Chowdhury Hossan, Christopher Dixon and David Brown
The purpose of this article is to re‐appraise the significance of Lewin's group dynamics theory empirically in the context of technology related change in local government.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this article is to re‐appraise the significance of Lewin's group dynamics theory empirically in the context of technology related change in local government.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper examines qualitatively the change management processes in the five city councils selected for this study that have developed eservices. A total of 23 face‐to‐face, semi‐structured interviews were conducted with key managers of participating city councils.
Findings
The present study finds that participating Australian city councils are experiencing some degree of disconfirmation of functions, while some participating Australian city councils still maintain a quasi‐stationary equilibrium state. There are some challenges in terms of inter‐department integration and empowering business units to demonstrate explicit ownership of Eservices adoption. Empirical evidence presented in this study supports Lewin's argument that the main focus of change should be on group behaviour rather than individual behaviour.
Research limitations/implications
This study covers five organizations that are from the same geographical proximity and metropolitan area. The findings are limited to government organisations.
Practical implications
The findings of this study would be useful for facilitating technology oriented change in public sector organisations.
Originality/value
This paper reinforces Lewin's argument that to understand change and the individual in the changing organisation, it is necessary to identify, plot, and establish the dynamics of the group. Some insights are provided regarding the complexity of group dynamics and the impact they have when implementing organisation wide‐change.
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Organisational culture has been a recurring theme in the literature on organisations over the last decade. Indeed, it sometimes seems almost impossible to find a book or journal…
Abstract
Organisational culture has been a recurring theme in the literature on organisations over the last decade. Indeed, it sometimes seems almost impossible to find a book or journal without some reference, albeit often superficial, to the curative and restorative powers of organisational culture. The literature is studded with oft‐repeated phrases which still trip neatly off the tongue: “a strong culture makes a strong organisation….” (Handy, 1986:188), even when the context has been forgotten.
The influence of traditional individually oriented Organization Development (OD), with its focus on psychological dispositions, on self-development and growth, is currently…
Abstract
The influence of traditional individually oriented Organization Development (OD), with its focus on psychological dispositions, on self-development and growth, is currently waning. I argue here that individually oriented OD would be well served by a new focus on habitus and social position that expand our understanding of human behavior. Using Bourdieu's concept of social position in the form of “habitus-oriented approach,” as I do here using my consulting experience, allows individually oriented OD to become a scholarly and professional site that understands human behavior in terms of both the social and the personal.
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Tom Pfefferkorn, Julian Randall and Florian Scheuring
This chapter explores the impact of equality, diversity, and inclusivity (EDI) on internal change agents’ (ICAs) personal and professional development. We have surveyed 117 ICAs…
Abstract
This chapter explores the impact of equality, diversity, and inclusivity (EDI) on internal change agents’ (ICAs) personal and professional development. We have surveyed 117 ICAs that undergo a four-year digital development programme at Edinburgh Business School (EBS). Our survey design draws from expectancy, surprise, sensemaking, and attribution theories to test four hypotheses using Spearman’s rank. We found that diversity features such as gender, age, sector affiliation, work experience, management responsibility, and programme stage do not strongly impact ICAs’ experience of personal and professional development. Surprisingly, some diversity features had a modest or moderate impact on ICAs’ experience of personal and professional development. This disconfirmed our basic assumption about the effectiveness of inclusivity practices in the digital development programme at EBS. We conclude that future research should further investigate the impact of evaluation on ICAs’ personal and professional development and how we can secure it in a digital Business School context.
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Colette Dumas and Richard H. Beinecke
The purpose of this paper is to examine the field of change leadership at the beginning of the twenty-first century.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the field of change leadership at the beginning of the twenty-first century.
Design/methodology/approach
The meta-framework presented in this study is a review of the field of change leadership over a 16-year period. The authors reviewed hundreds of peer-reviewed refereed journal articles and books.
Findings
The authors identify the key themes in the study of change leadership through the lens of content and process frames of reference.
Originality/value
The authors identify how these new perspectives of change leadership change the way we think about/approach the field of change leadership.
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Soki Choi, Ingalill Holmberg, Jan Löwstedt and Mats Brommels
This paper seeks to explore critical factors that may obstruct or advance integration efforts initiated by the clinical management following a hospital merger. The aim is to…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks to explore critical factors that may obstruct or advance integration efforts initiated by the clinical management following a hospital merger. The aim is to increase the understanding of why clinical integration succeeds or fails.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors compare two cases of clinical integration efforts following the Karolinska University Hospital merger in Sweden. Each case represents two merged clinical departments of the same specialty from each hospital site. In total, 53 interviews were conducted with individuals representing various staff categories and documents were collected to check data consistency.
Findings
The study identifies three critical factors that seem to be instrumental for the process and outcome of integration efforts and these are clinical management's interpretation of the mandate; design of the management constellation; and approach to integration. Obstructive factors are: a sole focus on the formal assignment from the top; individual leadership; and the use of a classic, planned, top‐down management approach. Supportive factors are: paying attention to multiple stakeholders; shared leadership; and the use of an emergent, bottom‐up management approach within planned boundaries. These findings are basically consistent with the literature's prescriptions for managing professional organisations.
Practical implications
Managers need to understand that public healthcare organisations are based on competing institutional logics that need to be handled in a balanced way if clinical integration is to be achieved – especially the tension between managerialism and professionalism.
Originality/value
By focusing on the merger consequences for clinical units, this paper addresses an important gap in the healthcare merger literature.
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This paper aims to explain the interaction of external and internal influences in the imposition of results-based budgeting (RBB) in a public sector organization, subsequent to…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explain the interaction of external and internal influences in the imposition of results-based budgeting (RBB) in a public sector organization, subsequent to public sector reforms.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses an explanatory case study of a state-imposed RBB system, drawing evidence from in-depth interviews, document analysis, and direct observation. The paper draws on Alsharari's (2013) contextual framework which synthesizes three approaches to analyzing institutional change: Dillard et al.'s (2004) New Institutional Sociology (NIS) framework for analyzing externalities; Burns and Scapens' (2000) framework inspired by old institutional economics (OIE) for internal processes of change and Hardy (1996) power and politics mobilization model. In addition, Pettigrew's (1987) contextual framework is used for its holistic incorporation of different perspectives and to integrate theoretical perspectives.
Findings
The findings show that Jordan's National Reform Agenda represented a turning towards the New Public Management (NPM) model, following entrenched poor state budget performance. The findings also show that NPM ideas, such as results orientation and performance-based accountability, are invoked in response to common economic and social pressures, such as budget insufficiency and public antipathy to government service provision, as well as the pressures of globalization. Institutional analysis confirms the “path-dependent” and evolutionary nature of accounting change implemented in Jordan's customs agency. The study also concludes, from observation of the organization's work routines and practices, that the implementation of accounting change was not merely a symbolic innovation.
Research limitations/implications
This study has significant implications for politicians, economists, academics and government leaders as it provides fieldwork evidence about the role of RBB in the economy and public policy. Changes at the political and economic level, particularly with respect to the introduction of the fiscal reforms and customs modernization projects, have resulted in changes to structures and systems at the organizational level, particularly the implementation of RBB. This study is subject to normal limitations. The role of legitimate power in the organizational change process can be subject to further examination, especially in the public sectors of developing countries. A longitudinal study could also affirm the institutional analysis of the present case study.
Originality/value
The study contributes to accounting literature by providing further understanding and a thick explanation of the dynamics of accounting change in the Jordanian public sector. It utilizes a contextual framework for studying accounting change that attempts to overcome the limitations of single-dimension theories, such as NIS and OIE, by integrating levels of analysis. The case study provides insight into how internal dynamics interact with external pressures and recognizes the organizational field as a link between political, economic and organizational levels. It more directly addresses the dynamics of emergence, diffusion and implementation of new accounting criteria and practices.
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Despite the economic transformation that the various countries in Southeast Asia have undergone, serious weaknesses have persisted in the area of public procurement. These include…
Abstract
Despite the economic transformation that the various countries in Southeast Asia have undergone, serious weaknesses have persisted in the area of public procurement. These include fragmented procurement procedures; the lack of professional procurement expertise; the absence of open, competitive tendering, especially for foreign suppliers; widespread corruption; and the lack of transparency. In recent years, limited progress has been made in reforming public procurement but all too often the reforms have been inadequate and have not had the desired impact so that shortcomings still persist. In light of these failings, the paper will highlight the twin challenges facing most of the states of the region: viz. the need to reinforce the recent procurement reforms and to translate them into actual practices.
Presents a classification scheme which allows the interpretation of supply chain improvement initiatives. While there is an abundance of anecdotal evidence, there is little…
Abstract
Presents a classification scheme which allows the interpretation of supply chain improvement initiatives. While there is an abundance of anecdotal evidence, there is little systematic theoretical development in the field. This is partly because of the many different ways in which co‐operation between trading partners may be developed. The suggested framework is useful in that it highlights some important yet often ignored issues relating to the logic and outcomes of collaborative activities. Illustrates the use of the framework by the secondary analysis of some well‐known UK examples in logistics and supply‐chain management and with supplementary data gathered by questionnaire. Concludes by discussing the limitations of the scheme and its role in further research.