Complexity and change management: Analyzing church leaders' narratives

Simpson, Peter

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to introduce a novel approach to the analysis of individual and co-constructed change management narratives, utilizing a framework derived from the theory of complex responsive processes. Design/methodology/approach: The research project explored change management through the analysis of narratives arising from participation in group conversation. This comprised a six-month intervention with a group of six leaders from the Church of England. An action research method was employed that required the leaders to bring a case study from their work that required a change management intervention. The focus of the research study was not to "solve the problem" but to practice a particular method of conversation. Transcripts of the conversations were analyzed for change or continuity in the organizing narratives. The analytical framework employed comprises three paired categories of organizing narrative themes, namely Legitimate/Shadow; Formal/Informal; and Conscious/Unconscious. Findings: The analysis focuses on both the interactions between these organizing themes and upon the iterations, over time, in the narratives. Following the theory of complex responsive processes, the practice of change management and its consequences are understood not as cause-effect but rather as participation in emergent narratives. It is suggested that such narratives do not merely contribute to change management within an organization but that from the perspective of complex responsive processes theory such conversational life is change management. Originality/value: The action inquiry method employed and the approach to data analysis from the perspective of complex responsive processes theory, together constitute a novel approach to researching and understanding change management. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Mar 1, 2012
• Deposit Date: May 21, 2012
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 26, 2016
• Journal: Journal of Organizational Change Management
• Print ISSN: 0953-4814
• Publisher: Emerald
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 25
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 283-296
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/09534811211213955
• Keywords: action research, change management, complex responsive processes, narrative, conversation
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/955757
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09534811211213955
• Contract Date: Mar 26, 2016