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ACCA Strategic Professional · Strategic Business Leader · Managing strategic change

Orlin Retail has completed a store redesign programme. Sales initially rose, but within a year managers and staff had returned to old routines and the new customer-service practices faded. According to Lewin's three-stage model, which stage was most likely handled inadequately?

Refreezing was handled inadequately. Lewin's final stage embeds new behaviours through reinforcement such as rewards, systems and cultural support. Because staff reverted to old routines after an initial improvement, the change was not stabilised, even though the movement stage had produced early results.

  1. AUnfreezing, because staff were never told the old routines were wrong
  2. BMoving, because sales did not rise further
  3. CRefreezing, because the new behaviours were not reinforced through systems, rewards and cultureCorrect
  4. DForce field analysis, because it is a stage that follows refreezing

Explanation

Lewin's stages are unfreeze, move (change) and refreeze. Reverting to old routines after the change shows the new behaviours were not embedded. Refreezing requires reinforcement through rewards, structures and culture. Sales rising initially suggests moving did take place, and force field analysis is a separate tool and not a stage.

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