Description
The above two quotations could have been written especially to sum up the dilemma most people face when trying to come to terms with the literature of organisational change. What almost everyone would like is a clear and practical change theory which explains what changes organisations need to make and how they should make them. Unfortunately, what is available is a wide range of confusing and contradictory theories, approaches and recipes. Many of these are well thought-out and grounded in both theory and practice; others, unfortunately, seem disconnected from either theory or reality. Furthermore, though change theory requires an inter- disciplinary perspective, each of the major approaches tends to view organisations from the disciplinary angle of its originators whether it be psychology, sociology, economics, or whatever - which can result in an incomplete picture. Regardless of what their proponents may claim, therefore, we do not possess at present an approach to change which is theoretically holistic, universally applicable, and can be practically applied. It follows that, to paraphrase George Box, all change theories are partial but some are useful. This means that for those wishing to understand or implement change, the prime task is not to seek out an all-embracing theory but to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each approach and the situations in which each can best be applied.
