Organizational change in modern enterprises can take various forms, including growing industries, technological developments, change management models, cultural transformations, leadership worker turnover, organization revamps, and more.
Additionally, transformational change programs are difficult for larger firms to implement. They demand a focused change management approach to prioritize, navigate, and succeed with change.
Change management frameworks enable organizations to take change projects from concept to implementation. Moreover, change models provide tried-and-true frameworks that enable leaders with an organizational strategy to generate business results from transformative projects.
In this blog post, we will discuss the models of change management and why they will be so important in digital transformation in 2025. So, keep reading to learn all about change management and its models.
Table of Contents
What Are Change Management Models?
Change Management Theory models serve to bring organizational structure, streamline corporate processes, and make personnel more effective to ensure the organization’s growth.
Both internal and external variables contribute to organizational change. When an organization notices a trend, it attempts to adapt, and as a result, change is introduced within the corporation.
Unfortunately, the majority of change projects fail due to ineffective planning and implementation. That is why a business requires a change management framework to properly plan and execute change efforts with minimal scope leaking.
What Are The Different Change Management Types?
Depending on the type of change you are dealing with, you can apply a variety of change management best practices and ideas. However, consider how you might handle each of these four types of changes:
- Exceptional Change: Outlying incidents that amend an individual’s experience but do not have a substantial impact on other elements of their life.
- Incremental Change: Gradual changes that do not necessitate significant or unexpected transformations, such as improving current technology.
- Pendulum changes: Sudden shifts from one state to another, frequently transitioning from one extreme to the opposite view or state. Consider transitioning from a 100% in the workplace work environment to one that involves a 100% remote team.
- Paradigm change: Changes that lead to new beliefs or values being internalized as the new norm. For example, successfully transitioning from synchronous connectivity to a hybrid model combining synchronous and autonomous communication.
10 Different Change Management Models Changing Digital Transformation
Now, we think it is best to discuss about 10 different change management framework model types and how they play key roles in digital transformation. So, without wasting any time, let’s discuss these types in detail:
Kotter’s Change Management Theory
The Kotter eight-step change management model, developed by John Kotter following a survey of over 100 businesses in flux, focuses on the individuals who are experiencing big organizational changes instead of the changes themselves. There are eight steps:
- Develop a sense of urgency.
- Create a solid coalition.
- Develop a strategic vision.
- Get everyone on board.
- Remove barriers to action.
- Create short-term wins.
- Continue to accelerate.
- Implement change.
Kotter follows a top-down strategy. If you start with these stages, make sure to include some strategies for generating grassroots movement and soliciting feedback from frontline personnel.
This concept is appropriate for firms implementing new corporate software. We also enjoy how this methodology encourages “short-term wins” – specifically, onboarding disciplines that are the least reluctant to change first, which can assist in developing internal buy-in across departments.
Lewin’s Change Management Model
The steps of Lewin’s change management model are listed beside an illustration of a person seated and wearing headphones.
However, Kurt Lewin, who invented the change management concept in the 1950s, gave it his name. Lewin’s approach breaks down the change procedure into three steps: unfreeze, change, and refreeze. Here are these change management model approaches:
- Unfreeze: This is the preparatory step. Analyze how things now work so that you may correctly determine what has to be changed to achieve the desired results. However, during this stage, you can also adopt a change management model of communication to ensure that staff understand what to expect and are prepared.
- Change: This is the implementation phase. Implement the change and continue to communicate and support all staff engaged.
- Refreeze: This phase helps you avoid reverting to the previous ways of doing things. Moreover, examine how the new procedures work and evaluate change management statistics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to determine how successfully you’ve met your objectives.
The Lewin change management model for organizational change is deceptively basic, with only three steps. You will need to resist the urge to speed through each process. It takes time to prepare, implement, and reinforce a change. However, make sure you give staff adequate time to adjust to the changes and provide them opportunities to express input.
Also Read: The Evolution of AI Models: From Rule Based to Deep Learning
The Prosci ADKAR Model
The Prosci ADKAR model balances people and process components of change, with an emphasis on psychological and behavioral aspects as well as systemic necessities for effective change.
Prosci: This framework’s three phases are designed to assist businesses through change in a systematic manner. However, within these phases, each person goes through the transition process on their own.
The method’s knowledge and ability aims are closely related, but knowledge focuses on knowing how the change may be implemented, whilst ability focuses on providing people with the confidence they require to complete the transformation.
PDSA Cycle
The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) Cycle is a continuing process for optimizing and developing your business. Therefore, it is one of the best change management models in 2025. The cycle draws on the accomplishments of W. Edward Deming and Walter Shewhart. The approach is also known as the Deming Wheel or Deming Cycle.
The cycle is designed to work in a loop, repeating the four steps:
- Plan: Determine what needs to be changed and devise a strategy to address it.
- Do: Test your idea on a modest scale.
- Study: Examine your outcomes to determine what worked and what did not.
- Act: Take action considering your findings and what you have learned.
The cycle is an excellent instrument for implementing continuous improvement. It can readily integrate with any or all aspects of your entire change management model. However, for large-scale organizational change planning, a more sophisticated structure is likely necessary.
Kubler-Ross Change Curve
The Kubler-Ross change curve, often known as the five stages of grief, can be considered a solid change management method since it breaks down how people deal with change in general. Organizations may better prepare for change by anticipating potential employee reactions. There are five stages:
- Denial
- Anger
- Bargaining
- Depression
- Acceptance
If teams and corporations lose sight of those their reforms will most directly affect, their efforts will be futile. Replacing an organization is not the same as replacing a tire; there are emotional considerations to consider. One limitation of this change management technique is that these stages are not always consecutive, and everyone’s journey through them may differ. As such, it can be used to support other change management methods, resulting in a two-pronged approach.
Also Read: SaaS, IaaS, PaaS and FaaS: Arm Yourself with Right Cloud Computing Service Models
Bridges’ Transition Model
The Bridges’ Transition Model has characteristics similar to the Kübler-Ross Change Curve in that it concentrates on emotional responses during the transition. While many change management models concentrate on the change itself
0,1 Bridges’ model focuses on the transition process by dividing it down into three stages:
- Ending, Losing, & Letting Go
- The neutral zone
- The New Beginning
The idea behind this approach is that change is something that happens to people, but transition is a journey that people take. Anticipating the rejection, anger, and irritation that accompany change allows you to better steer individuals toward the neutral zone, which serves as a bridge between the old and new.
Nudge Theory
Nudge theory is a change management framework strategy that emphasizes using a certain attitude to induce change rather than following a step-by-step process. Instead of providing top-down change demands from senior executives and expecting workers to comply, the nudge theory focuses on finding a compelling strategy to push your staff into desiring the change on their own.
This change management theory includes the following:
- Consider the change you wish to make from your employee’s point of view.
- Present it, focusing on how it will benefit them.
- Treat it as a guideline rather than a demand.
- Listening to employee comments along the process
Kaizen Change Management Model
Kaizen is a common change management method. This model emphasizes frequent transformation rather than a one-time exchange.
The Kaizen model highlights the idea that incremental and reliable adjustments are more valuable than infrequent and massive changes.
Here are the ten principles of Kaizen change management models:
- Let go of assumptions.
- Be proactive in problem solutions.
- Reject the existing quo.
- Let go of perfectionist tendencies and accept gradual, adaptive development.
- Look for remedies when you identify errors.
- Create an environment in which everyone may contribute.
- Instead of accepting the obvious reply, ask “why” five times to uncover the fundamental problem.
- Collect information and opinions from several people.
- Find low-cost, small-scale changes.
- Never stop improving.
Satir’s Change Model
The Satir Change Model, which is similar to the Kübler-Ross Change Curve, tracks employees’ emotional progress through five stages:
- Late Status Quo
- Resistance
- Chaos
- Integration
- New status quo.
The Satir Change Model focuses on change preparation but does not help establish which changes are required. Hence, it is best to utilize this framework when you recognize what you want to rework.
Maurer’s 3 Levels of Resistance and Change Framework Model
The Author Rick Maurer’s transformation model focuses on the three attitudes that employees may have when they are resistant to change. They are:
- I don’t comprehend it – This suggests that employees don’t have enough — or the correct kind of — information to understand which modifications are coming and why.
- I don’t like it – This is the emotional state of fear in which employees may become defensive or unresponsive to any communication regarding changes.
- I don’t like you – Employees might not like or distrust the person or individuals attempting to execute the change, even if they view it positively.
Like many of the different types of change management models on our list, Maurer’s approach recommends management overcome opposition by talking freely, offering data that inspires confidence, and listening to employees’ concerns.
Conclusion
Change is rarely welcomed, but competent management may reduce negative reactions. Choose one of the best organizational change management models that act as a compass, guiding you in the direction of your “True North” or intended goal, and the route to effective change adoption will become clearer.
Each of these change management frameworks highlights the necessity of putting your workers first when planning and implementing change. Consider their sentiments and make efficient communication with them a key priority. There is no single change management technique that is universally effective. Comment below if you have any queries about the change management framework models to get the best answer accordingly.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Which is the most prevalent change model?
Kotter’s change management theory is one of the most prominent and widely used in the world. This paradigm contains eight stages, each of which focuses on how employees respond to change.
Which model is better, Adkar or Kotter?
While the Kotter 8-Step Process concentrates on a leader’s viewpoints, the research-based Prosci ADKAR® Model allows you to drive change with greater efficiency by supporting leaders at all levels of your organization—and everybody in between.
What does ADKAR stand for?
ADKAR (Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, and Reinforcement) is a single instance of an individual change management model that illustrates the sequence of effective change. Managing change. Managing transition is the second phase of the Prosci® change management strategy.