Implementation of BPR at a Public University in Ethiopia: A Fashion or a Solution?

Abstract

This research evaluates the factors that influence the implementation and consequences of business process re-engineering (BPR) . The study is based on a case of a university in Ethiopia. Using various individual and organizational change management theories, our study’s findings can have implications for forming policy. The study used primary and secondary data sources, capturing both quantitative information and qualitative information. Our findings suggest that the management system at the university was non-participatory and inadequate attention was paid to employees’ concerns in implementing BPR. In addition, lack of transparency in forming BPR teams, a discriminatory organizational culture, poor management commitments, centralization of resources, massive expansion, and external pressures overshadowed BPR’s implementation. As a practical implication of our study, we suggest that top managers and BPR team members need to commence their BPR planning process by listening to the voices of the ‘customers’ (students, academics, and administrative staff), celebrating academic freedom and adopting mutual consent on change matters, and creating a conducive environment that nurtures trust, ignites initiation, and contributes to personal development.