Changing the nature of organizational change
| Date | 12 August 2019 |
| Pages | 155-160 |
| Published date | 12 August 2019 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/SHR-05-2019-0036 |
| Author | Deborah Kirby |
| Subject Matter | Hr & organizational behaviour,Employee behaviour |
Changing the nature of organizational
change
Deborah Kirby
Abstract
Purpose –Although organizational change management has become a permanent practice,
failure thrives at a rate of 50 per cent to 75 per cent and has done so for nearly 40years. Executives
and consultants continue to plow the same path of ‘‘change,’’ sowing the same seeds, yet
somehow expecting a different crop to grow; it is not for a lack of good intention or sincere effort to
improve the organization. This paper is meant to challenge and inspire researchers, consultants
and particularly organizational leaders and members toward liberating themselves from fixed
ways of thinking to reimagine change as natural and ongoing rather than episodic –essential in an
era of constant flux.
Design/methodology/approach –A critical analysis of wide-rangingliterature related to the genesis of
the organization, organization theory, culture, metaphor and change revealed four unfavorable
conditions,making attempts at sustainable changenearly impossible.
Findings –An organization’sunconscious and habitual thought-actionpatterns considerably contribute
to creating four unfavorable conditions for change. Understanding this context is essential before
initiating change efforts. Reorienting change from an analytical to a relationalparadigm and disrupting
linear, prescriptive thinking makes way for emergent, cooperative and inclusive efforts to induce
sustainable,transformational change.
Originality/value –This research sheds a different light on what makes sustainable organizational
change elusive and offers strategic human resource managers a new perspective on the nature of
change.
Keywords Change management, Human resource management, Culture, Employee engagement,
Transformation, Corporate change
Paper type Conceptual paper
Changing the nature of organizational change
Even though organizational leaders have conceded to the idea that change is continuous
and unrelenting and have also acknowledged a heightened sensitivity toward the critical
role culture must play with regards to change, efforts to positively alter the workplace
environment reportedly still failat an unacceptable level between 50 per cent to 75 per cent,
which has been the case for decades (Aguirre and Alpern, 2014; Burke, 2014). Early on,
leadership and change expert John Kotter (1996) simply referred to the dismal results as
“carnage” (p. 4). Though efforts do not lack good intentions or sincere motivation for
improvement, executives continue to plow the same path of “change” and sow the same
seeds, and yet, somehow, expect a different crop to grow.
Until the 1980s, the stasis of the business environment was suited to implementing small,
measureable, linear, inwardly focused, managerial-oriented projects f or fixing or improving
performance. In rapid succession, however, concurrent issues such as global ization,
deregulation, economic turbulence, rapid technology change and pressures to simultaneously
improve value, quality and speed to market highly contributed to inner organizational turmoi l,
rendering incremental solutions inadequate.
Deborah Kirby is based at
Imaginal Wisdom, Park
City, Utah, USA.
DOI 10.1108/SHR-05-2019-0036 VOL. 18 NO. 4 2019,pp. 155-160,©Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1475-4398 jSTRATEGIC HR REVIEW jPAGE 155
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