Full papers
Full Papers
Emotional Abuse and Neglect in the Workplace: A Method for Arrested OD (142)
Author/s: Joost Kampen Andre Henken
Track: Organisational Transformation, Change and Development
Paper Type: Full Papers
Keywords: OD Method, Child Development, Leadership
Abstract: Emotional abuse and neglect in the workplace deserve wider recognition in business schools because the process involved is insidious and paralyzes organizational development. In this paper an intervention strategy is presented that can be used in case of diagnosis of organizational neglect. The strategy distinctive characteristics are. Guided organizational development by line management based on the zone of proximal competence and development, Identification and interpretation of harmful, hidden dynamics, Effectuation of change through interactions on the work floor with aid of a more knowledgeable other to teach operational management to guide subordinates development, Effectuation of change in the lived reality by coaxing stakeholders out of their comfort zone while an OD consultant remains psychologically available to them throughout the process.
CEOs, senior managers and management consultants assigned to change programs should be familiar with this method for restoring normal organizational life after a period of emotional abuse and neglect in the workplace. The OD method presented was developed using more than 150 cases in both the public and private sector.
Examining the Role of Corporate Heritage and Brand Equity of Time-Honored Firms on Organizational Transformation (228)
Author/s: Yanni Yan Tingting Xie
Track: Organisational Transformation, Change and Development
Paper Type: Full Papers
Keywords: Corporate Heritage, Organizational Transformation, Brand Equity
Abstract: Management scholars recognize corporate heritage values as crucial drivers that reinforce
branding and performance. Our empirical study of heritage values focuses on factors of culture, entrepreneurship and proprietary knowledge to explain how value-based corporate heritage increases over time within privately or state-owned firms. A sample of 120 Chinese time-honored firms was analyzed to establish the significance of heritage values in the facilitation of brand credentials. Our results indicate that corporate heritage values have a positive impact on both branding and performance. Firm inheritance exercises positive moderating effects between proprietary knowledge and performance and between entrepreneurship and branding. Furthermore, both entrepreneurship and proprietary knowledge in privately owned firms significantly affect performance, whereas heritage culture only affects branding. In contrast, entrepreneurship and propriety knowledge in state-owned firms positively affect branding but do not affect performance. This study offers insights into the generalized impact of corporate heritage values on brand equity and performance.
A Thematic Analysis of Executive Leadership and Perspectives on Continuous Improvement in the Emergency Services (274)
Author/s: Bryan Rodgers Jiju Antony
Track: Organisational Transformation, Change and Development
Paper Type: Full Papers
Keywords: Lean, Six Sigma, Continuous Improvement, Emergency Services, Leadership
Abstract: This paper reports initial findings from 15 interviews with executive leaders across the national police, fire and rescue and ambulance services in Scotland, UK. The interview themes are drawn from a systematic literature review of lean and six sigma practices in the public sector and the analysis is around five key themes all within the strategic context of significant organisational change following the respective police and fire services mergers in 2013. The initial results are reported to support organisational learning and identify a knowledge gap around CI Methodologies, an imbalance between CI and Radical change and a further need to embed CI through strategy, performance measurement and roadmaps, the findings also emphasise the importance of staff engagement and empowerment as part of CI Initiatives and identify future research in this area.
Internal Change Agents: Boundaries Spanned And The Implications For Change Agency (434)
Author/s: Julian Adrian Randall Bernard Burnes Patrick Mark Dawson
Track: Organisational Transformation, Change and Development
Paper Type: Full Papers
Keywords: Internal change agents, boundary spanners, change agency, reflexivity, perceived management support
Abstract: Academic focus on change events has often featured the work of external consultants and comments have sometimes been less than favourable on their operations and the outcomes for the organizations concerned. More recently the work of the internal change agent has been mentioned as an alternative approach to the management of change. We have sought to place our research in the context of the work of boundary spanners. In this paper we have researched the accounts of eighteen internal change agents in organizations both in the UK and Australia. Our findings suggest that the varied previous experience of internal change agents gives them credibility with the people they work with, it requires careful political management and draws on personal and professional confidence and is time limited. We also contribute to the debate about change agents influence on organizational effectiveness and individual development.
The Effectiveness of Applying the Contingency Approach to SMEs Challenged to Change and Perform Context Emerging Trends for Change Management Research (436)
Author/s: John Mendy
Track: Organisational Transformation, Change and Development
Paper Type: Full Papers
Keywords: contingency, SMEs, change, performance, process
Abstract: Although there has been prolific research interest on change management research in general and how to make organisations more effective in dealing with the challenges posed by change, little is known about what process might be involved when firms are challenged to change and perform simultaneously. Very little is also known about how SMEs use the traditional contingency approach as part of a set of mechanisms in implementing changes to their service and product delivery under uncertain, volatile and competitive environments. Given the nature and scale of the challenges faced by SMEs, there is an attendant requirement to look into whether there might be a process that can help in extending our knowledge of how SMEs respond to their change challenges whilst learning to perform during uncertain times. The results for this paper are based on a survey of 85 participants, including management and employees from four SMEs in two geographic areas of the UK. The results were used to highlight a process based approach to change management as this papers main contribution in extending our knowledge of how to effectively apply the contingency approach in change contexts. The change management process highlights four sub processes, whose aspects will help SME owners and members to identify those areas they need to prioritise in order to effectively manage change and secondly to show how they can practically initiate and sustain performance at the organisational and employee levels. Doing so redresses the process gap in SMEs change management and performance implementation, facilitates their continued existence at least into the medium term and builds their human capacity to adapt for the future. The study limitations include the number of SMEs surveyed and the questionnaire categories. Future trends for change management research are highlighted.
How do higher education systems of developing countries respond to the Push for Implementing Reforms and Innovation? The Case of Bulgaria. (475)
Author/s: Daniela Bariakova Yehuda Baruch Jonathan Klein
Track: Organisational Transformation, Change and Development
Paper Type: Full Papers
Keywords: social innovation, organisational learning, higher education, developing countries8839
Abstract: Higher education systems are currently subject to intense changes worldwide. Higher education systems in developing countries are particularly vulnerable and under pressure because of their political and economic conditions. This paper aims to provide insight on the drivers and barriers to innovations and strategic reforms in the higher education sector of developing countries in Eastern Europe. Forty-six in-depth interviews were conducted, involving representatives of three perspectives: policy makers/experts, university top and middle management, and academics. Multi-level data analysis identified barriers and drivers of social innovation and organisational learning, as well as their sources and their perceived effects. Surprisingly, individual and system barriers are associated with organisational learning, while the organisational barriers are associated with globalization and inequality. The original contribution of this paper is its conceptual framework, which may be valid beyond the HE sector.
Managing New Workspace Concepts - A Strategic Change Project Inside A German Insurance Company (499)
Author/s: Natalie Roth Angela Roth
Track: Organisational Transformation, Change and Development
Paper Type: Full Papers
Keywords: planned organizational change, strategic change, new workspace concepts, change management activities, insurance company
Abstract: Organisational changes have high failure rates. Managing workspace concepts resulting from office re-designs as organisational change initiatives has gained increasing attention among researchers and practitioners in the field of organisational development (OD) and change management. Based on a symbolic-interpretive research approach, this action research study systematically explores management and crucial change activities during the development and implementation of a new workspace concept as a strategic change project in an insurance company. This study makes theoretical contributions to two fields: first, change management and OD; and second, workspace design. The insights gained into the development of change activities enrich both the workspace design literature and the OD literature in which systematic analyses for effectively managing new workspace concepts are rare. For practitioners in the fields of facility management, human resources (HR) and change management, this study advances the understanding of workspace concepts as a means to facilitate strategic change and provides valuable recommendations on appropriate change management activities.
Disruptive Digitisation The Changing Role of CFOs and the Finance Function (521)
Author/s: Robert Druxes Ann Marie Torres
Track: Organisational Transformation, Change and Development
Paper Type: Full Papers
Keywords: Chief Financial Officer, Finance Function, Digitisation, Data Analytics, Robotic Process Automation
Abstract: The finance function and role of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is changing due to digitisation. The literature reveals these changes, but offers only a superficial picture. This paper pays special attention to differences in these changes between different individual finance organisations and to the different manifestations of the CFO role. For this purpose, in-depth interviews were conducted to develop a comprehensive case study with local CFOs of a multi-national pharmaceutical company. It is concluded that certain digital trends could lead to the complete disintegration of local finance organisations, whereas the Group Finance Function seems to be maintained. As for the CFO, it is expected the Group CFO is to gain in strategic relevance. By contrast, local CFOs may face the complete dissolution of their role.
Think Inverted Maslow Pyramid for Building A Great Organization (611)
Author/s: Shameem Shiyaz Nixon Fernando
Track: Organisational Transformation, Change and Development
Paper Type: Full Papers
Keywords: N/A
Abstract: Progressive understanding of Maslows theory offers insight into how an industry leader or any leader for that matter must design motivation aspects in relation to his followers as also in respect of his organization. The theory of hierarchy of needs initially recommended the movement up the Maslows ladder of needs. Further on, deeper insights about the self actualization aspect of the theory lead to a motivation profile that is recommended by theorists of self determination. But once we postulate parity between Self transcendence and self realization, then a lot of rational investigations into humans divine nature, made by exponents of self realization, offer themselves up for widening the scope of understanding human beings. There are strong coincidences in the literature and applications of self transcendence and self realization. These in turn can even act as proof for the original hypothesis of equivalence. For those inquiring into self actualization and self transcendence this presents a great opportunity for further inquiry and for developing useful applications. For example there is better understanding about selflessness, efficiency and excellence that can arise as benefits of transcendental psychology if the self realization aspects of human nature are understood. And one direct application of this is the propensity of the inspirational leader to approach motivation of the followers from top to bottom along Maslows hierarchy rather than bottom to top. Leaders of organizations would do well to work at inspiration first and see in it the best chance to tackle all other needs with greatest chance of success.
Mindfully Performed Organisational Routines as a Source of Continuous Change (734)
Author/s: Ranjeet Nambudiri Rihana Shaik Manoj Kumar Yadav Sonakshi Gupta
Track: Organisational Transformation, Change and Development
Paper Type: Full Papers
Keywords: Organisational routines, mindful routines, mindless routines, metaroutines, organisational inertia, organisational change
Abstract: This article focuses on the performative aspects of organisational routines to find an answer to debate related to stability and change dualism. It borrows the theory of mindfulness from psychology literature to state that it is the individual performance of the routines that may lead to the inertia induced stability or successful implementation of change initiatives in an organisation. The performative aspects of organisational routines are further categorised into mindless routines mindless performance of routines, mindful routines mindful performance of routines, and metaroutines collective mindfulness while performing routines. Later, a conceptual argument is made to propose a relationship between performative aspects of organisational routines, organisational inertia, and continuous form of change. It proposes that it is the mindless performance of routines that lead to inertial pressure, while the mindful and collectively mindful performance of routines eases the inertial pressure leading to successful implementation of small but incremental continuous changes in the organisation.
Toward Research for Process of Institutional Change: Focus on The Concept of Legitimacy (738)
Author/s: Furuta Shunsuke
Track: Organisational Transformation, Change and Development
Paper Type: Full Papers
Keywords: Institutional Change, Legitimacy, process, Institutional Entrepreneurship, Institutional logic
Abstract: Institutional change is a research theme that attracts attention by institutional theory.?There are many researches focusing on institutional logic and institutional entrepreneurship. However, there are few studies that focus on the process of institutional change. The purpose of this paper is to present research subjects in the process research of institutional change that focuses on the concept of legitimacy. In the study of institutional change, institutional logic explores the transition of institution. Institutional entrepreneurship describes the ideas and motivations of organizations transforming institution through organizational positioning in institution. However, institutional change remains vague about the process of how the organization will change institution. In order to overcome this problem, process research focusing on legitimacy is required.
Why Does Insufficient Change Occur? A Systematic Review of the Relationship Between Emotions, Change and Routines. (818)
Author/s: Sandra Krisberga-Sinioi Patrick Reinmoeller
Track: Organisational Transformation, Change and Development
Paper Type: Full Papers
Keywords: Change, Routines, Emotions
Abstract: Building and sustaining high performance in times of uncertainty requires organisational capacity to change. However, many organisations end up with insufficient change. The purpose of this this systematic review is to contribute to deeper understanding why change occurs insufficiently by summarizing the literature on how emotions and routines shape the organisational change process. Emotions influence behaviour and social processes, whilst routines shape the way organisations change and cope with volatile environments. The findings of this review revealed inconsistent evidence related to causes of insufficient change. Little research has been conducted on the influence of emotions on organisational processes, including routines. Furthermore, a robust body of knowledge has not yet been developed regarding how organisations manage individuals emotions and emotional expression, both of which can lead to insufficient change. Directions for future research are suggested.
Corporate Governance Reform in an Emerging Economy: Organisational Change or Window Dressing of Compliance (826)
Author/s: Md Tariqul Islam Mahfuzur Rahman Shrabani Saha
Track: Organisational Transformation, Change and Development
Paper Type: Full Papers
Keywords: Organisational Change, Window Dressing, Corporate Governance, Transformation, Emerging Economy
Abstract: This paper examines organisational change partly as window dressing or compliance when corporate governance reforms were introduced to varying listed companies in a developing country. Specifically, we examine whether the listed companies transformed their roles including those of board members; what the nature of the changes were, what factors hindered governance related development initiatives and how the companies and their members reacted to the reforms. By using content analysis between 2007 and 2017, this study observed that the listed companies of Bangladesh tended to overstate compliance statements to manage their impressions to their stakeholders. After the reform in 2012, requiring more independent directors into the board and external certification of compliance statements, however, it was found that the extent of window dressing in compliance statements declined considerably. Government firms were found to make more proportionate overstatements compared to family, non family and foreign companies. In fine, we found that the companies developmental efforts were challenged by the existing formal legal environment and regulatory pressures.
Dynamic Capability Theory in a Saudi Arabian Context (830)
Author/s: Andrew Lindsay Cox Mark Xu Foteini Kravariti
Track: Organisational Transformation, Change and Development
Paper Type: Full Papers
Keywords: dynamic capabilities, Saudi Arabia, transformation, change management
Abstract: Saudi Arabia is experiencing a number of pressures for change, socially, economically and politically. In response to many of these pressures, the Saudi government published its Saudi Vision 2030, to challenge Saudi organisations to transform, diversify, and grow the economy. However, managing change and transformation in Saudi Arabia has not always resulted in the expected outcomes. In this paper, we lay the foundations for an exploratory research project that will examine how Saudi organisations go about identifying and selecting the capabilities that will most influence their sustained growth during periods while significant change is occurring in their business environment. Examine the relationships between organisational culture, organisational learning, and leadership capabilities with building dynamic capabilities (sensing, seizing and reconfiguration), and develop and test a conceptual framework adapted from established theory of dynamic capabilities. Analyse the relationship between long-term survivability and dynamic capabilities of Saudi Arabian companies.
'Ahead Of The Curve': Organizational Change and Balanced Scorecard Predicts Organizational Effectiveness (834)
Author/s: Zareen Husain Farooq Ayesha Farooq
Track: Organisational Transformation, Change and Development
Paper Type: Full Papers
Keywords: Organizational Change, Balanced Scorecard, Organizational Effectiveness, Predictability, Influence
Abstract: This research paper proposes a model to analyze the influence of organizational change and Balanced Scorecard on organizational effectiveness. The nature of relation among organizational change, Balanced Scorecard and organizational effectiveness has been observed. This study presents three contributions to the theory of organizational change through Balanced Scorecard. Firstly, it explicates the relationship between organizational change and organizational effectiveness. Secondly, the results assert that Balanced Scorecard has been accepted as a fast becoming a crucial process for corporate change and lastly, business organizations recognize Balanced Scorecard as a predictor of organizational effectiveness. This research article reminds leaders the need for discovering the route to successful and inspiring organizational change, Balanced Scorecard and eventually, organizational effectiveness.
Alcatel- Nokia Merger: The Challenges Of The Change Process. (893)
Author/s: Syeda Sidra Idrees
Track: Organisational Transformation, Change and Development
Paper Type: Full Papers
Keywords: N/A
Abstract: Alcatel Lucent is the French-American global conglomerate of telecommunication equipment with a strong and stable wireless equipment department. The company has been recently acquired by Nokia with the sole purpose of building the synergy of their capabilities, markets and technologies. The merger complements Nokia's products with Lucent's optical retransmission and IP routers and switches, which are widely in use by Telecom carriers to manage large amounts of Smartphone data. However, following the merger, the employees at Alcatel has been insecure since the organizational culture of Nokia and Alcatel is completely different. The employees at Alcatel feel threatened by the change. This research case discusses the post-acquisition fears and turmoil of Alcatel Lucent and its employees. The data was gathered by conducting in-depth interviews of the 10 employees of the company. The breach of psychological contract with the company, the lack of trust over the new management and the absence of direction have given birth to a highly sceptical workforce which is uncertain about its future since the organization is yet at its pre-change phase
Spanning One Boundary while Activating and/or Maintaining the Other(s): A Multi-level Study of Design and Implementation of an Inter-professional Collaborative Change Initiative (928)
Author/s: Mamta Bhatt Jean Bartunek
Track: Organisational Transformation, Change and Development
Paper Type: Full Papers
Keywords: inter-professional collaborative change, change design, change implementation, multi-level study, qualitative
Abstract: Multi level studies focusing on both design of inter professional collaborative change to address barriers to collaboration and its implementation by change participants remain somewhat limited. In this paper, we examine a multi project, inter professional collaborative change program involving University School of Education faculty FAC, graduate students GS, and public school teachers PST, at the end of the programs tenth year. Based on the analysis of archival data and interviews, related to the change initiative and its 14 projects, we found that the Dean perceived certain barriers in collaboration. To address these barriers, she designed the change to include initiatives aimed at activating team boundaries, addressing the needs and benefits of all involved, and providing FAC and PST a level playing field. Although change design aimed at providing FAC and PST a level playing field, the participants implementation involved not only engaging across professional boundaries but also maintaining task boundaries with different groups doing different primary tasks and authority and status boundaries with FAC, who had domain expertise, having higher authority or status. This was achieved by two tier collaboration set up by FAC together with GS, with GS being brokers for day to day matters. Thus, both design and implementation involved spanning inter professional boundary and at the same time, activating and maintaining other boundaries. Eventually, the change initiative succeeded in achieving its goals. Taken together, the findings have implications for design and implementation of change with multiple groups, inter professional collaboration, and boundary spanning.
Exploratory Pilot Trial Of A Participative Organizational Change Intervention For Reducing Work-related Stress And Improving The Psychosocial Work Environment (996)
Author/s: Ali Naghieh Marc Thompson
Track: Organisational Transformation, Change and Development
Paper Type: Full Papers
Keywords: work-related stress, employee wellbeing, organisation change, empowerment, structural interventions
Abstract: This study explores the applicability, impact, and potential for effect of a participative organizational change intervention to tackle work stress as a social determinant of health. A pilot trial was conducted in four secondary schools using a controlled before-after design. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected at baseline and 5 months post intervention. 2 schools received the intervention involving a theoretically-grounded cycle of 7 facilitated workshops, compared to no intervention in 2 schools. The intervention resulted in sizeable contextual transformations in both intervention schools, developed in response to collaborative identification of systemic contradictions in the work environment. The findings demonstrate a statistically significant reduction in work stressors (?= -.27, SE = .13, t(247) = -2.09, p = .04). Moreover, there is a positive direction of effect in most of the outcome measures. This study is the first evaluation of a participative change approach to organizational interventions for addressing work stress in the teaching profession. It demonstrates the applicability, impact and potential for effect of upstream interventions for tackling the social determinants of health. The participative organizational intervention resulted in structural changes that improve the psychosocial work environment, and address demand-control-support and effort-reward imbalance mechanisms of work stress. It indicates that organizational improvement and effectiveness can be a tangible impact of a systems approach to nurturing a positive psychosocial work environment, making such structural interventions more amenable to adoption and implementation.
Towards a Model of Ambidexterity Change: A multi-level case study in a German Multi-Campus University (1065)
Author/s: Elena Krause Angela Roth Christian Schaller
Track: Organisational Transformation, Change and Development
Paper Type: Full Papers
Keywords: exploitation, exploration, dynamic, multi-level, longitudinal case study
Abstract: Organizations and thus the individuals within them continuously change their exploration-exploitation configurations to find ideal combinations in constantly changing contexts. However, how these (re-)configuration dynamics occur on multiple levels and sites and how they can be influenced is unclear. This study adopts a dynamic and multi-level view on ambidexterity (i.e. the capacity to explore and exploit at the same time) and examines the processes by which an organization made changes to its exploration-exploitation configuration and how individuals within it responded on multiple levels. Based on an interpretative case study, organizational enacting and constructing change activities are investigated at multiple levels and sites in a distributed organization in the German tertiary higher education sector undergoing strategic development. The findings suggest a model of ambidexterity change dynamics in distributed contexts and draw attention to the organizational change dynamics of ambiguity, power and identity in the interplay between levels and sites.
Using Practice-of-enquiry as a Strategy in Changing the Workplace Environment (1107)
Author/s: Jacqueline Hiddlestone-Mumford
Track: Organisational Transformation, Change and Development
Paper Type: Full Papers
Keywords: workplace, strategy, practice-of-enquiry, activity-based work, change
Abstract: Balancing building, technology, layout and furnishings around changing regulatory requirements and staff expectations can be a challenge. Government directives and changes in department structures add pressure to cost containment and offering suitable workplaces for staff. An ethnographic case study was conducted to seek out an optimal workplace environment to generate a more collaborative activity-based work (ABW) environment and drive behaviours towards improved work space utilisation. Through Action Research and drawing on a practice-of-enquiry around an ABW pilot, semi-structured interviews and a discussion group with participants of the pilot, supplemented by wider participant observation, provided greater understanding. Establishing a community-of-practice embedded individual and organisational learning. Strategies were developed to engage staff in transitioning to this new workplace configuration. Negotiating the ultimate agreed workplace configuration considered palatable, given the organisational maturity and political influences, resulted in a less than optimal workplace configuration needing to be implemented.
Towards a Capability Maturity Framework: Adopting the universal elements of digital capability maturity as an Organisational strategy (1114)
Author/s: Zarah Bello Nathan Baddoo Mariana Lilley Paul Wernick
Track: Organisational Transformation, Change and Development
Paper Type: Full Papers
Keywords: digital capability, digital capability maturity, organisational efficiency, continuous improvement, internal processes, procedures, institutions
Abstract: As technology continues to evolve, there is a need for organisations to develop the ability to assess themselves and find ways to not only survive but also flourish in the dynamic economy. This paper reports part of the findings from a more extensive research work that aims to develop a Digital Capability Maturity (DCM) Framework for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Such a framework would allow organisations to leverage their capabilities for differential value. A systematic review was undertaken to uncover the key elements contributing to DCM, to stand as a baseline for the Maturity Framework. The objective of this paper is to report on the proposed standardisation for elements of DCM. A universal taxonomy is proposed suggesting these themes should be present in any organisational attempts to formalise digital initiatives. Furthermore, to maximise the impact of DCM on quality of output, the proposed framework must adopt the ecological systems perspective.