21926 Chap.4 Lewin's Three-Step Model and Force Field Analysis
Lewin's Three-Step Model and Force Field Analysis
Three stages of planned change
The model taught in Week 2 under Kurt Lewin’s name moves an organisation through unfreezing, changing and refreezing, likened to melting an ice cube, reshaping it and letting it set.
Unfreezing builds motivation and readiness, changing introduces and supports the new way, and refreezing stabilises it in systems, rewards and culture so the organisation does not slide back.
Forces for and against
Force field analysis comes from Lewin’s field theory, which sees behaviour as shaped by the group setting.
Listing driving and restraining forces gives a first picture of a change problem, and the lecture advises supporting the drivers while weakening the restraints.
A set reading by Burnes and Cooke warns that the popular tool is less rigorous than Lewin’s original theory.
Critique and contested origins
Planned change is criticised for assuming stable states, linear progress, known causes and little politics, and for handling crises and radical change poorly.
A reading by Cummings, Bridgman and Brown argues that Lewin never developed the three-step model at all, so credit it carefully and judge it on its merits. Used that way, the model remains a clear framework for planning a change and for explaining it to others.
What this chapter covers
- 01
Field theory and force field analysis
- 02
Driving and restraining forces
- 03
Unfreezing and readiness
- 04
Changing with support
- 05
Refreezing and sustaining
- 06
Criticisms of planned change
Worked example · free
Build a force field for a newspaper's print decision
- 1Name the current state (print every weekday) and the desired state (online only on two weekdays).
- 1List the driving forces: falling print sales and rising printing costs push towards the desired state.
- 1List the restraining forces: older readers’ loyalty to print and print staff fears about jobs hold the current state in place.
- 1Recommend weakening the restraints rather than only adding pressure: keep a printed weekend edition for loyal readers and retrain print staff for digital production, then check the lists with readers and staff because the tool gives a first view, not proof.
Key terms
- Refreezing
- Lewin’s third stage, which stabilises a new way of working through aligned systems, reinforcement, embedded norms and monitoring for regression.
- Driving Forces
- Pressures that push an organisation away from its current state towards a proposed change.
- Restraining Forces
- Pressures that hold an organisation in its current state and work against a proposed change.
- Planned Change
- A deliberate move between a known starting state and a chosen end state, managed in stages decided in advance.
- Field Theory
- Lewin’s view that a person’s behaviour depends on the forces in the group setting, or field, around them.
Lewin's Three-Step Model and Force Field Analysis FAQ
What are the three stages of Lewin's model?
Unfreezing creates the motivation and readiness to let go of the current way of working. Changing introduces the new way with information, training and support. Refreezing stabilises it by aligning systems and structures, reinforcing new behaviour, embedding it in culture and watching for any slide back.
How do you do a force field analysis?
Name the current state and the desired state, list the forces pushing towards the change and those holding it back, then decide how to strengthen the first group and weaken the second. The lecture presents it as an initial view of a change problem rather than a complete diagnosis.
Is it better to increase driving forces or reduce restraining forces?
The lecture recommends doing both, and the Week 4 tutorial stresses reducing restraints, because extra pressure on the driving side often hardens resistance. Targeting a specific restraint, such as fear of losing a role, usually moves the balance with less conflict. Write one action against each restraint before adding pressure.
What are the main criticisms of Lewin's model?
Planned change assumes stable states and a linear path, unclear boundaries between stages, known causes and little conflict or politics. It struggles with rapid, radical and crisis-driven change that needs several responses at once, which limits its use for many contemporary changes. Use these points to balance any application of the model.
Did Lewin actually create the three-step model?
The lecture says evidence on this is thin and that Lewin may have written only about unfreezing. A set reading by Cummings, Bridgman and Brown argues he never developed the model and that it took shape after his death, so it is safest to present its authorship as contested.
Assessment move
Practise a force field on a change you have lived through: list two or three forces on each side, then write one concrete action against each restraint. Next, plan the same change in Lewin’s three stages and check that refreezing names a system, a reward and a measure, not just a date.
Finally, write a short paragraph applying the lecture’s criticisms to your plan, noting where the change was not linear or where politics mattered. Repeat with a crisis-driven change to see where the model strains, which is where a balanced critique gets its substance. Keep your best force field: it is a quick, visual way to open the analysis of an issue in either assessment.
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