Case Study

APA reference: and key idea (I)

Theory (T)

Application (A) FOR EXAMPLE

(C) Conclusions and insights

Hamlin R. Organisational Change and Development: The Case for evidence-based practice in Hamlin, A. Ellinger, & J. Jones (Eds.), Evidence-Based Initiatives for Organizational Change and Development (pp. 52-75). Hershey, PA: IGI Global. doi: 10.4018/978-1-5225-6155-2.Chpt 1.

Key idea - I

Organisational change and development should be informed by research. Hamlin (2019), argues that change should be planned and informed by research evidence through partnerships between business practitioners and researchers. There are warnings about six situations where evidence-based change can fail.

Organisational change and development involves adaptation or transformation of organisations that aims for improved business outcomes. Business changes could relate to the structure functions or culture or all three. Change could involve ownership, governance, structure operational matters, relationships with stakeholders or issues faced by managers and employees involving any aspect or the overall culture of the business. Organisational change and development should be informed by research and implemented by people skilled in change management.

One example could be the need for businesses to respond to the COVID 19 outbreak by ongoing evidence-based research of the situation. Change will involve constant research into the spread of the virus. Communication and responses to employee’s needs, change to travel policies, remote working processes, business tracking and forecasting to assess the impact on business sectors dependent on the context in which the business operates. Businesses may examine research on the outcomes of other health epidemics such as SARS OR HIN1 Flu’s.

The six risks of failure outlined by Hamlin (2019) in terms of the COVID 19 problems might involve managers trying for a quick fix and not researching the ever changing nature of the problem; managers not attending to the cultural or people issues of the process of implementation of changes, managers not channelling their responses through the human resource function of the business or the implementers lacking credibility with the line mangers and workforce. The main claim is that organisational change requires attention to evidence based research preceding implementation.