Employee Participation in Change Programs

Author(s):  
Nicholas Clarke ◽  
Malcolm Higgs

This chapter aims to assist those responsible for implementing change to think more about how employee participation or involvement is undertaken during the change process. The chapter starts by providing an overview of the theoretical explanations as to why employee participation in change management is important. The authors then examine the nature of employee participation in three organizations undertaking major culture change programs, each using a different change intervention. They present three case studies that show how the context surrounding the change (comprising drivers, intervention, approach to change, and change levers) influenced the characteristics of employee participation in the change process. They conclude by emphasizing the significance of examining change agents' intervention methodology as a contextual factor to understand better the experience of culture change programs. The key message is that employees' experiences of participation influence their perceptions on the effectiveness of this type of change.

2006 ◽  
Vol 27 (8) ◽  
pp. 667-681 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynn Massey ◽  
Sharon Williams

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to review the change process that is required to support CANDO, a business improvement technique primarily associated with the manufacturing sector. It reviews the transferability of CANDO to a health setting and examines the effectiveness of this tool through the eyes of the change agents and implementers. The study draws on an ongoing empirical research study in the NHS.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology is a case study, combining semi‐structured interviews, observations and reflexive accounts.FindingsThe results show that this improvement tool is an appropriate mechanism as a foundation for developing change agents and for creating change in health care. The capability and competence of the change agent is critical to the success of a change programme. Specific skills include developing people outside of their normal functional boundaries, redefining values and norms, motivating and energising others, translating terminology, setting the initiative within the wider agenda for change, and designing and communicating solutions and new systems as a result of CANDO activities.Research limitations/implicationsAs the research focuses on one NHS Trust within the UK this limits the generalisibility of the results. However, the results provide an important insight into developing change agents, their role while identifying enablers and inhibitors to the change process.Originality/valueThis paper records the early stages of what is a large‐scale and long‐term improvement programme from the perspective of the change agent. This is an important perspective that is often overlooked when examining change programmes.


Author(s):  
Sushil K. Sharma

Over the last decade, a significant number of companies have implemented e-business solutions because an investment in e-business technologies provides the promise of a competitive advantage through lower transaction costs and the integration of processes. Many of these companies have experienced failures, a few have closed down, and only a few have succeeded in achieving the objectives. Studies undertaken to examine the reasons for these failures have highlighted that most of these companies could not handle change. One of the major challenges with the implementation of e-business solutions is managing change. A successful e-transformation represents the greatest value-creation potential for any company. In this chapter, I present a change management framework that suggests how firms can manage their transition to e-business and prepare them for e-transformation. The change management framework may provide managers or change agents with structured and measurable implementation tools, techniques and approaches for managing and evaluating the change process.


2019 ◽  
Vol 118 (3) ◽  
pp. 158-169
Author(s):  
Dheera.V. R ◽  
Jayasree Krishnan

Organizations that are aiming to successfully implement change needs the support and acceptance of employees who are their key stakeholder. This study analyses the influence of Employees` attitude towards organization change. The research also aims at evaluating the influence of employees’ attitude towards commitment to organization and job after the introduction of change in the organization. The study was conducted among 300 employees who belonged to executive and managerial category from different star rated hotels in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India which are currently embracing organization changes. The findings indicate that employees of the study demonstrate a positive approach towards the change management in their organization. The observations also project that a positive approach by employees towards changes, is a very good indication for organizations to know that their workforce is committed towards the organizational goals. Hence with the support of change agents, adequate communications and by creating awareness about the need for change will result in sustainable growth in the organizations.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Evgeniya Lupova-Henry ◽  
Sam Blili ◽  
Cinzia Dal Zotto

AbstractIn this article, we explore whether organized clusters can act as institutional entrepreneurs to create conditions favorable to innovation in their constituent members. We view self-aware and organized clusters as “context-embedded meta-organizations” which engage in deliberate decision- and strategy-making. As such, clusters are not only shaped by their environments, as “traditional” cluster approaches suggest but can also act upon these. Their ability to act as “change agents” is crucial in countries with high institutional barriers to innovation, such as most transition economies. Focusing on Russia, we conduct two cluster case studies to analyze the strategies these adopt to alter and shape their institutional environments. We find that clusters have a dual role as institutional entrepreneurs. First, these can act collectively to shape their environments due to the power they wield. Second, they can be mechanisms empowering their constituent actors, fostering their reflexivity and creativity, and allowing them to engage in institutional entrepreneurship. Moreover, both collective and individual cluster actors adopt “bricolage” approaches to institutional entrepreneurship to compensate for the lack of resources or institutional frameworks or avoid the pressures of ineffective institutions.


2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 741-754 ◽  
Author(s):  
Llandis Barratt-Pugh ◽  
Susanne Bahn

AbstractThis paper explores the role played by a Human Resources (HR) department orchestrating culture change during the merger of two large State departments with dissimilar cultures. A 2-year case study determined what HR strategies were having the greatest impact on embedding new organisational values to produce a more flexible culture and how these practices could be accelerated. This paper indicates how a more strategic approach by HR departments can support and develop relational managing capability that accelerates cultures change towards a more flexible work environment.This paper describes the context of the change process, the relevant literature, and outlines the research process. The findings from the phases of the data collection are summarised revealing the traumatic perceptions of the change process, but also the instrumental actions of some managers, working creatively with their teams to tackle new tasks and projects. The evidence suggests that these informal practices of task allocation were at the core of change agency in this case study and put the new flexible organisational values into action. The findings illustrate how the organisation moves from valuing managers for their technical competence to valuing managers for their relational competence.The paper then discusses what strategic HR actions were accelerating this process and illuminates the critical role of building managers as change agents. The paper concludes by confirming the need for a strategic approach by HR during organisational change. Building manager capability and supporting informal change agency practices is presented as a core focus for HR during such organisational cultural change programmes.


2021 ◽  
pp. 205715852199599
Author(s):  
Eva Ericson-Lidman ◽  
Gunilla Strandberg

Culture change in organizations may affect employees and change agents are often a forgotten resource; their perspective is often overlooked in research. The aim of the study was to illuminate experiences of being a change agent in order to improve residential care of older people. Interviews were performed with 15 change agents who participated in a large culture transformation in residential care for older people. The study followed COREQ guidelines and content analysis was used to interpret the text. The analysis revealed that the change agents felt chosen when they accepted the challenge to become a change agent, but they also felt that transferring the message to co-workers was demanding. Conflicting demands about measuring care and aggravating circumstances to implement change were described. The results indicate that change agents benefit from preparation for the role itself as they have a great responsibility on their shoulders. In making the process more successful, all co-workers should be involved in the change process from the beginning.


2003 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Veronica Hodgson ◽  
J. Zaaiman

Change management theory is extensive, and organisations constantly adapt to and embrace change. In post-apartheid South Africa we are building a racially integrated business environment and society, and leverage its competitive re-entry into the world business arena. Research to date has found that the majority of change initiatives fail due to resistance caused by poor conceptualisation and planning, and the lack of proper integration of the people and business dimensions of change. The model to implement a successful change program will be designed using a combination of readily available skills and techniques. Its development and testing will take place within the context of three case studies. OpsommingDie teorie van veranderingsbestuur is omvattend. Organisasies moet op konstante wyse daarby aanpas en dit integreer. In Post-Apartheid Suid-Afrika bou ons tans ’n ras geïntegreerde besigheidsomgewing en gemeenskap, en benut dit maksimaal in ons toetrede tot die mededingende wêreld besigheidsarena. Huidige navorsing het bevind dat die meeste veranderingsinitiatiewe faal weens weerstand teen verandering wat deur swak konseptualisering en beplanning, en ’n gebrek aan behoorlike integrering van mense en die besigheidsdimensies van verandering veroorsaak is. Die model om ’n suksesvolle veranderingsprogram te implementeer, sal ontwerp word met geredelik beskikbare vaardighede en tegnieke. Die ontwikkeling en toetsing sal binne die konteks van drie gevallestudies plaasvind.


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