Why does change so frequently become a political issue in organizations?

Answer 1

Due to the fact that change threatens the status quo, it inherently implies political activity. Internal change agents typically are individuals high in the organization who have a lot to lose from change. What if they are no longer the ones the organization values? Politics suggests that the impetus for change is more likely to come from outside change agents. Managers who have spent their entire careers with a single organization and eventually achieve a senior position in the hierarchy are often major impediments to change. You should expect that long-time career executives will be sources of resistance. This, incidentally, explains why boards of directors that recognize the imperative for the rapid introduction of second-order change in their organizations frequently turn to outside candidates for new leadership.