Scott and Jaffe Change Model

Cynthia Scott and Dennis Jaffe developed the Scott and Jaffe Change Model and it also goes by the name of Scott and Jaffe Resistance Cycle. Kubler-Ross grief curve serves as the base of the Scott and Jaffe Change Management Model. They focus on psychological stages that people react to changes. Today, we’ll discuss Scott and Jaffe Change Model; various transition stages, benefits and challenges.

Scott and Jaffe Change Model

Scott and Jaffe Change Management Model outline how the change initiative impacts the employees. It focuses on how people adjust to the company’s changes when they finally happen. Having a comprehension of human psychology would help you to know how people react to the changes. Human beings have setup a defense system mechanism on how to reach in case of threat.

Human psychology plays a key role in dealing with uncertain and unknown changes. In order to deal with organizational changes in the modern workplace environment, people are following psychological techniques and strategies. Some of the main features of the Scott and Jaffe Model are as follows;

• Organizational changes occur gradually, and they present on the horizontal axis from left to right. The left side of the horizontal axis outlines the past event; the right side of the axis outlines the future event.
• The vertical axis focuses on overall awareness; it means that the priorities would change as time passes from being concerned with the outside world; it offers an introspective before giving the outer world a second priority.
• A U-shaped curve outlines the psychological transition a person experiences during the organizational transformation stage. The curve highlights the impact of changes on people in terms of growing disempowerment and regaining empowerment

Transition Stages of Scott and Jaffe Change Model

Some of the main transition stages involved in the Scott and Jaffe Change Model; they’re as follows;

Denial

Denial is the stage when people don’t accept the changes and they fail to acknowledge the fact the change is happening. People consider that everything is the same and nothing has changed in the company. However, they live under the false impression that everything is constant and normal, and this denial comes in various forms, shapes and sizes.

• Pretend that the changes aren’t occurring inside the company and they completely avoid the changes
• Act as change will never happen
• Feel anxious and it greatly impacts their performance

Resistance

Resistance is the second stage when employees and team members acknowledge the change occurring inside the company and they can’t avoid it. They have a fear of losing things like job, money, career, relationship and others. They believe in the fact that they’re losing things due to the changes. However, they start resisting the changes covertly and then they resist the changes openly with fierce criticism, rage, and frustration. They aren’t willing to participate in the change initiative.

As a result of resistance, it negatively impacts the company’s productivity and performance. It impacts organizational culture and relationship with their employees, team members, and stakeholders.

Exploration

Exploration is the 3rd stage when employees and team members stop resisting the changes and they acknowledge the change happening. They start thinking the meaning of changes to the employees and they also analyze the impact of changes on the company. However, it is a highly critical stage in the transformation process because any wrong move would cause resistance among employees.

The company develops coping strategies and it allows them to manage resistance during the exploration stage. It focuses on the priorities and the prospective objectives by empowering employees and team members to test procedures and methods gradually. If you have the risk of causing resistance among employees again, then you should address the resistance.

Commitment

Commitment is the final stage when they recognize various opportunities in the change project. It allows them to make a strong commitment to their future; they start taking control of things over time. However, they make a strong commitment to the future and accept the obligation of adopting changes.

Benefits of Scott and Jaffe Change Model

Let’s discuss the main benefits and advantages of the Scott and Jaffe Change Model and they’re as follows;

• Offers a framework and method of comprehending and managing changes
• Clarifies the process of change project and offers a roadmap to employees to effectively execute changes
• Helping change leaders to anticipate and manage changes effectively
• Building support group for change project to amplify the success rate
• Open communication to promote collaboration and coordination among employees and team members
• Developing new skills and expertise as they follow new methods of doing things

Challenges of Scott and Jaffe Change Model

Let’s discuss the main challenges and disadvantages of the Scott and Jaffe Change Model and they’re as follows;

• Every person reacts to the changes differently and they follow various stages based on their unique past experiences and their personality.
• Doesn’t acknowledge the external factors like cultural factors and people reach the change
• Oversimplify the change process and don’t consider the challenges involved in implementing changes.
• No clear guide to dealing with various types of challenges
• Doesn’t fully capture the diversity and complexity of the real world

Conclusion: Scott and Jaffe Change Model | Scott and Jaffe Resistance Cycle

After an in-depth study of the Scott and Jaffe Change Model; we have realized that Scott and Jaffe resistance cycle offers a unique perspective of managing changes. If you are learning about Scott and Jaffe resistance cycle; then you should keep in mind the abovementioned stages, benefits, and challenges.