Resistance to change: A concept analysis

Abstract

The purpose of this concept analysis is to explore the concept of resistance and provide an operational definition for nurse leaders. While resistance has been deemed a major barrier to the implementation of successful practice change in popular literature, specific evidence as to how it is a barrier within health care organizations is lacking. The Walker and Avant model of concept analysis was used to analyze the concept of resistance. Literature searches utilized the Cumulative Index for Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PsychARTICLES, and Google scholar. Resistance is defined as an individual's behavior in response to perceived or actual threat in an attempt to maintain baseline status. It may be preceded by and amplified through mistrust, fear, and communication barriers, ultimately influencing the implementation, quality, and sustainability of the change. Historically resistance has been viewed with negative conations due to its potential impact on organizational success. However, resistance is a normal response to a threat to baseline status. Nurse leaders prepared with knowledge of resistance, including the antecedents and attributes, can minimize the potential negative consequences of resistance and capitalize on a powerful impact of change adaptation.

Meanings of being a change agent in implementing a new organisational culture in home care services: A phenomenological hermeneutic study

“…Resistance to change may be described as a person's behaviour as a reaction to a perceived or actual threat. 36 The resistance is a key barrier to culture change implementation 37 and may affect the sustainability and quality of change. 36 Factors contributing to resistance to change are an individual's extensive need for control, intolerance for vagueness, bad experiences of previous change attempts, unfavourable working climate in teams, and hierarchic organisations.…”

“…36 The resistance is a key barrier to culture change implementation 37 and may affect the sustainability and quality of change. 36 Factors contributing to resistance to change are an individual's extensive need for control, intolerance for vagueness, bad experiences of previous change attempts, unfavourable working climate in teams, and hierarchic organisations. 38 Resistance to change may arise if co-workers are not able to be involved in planning the change work.…”

Nurses as bridge builders: Advancing nursing through the diffusion of knowledge

“…Rogers' seminal work on the diffusion of innovations provides the ideal guide for a nurse bridge, whose success in healthcare depends on understanding how individuals make decisions about innovations, what attributes of innovations determine the speed and likelihood of their adoption, and why different categories of adoptors, such as early adoptors and the late majority, require additional time and different strategies to influence their adoption of a new idea (Doyle et al, 2013; Kaminski, 2011). This essential information can address resistance to change so well known amongst nurses (DuBose & Mayo, 2020) and physicians (Gupta et al, 2017). Armed with the essential knowledge of diffusion, nurse bridges, who wish to drive real change in healthcare, can master the art of influence (Laker & Patel, 2020).…”

Systematic literature review of interpretative positions and potential sources of resistance to change in organizations

“…Despite the importance of understanding the subject, there has been little discussion of these two RC positions together in the scientific literature. For example, Waddell and Sohal (1998) warned that the negative connotation of RC was the dominant approach at that time; DuBose and Mayo (2020) reinforced this statement in a nursing setting and highlighted that RC is natural in individuals; and Burke (2011) and Pardo del Va et al (2012) emphasized the need to consider the potential benefits of RC. However, the extent to which these calls have been taken into account today is unknown, and they can only be evaluated by consolidating and analyzing the available empirical evidence.…”