A positive approach to stress, resistance, and organizational change

The literature of organizational change is dominated by the idea that stress and resistance are two independent phenomena, and that they are immediate and natural reactions to organizational change. This paper suggests a model of organizational change that views the stress as a mediator between organizational change and resistance to change. According to this model, stress and resistance are not inevitable reactions to organizational change. Rather, what makes organizational change stressful or susceptible to resistance of employees is the way people are treated during implementation of the change. The model introduces strategies for reducing negative stress and resistance, and for increasing positive stress and positive health outcomes among employees adapting to change. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.