Every organisation must change to survive. Organisational change (संगठनात्मक परिवर्तन) means any alteration in structure, technology, people, processes or culture. Organisation development (OD) (संगठन विकास) is a planned, long-term way of improving the whole organisation, using knowledge from behavioural science.
1. Forces of change
| External forces | Internal forces |
|---|---|
| — | — |
| New laws and policies (for example, federalism) | New leadership or goals |
| Technology (e-governance, digital services) | Low performance or morale |
| Citizens’ rising expectations | Staff demands and grievances |
| Economic and political change | Restructuring and new programmes |
| Globalisation and competition | New systems such as MIS |
2. Types of change
- Planned change: decided and managed on purpose (administrative reform).
- Unplanned change: forced by events (disasters, pandemic).
- Structural, technological, people (behavioural) and process change.
- Incremental (small, gradual) or transformational (large, basic) change.
3. Lewin’s three-step model of change
- Unfreezing: prepare people for change; show why the old way must change.
- Changing (moving): introduce new methods, structures or behaviour, with training and support.
- Refreezing: make the new way stable through rules, rewards and habits.
4. Resistance to change
Why people resist:
- Fear of the unknown and insecurity about jobs.
- Loss of power, status or benefits.
- Habit and comfort with the old way.
- Lack of information or trust.
- Poor timing or too many changes at once.
How to reduce resistance:
- Education and communication: explain the reasons and benefits.
- Participation: involve staff in planning the change.
- Facilitation and support: training, counselling, resources.
- Negotiation: give something in return.
- Coercion (force) should be the last option, as it creates hidden resentment.
5. Organisation development (OD)
- Richard Beckhard defined OD as an effort that is planned, organisation-wide, managed from the top, to increase organisational effectiveness and health through planned interventions using behavioural science knowledge.
Features of OD:
- Planned and long-term.
- Covers the whole organisation.
- Based on behavioural science (attitudes, values, teamwork).
- Uses a change agent (internal or external consultant).
- Collaborative and action-research based: diagnose, act, evaluate.
6. OD process and interventions
- Process: problem identification → diagnosis → action planning → intervention → evaluation → stabilisation.
- Interventions (techniques): sensitivity training (T-groups), team building, survey feedback, process consultation, Management by Objectives (MBO), managerial grid training (Blake and Mouton), job enrichment, quality circles.
7. Change and OD in Nepal’s public administration
- Administrative reform commissions and committees have recommended structural and procedural reforms.
- Federal restructuring (2072) and employee adjustment were large transformational changes.
- Technology-led change: e-governance, online services, e-attendance, e-GP.
- Challenges: resistance, political interference, weak follow-up and lack of change leadership.
8. Change in practice: an example
When a ministry moves from paper files to an electronic file system, Lewin’s model applies: staff are told why the change is needed and trained (unfreeze), the new system is introduced with support (change), and new rules, targets and rewards make it the normal way of working (refreeze).
9. Overcoming resistance
| Method | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Education and communication | Explains the reasons and benefits |
| Participation | Staff help design the change and own it |
| Facilitation and support | Training and help reduce fear |
| Negotiation | Trade-offs where some lose from the change |
| Top management support | Shows the change is serious |
10. How this topic is asked in the exam
Objective items ask Lewin’s three steps, forces of change and OD interventions such as team building and sensitivity training. Subjective questions ask “Why do employees resist change and how can it be managed?” Give causes (fear of loss, habit, lack of information) and methods to reduce resistance.
📌 Key points to remember
- Change can come from external forces (law, technology, citizens) and internal forces (leadership, performance).
- Lewin’s model: unfreeze → change → refreeze.
- Resistance comes from fear, loss of status, habit and lack of information; reduce it with communication and participation.
- OD = planned, organisation-wide, long-term improvement using behavioural science (Beckhard).
- OD interventions: team building, survey feedback, sensitivity training, MBO, managerial grid.
Test yourself: Organisational Change and Organisation Development (OD)
50 questions on Forces of change, Resistance to change and Change and OD in Nepal’s public administration. Each attempt picks 25 at random.