Criticism of the Four Rooms of Change

Are the Four Rooms of Change too good to be true? Why do we place so much importance on research findings from the 1960s and 1970s? Here, we address criticism of the Four Rooms of Change.

The Four Rooms of Change, also known as “the four apartment” an “the four rooms”, is based on research conducted by Claes Janssen beginning in the 1960s. This research culminated in the doctoral thesis Personal Dialectics: Self-Censorship, Outsider Experiences, and Integration (Liber, 1975).

From academia to business

During the 1980s, the business community began to take an interest in the Four Rooms model. Claes Janssen began lecturing and consulting on change management. Later, he was invited to collaborate with A&L Partners AB, and the concept slowly spread, initially mainly in Sweden and the US.

As the model has become more widespread, it has also been subject to criticism. This is perhaps natural, especially since those of us with practical experience are eager to share how effective it is and how “it just works.”

Research turns ideas into products and services

One common criticism of the Four Rooms of Change is that the research Claes Janssen used to develop the concept has not been verified by subsequent studies.

Academic research often leads to products and services outside the academic world. It is common practice for researchers to take their ideas outside the academic world and continue to develop them in a company or other organization.

This is also the case with the Four Rooms of Change.

New research on the Four Rooms is welcome!

Those of us who work with and develop the Four Rooms of Change naturally welcome further research into the concept and the results that Fyrarummaren brings. However, we are the ones driving business and operational development, especially those of us who are certified users. Our main interest is not verifying older research with new research.

The hundreds of thousands of participants around the world who have experienced the Four Rooms of Change for themselves have no problem with that. They see that it works. For individuals, it can mean personal development. In a classroom, it can mean an end to bullying. In an industrial group, it can mean identifying ways to save millions of dollars.

Do you have questions about the Four Rooms of Change?

If you have questions about criticism of the Four Rooms of Change, please contact us. We are open to discussion. If you would like to conduct your own research on the Four Rooms of Change, please get in touch.

Read more about the Four Rooms of Change

• Main page about the Four Rooms of Change
• The Four Rooms of Change as a theory
• The models in the Four Rooms of Change
• The history of the Four Rooms of Change
• The Four Rooms of Change around the world
• Trademarks and rights
• Quality Assurance