Page 16 - Managing Change in Organizations

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Preface

This edition includes a number of significant changes. First, I have organized the
book into five parts to help the reader navigate the text more easily. Second, I
have added a more substantial coverage of the underpinning theoretical material
on change. I have responded to feedback from academic colleagues and others
that there is value in doing so. The new material includes wholly new chapters
on traditional and critical theory models of change, and substantially revised and
extended chapters on strategic management models of change and of culture
change.
There is one further key departure from previous editions. Hitherto I have
sought mainly to select from existing theory by looking only at what seemed to
me to be the most practical and relevant. I made clear that I made no claim to be
developing new models. In this edition I have both included a fuller treatment
of current theory and presented a new strategic change model derived from my
own work in the field.
This is a strategic convergence model and seeks to fill gaps in the existing treat-
ment of change in the literature. Not least the model starts from the proposition
that no model of strategic change can be adequate unless it takes account of the
reality that in modern organizations we are often making hundreds of changes at
the same time. Multiplicity of change initiatives combined with multiplicity of
change activities associated with any particular change initiative is a current real-
ity. The model seeks to address that reality. Based on the idea of change archi-
tecture introduced in the third edition, the model is now developed sufficiently
to feature in most of my own work with organizations, in both the public and
private sectors.
As before I acknowledge the ideas and stimulus of many executives and oth-

ers with whom I work and the perspective of my wife, Ruth, a successful practi-
tioner and leader of change. All errors are my sole responsibility.
Colin Carnall
Westerham, Kent; November 2006

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