Beyond the Prosci Hype: A Pragmatic Decision-Support Framework for Selecting Change Management Methodologies

Abstract

Project management methodologies have long been the subject of structured comparison and selection frameworks (PMBOK®, PRINCE2®, ISO 21502, PM²). Yet, change management — the human and organizational counterpart of any transformation — remains surprisingly under-framed. Organizations embarking on large-scale industrial transformations (ERP globalization, MES roll-outs, digitalization programs) are often left to choose between branded methodologies (Prosci/ADKAR, Kotter) based on marketing reputation rather than operational fit. However, a critical dimension is systematically overlooked: the socio-economic context of the enterprise and the nature of the trigger event. A regulatory compliance deadline, a forced cloud migration following a hosting failure, or an urgent competitive threat demands a fundamentally different change approach than a long-term, fluid, compartmentalized transformation designed to preserve organic growth and internal stability. This paper introduces a structured, transparent, and pragmatic decision-support framework that explicitly integrates contextual urgency and environmental constraints as primary selection criteria. Five widely recognized frameworks are examined: · Kotter’s 8-Step Model (Harvard) · ADKAR (Prosci) · Lewin’s 3-Step Model (Unfreeze-Change-Refreeze) · Bridges’ Transition Model · McKinsey 7S (as a complementary strategic alignment framework) The focus is on operational pragmatism: ease of adoption, organizational integration, flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and, crucially, adaptability to the transformational trigger.