How can you compare popular culture change models?

1 Lewin's 3-Stage Model

One of the earliest and simplest models of culture change is Lewin's 3-Stage Model, developed by psychologist Kurt Lewin in the 1940s. It proposes that culture change involves three steps: unfreezing, changing, and refreezing. Unfreezing means creating a sense of urgency and readiness for change by challenging the existing assumptions and behaviors. Changing means implementing new ideas and practices through communication, education, and participation. Refreezing means stabilizing and reinforcing the new culture by rewarding, celebrating, and institutionalizing it. The main strength of this model is its clarity and simplicity, but its main limitation is its linearity and rigidity, which may not reflect the complexity and dynamism of modern organizations.

2 Schein's 3-Level Model

Another influential model of culture change is Schein's 3-Level Model, developed by organizational psychologist Edgar Schein in the 1980s. It suggests that culture consists of three interrelated levels: artifacts, values, and assumptions. Artifacts are the visible and tangible aspects of culture, such as symbols, rituals, stories, and language. Values are the shared and stated beliefs and goals of the group or organization. Assumptions are the implicit and taken-for-granted beliefs and norms that underlie the values and artifacts. According to Schein, culture change requires addressing and aligning all three levels, starting from the deepest level of assumptions. The main strength of this model is its comprehensiveness and depth, but its main limitation is its difficulty and ambiguity, as assumptions are often hard to identify and change.

3 Kotter's 8-Step Model

A more recent and popular model of culture change is Kotter's 8-Step Model, developed by management guru John Kotter in the 1990s. It outlines eight sequential steps for leading and managing change : create a sense of urgency, build a guiding coalition, form a strategic vision and initiatives, enlist a volunteer army, enable action by removing barriers, generate short-term wins, sustain acceleration, and institute change. The main strength of this model is its practicality and actionability, as it provides specific and concrete guidelines for each step. The main limitation of this model is its prescriptiveness and assumption, as it may not account for the variability and unpredictability of different contexts and cultures.

4 Cameron and Quinn's Competing Values Framework

A more flexible and diagnostic model of culture change is Cameron and Quinn's Competing Values Framework, developed by organizational scholars Kim Cameron and Robert Quinn in the 2000s. It depicts culture as a dynamic and multidimensional phenomenon, based on four competing values: flexibility, stability, internal focus, and external focus. It also identifies four types of culture that correspond to different combinations of these values: clan, hierarchy, adhocracy, and market. The framework allows organizations to assess their current and desired cultures, and to design and implement change initiatives that align with their values and goals. The main strength of this model is its adaptability and diversity, as it recognizes that there is no one best culture for all situations. The main limitation of this model is its complexity and subjectivity, as it may require more interpretation and customization than other models.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?