There is a vast body of literature on organizational change, but much of it includes only case studies or surveys with a limited number of variables. Organizational change tactics, key aspects of planned change, are not often studied. One purpose of this study was to add to this literature by assessing the use of a questionnaire regarding the use of organizational change tactics as seen by staff who had experienced an organizational change initiative. This study is particularly notable in that it uses perceptions of staff in assessing the success of the change intervention. A second purpose was to learn about specific tactics which were associated with the success of change processes in a youth and family service agency. Findings showed that eighteen of the tactics were observed and seen as helpful in goal accomplishment. These findings can help change leaders choose appropriate change tactics. This method, including a survey of all levels of staff regarding generic change tactics, an interview with an executive, and a focus group, shows promise for further study.

Introduction

The vast literature on organizational change has become more extensive and complex in recent years, ranging from scholarly articles to books in the popular management press. However, these books are typically based on only authors’ experiences as consultants or on profiles of allegedly successful change leaders, with little empirical support, and limited or nonexistent conceptual models. Conversely, the academic literature often focuses on only a limited number of possible variables or on individual case studies. Defining and measuring success are particularly complex and challenging, and perhaps for that reason success is rarely documented adequately. For example, in a study by Parish, et al. (2008), the variables of “implementation success” and “improved performance” were based on only respondent opinion statements on a Likert scale. Because there is not a commonly agreed upon conceptual framework to guide research, this literature remains fragmented, with few ways to easily connect elements of new knowledge. Parry (2011, cited in Hughes, 2015) offered this summary of the general organizational change literature: Leadership and organizational change are inextricably intertwined. However, “organizational change” has become an interest for organizational consultants more so than for empirical researchers. There are many more books and articles on practitioner or conceptual scholarship than on theoretical or empirical scholarship. Much of the practitioner work is case study-based, and anecdotal and not rigorous in its conduct.