I am not your hero: change management and culture shocks in a public sector corporation

Abstract

PurposeA description of the managerial impact on change processes during a takeover with middle management in the telecom industry.Design/methodology/approachThe approach is to use storytelling as a form of analysis of different positions within an organization, as described in a case study.FindingsBy not including the voice of the middle managers, higher management runs into problems in the implementation of change processes.Research limitations/implicationsBy using narratives as a source for analysis, the paper does not try to gain objective insights into change processes.Practical implicationsResistance to change can prove a safeguard against too optimistic change.Originality/valueThe paper shows that several layers of change that interact with one another as proof of the confrontation between grand narratives and ante‐narratives.