Burke Litwin Model of Organisational Change explained
The Burke Litwin model helps you look beyond the surface of organizational problems to identify the underlying causes. Often, a change seems to stall due to behavior, motivation, or performance, while the real cause lies deeper in strategy, leadership, culture, structure, or systems. The model reveals which organizational components influence one another and where change must begin.
In this article, you’ll discover what the Burke Litwin model is, how the 12 elements are interconnected, and what the difference is between transformational and transactional factors. You’ll also find a real-world example, a step-by-step plan, a comparison with other change models, and recommended reading. This will enable you to use the model as a diagnostic tool to better understand change and address it in a more targeted way. Enjoy reading.
What is the Burke Litwin Model of Organisational Change
The Burke Litwin Model of Organisational Change is all about defining and establishing a cause-and-effect relationship. The model assumes 12 organisational elements that determine a change within an organisation.
The model derives its name from two organisational change consultants and was developed in the 60’s by W. Warner Burke and George H. Litwin.
It is a useful change management tool to better understand all aspects of an organisation and to view them from a perspective of change. In many cases, the various facets are taken too little into account, as a result of which a change can have negative consequences for both the organisation and employees.
In addition, the change model shows that the different elements are interconnected and influence each other. It is an ‘open system theory’ that assumes changes come from external influences.
The Burke Litwin Model as a framework
The Burke Litwin Model of Organisational Change establishes a framework in which four element groups within organisations are distinguished and presented in columns. The middle column is often referred to as the backbone of the model.
Figure 1 – Burke Litwin Model of Organisational Change
On the left is a column with the so-called hard elements, which are tangible and measurable, and on the right is a column with the so-called soft elements, which are mainly abstract.
The top four elements relate to the organisation as a whole and are also referred to as the transformational factors. These are deeply rooted processes and organisational characteristics that can be characterised as a corporate culture.
Every change that occurs herein has major consequences for the entire organisational structure. A lasting change therefore affects the entire organisation.
The middle four elements relate to the organisational structure, including the division of departments. These are also referred to as the transactional factors.
This concerns the daily activities that take place in organisations and their mutual cohesion. Who is responsible for what and how are departments and their mutual relationship structured. All activities in this group are influenced by the organisational structure and driven by management layers.
The final elements consist of performance. These are about both individual and organisational performance and focus on the output of organisations. In most cases, performance is measured in turnover figures or profit percentages.
At the same time, the amount of goods produced, or the degree of customer satisfaction can also be measured under performance.
Burke Litwin Model of Organisational Change: 12 elements
The 12 elements are grouped according to the element groups and are connected to each other. Due to them being connected, the 12 elements can also influence each other.
Below is a brief summary of all 12 dimensions from the Burke Litwin model:
External Environment
According to the model, it is especially external influences that are important for organisational changes. Think of the economy, competition, customer behaviour and politics and legislation.
When the influences from the external environment can be identified, this helps organisations to better understand the direct or indirect impact and act accordingly. An organisation has no control over external influences.
Mission and Strategy
This describes the organisation’s goal and the processes that ensure the goal and course can be realised. The vision, mission and accompanying strategy are defined by the highest level of management.
It is recommended that the organisation always checks whether these suit the position of the employees.
Leadership
This concerns the responsible positions that give direction to the rest of the organisation. Managers are responsible for developing a vision and motivating employees.
By having insight into key positions, this can be addressed in the event of a change.
Organisational Culture
Every organisations has its own values. This is less formal than the Mission and Strategy element, but is present across the entire organisation.
An organisation’s culture includes both explicit and implicit rules, including regulations, practices, principles and manners.
Structure
This concerns the hierarchical structure of the organisation, recognisable departments and formal communication channels. It also includes the position-oriented structure, such as responsibilities, authority, communication, decision-making and control.
Systems
This is about policy and procedures; mechanisms that are in place to help and support employees. Think of IT services, facility departments and internal customer support. It covers both employees and the organisation’s activities.
Management Practice
This is about the behaviour and activities of managers, which are generally aimed at implementing the overall strategy. How well do managers comply with the strategy and how do they deal with the resources at their disposal? How is their relationship with the employees? These are all questions that arise when discussing management practice.
Working Climate
This relates to employees’ experiences when it comes to the work environment. How do they experience mutual cooperation, how comfortable do they feel, and do they feel sufficiently rewarded for their effort?
The mutual relationship with colleagues and the extent to which an organisation makes employees happy are very important when discussing the working climate.
Tasks and skills
This is about the (individual) task requirements and the alignment of the job description with employees’ expertise. What are the requirements of a specific job, and does this fit with the skills and knowledge of an individual employee? It is all about linking the right positions to the right employees.
Individual values and needs
This relates to the demands and expectations that employees have, including their remuneration, work-life balance, their role within the organisation and their responsibilities.
It is about the opinion employees have about the quality of their work and aims to discover their needs. In some cases, this may result in task expansion or even job enrichment, meaning the employee is given more responsibility.
Motivational Level
Motivation is about setting goals and inspiring and stimulating employees. The more motivated employees are, the more willing they are to dedicate themselves to the organisation.
Individual and General Performance
This dimension considers the performance level of both the individual employee and on a departmental and organisational level. As mentioned earlier, this can be measured on the basis of turnover, productivity, quality requirements, efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Application of the change management model
The Burke Litwin Model of Organisational Change is based on assessing organisational and environmental factors, which may be adapted to ensure a successful change.
The most dominant factor that causes organisational change is often the external environment. As a result, this requires organisations to adjust and change their mission and strategy, as well as the organisational culture and structure. The Burke Litwin Model of Organisational Change provides and effective strategy for managing organisational change.
However, its effectiveness depends on how well each of the 12 dimensions can be identified. Problems within organisations must first be diagnosed, after which an action plan can be created.
This requires the identification of the element group that causes the change. Subsequently, the specific element within that element group must be identified and analysed.
Once this is done, you can examine to what extent this has influenced other elements. Action can now take place by means of the action plan.
Applying the Burke Litwin Model in 6 Steps
The Burke Litwin model helps to analyze organizational change in a structured way. By examining the 12 elements step by step, a clearer picture emerges of the cause of a problem and the factors that influence performance, motivation, and behavior.
Step 1: Determine the reason for change
Start by asking why change is necessary. Is the pressure coming from outside the organization—for example, due to new legislation, competition, technology, or changing customer behavior? Or is the change arising from within—for example, due to low motivation, unclear processes, or disappointing results?
Step 2: Analyze the external environment
Examine which external factors influence the organization. Consider economic developments, market trends, customer expectations, the labor market, technology, and political or legal changes. These factors often serve as the starting point for adjusting strategy, structure, and working methods.
Step 3: Examine mission, strategy, leadership, and culture
Next, examine the transformational factors. Do the mission and strategy still align with the environment? Does leadership provide sufficient direction? Does the organizational culture align with the desired change? When these elements are not aligned, confusion, resistance, or a lack of focus often arise.
Step 4: Examine structure, systems, and management practices
Next, analyze how day-to-day work is organized. Are responsibilities clearly assigned? Do systems and processes support the chosen strategy? And do managers encourage behavior that aligns with the change? This reveals whether the organization is practically structured to enable the change.
Step 5: Analyze the work environment, tasks, skills, and motivation
Examine how employees experience the work environment. Do they have the right knowledge, skills, and resources? Are tasks clearly assigned? And do employees understand why the change is necessary? Motivation and the work environment largely determine whether a change is truly supported.
Step 6: Link the analysis to performance and actions
Link the insights to concrete performance metrics. Look not only at revenue, productivity, or efficiency, but also at quality, customer satisfaction, collaboration, and engagement. Then determine which actions are needed and which organizational elements these actions target.
By following these steps, it becomes clear where the change begins, which elements influence one another, and where improvement is needed. The Burke-Litwin model thus helps not only to address symptoms but, above all, to reveal the underlying causes of organizational problems.
Practical example of the Burke-Litwin model
Suppose a medium-sized organization notices that customer satisfaction is declining. Customers report that inquiries are handled slowly, commitments are not always met, and communication between departments is unclear. At first glance, this appears to be a customer service issue, but the Burke-Litwin model takes a broader look at the underlying causes.
The analysis begins with the external environment. Customers expect faster service, more digital communication, and immediate feedback. The market has changed, but the organization is still operating with outdated processes and systems. As a result, the existing approach no longer aligns well with customer expectations.
Next, the analysis examines mission, strategy, and leadership. The strategy identifies customer focus as a key objective, but in practice, managers primarily focus on costs, production, and internal efficiency. This creates a disconnect between what the organization claims to value and what is actually rewarded and prioritized on a daily basis.
Structure and systems also play a role. Departments operate in isolation from one another, information is not shared effectively, and employees use different systems. As a result, it takes a long time to fully answer customer inquiries. This affects the work environment, as employees experience frustration and feel they cannot adequately assist customers.
In this example, the Burke Litwin model makes it clear that the decline in customer satisfaction is not due to a single cause. The problem is linked to external developments, strategy, leadership, structure, systems, work environment, and motivation. An appropriate action plan therefore focuses not only on employee training but also on better collaboration between departments, clearer priorities, appropriate systems, and leadership that actively supports customer-focused behavior.
In this way, the Burke Litwin model helps us look beyond visible symptoms. The model clarifies which parts of the organization influence one another and where change is needed to improve performance sustainably.
The Burke Litwin Model Compared to Other Change Models
The Burke Litwin model is often compared to other models for organizational change and organizational analysis. Each model has its own focus. The Burke Litwin model is particularly effective when you want to understand the root cause of an organizational problem and which components influence one another.
The main difference is that the Burke-Litwin model is primarily a diagnostic model. It helps identify which factors drive change and how these factors influence behavior, motivation, and performance. Models such as Kotter’s and Lewin’s are more focused on guiding the change process itself. The 7S model and the Nadler-Tushman Congruence Model primarily help assess whether organizational components are well aligned with one another.
In practice, these models can complement each other well. For example, the Burke-Litwin model can be used to analyze the problem and the interrelationships. Afterward, a model such as Kotter’s can help guide and ensure the change step by step.
Recommended books and publications on the Burke-Litwin model
The Burke-Litwin model helps to better understand organizational change and organizational performance. The model illustrates how various factors influence one another, such as the external environment, leadership, mission, strategy, culture, structure, systems, motivation, and performance. The books and publications listed below provide additional insight into organizational change, organizational diagnosis, systems thinking, culture, leadership, performance management, and the analysis of change processes.
- Armenakis, A. A., & Bedeian, A. G. (1999). Organizational change: A review of theory and research in the 1990s. Journal of Management, 25(3), 293–315. → Armenakis and Bedeian provide an overview of research on organizational change. This publication is relevant to the Burke-Litwin model because the model helps to view change processes not in isolation, but as an interplay between strategy, leadership, culture, behavior, and performance.
- Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2017). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership (6th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Jossey-Bass. → Bolman and Deal demonstrate that organizations can be understood from multiple perspectives, such as structure, people, politics, and symbolism. This aligns well with the Burke-Litwin model, because organizational change is rarely explained by a single factor.
- Burke, W. W., & Litwin, G. H. (1992). A causal model of organizational performance and change. Journal of Management, 18(3), 523–545. → This is the most important foundational publication behind the Burke-Litwin model. Burke and Litwin describe how organizational performance and change are influenced by interrelated factors, distinguishing between transformational and transactional elements.
- Burke, W. W. (2018). Organization Change: Theory and Practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. → Burke provides a broad and up-to-date foundation for organizational change. The book is relevant because it connects change management theory, diagnosis, and practice. As a result, it helps readers view the Burke-Litwin model not merely as a framework, but as a tool for analysis and intervention.
- Cummings, T. G., & Worley, C. G. (2019). Organization Development and Change. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. → Cummings and Worley provide a comprehensive overview of organizational development and change. This resource aligns well with the Burke-Litwin model because it addresses organizational diagnosis, interventions, culture, leadership, and performance improvement together.
- Kotter, J. P. (2012). Leading Change. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press. → Kotter focuses on leadership and driving change. This book is relevant to the Burke-Litwin model because leadership, vision, urgency, and behavior determine how change plays out within an organization.
- Lok, P., & Crawford, J. (2000). The Application of a Diagnostic Model and Surveys in Organizational Development. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 15(2), 108–125. → Lok and Crawford demonstrate how diagnostic models and surveys can be used in organizational development. This aligns well with the Burke-Litwin model, as this model is often used to systematically investigate where change stalls or where interventions are needed.
- Martins, N., & Coetzee, M. (2009). Applying the Burke-Litwin model as a diagnostic framework for assessing organizational effectiveness. SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 7(1), 1–13. → Martins and Coetzee apply the Burke-Litwin model as a diagnostic framework for organizational effectiveness. This publication is valuable because it demonstrates how the model can be used to specifically examine the cohesion among organizational units.
- Nadler, D. A., & Tushman, M. L. (1997). Competing by Design: The Power of Organizational Architecture. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. → Nadler and Tushman demonstrate how strategy, structure, processes, and people must align. This aligns well with the Burke-Litwin model, as organizational performance depends on the fit between different components of the system.
- Porras, J. I., & Robertson, P. J. (1992). Organizational development: Theory, practice, and research. In M. D. Dunnette & L. M. Hough (Eds.), Handbook of industrial and organizational psychology (2nd ed., Vol. 3, pp. 719–822). Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press. → Porras and Robertson provide a solid foundation for organizational development. This publication is relevant because the Burke-Litwin model is also intended to systematically analyze change and better target interventions.
- Weick, K. E., & Quinn, R. E. (1999). Organizational change and development. Annual Review of Psychology, 50, 361–386. → Weick and Quinn distinguish between episodic and continuous change. This is useful in the context of the Burke-Litwin model, as some changes are large and transformational, while others are more gradual and transactional.
- Schein, E. H. (2010). Organizational culture and leadership. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. → Schein is important for understanding organizational culture and leadership. His work aligns closely with the Burke-Litwin model, because culture, leadership, and underlying assumptions have a major influence on behavior, motivation, and performance.
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Original publication date: August 6, 2018 | Last update: July 15, 2026
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