Managing Change

overview Change continues to take a front-of-stage role in both academic research and industrial practice. Whilst it is difficult to gain a universally accepted definition of change, we are reminded that change management is not a distinct discipline with rigorous and defined boundaries, but more that the theory and practice of change management draws upon a number of social science disciplines and traditions (Burnes 2004). This chapter encapsulates the major theories in the field of change, adopting a strategic perspective, and considers how HR can impact upon change in organisations. The appropriateness of change planning and intervention is dependent to some extent on how we fit theory into practice, and vice versa. Grint (1997, p1) sums up the argument particularly well: Theory is where you know everything and nothing works; Practice is where everything works, But nobody knows why; Here we combine theory and practice: Nothing works and nobody knows why. Whilst it is unlikely that any one change model fits perfectly, there is scope to consider a more hybrid approach to change. There needs to be a move away from ‘static’ models of change, which stress the content and substance of change (Nelson 2003), to the dynamics of change, with the expectation that change occurs within a less certain environment,