‘Change is the only constant’ – a well known statement which has taken root in the

ever changing current business environment. Balogun & Hope-Hailey ask the
question in the strategic business context, “Why change? - to match prevailing
competitive conditions”1. Organisations are undergoing major change approximately
once every three years (as cited by CIPD), whilst smaller changes are occurring
almost continually2. To study an organisation’s approach to change, we must first put
into perspective the features that are involved in change management. What are the
specific controls to be taken into consideration; from the initial idea of ‘need for
change’ leading up to ‘analysis of impact’?

What are the contextual features of change?

As per studies conducted by Institute of Leadership and Management, change should
be continuous in nature3, following the principle of ‘Kaizen’ – continuous
improvement. ILM describes an infinite process flow beginning with ‘setting
standards – monitoring against standards – establishing areas of non-conformance to
standards – planning improvements to ensure conformance – implement
improvements – set higher standards’.
The CIPD has evolved the 7 C’s of change encompassing the general features
of change management – Choosing a team, Crafting a vision and path, Connecting
organisation-wide change, Consulting stakeholders, Communicating, Coping with
change, Capturing Learning4. Alternatively, Serena Change Consultants describe the
features of change management to be as follows- Visualize change, Orchestrate
change, and Enforce change5.
Adapting and amalgamating these ideas, in the below diagram, I have focused
on the following features of change management as relevant to the case study.

Figure 1 – Contextual Features of Change Management

1
pg 3, Exploring Strategic Change, 2nd Edition, Julia Balogun & Veronica Hope Hailey, 2004
2
Source: http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/corpstrtgy/changemmt
3
pg 24, Managing Change, Fourth Edition, Institute of Leadership and Management
4
pg xiv, HR : Making Change Happen, CIPD Executive Briefing
5
Source: http://www.serena.com/US/solutions/change-governance/change-governance-faq.aspx

1
 Visualise Change

Recognize Need
Eriksson & Sundgren (2005) clearly state that there can be no change without vision6.
Wren & Dulewicz (2005) add to this by stating that, the leadership pursuing the big
picture and creating a clear vision of the future after the change leads to a high level
of acceptance of change7. Looking at Balogun and Hope-Hailey’s ‘Change
Kaleidoscope’8, we can see the features that would go into consideration when
visualizing the need for change. Morgan turns our focus to situations ‘where change
can be controlled’. He says that it is vital to “investigate endlessly the need for change
and the opportunity for change”9.

Create an Action Plan

Part of visualising necessary change is to be able to critically analyse the type of
change that is required in each situation. Burns (1996) & Senior (2002) speak of
planned, emergent and choice approaches to change. Alternatively, Dunphy & Stace
(1993) explore contingency change10.

Reaction to Change
If change managers are not prepared for a reaction to implementation of a change
program, there is no point in going beyond this point. Morgan (1972) draws our
attention to the different reactions to change in the form of classification of ‘types of
people’11 in relation to reaction to change. He speaks of the Sleepers – managing
change by ignoring it, Inevitables – laissez faire school, Hand-wringers – ‘isn’t all this
change awful?’, Lets do it people – pragmatic approach to change.

Create attitude of Change and Prepare the Public

West and Hughes (1986) reinforce the old statement of ‘actions speak louder than
words’ by stating that all those involved in the change process must demonstrate a
commitment to change12. Leadership plays a huge role in such commitment, as will be
explored later in this case study. Creating awareness and understanding also sets the
stage for the introduction of change as stated by Quinn (1986)13.

Orchestrate Change

6
pg 20, Managing Change: Strategy or serendipity, M. Eriksson & M Sundgren, Journal of Change
Management, Volume 5, 2005
7
pg 307, Successful change in the RAF, J. Wren & V. Dulewicz, Journal of Change Management,
Volume 5, 2005
8
pg 13, Exploring Strategic Change, 2nd Edition, Julia Balogun & Veronica Hope Hailey, 2004
9
pg 162, Managing change: The strategies of making change work for you, John S Morgan, 1972
10
pg 373, Organisational Change Management: A critical review, R. T. By, Journal of Change
Management Volume 5, 2005
11
pg 11, Managing change: The strategies of making change work for you, John S Morgan, 1972
12
pg 20, Lessons from Experience, Mary West and Jim Hughes, Planning and Management Change
1986, edited by Bill Mayon
13
pg 67, Managing Strategic Change, James Brian Quinn, Planning and Management Change 1986,
edited by Bill Mayon

2
The first rule of change according to Morgan (1972) is “Explain Why” 14. In their
‘reflection of change’, Eriksson & Sundgren state that the five essential features of
change are participation, change strategy, planning, vision, and efficiency15.

Planning and Design Necessities

Maher and Hall (1998) focus on the structure of the planning stage by dividing
planning of a new system into 4 phases: Explore and Diagnose, Design, Build and
Use, and Follow-up and Test16. Morgan gives definition to the stage of planning by
focusing on setting standards. He speaks of standards in terms of timelines, specific
goals and standards of quality17. He also brings to our attention the importance of
considering whether the change is being introduced at the right timing18.
The three aspects of change objectives that affect design of change programs,
as described by Maher and Hall, are Quality, Time and Cost. Maher and Hall take this
one step further by discussing the features of a design plan of a change program:
Origin of problem, Goal/Purpose, Scope, Time/Cost, Quality, and Outline Plan19.

Involvement and Implementation Team

The Institute of Leadership and Management state that for effective change , the first
line of management must be involved in order to gain the most important factors that
lead to the successful implementation of any change program - influence, trust and
respect, voluntary cooperation and commitment to the task20.
Morgan (1972) states as part of his ‘mechanics of introducing change’21 that
special staff, teams or focus groups would add an advantage as a means of
engagement. Kotter & Schlesinger (1986), in their study of resistance, clearly stated
that participation and involvement are essential for the acceptance of change22.

Communication Plan and Communication

Morgan’s rules of communicating change elaborate 11 tips on effective system change
communication23. He speaks about the importance of involvement of managers in the
communication process. He reiterates the need for continuous communication in small
doses, giving credence to transparency and honesty in communicating the positives,
negatives, constraints, failures and remedies to failures in the communication process
of the change program. Morgan also focuses on the idea of communication as a
scientific method of analysing and knowing the audience, the purpose and the possible
need for contingencies. The COMS communication cycle24 as elaborated by the CIPD
reiterates Morgan’s thoughts on regular communication.

Helping Public Accept the Change and Selling the Change

14
pg 155, Managing change: The strategies of making change work for you, John S Morgan, 1972
15
pg 20, Managing Change: Strategy or serendipity, M. Eriksson & M Sundgren, Journal of Change
Management, Volume 5, 2005
16
pg 39, Agents of Change, Hilary Maher and Pauline Hall, 1998
17
pg 155, Managing change: The strategies of making change work for you, John S Morgan, 1972
18
pg 162, Managing change: The strategies of making change work for you, John S Morgan, 1972
19
pg 31, Agents of Change, Hilary Maher and Pauline Hall, 1998
20
pg 36, Managing Change, Fourth Edition, Institute of Leadership and Management
21
pg 123, Managing change: The strategies of making change work for you, John S Morgan, 1972
22
pg 160,Choosing Strategies for Change, John P. Kotter & Leonard A. Schlesinger, Planning &
Management, Edited by Bill Mayon, 1986
23
pg 204, Managing change: The strategies of making change work for you, John S Morgan, 1972
24
pg 31, HR : Making Change Happen, CIPD Executive Briefing

3
S. Kuhl et al (2005) talks about selling change by building trust and using three issues
to be communicated that usually cause resistance to change – lowering the stakes,
bringing constraints to light, and using secondary theatres of engagement25. James
Brian Quinn (1986) came to the conclusion after in-depth case studies and research
that the general features of change management should include ‘creating awareness
and commitment incrementally’ and ‘solidifying concepts incrementally’.
Morgan (1972) also highlights the importance of communicating and selling
the change program. He integrates this idea into the features of change management
by asking a few pertinent questions26:
• Did you explain the change fully?
• Are you consistent in your claims for the change?
• Do you frankly report all the implications you can see?
• Do you admit weakness in the proposal along with plans to remedy?
• Do you have answers to opponent’s arguments to the change?

Enforce Change
Leadership
Lines et al. (2005) explored the question of leadership and its role in supporting
change. In coming to the conclusion that leadership is indispensable in the
effectiveness of change, he developed the ‘Conceptual Framework of Leadership
Trust’ where he studies trust against the four roles of leadership – identification,
competence/ability, fairness/benevolence and openness27. According to Wren &
Dulewicz (2005), the level of significance of leader activity leads to a greater success
in leading the change.

Choosing an enforcement style

The ‘Matrix of dimensions’ developed by Hattori and Lapidus28 elaborate on the
dynamics of relationships in terms of enforcement of change. As detailed in the table
below, their studies lead to the understanding of the potential outcome of the type of
relationship/enforcement.

Relationship State of Trust Motivating Outlook Behaviour Potential

Type Force outcome
Collaborative Highly For the good Synergy Responsible Break through
invested of the whole innovation
Cooperative Transaction For successful Win-Win Willing Preconceived
oriented project Success
outcome
Competitive Reluctant or To look good Win within Shrewd Compromise
cautious rules
Adversarial Distrust Not to loose At any cost Cut throat Unpredictable
Table 1 – Matrix of Dimensions, Hattori & Lapidus (2004)

25
pg 185, Later Leadership, S Khul et al., Journal of Change Management, Volume 5, 2005
26
pg 118, Managing change: The strategies of making change work for you, John S Morgan, 1972
27
pg 226, Production of trust during organisation change, R. Lines et al.
28
pg 98 Collaboration, Trust and innovative change, R.A. Hattori & T. Lapidus, Journal of Change
Management Volume 4,2004

4
An effective implementation is essential to the success of any change program.
Looking at various approaches to implementation, we see the following four emerge
as major classifications: ‘Normative-re-educative approach’ - changing the norms -
attitudes and values of individuals leading to changes in their behaviours, ‘Rational-
empirical approach’ - persuasion - assumes that individuals are rational and will
follow self-interest, ‘Power-coercive approach’ - application of power - most people
are compliant to greater power, ‘Action-centred approach’ - problem solving -
focussing on remedial actions to problems.29

Monitoring, Measure impact and proof of improvement

Maher and Hall (1998) focus on the monitoring of change projects by certain control
mechanisms. These control mechanisms are as follows – progress meetings, progress
reports and steering committee30. Bainbridge (1996) centred his theory on a holistic
approach of monitoring based on the principles of managing acceptance, resistance,
peer group pressure, and preventing reversion31.
Morgan (1972) draws our attention to the importance of feedback. He states
that feedback is the, “method of measuring or keeping score on communication
effectiveness”32.

29
http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/corpstrtgy/changemmt/chngmgmt.htm?IsSrchRes=1
30
pg 90, Agents of Change, Hilary Maher and Pauline Hall, 1998
31
pg 202, Designing for Change: A practical guide to business transformation, Colin Bainbridge, 1996
32
pg 212, Managing change: The strategies of making change work for you, John S Morgan, 1972