Inertia and operating routines are the prime mechanisms of resistance to organizational changes

Inertia and operating routines are the prime mechanisms of resistance to organizational changes. When coupled with the fear of unknown, they make a formidable barrier that is hard to overcome. As Gharajedaghi (2011) noted, “A comfort level with the familiar, combined with fear of the unknown, creates a formidable force that may even override self-interest. People may genuinely become excited by a beautiful idea and even support it wholeheartedly. But as idea moves closer to implementation, insecurity and self-doubt set in. The supporters of the idea may then subconsciously sabotage their own efforts and prevent the change.” (p. 52). 

Therefore, change management based only on the rational side (e.g., empirically tested change management methodology) will always fall short of expectations if the emotional side of change is neglected. 

Reference:

Gharajedaghi, J. (2011). Systems Thinking: Managing Chaos and Complexity - A Platform for Designing Business Arhitecture. Burlington, MA: Elsevier.