Organizational change: A review of theory and research in the 1990s

This review selectively examines the theoretical and empirical organization al change literature over the past nine years (1990-early 1998), Four resea rch themes or issues common to all change efforts are discussed: (a) conten t issues, which largely focus on the substance of contemporary, organizatio nal changes; (b) contextual issues, which principally focus on forces or co nditions existing in an organisation's external and internal environments; (c) process issues, which address actions undertaken during the enactment o f an intended change, and (d) criterion issues, which deal with outcomes co mmonly assessed in organizational change efforts. Research dealing with mon itoring affective and behavioral reactions to change is also reviewed. In c losing, general observations and suggestions for future research are offere d and it is concluded that the organizational change literature continues t o be responsive to the dynamics of contemporary workplace demands. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.