Understanding Organizational Change

Offering a critical analysis of change, Patrick Dawson resists the hype of popular management books which formulate simple change recipes, but uses the views and experience of people holding positions from shop floor operator to chief executive officer to further our understanding of complex change processes. Understanding Organizational Change: - offers an overview of change management - brings new case studies to help students understand organizational change - provides a concise overview of the developments in change management with new critical case study material for the use of advanced undergraduate and masters level management students; - presents the contemporary experience of change for people in work and employment, - considers alternative strategies and practical lessons on living with change. Offering a critical analysis of change, Patrick Dawson resists the hype of popular management books which formulate simple change recipes, but uses the views and experience of people holding positions from shop floor operator to chief executive officer to further our understanding of complex change processes. In using the insights and views of those who promote, implement and experience the effects of change, this book moves beyond simple determinist arguments based on economic imperatives to a greater appreciation of the sociological dimensions of change. The integration of theories of change with processes of organisational adaptation is central to the objective of understanding organizational change both for its academic value and its practical worth. Understanding Organizational Change will be essential reading final year undergraduates and postgraduates (MBA/MSc) taking organizational change and change management modules across business and management studies.

This exciting new book fills the gap in the management literature on organizational change. It presents a balanced view with case vignettes of some well-known change techniques, and explorations of the reasons for their successes and failures. This exciting new text fills the gap in the management literature on organizational change. It presents a balanced view, which raises questions about the imperative of change, who’s interests are being served, how change programmes impact on employees and why organizations continually engage in such programmes. It gives readers a comprehensive history of: change management literature types of change techniques over time (i.e. TQM, BPR, Balanced Scorecard, Six Sigma, etc.) the role of management gurus in the rise and fall of management fashions the impact of organizational change on organizational members. The authors provide case vignettes of companies from both sides of the Atlantic, which have undergone some of the better-known change techniques, and explore the reasons for their successes and failures. This is an innovative and important new text for students of organizational behaviour, organizational change, strategy and HRM.