building Teams, Building People, has been my bible for working with team conflicts. The timing of Harvey and Broyles' latest book could not be more divine. In this accelerated pace of change in the workplace, resistance to change is to be expected. Harvey and Broyles' strategies to deal with such resistance—to change in organizational culture, to deal with insecurity and fear of failure, to build trust relationships, to create personal connections with change, and to implement a theory of small wins—will be the reference for successful leaders.

Rich Thome