Perceptions like `nothing remains the same', `only change is permanent', `the only constant in our lives is change', `change is inevitable' , evoke insecurity. It seems that nothing is enduring or deep-rooted. Why do we eulogize change so much that we do not cherish `stability'? One cannot contest the importance of change but it has no significance without stability. This paper discusses the Law of Change and Stability—as derived from the First Law of Thermodynamics—and its relevance to the concept of change in organizations. It suggests a different perspective for looking at change and its management, both at the individual and the organizational levels.

Change management is a very popular concept today. Books, articles, and consultancies are providing ready-made prescriptions to manage change. Is change so difficult to manage or have we made it to appear so? Are our lives not changing daily? Do we bother much? Isn't change a very normal and inherent part of our lives? Then, why does the term, `change', send a shiver of apprehension down one's spine?

According to Axelrod (2003), a known organizational consultant, "traditional change managementdesigned to infuse new life, creativity and innovation into an organizationinstead, breeds increased resistance and cynicism. Instead of synergy, at times it results in polarization, with members of the change management team dictating strategy on one side, and the remainder of the organization hovering fearfully on the other. Instead of reducing bureaucracy as intended, change management actually increases it, creating a parallel organization of committee members who are supposed to represent a microcosm of the total organization, but end up operating in isolation. And, instead of leading to the creation of a team-based organization, it reinforces top-down management, as leaders try to force their version of change upon a resistant workforce."

The researcher feels that the process of change in organizations and the dynamics involved can be compared to the physical law of `change and stability', derived from the First Law of Thermodynamics. The similarity also highlights the fact that physical laws and their operations do not exist in isolation with the social world. Many useful insights about human nature and its interlinks with the working of physical elements is indicated.

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