Managerial perceptions of change at a national laboratory

Abstract

As a result of fundamental change in the environment, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is in the process of major organizational change. This paper reports the perspectives of four senior managers at the laboratory regarding the change effort and a major restructuring that took place at LANL. Describing the challenges the organization faces and the lessons they have learned, these managers provide a unique viewpoint of change at the laboratory, and organizational change in general. Several key lessons can be learned from the experience of LANL: (1) a well‐understood vision/mission is essential to organizations undergoing major change; (2) major organizational change may take longer than expected; (3) top manager commitment and open communication are critical to the change effort; and (4) changes in structure must be supported by changes in other areas (e.g. compensation and training).