Revisiting resistance to change and how to manage it: What has been learned and what organizations need to do

Resistance to change can be a significant factor in the success or failure of changes. As such, researchers have spent more than a half century studying the causes of resistance and how to manage it. Much can be learned from resistance literature that applies to today's unparalleled, nonstop change in which an organization's ability to manage resistance to change can not only impact the change's success or failure but also determine whether an organization will survive or thrive. This article explores important lessons revealed via resistance literature, and more importantly, how such knowledge applies to managing change in the modern world. The article emphasizes the urgent need for organizations to become skilled at effectively managing change and resistance to change and offers recommendations on how they can do so. & COPY; 2022 Kelley School of Business, Indiana University. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.