The real cause of reengineering failure is not the resistance itself, but management's failure to deal with it. Resistance to change is natural and inevitable. The authors' advice is to meet and manage resistance. The reasons for resistance depend on how people feel about the new situation, and the reasons may not be logical or analytical. They suggest treating the disease rather than the symptoms.
Hammer reiterates that all change is loss.
Even when change is for the better, there is still loss. Change management is about helping people cope with this loss. Only a deep-seated belief in the right values can generate the passion and commitment that a reengineered process requires. Overlaying a new process on people with old process values will lead to confusion and failure. Reengineering requires a transformation of the basic values that have shaped people's behavior in large organizations for many, many years.