Content uploaded by Stephan Meyer
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Stephan Meyer on Feb 11, 2020
Content may be subject to copyright.
A preview of the PDF is not available
Killing the sacred cow: Radical organisational change as seen through the eyes of change agents
Abstract and Figures
Within the family of changes that take place in organisations, incremental change is better known than its wilder sibling, radical change. While there is an extensive literature concerning the nature and implementation of incremental change, radical change is primarily treated theoretically and conceptually, lacking in an empirical foundation and the perspectives of experienced change agents. This omission is especially evident with respect to the population of interim managers, who tend to play critical roles as change agents and as knowledge bearers.
The study that forms the basis of this thesis was designed to address this gap in extant knowledge. The broad aim of the research was to explore change agent's perceptions, beliefs, and experiences regarding the nature of radical organisational change, when it is necessary, how it should be implemented, and how its outcomes may be evaluated. To fulfil this aim, in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 experienced change agents: a sample of ten interim managers experienced in leading radical organisational change, five consultants who specialise in organisational change and five line managers who were experienced in its implementation.
The research generated 176 diverse insights concerning radical organisational change, both within and across the three samples. While the interim managers offered strong pragmatic convictions, straight "from the gut͟", the consultants offered a more intellectual and theory-laden approach to the interpretation of radical change, with the line managers situated somewhere between these two worlds. These insights were condensed into a set of key findings and contributions to knowledge, providing an enhanced understanding of radical organisational change that is informed by the perspectives of experienced change agents. The study's findings also comprise informed contributions to practice, including a conceptual framework that summarises the leadership challenges that are inherent to radical organisational change.
Figures - uploaded by Stephan Meyer
Author content
All figure content in this area was uploaded by Stephan Meyer
Content may be subject to copyright.
... Therefore, resistance can be an important tool to the application of change and making use of it in creating collaboration between employees and managers which helps the implementation of change felicitously. On the other hand, resistance to change can and may be the failure of change and thus the failure of the company as a whole organization (Meyer, 2019). ...
The study aimed to demonstrate the impact of resistance to change and organizational structure on employee performance. The study population consisted of all employees at the Housing Bank for Trade and Finance. The descriptive analytical approach was used to collect, classify, and analyze the data. The study sample size was 180 employees. A scale consisting of three axes was developed (resistance to change, organizational structure, employee performance). The results of the study showed a statistically significant positive impact of resistance to change on employee performance. The cognitive dimension had a significant positive impact, unlike the emotional and behavioral dimensions, which did not have a significant impact. The organizational structure also had a significant positive impact on employee performance. According to the study recommended a set of recommendations, including enhance employees' ability to adapt to changes. This can be achieved by providing training programmers’ and workshops that aim to enhance employees' adaptability and change management skills, enabling them to deal effectively with changes in the work environment. Additionally, management should play a key role in enhancing employees' awareness of the organizational structure and clarifying how it affects their performance. This can also be achieved through orientation sessions and workshops on the bank's structure and its impact on daily work.
This book argues that the educational environment in many countries has shifted so dramatically and so permanently that we urgently need to re-consider what we understand by educational leadership and educational leadership practice. It focuses on distributed leadership and draws on the emerging evidence about the possibilities and shortcomings of this form of leadership and draws upon the latest empirical findings from studies in different countries that have focused on the relationship between distributed forms of leadership and organizational change. The main aim is to offer contemporary, comparative and challenging accounts of distributed leadership practice.
Distributed Leadership – Different Perspectives outlines current understandings, findings and limitations of the concept of distributed leadership. It brings together different international perspectives on distributed leadership as well as looking at distributed leadership through three major lenses – the empirical, the interpretive and the critical. Leading writers in the field offer contemporary analysis and reflection on the theme and also consider the future issues, challenges and directions for distributed leadership.