Changing an organisation’s culture: correlates of success and failure

Role of Mindfulness in the Effects of Organizational Culture on Depression in Korean Physical Therapists

Objective

The study aimed to investigate whether mindfulness could mitigate the impact of job and interpersonal demands arising from stressful organizational cultures in predicting depression during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

A total of 280 Korean physical therapists participated in this study. To verify the mediated moderation model, this study implemented an SPSS 26.0 PROCESS Macro (v.3.5) that was based on the verification of Hayes' conditional indirect effect.

Results

The study confirmed the moderated mediation effect of mindfulness on the mediating relationship between stressful organizational culture, job demands/interpersonal demands, and depression. Moreover, the conditional indirect effect of mindfulness was found to be statistically significant. However, the impact on interpersonal stress differed from anticipated outcomes.

Conclusions

Mindfulness, applicable within the framework of the Job Demands-Resources model theory, served as a resource variable and moderated the impact of organizational culture on members' depression. Amidst ongoing debates on mindfulness effectiveness, this study partially confirmed its potential within the Job Demands-Resources model, suggesting a role in mitigating the influence of organizational culture on members' depression as a resource variable.

Coaching as a Buffer for Organisational Change

When introducing changes to an organisation, it is crucial to know how a given change will affect the company’s success. It is easy to forget or, more frequently, fail to appreciate the importance of the feelings and thoughts of the people who experience such changes. The distinction between objective change and subjective change is helpful in understanding the psychological consequences of changes and how they may affect the effectiveness of introducing changes in organisations. Results of studies on the psychological costs of changes for an individual indicate that there are differences in the way people experience objective and subjective changes, and that the way a change is perceived by an individual (i.e., subjective change) is crucial for the consequences of change. Studies have also identified factors which can buffer the negative consequences that changes may have on an individual. For changes in an organisation, coaching is one method to nurture these buffering factors in affected individuals, and, most of all, in those who are responsible for planning and introducing the changes, so that the employees of a company can experience the change in the most constructive way possible.

Change of collective orientation through an interprofessional training with medical students and student nurses depending on presence and professional group

BACKGROUND

Teamwork is an important success factors for patient treatment. The willingness of a healthcare provider to work in a team can be descripted with the construct of "Collective Orientation" (CO). The level of CO can be trained and is related to team performance. In this study, we investigated the effect of a simulator-based interprofessional training on the subject of patient fall in a hospital setting upon participations CO. To evaluate whether the course could be integrated into a longitudinal education concept, the participants were medical students and student nurses. Since effects of simulations can be influenced by the perceived reality, the results were measured as a function of Presence.

METHOD

In this observation study, 62 medical students and student nurses took part in six one-day interprofessional simulation trainings with the topic patient fall. The primary outcome was the mean difference between the CO measured immediately before (T1) and after the training (T2). The Presence of the participants was measured by questionnaire immediately after the course (T2).

RESULTS

Cronbach´s alpha for all scales and measurement points was higher than 0.69. CO increases over all professional groups from M = 3.42 (SD = 0.39) to M = 3.68 (SD = 0.54) significantly (p < .00; r = .5). Only the subscale "Dominance" in the professional group of the student nurses did not increase significantly. There was no correlation between Presence and the change in CO.

CONCLUSION

The questionnaires of CO and Presence can be applied to medical students and student nurses. The simulation course with the topic patient fall influences the CO and can be integrated in a longitudinal curriculum of teamwork training. The subscale "Dominance" of student nurses did not change. Preparatory learning units may increase the effects. The perceived reality of the scenario is not a main success factor.

Insight in cultural change during organizational transformation: a case study

Purpose

The purpose of this case study is to gain insight into how a cultural change process develops as a result of organizational transformation.

Design/methodology/approach

This case study employs an ethnographic and longitudinal research design. The transformation period of the organization is described by means of desk research and interviews with the management. Simultaneously, the cultural change process is described following four organizational mindset analyses.

Findings

This paper supports the theoretical assumption that culture changes as a reaction to transformation. However, in this case study, culture is also proven to be proactive, in that it emerged a year before the actual transformation was carried out. It is believed that the announcement of the new transformation caused a shift in the organizational mindset, enabling its members to deal with a situation of high uncertainty and stress. Whether the cultural change process in reaction to the transformation will evolve into a new sustainable cultural equilibrium could not yet be determined.

Originality/value

This study has contributed to comprehending the relationship between transformation and the process of cultural change. Cultural change is not solely a reaction to transformation. It can also be proactive in that it emerges before the transformation is carried out. That makes cultural change both proactive and reactive in relation to transformation, an insight that, as such, has not yet been discussed in the cultural theory.

Enhancing psychological safety in mental health services

Background

Psychological safety—speaking up about ideas and concerns, free from interpersonal risk—are essential to the high-risk environment, such as healthcare settings. Psychologically safe working is particularly important in mental health where recovery-oriented approaches rely on collaborative efforts of interprofessional teams to make complex decisions. Much research focuses on antecedents and outcomes associated with psychological safety, but little focus on the practical steps for how to increase psychological safety across and at different levels of a healthcare organisation.

Aims

We explore how a mental health organisation creates an organisation-wide plan for building the foundations of mental health and how to enhance psychological safety.

Methods

This review encompasses strategies across psychological safety and organisational culture change to increase psychological safety at an individual, team and organisational level.

Summary

We set out a comprehensive overview of the types of strategies and interventions for increasing the ethos of psychological safety and setting the foundations for delivering an organisation-wide programme on this topic. We also provide a list of key targeted areas in mental health that would maximally benefit from increasing psychological safety—both in clinical and non-clinical settings.

Conclusions

Psychological safety is a crucial determinant of safe and effective patient care in mental health services. This paper provides the key steps and considerations, creating a large-scale programme in psychological safety with a focus on mental health and drawing from the current literature, providing concrete steps for how our current understanding of psychological safety into practice.

Management Styles and Decision-Making: Pro-Ecological Strategy Approach

Management style and decision-making create an organization’s culture and influence its performance also in the pro-ecological dimension. Therefore, this paper’s originality lies in how it explores the effect of management style to inform our understanding of decision-making when using a sustainable approach. However, the cause-and-effect relations between decisions and management style remain vastly unexplored. The paper’s aim is to explore whether the management style serves as a basis for decision-making or if it is an effect of decisions. This research addresses a research question: is the management style a basis for decision-making or an effect of the decisions in a pro-ecological context? We used a comprehensive literature review by using inductive and deductive approaches to analyze the relations between decision-making and management style. The paper also illustrates how organizational culture images can inform accounts of business realities influencing organizations’ green strategies. The analogies followed relations between color symbol and guiding metaphor. The article presents a theoretical discussion on the influence of management style on decision-making in the organization, based on original literature research in pro-ecological strategy related decisions. As a result, a decision-making style model is proposed. This nonorthodox approach might open up new avenues of thought in the field of decision-making, management styles, and pro-ecological strategy. Theoretical and managerial implications and directions for future research are also addressed.

Improving evidence quality for organisational change management through open science

Purpose

Popular contingency approaches to organisational change management imply that it is known what and when practices are most appropriate and effective to manage change. The current work aims to question this assumption.

Design/methodology/approach

The current work critically reviews the quality of current evidence supporting organisational change management and considers the role of open science practices for the field.

Findings

First, evidence informing organisational change management is poor, heavily reliant upon unquestioned theoretical models and low-quality cross-sectional or case-study designs. Greater adoption of an evidence-based approach to practice could facilitate organisational change management, but only once a higher quality of evidence is available to inform more robust practical guidance. Second, open science practices look well placed to drive a higher quality of evidence suitable for informing future change management.

Originality/value

The current work highlights the problematic nature of the quality and application of current evidence to inform organisational change and raises a number of recommendations to support future evidence development using an open science approach.

Leadership and change implementation in a Russian context

Leadership literature suggests that the transfer of leadership theory to non-US/Anglo-centric cultures may lead to findings that are different from current ones. Indeed, it is proposed that a dominant national culture will impact both the enacted leadership style and the followers’ expectations and acceptance of such a leadership style. Within the emerging literature on relational and change leadership, there is little consideration of the differing impact of leader behaviours in non-Western cultures. This study addresses both these gaps, through a case study that explores leadership styles and strategic change implementation within a Russian context that is seen as being directive and autocratic. The nature and impact of leadership in the context of change in Russian organizations is explored in this article, using a case-study design. Based on 20 interviews conducted in three organizations, we report findings which suggest, in a Russian context, that a more relational leadership style is more effective, and more likely to be accepted by followers, in implementing strategic change than a more ‘typical’ autocratic and directive style. The article contributes to leadership theory by providing clear empirical evidence of the value of a relational style in non-Western settings in ensuring effective change implementation.

From practice to research at Flinders University Library: sustaining a research culture

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the mechanisms used by Flinders University Library to sustain a culture of research. Flinders University Library has been supporting its librarians to undertake research projects using a formal support group mechanism, known as the Research Working Group (RWG), sanctioned and resourced by library executive since 2010. This established a culture of practitioner-based research in the library, with the librarians developing a greater understanding of both the theory and practice of qualitative and quantitative methods by undertaking their own research projects. However, sustaining a research this culture brings new challenges which this paper now explores.

Design/methodology/approach

This case study describes the methods used at Flinders University Library in sustaining a culture of practitioner-research. This arose from a review of the formal support structure, as well as a previous study that surveyed staff responses to the RWG.

Findings

As academic libraries face ongoing challenges and engage more broadly with research support, librarians need experiential knowledge of research. In the case of Flinders University Library, the author has found that, in seeking to sustain a research culture, the author has needed to adapt the support mechanisms, including a greater emphasis on peer support, a different model of resourcing and more inclusivity for all staff to engage with research work.

Research limitations/implications

This paper is limited by its scope as a single-institution case study; however, there are opportunities for other academic libraries to learn from this experience.

Originality/value

Establishing a culture of practice-based research is not an easy undertaking, requiring dedication from all parties whether management, practitioner-researchers or mentors. While there are many examples in the literature of case studies examining the establishment of research culture, few if any take the next steps to explore how to maintain it. This paper seeks to fill that gap.

Using action research for change in organizations: processes, reflections and outcomes

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a commentary and recommendations on systemic approaches to designing and implementing change in organisations.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is a viewpoint on successful change management techniques using action research based on experience in the use of systemic thinking and systems practices.

Findings

The use of a systems approach to change using relevant systems practices enables more successful change outcomes.

Practical implications

Change management practitioners should utilise systemic approaches to enable more successful change implementation.

Originality/value

The paper provides valuable advice for practitioners and researchers in change management through the author’s unique experience in systemic change processes.

Time to change: a review of organisational culture change in health care organisations

Purpose

The culture of an organization shapes the attitudes and behaviors of employees and plays a key role in driving organizational outcomes. Yet, it is enormously challenging to manage or change. The purpose of this paper is to review the recent literature on culture change interventions in health care organizations to identify the common themes underpinning these interventions.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is developed from an extensive review of the literature on culture change interventions in health care from 2005 to 2015, building on previous reviews and highlighting examples of good practice.

Findings

All culture change interventions included in the review used processes and techniques that can be classified into Lewin’s (1951) three stage model of change. These include providing evidence for the need for change through data, a range of successful change strategies, and strategies for embedding the culture change into business as usual.

Practical implications

There is no “one size fits all” recipe for culture change. Rather, attention to context with key features including diagnosis and evaluation of culture, a combination of support from leaders and others in the organization, and strategies to embed the culture change are important for the change process to happen.

Originality/value

The authors provide an important insight into the key principles and features of culture change interventions to provide practitioners with guidance on the process within health care and other organizations.

The Development of a KIM Behavioural Framework to Support Science and Technology Knowledge Transfer in the UK Defence Sector. A Case Study Approach

A framework is presented for investigating and understanding human behaviour connected with knowledge and information management (KIM), developed from a case study in the UK defence sector. Qualitative research was undertaken in three organisations within the wider defence and security sector. The research showed that particular areas of sensitivity leading to resistance to change when KIM systems were introduced include a perceived lack of usability of KIM IT systems, the length of time required to learn how to use them, their perceived lack of reliability and the users’ consequent lack of trust in them. These issues led to the widespread use of “work arounds” to cope with the demands of the job without using the KIM systems as designed. The framework’s purpose is to contribute to the current field of knowledge about how organisations can best approach and implement required KIM changes, taking these human issues into account.

Critical incidents of quality orientation in lower and middle management

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present research about identifying critical management behaviour regarding quality orientation in organisations.

Design/methodology/approach

– In order to describe how quality orientation is manifested in management behaviour, the critical incident technique was chosen. First, quality orientation was defined based on an extensive literature review. Then, critical incidents that represent a behavioural manifestation of each dimension were derived through a deductive approach. Lastly, an expert group consisting of scientists and practitioners were asked to categorise the critical incidents and evaluate their practical relevance and completeness.

Findings

– The results show that the construct quality orientation is related to the five variables internal customer focus, external customer focus, continuous improvement orientation, systems-thinking perspective, and data-driven. For each variable four critical incidents were developed and evaluated by the expert group. Analyses of the data show fair agreement between the raters with an overall agreement index of 0.38.

Originality/value

– The results of the present study can be used to support managers in understanding and practising behaviour critical to organisation-wide quality and thereby improving working conditions as well as business results.

Capability for continuous improvement

Purpose

– The current state of the art on continuous improvement takes into consideration that capabilities and organizational behaviors are more important elements for conduction and sustainability than the technical aspects. This set of capabilities and behaviors, initially addressed by Bessant and Caffyn in the 1990s, essentially considers that organizations should build an environment focussed on continuous learning. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to analyze the development of capabilities that support continuous improvement programs in two distinct productive environments: the automotive sector and the custom made capital goods sector.

Design/methodology/approach

– From a theoretical reference on the subject, a set of capabilities that are related to the practice of continuous improvement is raised and, through a qualitative approach, four companies of the two sectors considered are analyzed using a case study strategy.

Findings

– The research results suggest that the companies researched in the automotive sector have a higher level of employee engagement in relation to continuous improvement programs compared to the companies in the capital goods sector, which is justified by the strategy adopted by the organizations.

Research limitations/implications

– As any qualitative approach, this research presents restrictions regarding the generalization of the results for the studied sectors.

Originality/value

– The contribution of this paper can be divided into two parts. The first one refers to the identification of a current framework of capabilities that support continuous improvement, and the second one is the evaluation of the development of these capabilities in two sectors with different productive contexts (automotive and custom made capital goods).

Validation of the organizational culture assessment instrument

Organizational culture is a commonly studied area in industrial/organizational psychology due to its important role in workplace behaviour, cognitions, and outcomes. Jung et al.'s [1] review of the psychometric properties of organizational culture measurement instruments noted many instruments have limited validation data despite frequent use in both theoretical and applied situations. The Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) has had conflicting data regarding its psychometric properties, particularly regarding its factor structure. Our study examined the factor structure and criterion validity of the OCAI using robust analysis methods on data gathered from 328 (females = 226, males = 102) Australian employees. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a four factor structure of the OCAI for both ideal and current organizational culture perspectives. Current organizational culture data demonstrated expected reciprocally-opposed relationships between three of the four OCAI factors and the outcome variable of job satisfaction but ideal culture data did not, thus indicating possible weak criterion validity when the OCAI is used to assess ideal culture. Based on the mixed evidence regarding the measure's properties, further examination of the factor structure and broad validity of the measure is encouraged.

The project management office: transforming healthcare in the context of a hospital redevelopment project

It has been shown that classifying projects into a typology allows improved allocation of resources and promotes project success. However, a typology of healthcare projects has yet to be developed. The projects encountered by the Transition Support Office at the McGill University Health Centre in Montreal, Quebec, where a major redevelopment project is under way, were classified into a typology unique to the healthcare context. Examples of the 3 project types, Process, People, and Practice, are provided to clarify the specific support strategies and context-adapted interventions that were instrumental to their success.

Ergonomics action research II: a framework for integrating HF into work system design

This paper presents a conceptual framework that can support efforts to integrate human factors (HF) into the work system design process, where improved and cost-effective application of HF is possible. The framework advocates strategies of broad stakeholder participation, linking of performance and health goals, and process focussed change tools that can help practitioners engage in improvements to embed HF into a firm's work system design process. Recommended tools include business process mapping of the design process, implementing design criteria, using cognitive mapping to connect to managers' strategic goals, tactical use of training and adopting virtual HF (VHF) tools to support the integration effort. Consistent with organisational change research, the framework provides guidance but does not suggest a strict set of steps. This allows more adaptability for the practitioner who must navigate within a particular organisational context to secure support for embedding HF into the design process for improved operator wellbeing and system performance.

PRACTITIONER SUMMARY

There has been little scientific literature about how a practitioner might integrate HF into a company's work system design process. This paper proposes a framework for this effort by presenting a coherent conceptual framework, process tools, design tools and procedural advice that can be adapted for a target organisation.

Ergonomics action research I: shifting from hypothesis testing to experiential learning

This paper presents the case for the need for 'Action Research' (AR) approaches to gain understanding of how ergonomics considerations can best be integrated into the design of new work systems. The AR researchers work collaboratively with other stakeholders to solve a real-world problem: gaining insight into the problem and factors influencing solution building from an embedded position in the development process. This experience is interpreted in terms of available theory and can support further theory development. This non-experimental approach can help provide practical new approaches for integrating ergonomics considerations into real work system design processes. The AR approach suffers from a lack of acceptance by conventionally trained scientists. This paper aims to help overcome this weakness by developing the underlying theory and rationale for using AR approaches in ergonomics research. We propose further development of hybrid approaches which incorporate other evaluation techniques to extend the knowledge gains from AR projects.

PRACTITIONER SUMMARY

Researchers should engage directly with organisations in ergonomics projects so that they can better understand the challenges and needs of practitioners who are trying to apply available scientific knowledge in their own unique context. Such 'Action Research' could help develop theory and approaches useful to improve mobilisation and application of ergonomics knowledge in organisations.

Failed culture change aimed at more service provision: a test of three agentic factors

Purpose

Headquarters managers of a medium‐sized manufacturing company initiated a culture change in five of their dispersed wholesale units. The aim was for more external service quality. This paper aims to report the results of a test of three hypotheses, shedding light on the behavior of the involved agents. The hypotheses are rooted in the change management literature.

Design/methodology/approach

The present study rests both on quantitative (survey) and qualitative (interviews) field data collected in two discrete phases over 3.5 years and obtained from the operational employees. The authors use their quantitative survey data to examine agentic explanations for the failed change; their qualitative data corroborated the findings.

Findings

No culture change or service improvement was detected. Despite the fact that local change agents were not the initiators or owners of the intended change, employee satisfaction with the local change agents (situated in the service units) was found to explain variance in the culture and climate scores. The results underscore, furthermore, the critical importance of training employees, or lack thereof, in instituting the required new behavior.

Originality/value

Most change‐management research collects data from the managers' point of view. There are relatively few studies like this one that have been conducted from the perspective of those employees working in frontline service units. Meeting the challenge to improve external and internal service through culture change is crucial in many firms, for their survival and growth; accomplishing such organisational change (in which both culture and climate are positively affected) does indeed require experienced change‐management skills. Results of this study recommend the honing of the change‐management skill “coaching” for experienced managers, even though they themselves may not feel such a need.

Improvement interventions: To what extent are they manifestations of social defences?

Orientation: The statistical record of change and improvement interventions to deliver on expectations is notoriously poor. Yet, new interventions are started constantly.Research purpose: The aim is to provide an explanation to the lure behind interventions and to contribute to building a theory on plausible systems psychodynamic drivers and mechanisms of recurrent change interventions.Motivation for the study: This study provides insights into social defences in ways that did not receive much attention previously; specifically how defence mechanisms act as drivers for new change and improvement interventions.Research design, approach and method: A literature study, consisting of a literature review and a phenomenological analysis. The study was conducted from the systems psychodynamic approach.Main findings: Improvement interventions often represent defences that serve to contain anxieties or maintain fantasies. Four specific themes emerged: interventions defend the perception of being in control, they maintain the fantasy that one is busy with worthy actions to overcome challenges, they are defences against boredom or contain anxieties about incompetence, and they maintain the fantasy of being heroic leaders.Practical/managerial implications: The findings can assist leaders to understand their own defences in order to avoid embarking on non-essential interventions. This can free up much time, energy and effort to spend on other priorities, assisting organisations to achieve better results.Contribution/value-add: The study refutes the notion that improvement interventions are always rational coping mechanisms and highlights the role of improvement interventions as defences to reduce anxiety, even though they may contribute little to organisational survival in real terms.

The relationship between the survey-guided assessment of culture within specific nursing work groups and readiness for change

Change within health-care systems is constant as it relates to the external and internal demands that require continual adaptation by providers. This chapter provides a summary of the history and research contributions related to the study of culture and change through the lens of the nursing profession. The review focuses upon nursing research publications and the knowledge gained, ranging from the earliest to current studies. There has been a substantial increase in research interest regarding the relationship between nursing culture and ability to change; however, there is a considerable gap that remains in understanding subgroups such as individual nursing units or departments, consistent use of tools to measure culture, and interventions that have made a difference over time. From a practical perspective, this discussion provides insight into the importance of recognizing the importance of assessing culture and integrating cultural feedback into operational improvement plans.

Effect assessment in work environment interventions: a methodological reflection

This paper addresses a number of issues for work environment intervention (WEI) researchers in light of the mixed results reported in the literature. If researchers emphasise study quality over intervention quality, reviews that exclude case studies with high quality and multifactorial interventions may be vulnerable to 'quality criteria selection bias'. Learning from 'failed' interventions is inhibited by both publication bias and reporting lengths that limit information on relevant contextual and implementation factors. The authors argue for the need to develop evaluation approaches consistent with the complexity of multifactorial WEIs that: a) are owned by and aimed at the whole organisation; and b) include intervention in early design stages where potential impact is highest. Context variety, complexity and instability in and around organisations suggest that attention might usefully shift from generalisable 'proof of effectiveness' to a more nuanced identification of intervention elements and the situations in which they are more likely to work as intended. STATEMENT OF RELEVANCE: This paper considers ergonomics interventions from perspectives of what constitutes quality and 'proof". It points to limitations of traditional experimental intervention designs and argues that the complexity of organisational change, and the need for multifactorial interventions that reach deep into work processes for greater impact, should be recognised.

Leadership and Organizational Culture Transformation in Professional Sport

Organizational culture has long been recognized as a critical component that can facilitate high performance in business (Balthazard, Cooke, & Potter, 2006). The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the phenomena of organizational culture change in professional sport (NBA, MLB, and NFL). Six owners or general managers who had successfully brought their organizations through organizational culture change, as evidenced by their team’s performance, agreed to an in-person interview. Five primary themes emerged ( Symptoms of a Dysfunctional Culture, My Way, Walk the Talk, Embedding New Culture, and Our Way) which together formed an initial model for organizational culture change in professional sport: the Culture Change Cycle. Each theme is discussed in depth, and differences across sport and role are explained.

Integrating ergonomics into production system development--the Volvo Powertrain case

Understanding the barriers and assists to integrating ergonomics into production system design remains a research issue. An action research case study at Volvo Powertrain/Sweden was conducted. Researchers worked collaboratively with the firm in efforts to improve the company's ability to handle ergonomics in their daily work of improving and developing production systems. Researchers observed and reflected collectively on the change process using field notes and recordings to support their observations. Observed integration barriers included both individual level issues like life events, and organisational aspects such as communication barriers between groups or assignment of tasks to people not involved in decision-making. Observed assists included the 'political reflective navigation' (c.f. Broberg, O., Hermund, I., 2004. The OHS consultant as a 'political reflective navigator' in technological change processes. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics 33 (4), 315-326) by the project owner to find new ways to overcome barriers and anchor ergonomics into the organisation. While special 'ergonomics' groups did not survive long, progress was observed in including ergonomics in regular design groups. A cross-functional workshop that fostered discussion across organisational boundaries helped shift focus from retrofitting systems to future production systems and improve engagement of engineering teams. Progress was marked by both success and setbacks and full integration appears to require more than 2 years time. It is concluded that support by senior managers should include succession planning for personnel that are key to the change effort.

The role of curriculum in organizational significant change planning

Purpose

With significant change as an ongoing challenge, the development and use of a flexible change curriculum is identified as a success factor that will allow an organization to optimize the outcome from change transformations.

Design/methodology/approach

After discussing significant change, this paper will contrast two organizations in support of a flexible curriculum taking into account multiple theories addressing change, learning, planning, utilization of a curriculum, and assessment, all to enhance the change transformation experience.

Findings

The research, investigation, introduction, implementation and refinement of the action plan play a very important role in how the enterprise accommodates change. It is further suggested that at the heart of any action plan is a flexible curriculum by which the organization can use a formulated educational plan to adjust its current mode of operation to incorporate an ongoing change philosophy.

Research limitations/implications

The intent is to identify benefits in using a curriculum to aid significant change transformations where logic and reality can justify its use.

Practical implications

It is postulated that a well‐developed yet flexible curriculum with assessment to track the impact of changes throughout the process will serve to enhance the flexibility of the enterprise and its ability to deal with change. The curriculum serves as the means that provides the organizational membership with identified learning and instruction to mix corporate culture with change urgency.

Originality/value

Taking into account change and learning theories, an action plan in the form of a flexible curriculum with assessment is recommended to optimize significant change transformations.