Implementing change in a public agency: Leadership, learning and organisational resilience
International Journal of Public Sector Management
ISSN: 0951-3558
Article publication date: 10 April 2007
Abstract
Purpose
The article aims to investigate implementation problems arising from the introduction of a new computer system in a public agency.
Design/methodology/approach
Two analytical lenses were employed: a prescriptive model of technology‐based implementation and planned and emergent models of change.
Findings
Unintended consequences tested the organisation's resilience. It was found that those parts of the organisation with enhanced resilience exhibited localised leadership.
Practical implications
Successful implementation of change involving new technology requires a balance between “top‐down” planning and distributed leadership. Adequate attention to organisational learning is also a significant factor.
Originality/value
Implementation involving new computer systems is a commonly‐encountered problem in the public sector, yet there are few empirically‐based studies that deal with organisational and management issues in this context.
Keywords
Citation
Stewart, J. and O'Donnell, M. (2007), "Implementing change in a public agency: Leadership, learning and organisational resilience", International Journal of Public Sector Management, Vol. 20 No. 3, pp. 239-251. https://doi.org/10.1108/09513550710740634
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2007, Emerald Group Publishing Limited