TY - JOUR
T1 - Sustainable change
T2 - Long-term efforts toward developing a learning organization
AU - Sackmann, Sonja A.
AU - Eggenhofer-Rehart, Petra M.
AU - Friesl, Martin
PY - 2009/12
Y1 - 2009/12
N2 - Globalization and intensified competition require organizations to change and adapt to dynamic environments in order to stay competitive. This article describes a longitudinal action research study supporting the strategic change of a trading company. The strategic change was accompanied by planned changes in organizational structures and processes, management systems, emerging changes in leadership, and organization members' attitudes and behaviors, and it was supported by management development activities. Longitudinal data over a 4-year period including participant observation and interviews reveal that a systemic approach, a learning and becoming perspective toward change, trust, an appropriate role perception, and the specific use of management instruments contribute to sustained change that resulted in performance improvements and a move toward a learning organization. We conclude with implications for strategic change and suggestions for further research in this area.
AB - Globalization and intensified competition require organizations to change and adapt to dynamic environments in order to stay competitive. This article describes a longitudinal action research study supporting the strategic change of a trading company. The strategic change was accompanied by planned changes in organizational structures and processes, management systems, emerging changes in leadership, and organization members' attitudes and behaviors, and it was supported by management development activities. Longitudinal data over a 4-year period including participant observation and interviews reveal that a systemic approach, a learning and becoming perspective toward change, trust, an appropriate role perception, and the specific use of management instruments contribute to sustained change that resulted in performance improvements and a move toward a learning organization. We conclude with implications for strategic change and suggestions for further research in this area.
KW - Action research
KW - Learning organization
KW - Longitudinal study
KW - Role perception
KW - Strategic change implementation
KW - Survey feedback
KW - Trust
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=72549097273&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/0021886309346001
DO - 10.1177/0021886309346001
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:72549097273
SN - 0021-8863
VL - 45
SP - 521
EP - 549
JO - Journal of Applied Behavioral Science
JF - Journal of Applied Behavioral Science
IS - 4
ER -