Kotter and Schlesinger’s Four Reasons for Resistance

Kotter and Schlesinger identified four reasons why people may resist organisational change: parochial self-interest, misunderstanding and lack of trust, different assessments of the situation, and low tolerance for change. Each describes a different concern employees might have when a business changes how it works.

The four reasons

1. Parochial self-interest: People focus on what they personally stand to lose, such as status, pay, influence or job security. For example, a manager may oppose a restructure because it would reduce the size of their team.
2. Misunderstanding and lack of trust: Employees may not understand why a change is needed or how it will affect them. If they do not trust management, they may assume that even a change presented as beneficial hides a threat to their jobs.
3. Different assessments of the situation: Employees understand the proposal but disagree with management’s judgement. They may believe the costs or risks outweigh the benefits, or that another solution would work better.
4. Low tolerance for change: People may find it difficult to adjust, even if they accept that the change could help the business. They might worry about learning new skills or coping with an unfamiliar role.

For example, imagine a business introducing new software. One employee fears losing their specialist role (self-interest); another thinks the software will lead to redundancies because management has explained little (misunderstanding and lack of trust). A third believes the software is less reliable than the current system (different assessment), while a fourth worries they cannot learn it quickly enough (low tolerance for change).

Exam mistake to avoid: Do not treat every objection as fear of change. An employee who understands a proposal and has a reasoned objection is making a different assessment, not necessarily showing low tolerance for change.