CHANGE MANAGEMENT FACTORS THAT LEAD TO SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIC TRANSFORMATION

Abstract

The pace of change within the global competitive environment of business has accelerated. South African businesses increasingly have to adapt to remain competitive within transforming business environments. They need to strategically reposition themselves to survive and remain relevant. Strategic change may alter an organisation in a number of important dimensions. In order to implement such change, certain success factors need to be understood. This research draws on five case studies of large scale change initiatives that have been carried out in South African organisations. The purpose of this qualitative research was to ascertain, through in-depth interviews and organisational case studies, the critical factors that led to the successful execution of those transformations. The research involved interviews with senior individuals in the organisations who have been directly and intricately involved with the specific strategic change programmes. The findings highlight a number of critical success factors in change management that lead to strategic transformation. Variances between the results from the case studies and the seminal article by Kotter (1995) are underlined. A model for the execution of strategic change is offered. The model reflects that, in addition to the factors outlined by Kotter (1995), the implementation of strategic transformation requires leaders with specific leadership characteristics, who are capable of engaging with the human psychological dimension of people through change. Successful implementation also requires a management approach that encompasses project management disciplines, appropriate resource allocation and non-programmatic empowerment at the decision interface between the organisation and its external environment.