Managing Change in Research Organizations

by Ronald Mackay

April 24, 2007

Summary

The pressure for organizational change is usually the result of pressures exerted from outside the organization, inside the organization, or both. Responding to these pressures in a planned and participatory way, can help organizations to become more successful and sustainable. Change initiatives can have relatively limited or more radical goals depending upon a diagnosis of an organization’s “health”. Successful change management requires consistent support from senior managers, a clear and shared vision, and staff with a capacity for change and the willingness to take action. A framework based on four frequently-asked questions can help managers make sense of the array of approaches and tools offered to manage change. There are a number of practical steps that managers can take to approach and manage the change process. These are discussed throughout, illustrated in the many boxes and in particular in the brief case study of INIA-Chile (Box 2) and summarized in the final section.