Showing papers in "Journal of Change Management in 2010"
TL;DR: In this paper, the most frequently identified steps in the organizational change process are identified, and a review of the literature related to change drivers is presented, followed by a discussion of how change drivers vary in terms of their effect.
Abstract: This theory-building article advances prior research related to change drivers and the organizational change process. First, we identify the most frequently identified steps in the organizational change process. Second, we summarize the literature related to change drivers, clarifying each driver, and we link each change driver to the most frequently identified steps in the organizational change process. This allows exploration of the relationship between change drivers and the steps in the change process, as well as discussion of how change drivers vary in terms of their effect. Our contribution to organizational change theory include reviewing and clarifying change drivers in prior research, and linking the drivers to specific steps in the organizational change process.
196 citations
TL;DR: A critical, narrative review of existing findings from the organizational behavior literature on the assessment of employee commitment to change initiatives is provided in this article, focusing on the need to clarify the dimensionality of change commitment, its measurement, its relationship to organizational commitment, and its relationship with culture.
Abstract: This article provides a critical, narrative review of existing findings from the organizational behavior literature on the assessment of employee commitment to change initiatives. First, articles that have assessed commitment to change and attempted to link it to antecedents and/or outcomes are analyzed. Second, implications of these results and recommendations for future research are provided, focusing on the need to clarify the dimensionality of change commitment, its measurement, its relationship to organizational commitment, and its relationship to culture.
171 citations
TL;DR: Although institutional processes and structures operate from the most micro interpersonal level to the most macro transocietal level, most research during the past few decades has concentrated on higher levels, such as the organization field as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: The study of institutions has a long history, but recent efforts stress the significance of symbolic elements in shaping social life. Although institutional processes and structures operate from the most micro interpersonal level to the most macro transocietal level, most research during the past few decades has concentrated on higher levels, such as the organization field. Institutional scholarship has been strongly influenced by structuration theory and, as a consequence, has given increasing attention to processes of institutional reinforcement and change. Directions of development showing promise include attention to intermediaries in fields, social movement processes, instituted modes of change, and transnational institution-building.
159 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue for a multi-philosophy approach that applies an interactive mix of continuity and change, which helps to guard against complacency and inertia and underpins an organization's capacity both to exploit and explore.
Abstract: The underlying assumption of the classical, linear approach to organizational change is that it involves a series of predictable, reducible steps that enable senior management to establish a new work order and routines. This article confronts the conventional assumption that change is a finite, one-off phenomenon, representing the exception rather than the rule. Beginning with the rational change model as an exemplar, and subsequently by examining 10 organizational change philosophies, this article reviews the fundamental assumptions governing different change management approaches. In revealing the biases and uni-dimensional nature of theoretical philosophies of organizational change, this article argues for a multi-philosophy approach that applies an interactive mix of continuity and change. Managing the continuity-change continuum helps to guard against complacency and inertia, and underpins an organization's capacity both to exploit and explore.
134 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a qualitative study of middle managers in an insurance company reveals how middle managers through political actions influence the sensemaking of others, including their superiors, and they suggest that middle managers have an influence on superiors' sensemaking by exerting the power of meaning.
Abstract: Middle managers play an important role when organizational change is to be implemented. The objective of this article is to identify what political tactics middle managers exert to influence change outcome. A qualitative study of middle managers in an insurance company reveals how middle managers through political actions influence the sensemaking of others, including their superiors. Drawing on sensemaking and sensegiving theory and political literature, middle managers' divergent actions during change implementation are examined. The findings suggest that middle managers have an influence on superiors' sensemaking by exerting the power of meaning. Middle managers mobilized resource power, such as expertise in the business, as a powerful platform for controlling the change process. The article allows insight into how skilled political actors operate. It contributes to the change literature by demonstrating a tight coupling between practice, politics, and change outcomes. It also expands our understanding...
107 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explored the relationship between workplace coaching skills and the perceived costs and benefits of adopting coaching skills from a Stages of Change perspective and found that the perceived benefits of employing coaching behaviors did not differ across different stages of change.
Abstract: Although many managers receive training in workplace coaching skills in order to enhance employees' performance and facilitate organizational change, little is known about managers' perceptions of the costs and benefits of adopting workplace coaching behaviors. This study explored the relationships between workplace coaching skills and the perceived costs and benefits of adopting coaching skills from a Stages of Change perspective. This is the first study to examine these issues. Participants were 99 executives and managers from a range of occupations. Findings were broadly as predicated by the Transtheoretical Model of Change. Individuals in the early stages of adopting coaching behaviors had lower self-efficacy and lower coaching skills than those in the latter stages. The perceived benefits of adopting coaching behaviors did not differ across different stages of change. The perceived costs of adopting coaching behaviors were significantly lower in the latter stages of change, but findings suggest that ...
78 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present the results of a study based on interviews with leaders from 33 organizations who were each asked to recount two stories of organizational change that they had been involved with in a leadership role.
Abstract: In attempting to understand the reasons for change failure it has been argued that research has generally been inadequate in addressing the broader contextual factors involved in the change process. In order to focus on these it is important to understand that leaders working on change implementation need to recognize that they act within a complex organizational system. Failure to recognize this can result in ‘stuckness’. However, leaders not only fail in change implementation through their lack of knowledge on systemic issues, but, in some cases, either unconsciously or consciously reinforce the systemic patterns that cause the organization to remain stuck and thus impair the implementation of the change. This article presents the results of a study based on interviews with leaders from 33 organizations who were each asked to recount two stories of organizational change that they had been involved with in a leadership role. Analyses of the data indicated that the leaders' ‘blindness’ to organizational s...
76 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors draw on rich qualitative data to provide evidence of issues faced by organizations as they try to realize benefits from investments in IT-enabled change, and as they tried to develop and enhance their benefits realization capability.
Abstract: The successful management of change continues to be a major issue for organizations. This article draws on rich qualitative data to provide evidence of issues faced by organizations as they try to realize benefits from investments in IT-enabled change, and as they try to develop and enhance their benefits realization capability. Several of these issues are not effectively covered by previous research, for example managing the overall portfolio of change initiatives and how to develop the capacity of the organization for benefits realization. The research also provides empirical evidence that supports the theoretical propositions from dynamic capability theory that routines (practices) are often similar across different organizations, and that organizations go through a number of stages in developing competences. A further contribution of the research is to develop an enhanced model of an organizational competence, which has important implications for the action required to develop competences.
75 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a group engagement model was proposed to understand how procedural justice affects organizational identification which in turn should have an affect on employees' cooperation (commitment to change, values-congruence fit, and change-supporting behavior) in the context of organizational change.
Abstract: Employee cooperation is fundamental for accomplishing successful organizational change processes. Therefore, it is important to understand how employees' cooperation can be supported in the context of organizational change. Based on the group engagement model, we hypothesized how procedural justice affects organizational identification which in turn should have an affect on employees' cooperation (commitment to change, values-congruence fit, and change-supporting behavior) in the context of organizational change. To test the fit of the proposed model, structural equation models were calculated using both cross-sectional (N = 315) and longitudinal (N = 110) data of academic staff at a German university. Results indicated adequate data fit to our proposed model and revealed that organizational identification mediated the positive effects of procedural justice on affective commitment to change and values-congruence fit. The assumed mediating effect of organizational identification on the positive relationshi...
74 citations
TL;DR: Taylor et al. as discussed by the authors report on the findings of a qualitative study of the role of the human resources function in managing change in two public sector organizations in the UK and argue that human resources functional contributions to managing change can be analyzed along two axes which capture the degree of proactivity of human resources department in managing both the content and the process of change.
Abstract: Prior studies have suggested that one of the main roles of a strategic human resources department is the management of change. Whilst there have been a considerable number of prescriptive recommendations about how human resources departments should go about this, there has been little empirical research that explores exactly the kinds of roles that Human Resources departments play in day-to-day practice in managing change programs. Such evidence as there is suggests that rhetoric has moved ahead of reality, with many human resources functions playing a very limited role in managing change. This article reports on the findings of a qualitative study of the role of the human resources function in managing change in two public sector organizations in the UK. It is argued that human resources functional contributions to managing change can be analyzed along two axes which capture the degree of proactivity of the human resources department in managing both the content and the process of change. This gives rise to four potential human resources roles: Change Driver, Responsive, Change Focused and Human Resources Focused. Two case studies illustrate alternative approaches along these two dimensions. Hence, for human resources departments to play a strategic role in managing change, they need to adopt a proactive approach along both dimensions and not just one. The article builds on prior research into change agency within a planned, functionalist approach to organizational change, and contributes to debates around the management of micro-level change processes. © 2010 Taylor & Francis.
65 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a sense-making approach is proposed to better understand the phenomena with which they are confronted in organizational change and enrich OD interventions by a more explicit focus on actors' habituated patterns of sensemaking and action.
Abstract: Organization development (OD) has traditionally devoted much attention to organizational change. Recently, however, questions have emerged concerning OD's relevance to solve issues of stagnation in change processes. In this article, it is argued that traditional OD's basic assumptions about people, organization and change may cause a certain myopia with regard to problems that result from patterns of action that people have constructed in their mutual interactions and that may lead to stagnation or deadlock. The goal of this article is to study how a sensemaking approach might help OD practitioners to better understand the phenomena with which they are confronted in organizational change and enrich OD interventions by a more explicit focus on actors' habituated patterns of sensemaking and action. This article describes such a pattern in a police organization, its implications for the change process and lessons for OD assumptions, theory, and interventions.
TL;DR: In this article, a theoretical understanding of what it is about organizations that can change, based on Berger and Luckmann's (1966) social constructionist framework, is presented, with three distinct change processes that take place as a consequence of OD interventions.
Abstract: A great deal of commentary and controversy about the state of organization development (OD) has to do with a lack of clarity regarding what it is about organizations that can be affected by an OD effort. Recent initiatives suggest that a new set of OD practices are emerging, based on a social constructionist orientation. With this in mind, this article aims to contribute to a theoretical understanding of what it is about organizations that can change, based on Berger and Luckmann's (1966) social constructionist framework. It describes three distinct change processes that take place as a consequence of OD interventions. The article ends with a discussion of some of the implications for OD practice, specifically with regard to ‘programming’ dialogue as the main vehicle for change.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the mediating role of commitment to change on the relationship between role ambiguity/job insecurity and behavioral support for change, and found that role ambiguity and job insecurity were negatively related to both commitment-to-change and behavior change.
Abstract: The public sectors in many developing countries have undergone major restructuring over the past decades. Earlier research suggests that such restructuring is inherently linked to feelings of ambiguity and insecurity among employees, undermining behavioral support for change, and thus, chances of change success. Using survey data from a restructured public sector organization in Pakistan, this study investigated the mediating role of commitment to change on the relationship between role ambiguity/job insecurity and behavioral support for change. The results show that role ambiguity and job insecurity were negatively related to both commitment to change and behavioral support for change. More importantly, however, the results support the notion that the negative effects of role ambiguity and job insecurity on behavioral support for change are fully mediated by individuals' commitment to change. The study emphasizes the importance of mobilizing commitment to change in restructuring processes.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used case studies of family-owned firms to assess the organizational capabilities necessary for survival under conditions of environmental volatility, and found that the life-cycle of family firms, the role of the founder, control systems and the professionalization of the management team, and ownership issues most strongly influence the capabilities of these firms.
Abstract: This article uses two case studies of family-owned firms to assess the organizational capabilities necessary for survival under conditions of environmental volatility. Both organizations belong to the edible oil industry and are among Argentina’s leading oilseed processors and exporters. The most-adaptable firm undertook transformations involving continuous change, while the less-adaptable firm displayed a more revolutionary attempt at transformation. The outcome of the transformation process in the most-adaptable firm does not conform to patterns portrayed in the literature on adaptation and change, which involve long periods of stability or convergence and short periods of revolutionary change. We find that the life-cycle of family firms, the role of the founder, control systems and the professionalization of the management team, and ownership issues most strongly influence the capabilities of these firms.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors provide insight into the factors that influence change in Chinese management accounting practices and find that the size of the firm, foreign partner and level of knowledge of senior managers and employees have positive bearing on the changes in management accounting practice of the foreign-partnered joint ventures.
Abstract: This study provides insight into the factors that influence change in Chinese management accounting practices. Multivariate analysis indicates that the size of the firm, foreign partner and level of knowledge of senior managers and employees have positive bearing on the changes in management accounting practices of the foreign-partnered joint ventures. The size and level of knowledge of senior managers appear to influence changes in management accounting practices. However, no support is found for the hypothesis that the Chinese government has a significant influence on the changes in management accounting practices of joint ventures and state-owned enterprises.
TL;DR: In this paper, actor network theory and following the trails found in interviews regarding change at an eastern North American community college was used to explore the intersecting stories and persistent actors that contribute to the implementation of an organizational change strategy.
Abstract: When considering successful organizational change strategies, the prescriptions usually include some strong sense of leadership; a champion for the cause of change. Likewise there is often the suggestion of the requirement for a commitment to change on the part of others in the organization. Yet organizations and their associated actors are held in a social context which is both fluid and persistent at different times and locations. This study suggests that we may gain some useful insights about organizational change through following the breadcrumb trails that these actors leave in their stories about what they did and how change happened. Through employing actor network theory (ANT) and following the trails found in interviews regarding change at an eastern North American community college, this study explores the intersecting stories and persistent actors that contribute to the implementation of an organizational change strategy. This is an examination of the particular situation of a change leader who...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explore the success and subsequent failure of the Russian oil company Yukos, using the dual lenses of the resource-based view and institutional theory, and conclude that the failure resulted from a combination of factors linked to the internal capabilities of the organization, its external environment and the leadership of its chief executive officer.
Abstract: This article uses case research to explore the success and subsequent failure of the Russian oil company Yukos, using the dual lenses of the resource-based view and institutional theory. Yukos' failure resulted from a combination of factors linked to the internal capabilities of the organization, its external environment and the leadership of its Chief Executive Officer. The organization failed to develop the dynamic capabilities to sense and shape opportunities and threats in the changing institutional environment. It lacked political competences and failed to pursue non-market strategies. Ultimately, it failed to co-evolve with its institutional environment, resulting in poor organizational and environmental fit, and lack of legitimacy, due to the non-congruence of its organizational values with its organizational context. Yukos' transformation into the leading Russian oil company in terms of financial and market indicators blinded it to the fact that such criteria were no longer key for survival in a c...
TL;DR: In this paper, Wang et al. compared the strategic choices of firms operating in the more-developed eastern China against those operating in less-developed western China and found that east-based firms tend to make choices that are less defensive and more risky, while westbased firms select more risk-averse options.
Abstract: The study of how firms change their strategic behavior is extensive, yet little research has been performed on strategic change in a transitional context. This study seeks to broaden understanding of strategic behavior by contrasting the strategic choices of firms operating in the more-developed eastern China against firms operating in the less-developed western China. In these varying institutional settings, findings suggest that changes in a firm's strategic pattern can be described using Miles and Snow's typology. Change patterns are determined by institutional characteristics and are associated with firm capabilities. The findings also show that, even though capabilities appear to be similar, east-based firms tend to make choices that are less defensive and more risky, while west-based firms select more risk-averse options. These findings are important for the design of major change, in particular, in institutionally differentiated environments, such as those in Europe. The findings also suggest that ...
TL;DR: The present study offers empirical evidence drawn from a mixed group of practitioners responsible for the care of the adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse who have shared their insights into effective patient care and are prepared to question some of the taken for granted beliefs inherent in their training and traditional practice.
Abstract: Institutional logics and professional change has challenged researchers to identify in micro terms the empirical evidence for change in day-to-day working practices and professional practices. This lack of evidence is not made any easier by the professional boundaries which can bedevil openness between professionals, even where they may be working in the same teams. Nowhere is this clearer than among medical teams where it is accepted that professional knowledge is to be defended from outsiders and where treatment of patients is to be defended from alternative practices. The present study offers empirical evidence drawn from a mixed group of practitioners responsible for the care of the adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Meeting together they have shared their insights into effective patient care and are prepared to question some of the taken for granted beliefs inherent in their training and traditional practice. Not only do they find much which they hold in common about good practice, but they d...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that diversity and complexity are strengths not weaknesses of a sustainable organization development (OD) network and stress that a diverse set of ambitions can be discussed, promoted, fostered, accommodated, and realized.
Abstract: From this Delphi study among Dutch experts, the future of organization development (OD) emerges as a loosely coupled community of practice, linking very diverse members, professionals as well as scholars One finds different priorities and values in this community, some of them even dilemmatic The authors argue that diversity and complexity are strengths not weaknesses of a ‘sustainable’ OD Referring to organizational concepts such as requisite variety and resilience, the authors stress that OD networks should, in the future more than in the past, make sure that a diverse set of ambitions can be discussed, promoted, fostered, accommodated and realized
TL;DR: In this article, the authors introduce various specific flexibilities found within the broader psychological literature, integrate these with leader flexibility, and identify thematic patterns across the specific Flexibilities, in order to better understand leader flexibility.
Abstract: Scholars and practitioners have identified leader flexibility as a determinant of leader emergence and effectiveness. Yet the existing literature on leader flexibility describes it as a general capacity to respond well to situational requirements. Described as a general capacity, it is difficult for leaders to consider specific strategies to develop flexibility. By looking at flexibilities (e.g. cognitive, emotional, and interpersonal) available in other literatures, we can deepen our understanding of the multi-dimensionality of leader flexibility. The purpose of this article is to: (a) introduce various specific flexibilities found within the broader psychological literature, (b) integrate these with leader flexibility, (c) identify thematic patterns across the specific flexibilities, in order to (d) construct a general framework to better understand leader flexibility. The article contributes to the literature by offering a detailed and nuanced version of the flexibility construct as it applies to leade...
TL;DR: In the UK, the emphasis of the UK academy has been forced away from teaching towards research as mentioned in this paper, which has resulted in a poorer system that serves less well both faculty and students, and a league table culture has swept the sector, with extremely negative results in terms of both quality and standards.
Abstract: Since the end of the Second World War higher education in the United Kingdom has experienced profound modification, as it has moved from an elite to a mass system. Whilst many of the ensuing changes have been for the better, some have resulted in a poorer system, that serves less well both faculty and students. In particular, and as a result of political motives emanating from successive governments, the emphasis of the UK academy has been forced away from teaching towards research. At the same time, a league table culture has swept the sector, with extremely negative results in terms of both quality and standards. The imposition of these changes has, however, been aided and abetted from within the sector itself, as self-regulation by the academy has been replaced by a frankly managerialist agenda embraced by university senior executives.
Journal Article•
TL;DR: The tenth volume of the Journal of Change Management (JCM) was published by Routledge in 2000 as mentioned in this paper, and it has experienced significant progress and development, and has attracted a growing number of contributors.
Abstract: Welcome to the tenth volume of Routledge's Journal of Change Management Since Professor Colin Carnall founded the Journal in 2000, we have experienced significant progress and development, and hav
TL;DR: In a recent survey by McKinsey & Company, the authors of as mentioned in this paper found that some two-thirds of all change initiatives failed, which is not out of line with the rest of the change literature which regularly quotes failure rates of between 60-90% (Burnes, 2009).
Abstract: A recent survey by McKinsey & Company (2008) concluded that only by changing constantly could organizations hope to survive. This echoes what most writers have been saying for the past two decades (Kotter, 1996; Kanter et al., 1992; Beer and Nohria, 2000; Stacey, 2007). However, the McKinsey survey also found that some two-thirds of all change initiatives failed. Whilst this seems to be a staggeringly high rate of failure, it is not out of line with the rest of the change literature which regularly quotes failure rates of between 60– 90% (Burnes, 2009). For example, Bain and authors claim the general failure rate is 70% (Senturia et al., 2008) but that it rises to 90% for culture change initiatives (Rogers et al., 2006). In a survey of the change literature, Smith (2002, 2003) found a similar failure rate. It appears, therefore, that for the last 40 years at least, far more change initiatives have failed than have succeeded. However, how reliable and representative are these figures? Whilst some studies are clearly based on extensive literature reviews which identify the failure rates of different types of change (Smith, 2002, 2003), others provide little information as to the data on which they are based or the types of change involved (for example, the surveys by Bain and authors; Rogers et al., 2006; McKinsey & Company, 2008; Senturia et al., 2008). Therefore, an investigation as to the validity and nature of the various estimates of change failure is long overdue. Alongside this sits the issue of why so many change initiatives appear to fail. Is it that most types of change are just so complex that most organizational change initiatives are inevitably doomed to failure? Are there some types of change or some types of organizations which experience more failure than others? Finally, and most importantly, how can organizations improve their chances of achieving successful change? Consequently, there are three areas which this special issue seeks to address:
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors selected the articles from the 2009 Academy of Management conference (AOM) and the 2009 British Academy OFM conference (BAM) for their analysis of the impact of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC).
Abstract: A major issue that managers are currently debating is whether the global financial crisis (GFC) is over and whether, as many experts suggest, it may have resulted in a new normal. Regardless of the answers to this debate, people in organizations are now facing the impact of the GFC. A new normal has important implications for the way managers deal with organizational change. The articles included in this Conference Issue were selected from the 2009 Academy of Management conference (AOM) and the 2009 British Academy of Management conference (BAM). The articles were selected because we felt they offered fresh insights to our understanding of managing change, a focus of particular importance under conditions of the new normal. The term new normal is believed to have been first used by PIMCO boss Mohamed El-Erian to recognize that changes in the early 2000 would not result in business as usual. The new normal presents organizations with a wide range of challenges that the selected articles start to explore. We see three major themes emerging:
TL;DR: Sminia and van Nistelrooij as mentioned in this paper provide the guest editorial to this special issue of Journal of Change Management on exploring theoretical foundations for organization development, which explores theoretical foundations of organizational development.
Abstract: Harry Sminia and Antonie Van Nistelrooij provide the guest editorial to this special issue of Journal of Change Management on exploring theoretical foundations for organization development