An increasing number of organisations are experiencing high velocity discontinuous change. To facilitate their adaptation and transformation, many are introducing more empowering structures and cultures. This has led them to disperse change agency to a more diverse “cast of characters” with...

Evidence has emerged from an analysis of two organizational case studies to suggest that a relatively discrete and processual view of management development may be contributing to the “failure” of development strategies and activities to meet organizational expectations during a time of...

Discusses a case where an assessment centre programme played a key role in a process of management change in a county council social services department, responding to the Government’s “Care in the Community” initiatives. “New think” management required a paradigm shift – not just...

Purpose – To analyze lower level employees' retrospective views of their experience with organizational changes introduced by management; to provide a typology of change responses based on employees' interpretations. Design/methodology/approach – Canadian bank employees' accounts of their...

Purpose – This study aims to contribute to a better understanding of resistance to change (RTC) by examining the role played by organisational commitment (OC) as a potential predictor and moderator in the analysis of RTC. Design/methodology/approach – First, alternative models of OC were...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how experience with organizational change influences employees' reactions to change. While exposure to an increasingly frequent organizational change can lead to change fatigue and cynicism, it can also generate more positive reactions to...

This study investigates whether there is a set of universal senior management competencies in the context of one large multi‐site service organisation. Four distinct work environments are identified and different lists of competencies are perceived to be important by managers working at the...

This paper considers the impact of the Investors in People (IIP) Standard upon small‐ to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Midlands. The paper describes IIP, then considers the significance of SMEs and the impact of training and development in that sector. The paper then presents an...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report a study investigating the predictors of acceptance of multisource feedback (MSF) by managers. Specifically, it investigates the extent to which locus of control, cynicism and perceptions of procedural justice predicted acceptance by feedback...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discover the preferences for management development methods used in the development of senior managers, and to discover the perceived effectiveness, as well as strengths and weaknesses, of different methods. Design/methodology/approach – The study...