Abstract
It is acknowledged, and the literature supports the belief, that organisations are in an almost constant state of change, some major and some minor.This research is concerned with the emotional effects which organisational change has on staff and how management addresses this phenomenon. The outcome is expected to be a theory which explains the emotional effects and their management so that organisations can predict, during their planning processes, the likely effect of change on staff and management and make provision for these events.
The literature provides a series of organisational change models. None of these are primarily concerned with people's emotions within the planning and execution of the models. Therefore, the research is deemed to be exploratory with the theory adding a missing dimension to current organisational change models.
The researcher chose Grounded Theory principles on which to undertake theresearch because of the demand for the research outcome to be rooted in the data. It is felt that these research principles mesh with organisational development theory. Also, the opportunity arose to conduct the research as a participant observer using this methodology in a live environment of major organisational change.
The theory emerges during thirty five hours of recorded and unrecorded individual interviews with the data providing theory genesis and expansion through its control of the research direction and through the use of constant comparison analysis. The research generates a theory as well as a number of support requirements. This combination of theory and requirements forms a complex and difficult process but successful execution of them will result in a superior change management plan because it is truly holistic.
| Date of Award | Nov 1999 |
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| Original language | English |