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Modeling Internal Organization Change
Abstract
Organizational change can be usefully conceptualized in terms of both its process and its content. Process refers to how change occurs. Content describes what actually changes in the organization. Theories and analyses of organizational change seek to explain why organizations change as well as what the consequences are of change. Empirical evidence on both questions is fragmentary and occasionally contradictory. Models that consider both process and content show the greatest potential for resolving this situation. Such models can be used to test social science theories as well as to evaluate programs of organizational change promulgated by consultants and practitioners. Basic organizational theory would be enhanced by greater attention to organizational change.
... Our model shows how such a change is a context in which people might be agents or recipients, and how individual differences play a decisive role in achieving change. In their landmark paper on change, organizational theorists Barnett and Carroll (1995) declared that models portraying both content (what changes) and process (how change occurs) offer the most explanatory potential. While we remain modest and maintain that our model can be expanded to incorporate other critical variables of interest to those studying change, we are nevertheless confident that our paper provides a good launching pad for understanding the interplay between cognition, affect, and motivation in both radical change agents and recipients. ...
As organizational change becomes more radical, frequent, and unpredictable, our knowledge of the mechanisms governing change at the intrapersonal or within-person level remains limited. In this systematic review of the management and I/O psychology literatures, we offer a novel theoretically based definition of radical change taking place within an individual. Drawing on the theories of dissonance and attitudes toward change, we also present a conceptual model that merges cognitive, affective, and motivational dimensions to explain how an individual’s goal pursuit and achievement are influenced by radical change. In doing so, we move away from studying change at the ‘macro’ organizational level to focus instead on the processes underpinning one’s personal radical change. We further differentiate these processes between two important role occupiers, namely change agents and recipients, and recommend that future scholars consider other boundary conditions and mediating mechanisms. Finally, we conclude with some research-based implications for managerial praxis. We urge future researchers and practitioners to try to better understand the self-transformative experience that is ‘radical change’ and to incorporate this deeper understanding in their theorizing and practice, respectively.
... The structural resistance theory highlights the change-inhibiting properties of structural elements (Hannan & Freeman, 1984). Through a top-down approach at the firm level, structural resistance suggests that structural aspects of an organization, such as routines, rules, and the roles of each member, can limit individuals from adapting to external components (Barnett & Carroll, 1995). Long-standing structures of an organization are highly resistant to change (Fawcett et al., 2015). ...
The organization competes to increase its productivity by implementing a form of governance that is agile to technological changes. However, in its implementation, challenges inevitably arise, such as resistance to change, especially in terms of organizational structure. This study aims to examine the effect of agile governance, as proposed by Luna et al. (2015), consisting of six sub-variables (environmental factors, moderator factors, agile capabilities, governance capabilities, business operations, value delivery), on structural resistance (Kumar & Kant, 2006). This study uses a quantitative approach. Data were obtained by distributing questionnaires to 400 civil servants in Indonesia. Data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (SEM-PLS) with the help of R software. The results showed that environmental factors, moderator factors, and agile capabilities have a negative and significant effect on structural resistance. On the other hand, business operations and value delivery have a positive and significant effect on structural resistance. Meanwhile, governance capabilities do not have a significant effect on the structural resistance of public-sector organizations. These findings contribute to the understanding of the challenges associated with implementing agile governance and highlight the importance of addressing resistance to change, particularly in terms of organizational structure.
... Oakland and Tanner (2007) proposed a new organizational change framework with two interrelated phases: readiness for change and implementing the change (Oakland & Tanner, 2007). This phase starts with the drivers for change identification: external, when the environment, political and economic circumstances, sociocultural elements, and technological advancements or internal, like natural organization's life cycle, growth, and existing process modifications (Barnett & Carroll, 2003;Errida & Lotfi, 2021;Mlekus et al., 2021). ...
The paper examines the adoption of a data‐driven decision‐making (DDDM) process in organizations from purposefully selected European Union (EU) countries. It determines what organizational changes are required to adopt this process in organizations. This study uses a mixed‐method approach to identify organizational changes required for DDDM adoption. The responses from quantitative research in 10 EU countries (1091 respondents) and qualitative research with 20 C‐level managers are analyzed. The study offers the following organizational changes needed to implement DDDM in organizations: culture and mindset changes, digitalization, process improvements, new competencies, re‐organization, and legal requirements. This research contributes to a better understanding of the usage and adoption of DDDM globally and suggests specific organizational changes required to adopt this process.
The study examines how higher educational institutions navigate from the inertia of tradition to organizational absorption of strategy practices. The grounded theory approach was adopted for data collection and data analysis. The thematic analysis method was adopted to condense the raw data into a few meaningful themes. There were four reasons for the continuity of inertia of tradition: groupthink inertia, fear-inducing inertia, skepticism, and the endowment effect. The study found seven orientations of organizational absorption: cognitive-oriented absorption, intractability-oriented absorption, exigency and adaption-oriented absorption, endurance-oriented absorption, “tradition-hazard”-oriented absorption, transposition-oriented absorption, and employee agility-oriented absorption. There were three dimensions of organizational absorption: Structural, processual, and procedural. The study found four themes for leadership manipulations as stimuli for cultural transitions for absorption: leadership decisiveness, embracing change-seeking culture, openness and benchmarking, and dynamic decision-making.
Although the power held by the marketing department can determine key organizational outcomes, including firm performance, this power seemingly has been decreasing. To address this apparent disconnect, the authors propose that the board of directors is a critical but overlooked antecedent of marketing department power (MDP). In particular, the authors demonstrate that directors’ exposure through board service at other firms (i.e., board interlocks) affects MDP in the firms on whose boards they also serve (i.e., focal firms). A sample of 6,008 firms, spanning 2007–2021, reveals that MDP in board-interlocked firms has a positive effect on MDP in focal firms. Despite evidence that board interlock effects have diminished or even disappeared, the findings suggest the board interlock effect remains a potent antecedent of MDP—and this effect did not decrease during the observation period. Adapting the 3R (reach–richness–receptivity) framework, the authors also find that the board interlock effect increases with greater reach and richness of a focal firm’s board interlock network and its executives’ receptivity to information. The marketing department’s decreasing power is concerning for the discipline; the robust results of this study suggest that firms need to get the board “on board” to stem this diminishing trend.
The study is a case-based analysis of a merging Telco organisation that created uncertainties for many stakeholders. A qualitative research method was deployed in order to examine whether knowledge sharing could be used to ease and reduce uncertainties in facilitation in ensuring employee readiness, where objectives such as finding out factors to influence communication in ensuring change readiness and finding out the role of knowledge sharing as a potential platform for effective communication in times of organisational change and uncertainties were examined. In addition, the study also employed bibliographic analysis of the published articles on knowledge transfer and organisational change to track the trends of the topic and determine its recency. This paper is expected to give insights on the role of knowledge sharing and its significance in the context of organisational change especially from developing country's perspective.
This paper addresses knowledge gaps related to implementation of corporate zero deforestation commitments (ZDCs). Drawing on an analytical framework of organizational change, we scrutinize changes and processes internal to a company in adjusting to zero deforestation supply chains. The empirical data consists of 48 online questionnaires and 49 online interviews with actors involved in forest-risk commodity supply chains, both internal actors in companies and external actors (e.g., non-governmental organizations). Concerning organizational changes, the findings show that diverse drivers have triggered companies to adopt ZDCs, but most are external drivers. Organizational change following ZDCs has taken place within companies but only to a limited extent. Our study concludes that while corporate ZDCs can be seen as having advanced private governance in the fight against deforestation, more is needed still for effective implementation. Public governance and regulations could play an increasing role in stimulating adoption and implementation of private governance initiatives, like corporate ZDCs.
In addition to providing crucial insights, the rebel-to-party literature exhibits an unacknowledged conceptual tension: despite remarkable agreement on what ‘rebel-to-party transition’ should capture, there are nearly as many definitions and measures as there are studies of it. I demonstrate that conceptual imprecision has an analytic ripple effect—compromising the validity of the concept, the quality of the measure, the validity of inclusion criteria, and the results of analyses. Across four existing rebel-to-party variables, scholars only agree with regard to eight transitions (out of 161) and five failures (out of hundreds). To address these limitations, I propose a novel conceptualization and measure of rebel-to-party transition—distinguishing between failures, nominal participants (the conventional benchmark for transition), and seated participants. I demonstrate that some definitions of ‘failure’ induce selection effects into samples, and that minimalist indicators of ‘transition’ introduce problematic heterogeneity into ‘successes’. My analyses reveal that nominal participants are statistically indistinguishable from failures on key traits predicting transition and, moreover, seated participants consistently drive results. As such, the new conceptual framework advances the literature on conceptual and empirical grounds.
Purpose
Complexity has been called the 21st-century supply chain (SC) challenge. Most SC managers view it as a necessary evil, ever-present, costly and tough to manage, and few prioritize it. Still, anecdotes suggest some leverage it to drive operational excellence. This study aims to explore how they do it, delving into the development of a complexity management capability, under what circumstances it emerges and its effect on competitiveness.
Design/methodology/approach
To better understand why, and how, companies develop (or not) a distinctive SC complexity management capability, this study employed an inductive study of 10 leading European companies, each operating a complex SC.
Findings
Although SC complexity raises costs, increases disruptions and makes decision-making difficult, few companies have made complexity management a priority. Among those, most focus on reducing or absorbing complexity to improve operational excellence. A few invest to develop a distinctive SC complexity management capability. They manage complexity for market success. The interaction among competitive pressures, managerial attitudes and investments delineate a dynamic capability development process.
Research limitations/implications
Despite extensive research on complexity drivers, the tools used to manage SC complexity and the impact of SC complexity on performance, the interplay among factors that promote, or hinder, the development of an SC complexity capability continues to be poorly understood. By mapping the complexity capability development process, this study explicates a more nuanced approach to managing SC complexity that can yield a competitive edge.
Practical implications
SC complexity prevails because the dynamic, iterative complexity capability development process is overlooked. Managers can use the complexity capability roadmap to assess the cost/benefits of pursuing a distinctive complexity management capability more accurately.
Originality/value
This study demystifies the development of a complexity management capability, showing how some companies develop the capability to distinguish between value-added and value-dissipating complexity and thus become empowered to leverage SC complexity for competitive advantage.
Purpose
Although much attention has been paid to understanding employee resistance to reform, little study has been done to explore the effect of employee resistance to public service units' (PSUs) reform in China. To address this need, this work aims to investigate the antecedents of employee resistance to PSUs' reform, especially from the perspective of the heterogeneity of the employees' age.
Design/methodology/approach
This study considers the PSUs in Harbin, China, as an example and uses survey questionnaires to analyze the factors influencing employees' resistance when PSUs reform. Besides, the authors developed a research model based on the status quo bias theory, the equity-implementation model.
Findings
According to the applied research model, employee resistance to PSU change is primarily influenced by perceived switching costs and benefits. According to their age, this survey also confirms how the employees responded to the reform implementation.
Research limitations/implications
The results of this empirical study inform suggestions for the sustainable development of PSUs and organizational transformations. Overall, this work advances the theoretical understanding of employees' resistance to PSUs’ reform, thereby offering practical insights for managing employee resistance during organizational change.
Originality/value
Overall, given that employee resistance emotion exists in an organization, this study offers theoretical and practical implications for change management strategies.
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