Still challenging “resistance to change”

Purpose This study aims to challenge the conventional view of “resistance to change” (RtoC) in organizational contexts, proposing a multilevel Force-Field framework (FFF) to reconceptualize RtoC, better characterized as reactions to change and integrate micro and macro perspectives on change management. Design/methodology/approach A literature search (1999–2024) across several databases identified 56 empirical and theoretical articles on RtoC, focusing on peer-reviewed studies from high-quality journals listed by the Australian Business Deans’ Council. Findings The review reveals that RtoC is not a universal or automatic response. The classic, overly simplistic RtoC formulation is individuals resisting change and organizations executing overcoming resistance strategies. The proposed FFF organizes helping and hindering forces across individual, organizational and environmental levels, highlighting nuanced responses such as support for change, dispositional resistance and ethical resistance. Organizational helping forces (e.g. leadership, communication) mitigate RtoC, while environmental forces such as social pressure influence change dynamics. Research limitations/implications The study is limited by its focus on articles using the search term “resistance to change.” Consequently, few or no articles were found in the organizational hindering and environmental hindering and helping categories, although in some cases there are rich literatures that could be accessed using different search terms. Future research should provide a holistic, integrative review exploring individual, organizational and environmental helping and hindering forces and multilevel interactions to enhance the understanding of responses to change. Originality/value This study introduces the FFF, a novel framework integrating micro and macro RtoC research, addressing calls for conceptual clarity and identifying new research frontiers, particularly at environmental and organizational levels.