Resisting Change: Reasons and Research

What are the reasons that cause people to resist change? As individuals, we all have our boundaries and comfort zones. When faced with organizational change, I think there are a variety of reasons that cause people to resist change. From my experience, I have seen fear play a huge role in resisting change. Teachers can be fearful of a new strategy or procedure because it is outside of their comfort zone. We can also be fearful of taking risks, if we are in survival mode of just getting through the school year, to take a risk in changing up the norm can be frightening. I think another factor that plays into resisting change is the overall belief in the change. For example, if the change does not fit into our core values or we do not understand the rationale behind the change then we are more likely to resist. In the reading you have been doing for this class what does the research say about resistance to change? The responsibilities of a school administrator can be stressful and overwhelming when faced with staff that are resistant to change. Overall, approaching resistance in a systematic manner can play a huge factor in the success of a school (Lunenberg, 2010). Lunenberg identifies uncertainty, concern over personal loss, group resistance, dependence, trust in administration, and awareness of weaknesses in the change as primary issues when facing staff resistant to change. Worrying about the unknown and how their work life will be affected causes resistance. In addition, some teachers resist change because they see it as a loss of power, prestige, or other benefits. To overcome change, Lunenberg found the most frequent approaches used to include education and communication, participation and involvement, facilitation and support, negotiation and agreement, manipulation and cooptation, explicit and implicit coercion. Understanding these approaches can help administrators gain the momentum needed for a positive change.