‘Engage for change’

Abstract

This article reports on the management and outcomes of a radical change programme within a public sector agency. The findings reveal a significant divergence between management and employee experiences of the change process and significant differences in outcome perceptions. While management remains adamant that radical change has been achieved, employees report much more limited, incremental change – a position supported by the research findings. Using a grounded theory approach, the article seeks to explain the reasons for radical change failure and based on these proposes a ‘Radical Change Engagement’ model for use during such periods. While based on public sector research, it is contended that the model has implications and applicability for any organization undergoing radical change.