Question:
Planned and unplanned changes are not rare scenarios in all organisations. The two are different in these ways:
1. Planned changes are initiated by management. They are well thought off with a comprehensive execution plan. Unplanned changes on the other hand are due uncontrollable external conditions. Because they are unplanned for, management must swing to action and respond appropriately.
2. In planned changes, uncertainties are anticipated and mechanisms put in place to deal with them while unplanned changes are fraught with unforeseen eventualities that may hinder organizational performance.
3. With planned change, solutions to challenges and risks are thought through while unplanned change force management to make rush decisions.
4. Planned changes are more orderly while unplanned changes may be chaotic and cause a lot of resistance due to lack of preparation.