Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of internal change agents in organizations.

Answers will vary. Change agents can be internal, such as managers or employees who are appointed to oversee the change process. Internal change agents have certain advantages in managing the change process. First, they know an organization's history, its political system, and its culture. Then, because they must live with the results of their change efforts, internal change agents are likely to be very careful about managing change. There are disadvantages, however, to using internal change agents. They may be associated with certain factions within the organization, be accused of favoritism, or be too close to the situation to have an objective view of what needs to be done. Please see the section "The Scope of Change" for more information.