Theory Backgrounder: Lewin's Force Field Analysis

One of the cornerstone models for understanding organizational change was developed by Kurt Lewin back in the 1950s, and is still used by leaders today to plan change initiatives and inform decision-making. Lewin’s change theory can provide guidance needed to analyze the process of change and assist in identifying sources that either serve to propel change forward (driving forces) or create barriers (restraining forces) that prevent change from happening (Bozak, 2003).

Lewin considers three distinct and vital stages when describing the process of change: unfreezing the current level, changing or moving to the new level and refreezing at the new level (Bozak, 2003).
  • ‘Unfreezing’ involves identifying the current need or problem in the organization and thinking of ways to make it possible for people to let go of old patterns that were not effective (Bozak, 2003). The change leader is interested in identifying driving and restraining forces for change in this step.
  • ‘Changing’ involves the shift in thinking, feeling and behavior on the part of stakeholders that will better serve the organization and increase productivity. It is in this step that driving forces have equalized or overcome the restraining forces and the leader has gathered the necessary information to move forward with the proposed change (Bozak, 2003).
  • ‘Refreezing’ involves establishing or cementing the change as a new habit so it becomes common practice in the organization. The leader assists with maintenance and evaluation in this step as the change is incorporated into the system (Bozak, 2003).

Lewin’s operational framework for change is called a Force Field Analysis Model (Bozak, 2003). Force Field Analysis is a useful technique for looking at all the forces for and against a decision. Simply stated, it is a specialized method of weighing pros and cons (MindTools.com). By carrying out a Force Field Analysis on a present situation, a leader can plan to strengthen the forces supporting a decision, and reduce the impact of opposition to it (MindTools.com). Conducting a force field analysis is a powerful method for gaining a comprehensive overview of the different forces acting on a potential issue, and for assessing the source and strength of opposing forces.

The first step in implementing a force field analysis is to analyze the present situation and to diagnose the present state of affairs as accurately as possible. As described in the unfreezing stage, the change leader is interested in identifying driving and restraining forces for proposed change in this step and assessing their strength.

  • Driving forces are those that push in the direction for change to occur. They cause a shift in equilibrium towards change. Driving forces are factors that affect the situation by ‘pushing” in a particular direction; they tend to initiate a change and keep it going.
  • Restraining forces counteract the driving forces and oppose change to maintain the status quo (Bozak, 2003). Restraining forces may be likened to walls or barriers against change.
  • Equilibrium is the state in which the power of the driving forces is equal to that of the restraining forces therefore no change results.
Numbers ranging from 1 (weakest) to 5 (strongest) are assigned to each force to represent it’s perceived strength and impact on the change process. A score of 0 means that the force is not applicable to the change process. Once the forces have been clarified and scores assigned to reflect the relative strength of each force, the leader has the opportunity to devise strategies to strengthen and enhance the driving forces and to weaken or reduce the restraining forces (Bozak, 2003).

Please view the following video to further your understanding of Lewin’s Change Theory and the Force Field Analysis Tool:


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