CULTURE, COGNITIVE-DISSONANCE AND THE MANAGEMENT OF CHANGE

In the 1980s it became increasingly apparent that the management of ch ange is a crucial factor in organizational performance. However, it be came equally apparent that many organizations found great difficulty i n successfully planning and implementing change. One oft-quoted reason for this was the lack of involvement of those affected by the change in its planning and implementation. Consequently it now appears to be the received wisdom that employee involvement in change projects is '' a good thing''. However, this blanket injunction to ''involve'' ignore s both the context in which particular change projects take place and the varying degrees of involvement which are possible. In an attempt t o rectify this, examines how an organization's culture and the degree of cognitive dissonance generated by proposals for change influence th e depth and type of employee involvement required to create a positive climate for change. Concludes by arguing that these factors are cruci al not only in identifying the best approach to managing change in a p articular-situation but also in determining whether such a project sho uld be undertaken in the first place.