Managing Change Through Networks and Values

The article focuses on the most effective means of managing change within an organization. The literature on this subject has expanded dramatically, but little improvement in the process has taken place. One study found that while 90 percent of companies had undergone significant organizational change in a two-year period, only five percent had done so without a substantial disruption of operations. All institutions resist change, and the informal networks within an organization are a primary source of that resistance. A variety of case studies are used to demonstrate how informal communication networks which embody differing cultures within an organization play a greater role in influencing the progress of change than is usually understood. Managers are advised to give as much or more weight to the cultural networks of their organization as to its formal structure when implementing change.