Strategies for Managing Change -

regarding the adoption/use of

R4L Resources
 Overview

• How the change is implemented is critical for

the successful adoption of new information
resources
• Review several models and concepts for
managing change
• Apply these methodologies to your
institutional setting regarding the adoption of
Research4Life resources
 Broad Concept of Change
“Change is a permanent part of life. No matter who
we are, where we live, how old or young, we all
make changes in our lives. Most of us struggle with
change…
The ways we change inside, the ways we grow and
learn, and become transformed are because of the
changes in our lives.”

Orlando A, Anaam C. The Change Agent

http://www.nelrc.org/changeagent/
 Change agent
an individual who influences clients’ decisions in a
direction deemed desirable by a change agency; roles
include:
• develop the need for change
• diagnosis the problem
• establish information exchange channels
• create an intent to change in the clients
• translate an intent into action
• stabilize adoption and prevent discontinuance
 Conditions for successful change

• dissatisfaction with the status quo

• people have the necessary knowledge and skills
• tools needed to are available
• implementers have time to learn, adapt, integrate
and reflect on change
• rewards or incentives exist for participants
• participation in process is expected and
encouraged
• have support for innovation by key players and
stakeholders
 Resistance to change
• lack of trust
• perception that change is not necessary
• perception that change is not possible
• relatively high cost
• fear of personal failure
• loss of status or power
• threats to values and ideas
• social, cultural or organizational disagreements
• resentment of interference
 Exercise 1

• Think of one successful change in your work

environment. List the successful change variables
that were in place. What was the critical factor(s)
for the success of the change?

• Think of some unsuccessful change from your

environment. List the resistance to change
variables that were present. What was the
critical factor(s) that thwarted the change?
 Exercise 1 continued

• Regarding the use and implementation of

R4L programs, list some of potential
resistance to change factors in your
institutional setting.
 Everett Rogers:
Innovation/Decision Process Model
 Three Phases

• Unfreezing phase - old ways are no longer

appropriate and that change is needed
• Changing phase - select an appropriate
and promising approach
• Refreezing phase – the new approach is
implemented and it becomes established
Adoption (Bell Shaped) Curve
 Adopter Categories Definitions

• Innovators
– have a great interest in new ideas and a desire to be
daring and risky
– can cope with uncertainty regarding change
– may not be respected by other members of the
organization
• Early Adopters
– are the critical group for change/opinion leaders
– contain role models for others that respect them for
judicious ‘innovation decisions’
– are not too far ahead of the organization as compared
to innovators
– decrease uncertainty when they adopt new ideas
 Adopter Categories Definitions

• Early Majority
– adopts new ideas before the average members of the
organization
– not opinion leaders/make decisions slowly and
carefully
– follow with deliberate willingness in adopting change
but rarely lead
• Late Majority
– adopts innovations after the majority of the
organization
– generally are skeptical and cautious
– respond to pressure from their peers and new
organizational norms
 Adopter Categories Definitions

• Laggards
– are isolated and interact with others with
traditional values
– usually make decisions on what has been
done in the past
– possess almost no opinion leaders
– often are suspicious of change and
change agents
 Rogers: S-shaped Curve

a period of slow adoption before experiencing a sudden

period of rapid adoption and then a gradual leveling off
 Exercise 2
For the successful utilization of R4L resources in
your institution, identify individuals that would be:
• Innovators
• Early adopters
• Early majority
• Late majority
• Laggards
• Opinion leaders in the early adopters’ group
 Exercise 2 continued

• List two or three strategies you would use

to work with the opinion leaders.
• How would you deal with the laggards (and
you can be honest)?
 Useful Strategies
• establish a sense of urgency
• create a guiding coalition
• develop a compelling vision and strategy
• communicate the change vision widely
• empower stakeholders for broad-based action
on the vision
• generate short-term wins
• consolidate gains and produce more change
• anchor new approaches in organizational culture
 Exercise 3

• For your institution’s adoption of R4L resources, how

would you utilize the strategies and suggestions
listed above?
• What would be most useful and why?
• Identify the key (most difficult) issues to overcome
for the successful adoption/utilization of R4L.
• What strategies do you propose to surmount these
hurdles?
• Implement the strategy that you have developed (to
be done after the completion of the course)!
 Strategy for Stakeholders

• Identify the stakeholders’ groups whose

commitment is required.
• For each type of stakeholder, describe the needed
change, perceived benefits and expected
resistance.
• Develop action plans including ones for the
stakeholder groups that are not sufficiently
committed.
• One critical group often ignored is higher-level
administration; they must be included one of the
key groups.
 Exercise 4

• For the optimal use of R4L resources, who

are the key ‘stakeholder groups’?
• How would each group benefit from these
resources?
• Which would be the most difficult group to
work with and what strategy would you
use?
• How would you involve the administration?
 Cautionary note

Consequences of innovation can include

desirable and undesirable consequences:
– direct or immediate results
– indirect results or consequences that are a result
of the innovation
– anticipated or recognized/intended changes
– unanticipated consequences that are neither
intended or recognized
 Goal of innovation or change

• Dynamic equilibrium
– Change occurs at a rate that the institution can
cope with it
– System can adapt to the change
– The organization is not overloaded with too rapid
change that leads to an inability to adjust or
disequilibrium
– Can this be achieved with R4L resources?
 Further resources

Rogers, Everett M.
Diffusion of Innovations 5th edition
Simon & Schuster, 2003

Updated 2014 06