Change Management in Information Services

Citation

Urwin, J. (2008), "Change Management in Information Services", Records Management Journal, Vol. 18 No. 1, pp. 94-95. https://doi.org/10.1108/09565690810858550

This is a fully updated edition of Pugh's 2000 book, which was highly regarded. In this edition Pugh successfully outlines both the key issues of planning and implementation processes, along with the vital area of “people issues”.

The first chapter sets the context by examining the nature of change, considering the characteristics of change before a discussion of change theories in chapter two. In each section, Pugh draws on up to date literature as well as key classics, showing the development of thinking in the area.

Chapter three moves on to look at strategies, reminding us of the importance of context and goals – including vision, values and principles. The actual process of change is the focus of the next chapter where there is an emphasis on ensuring that the personal, group and organizational levels are considered throughout. A number of appropriate models are discussed.

“Metaphors for organizations” (chapter five) starts with an interesting historical perspective then briefly reviews other writers' views about structures to highlight the importance of an organic structure, built to allow for change. This is developed in chapter six with emphasis on the importance of informal networks and questions about how they should be managed. In the following chapter, “Teams in Change Management”, there is an interesting discussion about the health of the organisation before an analysis of the contribution of teams, bringing the discussion back to structures. Although different arguments are presented, the chapter concludes that teams “are the cornerstone of change management”.

People are still the focus in the next chapters. Chapter eight examines leadership, drawing on characteristics and traditional theories. Next, the psychology of change is discussed, including the recognition of staff feelings and attitudes, along with the importance of the characteristics of the organisation and the change process itself. This is a key chapter, which draws on the theories of motivation to help to overcome resistance. The final chapter concludes with an outline of skills needed for change today, revisiting leadership to include the importance of empathy, emotional intelligence, creating trust and openness.

The book reflects the author's experience and knowledge, and although it is written primarily for information service management, includes change management theories and principles, which would be valuable in other sectors. It is well written and logically presented and includes many very helpful, clear figures to illustrate the text. Other key strengths are the number of valuable case studies, from a variety of contexts and the range of literature, which is referred to, from classic theories through to up to date works.