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ACCA Strategic Professional · Strategic Business Leader · Managing strategic change

Meridian Bank has a force field analysis for adopting a new digital lending process. Driving forces: regulatory pressure (strength 4), competitor moves (4), cost savings (3). Restraining forces: staff skills gaps (5), legacy IT (4), cultural attachment to branches (3). The board must pick one action to unfreeze the situation with the best chance of lasting change. Which is most consistent with Lewin's approach?

The board should weaken the biggest restraining forces by funding a skills programme and phasing IT integration. Restraints total 12 against drivers of 11, and Lewin's approach favours reducing resistance rather than pushing harder, which tends to increase tension and fails to produce lasting change.

  1. AFund a skills programme and phased IT integration to weaken the largest restraining forcesCorrect
  2. BPublicise competitor moves more aggressively to raise that driving force from 4 to 5
  3. CImpose the process by decree, since drivers total 11 against restrainers of 12 and only a small push is needed
  4. DDelay the analysis until all restraining forces have vanished naturally

Explanation

Totals are 4+4+3=11 driving and 5+4+3=12 restraining, so the balance slightly favours the status quo. Lewin's preferred route is to reduce restraining forces, starting with the strongest, skills gaps (5) and legacy IT (4). Imposing by decree or only raising drivers risks heightened resistance, and waiting is passive. The decree option misreads the balance as justification for force.

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