Advanced Change Management: Critical Review of an Article

This report provides a critical review of Rune Todnem By's article on organizational change management. The article emphasizes the significance of effective change management for organizational survival and success in a competitive business environment. It critiques various change management approaches and theories, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses. The review analyzes the article's arguments, including the need for a new framework and the importance of measuring the success of change initiatives. The report also evaluates the article's claims, inconsistencies, and limitations, while offering suggestions for further research and practical applications. The review delves into both planned and emergent approaches to change, discussing their assumptions and implications for organizational adaptation. The author's perspective on the inevitability of change and the challenges associated with employee resistance are also examined. The report concludes with an overall assessment of the article's contribution to the field and offers insights for enhancing the effectiveness of change management practices.

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ADVANCE CHANGE MANAGEMENT

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Table of Contents
Introduction...........................................................................................................................................3
Background of the article and summary................................................................................................4
Summary...........................................................................................................................................4
Critique of the article.............................................................................................................................6
Conclusion.............................................................................................................................................8
References...........................................................................................................................................10

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Introduction
The title of article is organisation change management that carried out the critical
review of the different approaches presented by the author. Author of this article is Rune
Todnem By. The main context of this article is that a successful change is essential for any
organisation to succeed and survive in the complex and competitive business environment.
The major purpose of this article is to provide the critical review major approaches and
theories to the organisation change management. As per the authors purpose, it has
effectively included the different approaches of the change management in order to find the
proper output. It is true that no single approach of change management can succeed in the
complex business environment. In this regard, it included the viewpoint of various authors.
Author has written on the different elements of change management. Appropriateness of the
change can be understood about the different elements included in the research paper. It has
effectively included the different points because business environment is changing regularly
which definitely requires the organisation to adopt change tools. However, it is not an easy
task for the organisation to bring quick changes in their structure or working style because it
requires the due concern on the part of different members of the organisation. The authority
of the author can be explained by its copyright as the entire information is published in the
Routledge book which is well known and trustable book. At the same time, the information’s
included in the article is also subjected to the recent issue that every organisation should be
given consideration (Brones, et al 2017).
The thesis statement of the article is that change management is the most significant
tool for succeeding and surviving in the complex business environment. The major purpose is
to provide the critical review of the major approach and theories toward the organisational
change management. The changing business era and technological innovations require the

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organisation to come up with several changes as per the changing internal or external
business environment situation.
Background of the article and summary
Summary
In the article, major discussion has been carried on the change management. the major
purpose of this article is to know he different change management approaches and theories.
Change management is said to be the process of regular change in the organisations structure,
direction as well as capabilities. The rapid changes in the technology as well as shifting fo the
demographic trend has been the major task for management. Change management has
become a requirement for surviving in the today’s competitive and complex business
environment. Ion the one hand, author has stated that continuous change is the major part in
the organisational change management. While on the other hand, other author has stated that
rapid changes in the organisation might lead to several internal problems in the organisation.
It is highlighted that a better and effective approach to change is the situation when their
people as well as organisation tends to monitor as well as respond to the internal and external
environment in small steps (Cameron & Green, 2019). Different authors have given the
different approaches of change. Planned process of change tends to explain the process that
tends to bring about the change. It majorly give emphasis on the significance of properly
understanding the varied states when an organisation go through different stages in order to
move from unsatisfactory level to the desired or identified state. Lewin brought this initiative
the year 1946. By coming through this, Lewin directly stated that before new behaviour and
new change is to be adopted, the prior behaviour is required to be discarded. At the same
time, it also suggested the three steps to bring this change. The first stage is unfreezing of the
present level, moving the further level and then refreezing the new level. Afterwards, several

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authors worked on this model and then tried to make this more practical. Author named
Bullock and Batten has also come up with the four phase model of the planned change that
includes planning, exploration, action and integration (Cummings, Bridgman & Brown,
2016). The support of author named Burned has been receive for this model by stating that it
is one of the highest application model during the changing situation. Planned model is also
based on the assumption that organisations work under the constant condition. In the critique
of this theory, it is highlighted that the organisation in recent time require more continuous
and open minded process as compare to pre-defined events. However, this has ignored the
situation where more of the directive approaches are being required. It should also include the
entire stakeholders who are interested or willing in implementing the same. This is true that
this pre assumption ignores the organisational conflict and politics. The emergent approach of
change also give emphasis on the element that change should not be supposed as the linear
events in the given period of time but as an open ended and continuous process of adaptation
to the changing conditions. It majorly give emphasis on the stresses that unpredictable change
and view it as the process that tends to develop the relationship between different variables in
the organisation. This approach is basically a uncertainty of the internal and external
environment. In order to cope up with the uncertainty and complexity, organisation is
required to become open to different changes. It is rightly stated that there is no such
universal rule when it comes to managing and leading change. In the dynamic and
unpredictable business environment, any change brought is required to be adopted by the
organisation (Doppelt, 2017).
a. Research was conducted in order to know the variety of views related to change
management approach. In the article, major discussion has been carried on the change
management. the major purpose of this article is to know he different change
management approaches and theories

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b. research questions:
 What is change management in organisation?
 What are the different approaches of change?
 What are the different types of change?
The research conducted in the article is quantitative as well as qualitative. It
has presented the authors personal opinion as well as included the different
data found for the change management.
c. The fact author relied on supporting the hypothesis is that no single method of change
management is applicable in different situations. Therefore, contingency approach of
change can be applied (Hussain, et al 2018).
d. Yes, the article includes the recommendations in order to better conduct the research in
effective manner.
Critique of the article
The explicit argument of the paper is that it has clearly outlined the concept of change
management. Different authors have given their perception regarding the change
management approach in today’s complex and changing business environment. It is rightly
said that change is unpredictable in the recent time because of the changing organisational
crisis. It is supported by research conducted by different authors. However, it is also difficult
to know any particular change management framework which can be applied in changing
business environment. it has also effectively carried out the research on different types of
change (Lozano, Nummert & Ceulemans, 2016).
The implicit argument of the paper is that it is not able to include all the theories and
approaches regarding change. If the author has argued viewpoint of nay one author, it should
also support the argument by giving proper solution of the problem. At the same time,

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assumptions made for the change management approach is not properly clear because there is
no such assumption made in the complex business environment. As per the above article it
can be stated that there were certain claims that have been acknowledged as unusual or
extraordinary. The first claim is that change is inevitable and since its need it unpredictable
the reaction from the employees will be discomforting and this creates results in poor success
rates. The current business demands the change and hence the restricted behavior from the
side of the employees. The change is required and necessary as the change itself cannot be
relied upon to any state. The authors have different opinions, but since the smooth change has
been deleted from the concept, the employee tends to have reluctance towards the change.
The mix of the two models is also one of the reasons for the claims and extraordinary features
(Pugh, 2016).
There is certain argument that seems to be controversial and inconsistent and this
starts with the lack of coherence and diversity in the techniques. Instead of the agreed
alternative, the focus is on disparate models and approaches. The argument is also for the
specific model such as situational or contingency model. The invalid argument is given by
Burnes who suggests that changes shall not be adaptive to the environment rather than it shall
be on the basis of choice, and views that organization can exercise some choice over the
issues. The confusing theories are one of the reasons, of no clarity for the process and hence,
the evidence was convincing but subject to certain conditions. Though the article was
insightful but there surely lacks the basic principles and ideas which are required for the
implementation of the change (Tang, 2019).
Few questions that are in mind and cannot be answered by this article were how the
change has been specified and do the process of the changes, changes with respect to the
different organizations. The importance of the change can be observed but, how to make the
employees aware about the change at the parallel level. Further research is also required on

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how the methods of measurement shall be recognized and designed. The critical success
factors after the implementation of the management change shall be more descriptive and
with evidence. Most importantly the need of the valid framework shall be founded (Brannen,
2017).
Conclusion
In the limelight of above discussion, it can be concluded that change is one such
element that affects the entire organisation. it is clearly written that change pace can never be
more than the recent evolving business environment. By undertaking the critical review
regarding the different approaches of change management, author has carried out the attempt
to bring the need for some new framework as suggested by authors. At the same time, it also
suggested that the measurement of organisation change management success should be
effectively designed for evaluating the new frameworks. Although author has covered the
different points in the article, but it lacks o carried out the complete research. It can also
collect the data from some well-known organisations in order ti justify the applicability of
change management tools. It also fails to explain the nature of change which is most
significant aspect (Todnem, 2005). Therefore, it should also include the different explanatory
studies for increasing the knowledge regarding change management study. By doing so, it
will be able to enable to know the success factors that are required for change management in
any organisation. the major missing part in the article was tool for measuring the success rate
of change. Therefore, it should also effectively explain the methods of measuring the success
rate of relative change. My own response to the article is that several pints could be added to
make the research more successful. It can also work on the new dimensions by p[providing
suggestions that are essential for making the change management in organisation successful.
At the same time, it could also include some of the examples where change approach proved

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to be successful. This help in gaining the more clear understanding regarding the change
management approach.

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References
Brannen, J. (2017). Combining qualitative and quantitative approaches: an overview.
In Mixing methods: Qualitative and quantitative research (pp. 3-37). Routledge.
Brones, F. A., de Carvalho, M. M., & de Senzi Zancul, E. (2017). Reviews, action and
learning on change management for ecodesign transition. Journal of Cleaner
Production, 142, 8-22.
Cameron, E., & Green, M. (2019). Making sense of change management: A complete guide to
the models, tools and techniques of organizational change. Kogan Page Publishers.
Cummings, S., Bridgman, T., & Brown, K. G. (2016). Unfreezing change as three steps:
Rethinking Kurt Lewin’s legacy for change management. Human relations, 69(1), 33-
60.
Doppelt, B. (2017). Leading change toward sustainability: A change-management guide for
business, government and civil society. Routledge.
Hussain, S. T., Lei, S., Akram, T., Haider, M. J., Hussain, S. H., & Ali, M. (2018). Kurt
Lewin's change model: A critical review of the role of leadership and employee
involvement in organizational change. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 3(3), 123-
127.
Lozano, R., Nummert, B., & Ceulemans, K. (2016). Elucidating the relationship between
sustainability reporting and organisational change management for
sustainability. Journal of cleaner production, 125, 168-188.
Pugh, L. (2016). Change management in information services. Routledge.

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Tang, K. N. (2019). Change management. In Leadership and Change Management (pp. 47-
55). Springer, Singapore.
Todnem By, R. (2005). Organisational change management: A critical review. Journal of change
management, 5(4), 369-380.