Sustainable Change: Long-Term Efforts Toward Developing a Learning Organization

Globalization and intensified competition require organizations to change and adapt to dynamic environments in order to stay competitive. This article describes a longitudinal action research study supporting the strategic change of a trading company. The strategic change was accompanied by planned...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of applied behavioral science 2009-12, Vol.45 (4), p.521-549
Main Authors: Sackmann, Sonja A., Eggenhofer-Rehart, Petra M., Friesl, Martin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Action Research
Attitudes
Changes
Cognitive style
Competition
Globalization
Leadership
Learning
Longitudinal studies
Management
Management development
Organizational change
Organizational learning
Organizational Structure
Studies
Trading
Trust
Citations: Items that this one cites
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Summary:Globalization and intensified competition require organizations to change and adapt to dynamic environments in order to stay competitive. This article describes a longitudinal action research study supporting the strategic change of a trading company. The strategic change was accompanied by planned changes in organizational structures and processes, management systems, emerging changes in leadership, and organization members’ attitudes and behaviors, and it was supported by management development activities. Longitudinal data over a 4-year period including participant observation and interviews reveal that a systemic approach, a learning and becoming perspective toward change, trust, an appropriate role perception, and the specific use of management instruments contribute to sustained change that resulted in performance improvements and a move toward a learning organization. We conclude with implications for strategic change and suggestions for further research in this area.
ISSN:0021-8863
1552-6879
DOI:10.1177/0021886309346001