Managing Change

7th edition

Chapter 11
A framework for change
Approaches and choices

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 The need for a new perspective on
change

‘There is a long tradition in the social sciences and

in management and organization theory of using
bipolar modes of thinking: dichotomies, paradoxes,
contradictions and dualities.… The duality of
planned versus emergent change has served us
well as an attention director but may well now be
ready for retirement’.
(Pettigrew, 2000: 245–6)

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 Change is multi-disciplinary

As Stickland (1998: 14) remarks:

‘…the problem with studying change is that it

parades across many subject domains under
numerous guises, such as transformation,
development, metamorphosis, transmutation,
evolution, regeneration, innovation, revolution and
transition to name but a few’.

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 Varieties of change (1 of 4)
• Smooth incremental, covering slow, systematic,
evolutionary change.

• Bumpy incremental, pertaining to periods where

the smooth flow of change accelerates.

• Discontinuous change, which is similar to the

punctuated equilibrium model.
(Senior , 2002)

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 Varieties of change (2 of 4)
• Top-down systemic change aimed at transforming
the organisation.
• Piecemeal initiatives devised and implemented by
departments or sections in an unconnected fashion.
• Bargaining for change where a series of targets
are jointly agreed between managers and workers,
but are pursued in a piecemeal fashion.
• Systemic jointism where managers and workers
agree a total package of changes designed to
achieve organisational transformation.
(Storey, 1992)
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 Varieties of change (3 of 4)

Kanter et al (1992)
Bold Strokes – rapid overall change.
Long Marches – incremental change leading to
transformation over an extended period.

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 Varieties of change (4 of 4)

Beer and Nohria (2000)

Theory E – quick and hard approach to increasing
economic performance.
Theory O – slow and soft incremental approach
to developing an organisation’s culture.

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 A Contingency approach

‘Turbulent times demand different responses in

varied circumstances. So managers and
consultants need a model of change that is
essentially a “situational” or “contingency model”,
one that indicates how to vary change strategies to
achieve “optimum fit” with the changing
environment’.
(Dunphy and Stace, 1993: 905)

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 Criticisms of contingency
• Ignores environmental manipulation.
• Ignores managerial choice.
• Ignores the difficulty of changing structures,
cultures and managerial behaviour.
• Assumes that survival depends on being the
best.

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 Organisational change
Summary
• There are many approaches to change.
• All tend to be situation-specific.
• Managers can influence situational constraints.
• Organisations can exercise choice in:
– What to change
– How to change it
– When to change
– Whether to change.

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