Abstract
Despite the significant amount of change experienced by the public sector, there has been relatively limited empirical examination of how change agendas affect public sector employees in Australia. This article presents a comparative analysis of two Australian public sector organisations that implemented the same positive work change agenda, but experienced very different outcomes. Using a critical realist approach, we draw on a mix of qualitative techniques to suggest that textbook notions of 'successful change', which are often derived from large private sector expectations, may fail to capture the complex nature of how public sector change initiatives may unfold. In particular, we demonstrate how political, temporal, contextual, and process factors interact to shift change momentum. Illustrative examples are provided throughout and the findings are discussed in terms of their implications for theory building, for change facilitation, and for future research.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 253-271 |
| Number of pages | 19 |
| Journal | Australian Journal of Public Administration |
| Volume | 77 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jun 2018 |
Keywords
- Critical realism
- Organisational change
- Qualitative research
Cite this
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More of the same? A dual case study approach to examining change momentum in the public sector. / Barker, Laura; Mckeown, Tui; Wolfram Cox, Julie; Bryant, Melanie.
In: Australian Journal of Public Administration, Vol. 77, No. 2, 01.06.2018, p. 253-271.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - More of the same? A dual case study approach to examining change momentum in the public sector
AU - Barker, Laura
AU - Mckeown, Tui
AU - Wolfram Cox, Julie
AU - Bryant, Melanie
PY - 2018/6/1
Y1 - 2018/6/1
N2 - Despite the significant amount of change experienced by the public sector, there has been relatively limited empirical examination of how change agendas affect public sector employees in Australia. This article presents a comparative analysis of two Australian public sector organisations that implemented the same positive work change agenda, but experienced very different outcomes. Using a critical realist approach, we draw on a mix of qualitative techniques to suggest that textbook notions of 'successful change', which are often derived from large private sector expectations, may fail to capture the complex nature of how public sector change initiatives may unfold. In particular, we demonstrate how political, temporal, contextual, and process factors interact to shift change momentum. Illustrative examples are provided throughout and the findings are discussed in terms of their implications for theory building, for change facilitation, and for future research.
AB - Despite the significant amount of change experienced by the public sector, there has been relatively limited empirical examination of how change agendas affect public sector employees in Australia. This article presents a comparative analysis of two Australian public sector organisations that implemented the same positive work change agenda, but experienced very different outcomes. Using a critical realist approach, we draw on a mix of qualitative techniques to suggest that textbook notions of 'successful change', which are often derived from large private sector expectations, may fail to capture the complex nature of how public sector change initiatives may unfold. In particular, we demonstrate how political, temporal, contextual, and process factors interact to shift change momentum. Illustrative examples are provided throughout and the findings are discussed in terms of their implications for theory building, for change facilitation, and for future research.
KW - Critical realism
KW - Organisational change
KW - Qualitative research
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85040656231&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/1467-8500.12306
DO - 10.1111/1467-8500.12306
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85040656231
VL - 77
SP - 253
EP - 271
JO - Australian Journal of Public Administration
JF - Australian Journal of Public Administration
SN - 0313-6647
IS - 2
ER -