FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS

By:

Robin Jadhav

Biki Sonar

Nirbhik Jangid

Ganesh Dutta

Kurt Lewin [1890 - 1947]

Kurt Lewin was an American

psychologist and having

contributed to science

group dynamics & action

research, but perhaps he is

being well known for

developing force field

analysis

IntroductionForce field analysis is an influential development in the field

of social science. It provides a framework for looking at the

factors (forces) that influence a situation, originally social

situations. It looks at forces that are either driving movement

toward a goal (helping forces) or blocking movement toward a

goal (hindering forces).

Force field analysis is a management technique developed by Kurt

Lewin, a pioneer in the field of social sciences, for diagnosing

situations.

Lewin assumes that in any situation there are both driving and

restraining forces that influence any change that may occur:

Driving Forces

Restraining Forces

Equilibrium

Lewin’s Three-Step Model of

Lewin Organizational Change

Purpose

Defining Concept of “Field”……

For Kurt Lewin behavior was determined by totality of an

individual’s situation.

In his field theory, a ‘field’ is defined as ‘the totality of coexisting

facts which are conceived of as mutually interdependent’.

Analytical Purpose

FFA is an analysis technique to identify forces that either drive or restrain planned change

aimed at solving a problem in an organization.

FFA can be used to:

Identify the forces which support change as well as those which will act against it.

Assess the causes of performance problems or inhibitors to business opportunities.

Evaluate the relative strength of forces that affect alternative solutions to

performance problems or business opportunities.

Help analyze and prioritize solutions to problems or areas needing improvement.

Field Force Process is …

Force-field analysis focuses our attention on ways of reducing the hindering forces and encouraging the positive ones.

WHY TO USE?

oUnfreezing – melting away

resistance

oChange – departure from the status

quo

oRefreezing – change becomes

routine

When to Use It:

It helps team members to view each case as two sets of off setting factors. It can be used to study existing problems, or to anticipate and plan more effectively for implementing change.

In problem analysis, force-field analysis is especially helpfulin defining more subjective issues, such as morale,management, effectiveness, and work climate.

Step 1. State the problem or desired state and make sure that all team members understand.

Step 2. Brainstorm the positive and negative forces.

Step 3. Review and clarify each force or factor. What is behind each factor? What works to balance the situation?

How to Use It?

Restraining forces

Driving forces

Status quo

Desired

state

Time

Force-field Model of Change

Carrying Out a Force Field

Analysis:

To carry out a force field analysis, follow the following steps:

List all forces for change in one column, and all forces against change in another column.

Assign a score to each force, from 1 (weak) to 5 (strong).

Draw a diagram showing the forces for and against, and the size of the forces.

Force-Field DIAGRAM

A model built on this idea that forces - persons, habits,

customs, attitudes - both drive and restrain change. It can

be used at any level (personal, project, organizational,

network) to visualize the forces that may work in favor and

against change initiatives. The diagram helps its user

picture the “Tug of War” between forces around a given

issue.

Example for F.F.A

The Force Field Analysis is a method to:

Investigate the Balance of Power involved in issue

Identify the most important player (Stake holder) & target

group for the campaign on the issue

Identify opponents and Allies

Identify how to influence each target group

HOW TO CONDUCT

Following steps are taken:

Describe the current situation .

Describe the desired situation .

Identify where the current situation will go if no action is taken .

List all the forces driving change toward the desired situation .

List all the forces resisting change toward the desired situation .

Discuss and interrogate all of the forces: are they valid?

Skills Required:

1. Good listening skills.

2. The ability to capture comments and help the group

to distill them into an action plan that minimizes/ removes

the negative forces and maximizes the positive forces.

Advantages

&

Limitations

of

F.F.A.

Advantages

Brings into the open factors which will work for and against

the closing of a gap

Identified by a needs analysis.

Helps to recognize circumstances which can and cannot be

changed.

Provides a means to analyze ways to minimize or eliminate

barriers to goal attainment.

The Limitations of Force Field

Analysis

Process is subjective and requires collaborative thinking and agreement

Concerning forces for and against the solution to a particular problem.

May oversimplify the relationships between factors that impact a problem.

All aspects of a problem may not be identified.

The Principal Characteristics of Lewin's field

theory is summarized as follows:

1.Behavior is a function of the field that exists

at the time the behavior occurs.

2. Analysis begins with the situation as a whole

from which are differentiated the

component parts.

3. The concrete person in a concrete situation

can represented mathematically.

This tool has a long history and still maintains its utility. Use

it when your team is blocked in some way or you need

to see the wider picture in a change program. It is an

essential tool and its simplicity is a profound way of

looking at an organization.

CONCLUSION