Integrating the organizational change literature: a model for successful change

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to contribute a roadmap to the change management literature, and provide definitions for describing change types, change enablers and change methods. This paper also proposes aligning the change type with the change method to find the effect on the change outcomes. New researchers can use this paper to get an overview of the change management discipline along with the main concepts that help in understanding the different dimensions of and relationships between the change types and methods in the literature. Managers can use this paper to describe and classify their organizational change situation and select an implementation method for systematic change and for change management. Design/methodology/approach – This framework is designed based on literature review and experts judgment. Findings – The results of the research propose a hypothesis that describes the relationships between the change types and methods and how this relationship can affect the change outcomes. Originality/value – The main contribution of this research paper is to connect three main knowledge areas of change types, change methods and change outcomes. These three areas are standalone subjects in several publications in the literature. Some researchers connected the change types and change methods, while other researchers connected the change methods and change outcomes. But connecting the change types, change methods and change outcomes remains a new research territory to explore.