INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCHOLARLY ACADEMIC INTELLECTUAL DIVERSITY VOLUME 8 NUMBER 1 2004-2005

Comparison of Change Theories

Alicia Kritsonis MBA Graduate Student California State University, Dominquez Hills

ABSTRACT The purpose of this article is to summarize several change theories and assumptions about the nature of change. The author shows how successful change can be encouraged and facilitated for long-term success. The article compares the characteristics of Lewin’s Three-Step Change Theory, Lippitt’s Phases of Change Theory, Prochaska and DiClemente’s Change Theory, Social Cognitive Theory, and the Theory of Reasoned Action and Planned Behavior to one another. Leading industry experts will need to continually review and
This will occur when the change becomes part of the organizational culture (Lippitt, Watson and Westley 58-59). Lippitt, Watson, and Westley point out that changes are more likely to be stable if they spread to neighboring systems or to subparts of the system immediately affected. Changes are better rooted. Two examples are: the individual meets other problems in a similar way, several businesses adopt the same innovation, or the problem spreads to other departments of the same business. The more widespread imitation becomes, the more the behavior is regarded as normal (Lippitt, Watson and Westley 58-59).

Prochaska and DiClemente’s Change Theory Initially, the purpose of Prochaska and DiClemente model of change behavior was to show where a patient was in their journey to change certain health behaviors. Throughout the years, this model has been extended to other audiences other than solely health patients. The model defines a more general process of change and, therefore, it tends to be less specific. Prochaska and DiClemente found that people pass through a series of stages when change occurs. The stages discussed in their change theory are: precontempation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance. Progression through the stages is cyclical, not linear. This is because initially many individuals relapse on their change efforts and do not successfully maintain their gains the first time around (Hicks 1). Prochaska