Successful Change Management Research Articles

Sensemaking and sensegiving

PurposeChange management projects typically fail because they meet employee resistance created by emotional sensemaking processes. This paper aims to present an in-depth explanation for these failures and how change managers could avoid them.Design/methodology/approachThis study presents an argument in the following three steps: it begins with an empirically well-established fact that attempts at change management often trigger negative emotional responses; the moral foundations theory is then used to identify the typical categories of emotional responses that may result in resistance to organizational change; and the ordonomic approach to business ethics is built upon to substantiate the diagnosis that, in many cases, emotional responses cause employees to behave in a way that is collectively self-damaging.FindingsThe core idea of the current study’s contribution is that emotionally driven processes of sensemaking can easily become dysfunctional, especially in situations that require extensive change. Consequently, it should be top priority for managers to engage in sensegiving, which comprises: narratives that explain what is going on against the background of relevant alternatives and appropriate discourses that guide how employees form their expectations. In a nutshell, sensegiving attempts to reframe sensemaking processes.Practical implicationsEven if a win–win potential already exists, it can still be misperceived. If employees are used to thinking within a trade-off framework, this might trigger trade-off intuitions and negative emotions, in effect leading to a situation that makes everyone worse off. Such mental models might become a self-fulfilling prophecy. To counter such a tendency, sensegiving aims at a professional management of sensemaking processes. The task of successful change management, properly understood, is to create and communicate win–win potentials, ensuring that all parties involved understand that they are not asked to sacrifice their self-interest, instead they are invited to participate in a process of mutual betterment.Originality/valueThe literature on sensemaking draws attention to the empirical fact that resistance to change is typically driven by emotions. The moral foundations theory helps in exactly identifying which emotional dimensions are relevant in times of organizational change. The ordonomic approach to business ethics points out that – owing to their emotional nature – processes of sensemaking might fail, that they may mislead employees into behavioral patterns that are collectively self-damaging. Therefore, a top priority for management is to engage in sensegiving, that is, in (re-)framing sensemaking processes.

Towards Responsible Management Education: A Transformational Model

Objectives Although literature on the meaning and practice of responsible management education (RME) has recently been increasing in the field of business research, most of the literature is limited to a partial viewpoint, and a systematic approach to integrate related variables into a coherent context has been a rarity. This study presents a transformational model that integrates how to systematically approach a paradigm change of RME in business schools. Methods After conducting a review of the literature on RME, this paper provides a transformational model for an integrated and systematic approach towards a successful paradigm shift in business education. The model consists of three inter-connected components: people (i.e., professors), pedagogy, and institutions (i.e., business schools). Results Through the integrated transformational model, three interconnected components are described for the full implementation of the new paradigm in business education. This study proposes a dynamic relationship between each component and a successful paradigm change in management education. Conclusions The new management education paradigm change based on the principles of RME has become a matter of practice, not a matter of choice. There are technological aspects such as the management of business schools as an organization and teaching methodologies for successful change management in business education, but what is more important is the matter of the consciousness of professors. It is time to reflect upon the ontological purpose of teaching as a business professor and to recuperate a sense of calling.

Using action research for change in organizations: processes, reflections and outcomes

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide a commentary and recommendations on systemic approaches to designing and implementing change in organisations.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is a viewpoint on successful change management techniques using action research based on experience in the use of systemic thinking and systems practices.FindingsThe use of a systems approach to change using relevant systems practices enables more successful change outcomes.Practical implicationsChange management practitioners should utilise systemic approaches to enable more successful change implementation.Originality/valueThe paper provides valuable advice for practitioners and researchers in change management through the author’s unique experience in systemic change processes.

ValuedCare program: a population health model for the delivery of evidence-based care across care continuum for hip fracture patients in Eastern Singapore

BackgroundTo test a population health program which could, through the application of process redesign, implement multiple evidence-based practices across the continuum of care in a functionally integrated health delivery system and deliver highly reliable and consistent evidence-based surgical care for patients with fragility hip fractures in an acute tertiary general hospital.MethodsThe ValuedCare (VC) program was developed in three distinct phases as an ongoing collaboration between the Geisinger Health System (GHS), USA, and Changi General Hospital (CGH), Singapore, modelled after the GHS ProvenCare® Fragile Hip Fracture Program. Clinical outcome data on consecutive hip fracture patients seen in 12 months pre-intervention were then compared with the post-intervention group. Both pre- and post-intervention groups were followed up across the continuum of care for a period of 12 months.ResultsVC patients showed significant improvement in median time to surgery (97 to 50.5 h), as well as proportion of patients operated within 48 h from hospital admission (48% from 18.8%) as compared to baseline pre-intervention data. These patients also had significant reduction (p value < 0.001) of acute inpatient complications such as delirium, pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and pressure sores. VC program has shown significant reduction in median length of stay for acute hospital (13 to 9 days) as well as median combined length of stay for acute and sub-acute rehabilitation hospital (46 to 39 days), thus reducing the total duration of hospitalization and saving total hospital bed days. Operative and inpatient mortality, together with readmission rates, remained low and comparable to international Geriatric Fracture Centers (GFCs).ConclusionThe implementation of VC methodology has enabled consistent delivery of high-quality, reliable and comprehensive evidence-based care for hip fracture patients at Changi General Hospital. This has also reflected successful change management and interdisciplinary collaboration within the organization through the program. There is potential for testing this methodology as a quality improvement framework replicable to other disease groups in a functionally integrated healthcare system.

Implicit change leadership schemas, perceived effective change management, and teachers’ commitment to change in secondary schools in the Philippines

Implicit change leadership theory (ICLT) highlights the importance of determining congruence between the ideal and actual change leadership schemas of employees in successful change management. This paper utilized ICLT in exploring effective change leadership and management in secondary schools and examined how these influence teachers’ commitment to change. Data were gathered from 707 secondary school teachers from both private and public high schools in the Philippines. Findings indicated that (1) teachers seem to have a more holistic and integrative view of change leadership schemas than employees of business organizations, (2) teachers’ change leadership schemas significantly predicts perceived effectiveness of change management, and teachers’ affective commitment to change, and (3) perceived effectiveness of change management significantly mediates the effect of change leadership schemas on teachers’ affective commitment to change. This study expanded the applicability of ICLT in basic education settings and contributes to the understanding of effective change leadership and change management in schools. Implications on practice and further recommendations for school leaders are also discussed.

From Probation to Accreditation: Successful Change Management

Background: In 2015 our residency program located within a regional medical campus was placed on probation. Five of the 13 citations were related to the residents’ clinic experience. The resident clinic was encased within a medical culture of chronic opiate prescription management that did not provide a sufficient or balanced ambulatory education for internal medicine residents.&#x0D; Objective: This paper describes our experience of moving from a residency program within a regional medical campus on probation to full accreditation status over a 19-month time period.&#x0D; Methods: We used a project management approach with a strong coordinating council designed to empower leaders to effect change in the residency program, and in particular, the residency clinic. &#x0D; Results: We were able to create and enact a plan that extricated the residency’s ambulatory clinic from managing a panel of ~700 patients requiring chronic monthly opiate prescriptions. The patients were referred to community pain management providers for these prescriptions. We established a policy of providing no chronic opiate prescriptions in the residency clinic. Residency ACGME surveys from 2015 through 2017 demonstrated improved resident satisfaction. CG-CAHPS scores demonstrated a temporary decrease in patient satisfaction scores returning to previous baseline after a year.&#x0D; Conclusion: We employed a project management approach to 1) get our program off probation, and 2) change the focus of our residency’s ambulatory practice and re-establish its educational mission.

Rethinking Boundaries and Inequalities Related to Climate-Resilient Development: Lessons for Successful Change Management of Resource Use and Climate Governance

Rethinking Boundaries and Inequalities Related to Climate-Resilient Development: Lessons for Successful Change Management of Resource Use and Climate Governance

Employee Engagement and Organizational Change: A study on the Role of Employee Engagement in Successful Change Management Initiatives

Employee participation in organisational change management activities is the focus of this research. Organisational transformation initiatives may benefit greatly from the level of employee buy-in they get. This research delves into what "employee engagement" is and how it's defined, how it relates to effective change management, and what variables help or hurt engagement efforts. Employee involvement during organisational transformation is also studied, along with the methods, leadership practises, and communication techniques that boost it. The research also looks at the ethical implications involved in managing employee engagement during transition and the long-term influence of employee engagement on change results. Organisations may improve change outcomes by fostering employee engagement via a thorough grasp of the role engagement plays in change management.

Change equation effectiveness: empirical evidence from South-East Europe

Today’s highly volatile business environment has initiated a wide variety of changes within organizations of all industries (Hurn, 2012). Change dynamics, in general, is likely to increase in organizational context due to: Digital and innovation disruption; Shifting social and demographic trends; Growing knowledge-based economy and knowledge workforce development; More sophisticated customer needs; and Global economic integration and liberalization. Regardless of its root-cause, it has been argued that change occurs in various shapes, forms and intensity (Jarrett, 2008). Accordingly, many authors recognize that key factor of an organization’s effectiveness lie in the ability to adapt to ever-present change, while successful change management became a pattern for organizational survival and long-term sustainability.

Change Management: A Big Solution to Cope Up With IT Based Culture in 21st Century Libraries

Libraries today are characterized by ongoing quick change. Traditional libraries are very transforming into digital libraries speedily. This means that today, successful libraries are based on the management capacity to oversee and adapt to fast forward change. Thus, fast, a reliable, active and comprehensive countermeasure to overcome and manage change is the key for survival. Meanwhile there has been a new tool for the libraries are called Change Management. Change Management is a systematic activity to prepare an organization for and implement ongoing changes in operational environment. So to speak, change management is about innovative strategies and speedy activities to deal with variable and sudden changes. Generally, change management can address the large part of library activities from planning to control i.e. organization and its structure, product development, user satisfaction etc. Successful change management in library and information centers not only improves organizational structure which needs to be changed but also raises productivity up to the maximum level by modifying and complementing the existing organizational system. Through this, the users ’satisfaction level can be increased with a good image of changing services and resources. The present paper states the factors of change in detail. What are the problems faced by the librarians and the survival of libraries in the world of change is a major part of this paper. Four areas of change in libraries as Task, Technology, People and Structure are highlighted. Need for change in libraries constitutes a part of this paper. It elaborates how the librarians manage change to cope up with all hindrances created in changing environment.

A conceptual framework for successful salesperson role change management

PurposeThis study aims to provide a conceptual framework on salesperson role change process and, based on the framework, builds propositions to assist future empirical research in business-to-business sales force management and to help sales organizations better understand the changing salesperson role and successfully redesign their sales model.Design/methodology/approachThis study reviews and discusses the dynamics observed in the current marketplace and uses appraisal theory to claim that salesperson role change is individual salesperson’s affective decision and subsequent action after a cognitive appraisal of surrounding environmental changes. To support, this study presents a dichotomous classification on salesperson role and presents salesperson role change process that shows individual salespersons’ decision selectively made in the process.FindingsSalesperson role change is individual salesperson’s affective decision and subsequent action after a cognitive appraisal of surrounding environmental changes. The role change is individual salespersons’ decision selectively made in their role change process. In the process, they either replicate or transform their (prior) experience for learning and skill changes that subsequently change their role. The individual-led role change may not be found in every salesperson.Originality/valueAdvancing the traditional view on the evolving role of salespeople, this study holds a view for both unchanging and changing nature of salesperson roles. This study uses appraisal theory to show how salespeople make an adaptive decision based on the evoked emotions to change (or not to change) their roles. Unlike the earlier frameworks, the current salesperson role change process shows how individual salespersons opt to change their roles.

A method to predict change propagation within building information model

AbstractThis study examines problem of the management of design changes caused by the complexity of the design process and the lack of knowledge of all aspects of the design dependencies. This paper addresses the subject of design changes management in the context of a multidisciplinary collaborative environment of Building Information Modelling (BIM). Due to evolving role of BIM in designing of building projects and the increasing complexity of the design process a need to develop change management based on BIM methodology aroused. The application of BIM to construction projects has the potential to enhance the quality of information provided for making critical design decisions. Trusted change propagation is the key for successful change management. Paper describes developed method to predict the propagation of change through the building information model and provides the concept of visual technology to help designers to predict the change in the construction industry. The developed method includes the...

Emotional intelligence and successful change management in the Nigerian banking industry

Successful organizational change requires a supportive culture and competence development driven by exceptional leadership that can influence business strategy in allocating financial, human and material resources, processes and systems that focus on collaborative imperatives. Change management is the lubricant that oils the wheels of organizations in the race for competitive advantage. Many organizational change efforts face resistance mainly because of the method of implementation. Change Management involves the ability to communicate, influence, collaborate and work in harmony with colleagues. Emotional intelligence competencies allow organizational members to acknowledge the need for change, remove barriers, and enlist others in pursuit of new initiatives aimed at organizational success. Beginning in the late 1990s, banks in Nigeria embarked on change management through BPR that involved emotional intelligence competencies which saw the banking industry’s shareholders’ funds rising from minus N792m in 1996 to N1,935bn in 2011. The survey research design was used for the study, and data were analyzed to demonstrate the relationship between emotional intelligence and successful change management. It was found that EI has strong positive relationship with successful change management in the Nigerian banking industry.

Change management

Ensure services transform for the better by developing a successful change management programme across an entire organisation, in which challenges can be identified and addressed as early as possible

Successful takeovers and internal organizational variables: Experience from Croatia

Optimal acquisition strategy represents challenge for business world and academia. Academia tries to identify all factors and perspectives influencing success of acquisition strategy. The business reality is that most of M&As do not accomplish prearranged synergies and effects; therefore, the objective of this paper was to analyze the impact of key organizational variables on the success of acquisition strategy. The aim of this paper was to determine the impact of strategy, organizational structure, and corporate culture in the change process in target company. To this end, success of target company is defined by comparison of business performance prior and after the acquisition process by using financial indicators. Empirical research was conducted on the sample of target companies in Republic of Croatia in the period from 1998 until 2006. Data was collected via questionnaire followed with business performance analysis for the period of three years after the transaction’s execution. Empirical research has confirmed a statistically significant correlation between the radical change in the target’s strategy and its performance after the takeover. Likewise, research confirmed statistically significant correlation between changes in organizational structure and target’s performance after the takeover and statistically significant correlation between larger change in corporate culture and target’s performance after the takeover. Scientific contribution of this paper was the verification of importance of changes in strategy, organizational structure, and corporate culture for successful change management in target companies.

Driving quality improvements of radiation treatment services through a centralized performance management approach.

188 Background: Radiation treatment services are delivered in 16 facilities spread across the province of Ontario, centralized through Cancer Care Ontario’s oversight of quality of care, equipment, hospital funding, clinical and technical guidelines. Methods: In order to ensure high quality care, Cancer Care Ontario employs a systematic approach performance management, whereby facilities are held accountable to achieving provincial quality targets. For radiation treatment, the quality improvement priorities that have leveraged this approach over the last 10 years have included: reduction of wait times to consultation; reduction of wait times to start of treatment; adoption of Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) where appropriate; and implementation of peer review for treatment plans. In each case, key performance indicators were developed for use in provincial scorecards designed to focus the attention of local clinical and administrative leadership. Regular performance discussions with senior leaders took place throughout implementation, and targeted intervention occurred with facilities that were lagging behind their peers. Results: See table. Conclusions: The ability to centrally monitor the implementation of quality improvement initiatives across a large jurisdiction, and to hold the leadership of each facility accountable to provincial targets through regular feedback and escalation, has been a key component of highly successful change management initiatives in radiation treatment in Ontario. [Table: see text]

English

The purpose of this study was to bring together and analyze significant writings on change management in order to establish key variables in effective change management. Whilst there are many change models that have prescribed stages involved in implementing successful change management, a synthesis of the actual key variables that act as a bedrock in effective organisation change is missing in literature. The literature review undertaken in this study therefore sought to summarise the models by explaining the key predictors of effective change management. This article argues that Change leadership, communication, employee engagement and employee commitment are key variables in successful organisation change implementation. Key words: Change leadership, change communication, employee engagement,employee commitment.

Employees’ emotions in change: advancing the sensemaking approach

PurposeOrganizational changes are emotionally charged processes, and scholarly research has increasingly emphasized the impact of employee emotions on successful change management. This impact has rarely been considered in light of approaches focussing on employee sensemaking. To address this critical gap, the purpose of this paper is to combine the model of enacted sensemaking with insights from the Affect Infusion Model.Design/methodology/approachTo test the model, the authors surveyed 261 employees with a vignette study and performed structural equation modeling on the results.FindingsThe findings reveal that emotions significantly affect employees’ level of psychological resources, particularly change commitment, efficacy, and expectations. Furthermore, change commitment and efficacy are significant predictors of resistance intention, which confirms (to an extent) the validity of enacted sensemaking, and these factors mediate the relationship between employees’ emotions and their resistance intentions.Research limitations/implicationsThis study focussed on the early stages of a change initiative. Therefore, the authors only considered employee assessment at one point in time.Practical implicationsThis model has managerial utility for explaining how employees’ resistance intention regarding change is influenced by employees’ emotions and their psychological resources.Originality/valueThe results broaden the horizons because they suggest a model of “emotionally primed” enacted sensemaking for employees during organizational change by offering a new theoretical framework (enacted sensemaking and substantive processing) and a new methodological approach (quantitative vignette study).

Using Change Management to Redesign Oman׳s Health Professions Education Sector

Objectivesthis study aimed to examine the systems and process needed to enhance the quality of the Ministry of Health educational programs during a period of transition. A reformation is currently taking place to transform all the Ministry of Health educational Institutes to Oman College of Health Sciences. Methoda descriptive qualitative study took place between December 2012 and November 2013 at the Ministry of Health Educational Institutes, Muscat, Oman. A purposeful sample of 20 participants made up four focus groups, and three semi-structured interviews. A sample of deans, quality assurance focal points who are also teaching faculty at their respective institutes, program faculty, and members from the foundation center made up the four focus groups. Participants from the deans and focal point groups represented the semi-structured interviews. ResultsFour main themes emerged:, the effect of change, management of change, the effect of transition, and management of transition. Findings indicated that change towards upgrading the current health education institutions to a college had a positive impact on participants, however, the absence of a clear vision and change management strategy resulted in adverse psychological impact on participants in the journey towards implementing this change. Feelings of mistrust due to lack of systematic communication regarding the proposed change was also expressed by all participants. Conclusionchange management plays a vital role in ensuring the quality of the end product and moving the organization towards the desired goal; specifically, the people side of change is a main driver for successful change management planning.

Human Aspect as a Critical Factor for Organization Sustainability in the Tourism Industry

Organizations adopt diverse strategies to govern the technical and managerial aspects of sustainability implementation processes. The need for better leading and managing people-related issues emerges as companies aim for more effective change towards sustainability. The human aspect of the sustainability implementation process is mostly not paid enough attention, but it can significantly affect the success of a change management program by creating hurdles or easing the process. This study considers three human-related factors: resistance to change, internal communication, and employee engagement in sustainability activities of organizations. The aim of the study is to explore how these human factors are managed by tourism companies for organizational sustainability. For this purpose four companies from different sectors of tourism are chosen as case studies and the results are examined using qualitative data analysis techniques. The results indicate that the companies which are in a more advanced stage of sustainability implementation manage human factors using a greater number of channels and employ varied strategies. The results can provide insights into how organizations tackle the challenges of managing human aspect and display the practices that contribute to successful change management programs for achieving organizational sustainability through people.