DEVELOPING CAPACITY FOR CHANGE

Developing Capacity for Change

Developing Capacity for Change

In this conceptual paper we examine how organizations can develop sustainable capacity for change action, which we define as the ability to implement changes at minimum costs for the organization. Balancing the efforts to make change happen without destroying well-functioning aspects in an organization requires both capabilities to change and capabilities to maintain stability in terms of attending to daily operations. (Christine, Inger , 2006) Such capabilities are tied not only on managements' ability to mobilize action but also to organizational member's reactions to change. The change literature includes a number of process prescriptions on how change action can be mobilized. We discuss how these process prescriptions contribute in developing an organization's capabilities to change and assess costs, such as potential consequences on operational capabilities or long-term costs, which reduce the organizations capacity to make subsequent changes.

Change, and that this capacity can be developed, we have defined change capacity and presented a number of ways in which change managers can contribute in developing change capacity. change has been preoccupied with implementation of change as isolated change processes. Organizations may succeed in implementing change, but if is highly unlikely that the change has contributed to sustainable performance. To build change capacity, we therefore, argue that organizations need to operations, and the need to implement changes in the future. Owing to the focus on single change processes, we have little knowledge on how the process prescriptions affect daily operations and subsequent change processes. (Christine, Inger , 2006) how the process prescriptions affect each of the three elements of change capacity. change capacity. certain process prescriptions more readily provide sustainable capacity for change, such as routinizing change and recruiting personnel. Extensive participation may create understanding and ownership for one particular change effects on the ...