Managing Successful Organizational Change in the Public Sector

Can governmental organizations change? Reform initiatives have swept through governments in the United States and overseas, again and again bringing news about efforts to reinvent, transform, or reform government agencies. The variety of theoretical perspectives presents a rather confusing picture,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Public administration review 2006-03, Vol.66 (2), p.168-176
Main Authors: Fernandez, Sergio, Rainey, Hal G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
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2500
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9190
9550
Administrative Change
Bureaucracy
Educational administration
Experimental/theoretical
Government (Administrative Body)
Government agencies
Government initiatives
Government reform
Government structure
Human resources
Leaders
Management principles
Management styles
Managerial skills
Organization theory
Organizational behavior
Organizational change
Organizational structure
Periodicals
Public administration
Public sector
Reform
Reforms
Researchers
Resistance to change
Structural change
Studies
Theory to Practice
United States
Vision
Waste management
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Summary:Can governmental organizations change? Reform initiatives have swept through governments in the United States and overseas, again and again bringing news about efforts to reinvent, transform, or reform government agencies. The variety of theoretical perspectives presents a rather confusing picture, but it provides insights into the nature of organizational change, and in particular, the causes of change and the role of managers in the change process. Some of the theories downplay the significance of human agency as a source of change. Conversely, other theories view managers' purposeful action as driving change, although environmental, cognitive, and resource constraints place limits on such action. Noting that managers can effect change tells people little, however, about whether an intended change actually occurs and about the best strategies for effecting change. Fortunately, a stream of research exists that contains various models and frameworks. Despite some differences in these models and frameworks, you will find remarkable similarities among them, as well as empirical studies supporting them.
ISSN:0033-3352
1540-6210
DOI:10.1111/j.1540-6210.2006.00570.x