ABSTRACT

Giving a fascinating insight into the world of change and transition, this radical book, aimed at both organizational change practitioners and academics, tackles the fundamental question ‘what is change?’ The answers it seeks will significantly improve attempts to manage change more effectively.

Innovative and absorbing, it charts a journey through a range of subjects including complexity science, nuclear physics, climatology, chemistry and chaos theory examining the change phenomena and the lessons it has to offer organizational and system thinkers. Key features include:

* a review of the organisational change literature
* an introduction to systems thinking
* a change framework built up from key change building blocks
* examples of change dynamics from the natural and physical sciences, and how they apply to our understanding of change within organisations
* numerous summary tables and illustrative graphics

This book, the first devoted entirely to exploring what change is as a phenomenon, has a uniquely rigorous scientific approach. It will be a valuable resource for students and professionals alike in the field of business and organizational change.

chapter 1|10 pages

Managing change

The problem redefined

chapter 2|18 pages

Moving beyond the conventional

Systems thinkers unite

chapter 3|13 pages

Organisational change thinking

A look back

chapter 4|14 pages

Tentative beginnings

Some pioneers reviewed

chapter 5|18 pages

Forsaking pride and prejudice

Multiple perspectives on change

chapter 6|19 pages

Building blocks of change

Part 1: The basics

chapter 7|22 pages

Building blocks of change

Part 2: Embedded dynamics

chapter 8|21 pages

Building blocks of change

Part 3: From levels to labelling

chapter 9|19 pages

Building blocks of change

Part 4: Resistance and endings explored