Chapter 8

Implementing
Change:
Change
Management,
Contingency, &
Processual
Approaches

McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright 2009 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
 Images of Managing Change
Images of Image Rationale
Managing Chapter 7
Change
Coach Organization Development These theories and approaches focus on
Appreciative Inquiry identifying and building on what is working best
Change
Positive Organizational in the organisation.
Management
Approach Scholarship
-Kotters Eight- Interpreter Sense-Making This approach as it alerts managers to the
Step Model different influence that interpretations of change
-Other n-step can have.
models
-N-step model Chapter 8
issues Director Change Management They focus on strategic and planned
Contingency Theories organizational change. Intentional change
Change outcomes can be achieved through a series of
Management vs planned steps. There is certainty that it can be
Organization achieved.
Development Navigator Processual Approach The outcomes are the result of a complex
interplay of different interests, both internal and
Contingency external to the organization.
Approaches
Note: The caretaker and nurturer images are not well addressed in the literature because as
Processual the assumption is that change managers receive rather than initiate change
Approach
8-2
 Change Management Approach
Images of
Managing
Change Focuses on strategic, intentional
Change
Management
and usually large-scale change
Approach
-Kotters Eight-
Step Model
Entails following a variety of
-Other n-step
models
steps; the exact steps vary
-N-step model
issues depending upon the model used
Change
Management vs Belief that achieving
Organization
Development organizational change is possible
Contingency
Approaches
through a coordinated and
Processual
planned approach
Very top-down
Approach
8-3
 Kotters Eight-Step Model
Images of
Managing Kotters eight-step model is one of the
Change
best known:
Change
Management 1. Establish the need for urgency
Approach
-Kotters Eight- 2. Ensure there is a powerful change group to
Step Model
-Other n-step guide the change
models
-N-step model 3. Develop a vision
issues
4. Communicate the vision
Change
Management vs 5. Empower the staff
Organization
Development 6. Ensure there are short-term wins
Contingency 7. Consolidate gains
Approaches
8. Embed the change in the culture
Processual
Approach
8-4
 Other N-Step Models
Images of
Managing Ten commandements (Kanter, Stein and Jick 1992)
Change
Ten Keys (Pendlebury, Grouard, and Meston 1998)
Change 12 Action Steps (Nadler 1998)
Management
Approach
Transformation Trajectory (Taffinfer 1998)
-Kotters Eight- Nine-Phase Change Process Model (Anderson &
Step Model Anderson 2001)
-Other n-step
models
Step-by-Step Change Model (Kirkpatrick 2001)
-N-step model 12 Step Framework (Mento, Jones and Dirndorfer
issues 2002)
Change
RANDs Six Steps (Light 2005)
Management vs Integrated Model (Leppitt 2006)
Organization
Development

Contingency
Approaches

Processual
Approach
8-5
 N-Step Model Issues
Images of
Managing
Change The sequences of steps
Change The number of steps
Management
Approach
-Kotters Eight-
The timing of steps
Step Model
-Other n-step
The resourcing of steps
models
-N-step model The involvement in each step
issues
Difficult or easy?
Change
Management vs Managing multiple steps
Organization
Development Revisiting different steps
Contingency
Approaches
Are all steps needed for particular
Processual
changes?
Approach
8-6
 Change Management - Criticisms

Reflective, rather than prospective

Interpreted differently by different people
Multiple changes may be happening
Commandments need to be tailored to
each organization
Dialog must be both ways in reality
The change may require experimentation,
with no definite finish
Strong leader may not be available
Criticized as being more to pad CV of mgrs
 Contingency Approaches
Images of
Managing
Change Contingency approaches challenge
Change the view that there is one best way
Management
Approach
-Kotters Eight-
The style of change will vary,
Step Model
-Other n-step
depending upon the scale of the
models
-N-step model
change and the receptivity to change
issues
of organizational members.
Change
Management vs In the Dunphy-Stace model the style
Organization
Development of change varies from collaborative to
Contingency coercive
Approaches

Processual
Approach
8-8
 Dunphy/Stace (DS)

Scale of change and style of change management must be matched to the org
 Dunphy/Stace (DS)

Developmental Transitions
Constant change due to evolving
environment
Leader style is consultative
Gaining support for continuous
improvement
Task-focused transitions
Change leader acts as captain
Seeking compliance in participation in
change effort
 Dunphy/Stace (DS)

Charismatic Transformation
People accept that org is out of step
Still need a leader to gain emotional buy-in
Turnaround
Coercive, frame-breaking
Change needs to be forced through
Taylorism
Paternalistic, fine tuning
 Paths of Change

Orgs may adopt a different change

approach at different times
Taylorism and charismatic transformation
Turnarounds and Task-focused transitions
Developmental Changes and Charismatic
Developmental/Task Focused and
Charismatic/Turnaround changes
 Huy

4 categories of types of change

Commanding
Short term, abrupt, rapid
Senior executives demand compliance
Engineering
Medium-term, changing work systems
change mgr as systems analyst
Teaching
Long-term, teach staff how to recog change
Socializing
Long term, change develops through
participative, democratic process
 Criticisms - Contingency

Achieving fit may be difficult due to differing

perceptions of the conditions in which the fit is sought
Contingency approaches require greater analysis and
decisions by managers; the prescriptiveness of change
management models may be attractive to managers
Contingency approaches focus on leadership style
rather than a specific set of actions
The use of different change styles at different times
may raises questions in the minds of staff as to the
credibility of senior management.
There is a question about what is contingent to
managing change

8-14
 Processual Approach

Draws on a navigator approach

Change seen as continuous, not linear
no clear beginning, or end
It sees the outcome of change as occurring through a
complex interplay of different interest groups, goals,
and politics.
This approach alerts the change manager to the
range of influences which they will confront and the
way in which these will lead to only certain change
outcomes being achieved
This approach is often used to provide a detailed
analysis and understanding of change
retrospectively.

8-15
 Pettigrew

Questions that change can be

accomplished with an n-step model
Time better spent gaining an
understanding of the issues
Although proposes some stages
Problem sensing and communicating
Development of concern about the problem
Acknowledgement of the problem
Planning and acting
Stabilizing change
 Dawson

Simple linear recipes should be

challenged
Change recipes need to be adapted due
to the reactions and politics they create
Initiation of change recipes will change
the environment in which change
happens
Political processes impact speed of
change