Alexandre Koffi

When is it better to pursue incremental rather than transformational change?

Incremental change refers to a small adjustment made toward a targeted result. In the business
world, the fact of making an incremental change does not have a significant impact on the
existing structures or alter current methods. Appropriate examples of incremental change might
include continuous improvement as a quality management process or implementation of new
computer system to increase efficiencies.
Contrary to incremental change, transformational change is the process of altering the basic
elements of an organization's culture, including the norms, values, and assumptions under which
the organization functions. When it comes to the business environment, transformational change
deals with a company making a radical change in its business model, often requiring changes in
company structure, culture and management. An example of transformational change is the
change in an organizations structure and culture from the traditional top-down, hierarchical
structure to a large amount of self-directing teams.
In some case it is more appropriate to pursue incremental change rather than transformational
change. Incremental change is very efficient when an organization want to be cautious in
modifying its strategies, and policies. Using incremental change method allows organizations to
take less risks when changing their existing structure. When there is any risk in changing an
organizations structure, transformational change is not appropriate.