Abstract
Business process re-engineering (BPR) was presented as the key to successful organizational transformation in the early 1990s. In this paper we examine a BPR initiative at a medium-sized UK building society in order to explore whether BPR succeeded or failed and to place BPR within the wider context of an organization facing a merger. The study describes the development of a novel BPR methodology which combines both hard and soft modelling approaches and reveals a degree of success in terms of process modelling and gaining consensus on process content and faults. However, two more far-reaching initiatives served to drain away support from the BPR effort: a parallel organizational analysis undertaken by an external consultancy and the hidden (although rumoured) merger talks with a larger partner. Therefore it is inappropriate to view BPR as an isolated, strategic initiative when, in practice, it may be one of several competing change activities vying for support within a changing organizational context. The paper concludes by presenting a model of concurrent dynamics which helps to explain why BPR lost momentum.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
