Reshaping Change

Patrick Dawson is a Professor of Change, Creativity and Innovation at the University of Adelaide, Professor of Organizational Change at the University of Northumbria, and an Emeritus Professor of Management at the University of Aberdeen.

List of Figures and Tables

Acknowledgments






Introduction
Introduction

The case for adopting a processual approach

The temporal dynamics of changing organizations

Grounding a processual perspective in empirical research

Main aims of the book




The Development of the Processual Perspective and the Process Turn in Organization Studies
Introduction

Laying the foundations: The importance of context and process

Pettigrew’s contribution to the processual-contextualist approach

The process turn in organization studies

Empirically grounded processual research and process philosophy: Issues and challenges

Developing a typology of process research in fieldwork studies

Processes of narrative change: Stories, sensemaking and dialogue

Processes of temporal change: Time, temporality and practice

Conclusion




A Processual Framework: The Non-linear Dynamic Processes of Organizational Change
Introduction

Studying change over time: Analytical distinctions and conceptual considerations

Type of organizational change

The before, during and after of organizational change: ‘Catching reality in flight’ through conventional timeframes

The importance of multiple times and multiple temporalities

Doing processual research: Approach, commitment and methods

Digging in the field: The committed researcher

Longitudinal research designs in collecting processual data

The processual framework reappraised and developed

Temporal context

Beyond contextual boundaries

Culture and history

Sensemaking and sensegiving

Time and temporality

Stories and narratives for understanding change

Power-political processes

Sociomaterial relations

Assemblages and entanglement: Some early debates

The concept of sociomateriality reappraised

Conclusion




Miners’ Stories and the Power-Political Processes of Contested Change
Introduction

The power of stories, storytellers and storying

The power-political process of contested change at Glenrothes colliery

Stories and the storying process in changing organizations

Retrospective stories and prospective storying

Temporal sensemaking and change: It’s ‘us’ against ‘them’

Attribution of blame in making sense of performance

Review and appeal: The power of stories to resist and steer change

Conclusion




Temporal Context and Non-linear Change at General Motors
Introduction

Context, time and temporality in the study of changing organizations

Moving context beyond business considerations dominant in mainstream change management models

Alternative conceptions of time and the concept of temporal context

Temporal context: The illustrative example of General Motors

The historical context of General Motors Holden

Data gathering and the concern with data triangulation

Stories in temporal context: Narrative in the making and processes in the shaping

Temporal context and depth of contextual knowledge

Temporal context and the sociomaterial dynamics of cell design

Temporal context and power-political process

Conclusion




Sociomaterial Relations in the Emergence and Growth of Micro-X
Introduction

Ongoing change and sociomateriality at Micro-X

The concept of sociomateriality and the importance of time

Micro-X: A high-tech start-up company based in Adelaide

The birth of a business: From idea generation to marketing and product emergence

Finding a partner organization for distribution and sales

Securing finance and building networks

Prototypes, reliability testing and the core technology

Establishing a Micro-X facility in South Australia: From design to manufacture

Drawing on the experience of ex-Holden employees

Quality supply and manufacture

Strategy, collaboration and innovation

Conclusion: Sociomaterial relations and the Micro-X story




The Design of Longitudinal Case Study Research and the Importance of Process and Time
7. The Design of Longitudinal Case Study Research And The Importance Of Process And Time

Introduction

Time and temporality in processual research and the ethnographic case study

Process ontology and debates on temporality and change

Temporal practices and temporal awareness in researching workplace change

A facilitating framework for accommodating time and temporality in extended case study research

The design and practice of longitudinal research

Longitudinal design and processual research: Practical constraints and contextual opportunities

Conclusion




Conducting Processual Fieldwork: Data Collection and Analysis
Introduction

Tacit knowledge: There is no substitute for dirty hands

Doing it: Processual research and the task of data collection

Observational methods

The use of interviews

Combining observation and in-depth interviewing

Other data collection techniques and supplementary methods

Processual analysis: The long vigil

The essential needs of processual analysis

The need for contextual richness in accommodating conflicting data

Conclusion




Disseminating Processual Research: Audience and Storyteller
Introduction

Stories and storytelling

The anecdotal story as a recipe for success: The popular management literature

Stories and storytelling in academic study

The processual case study in written form

The question of higher levels of output and the constraints of research group pressures

The case study and the audience: A typology

Content and style of the case material

The currency of publications: Challenges, opportunities and constraints

Conclusion




Conclusion

Introduction

Practical dimensions of processual research

Concluding comments on developments in the processual approach

Appendix I: Some Examples of Interview Schedules and a Supervisor’s Questionnaire

Introduction

Supervisor’s interview schedule

Yard staff interview schedule

Supervisor’s questionnaire

Appendix II: An Example of a Processual Case Study Write-up for Company Agreement on Publishable Material

Introduction

The company write-up: Total quality management at Laubman and Pank

Introduction

Research strategy and methods

Laubman and Pank

Quality management at Laubman and Pank

Senior management assessment of service excellence

Laboratory manufacturing and service excellence

Service excellence and competitive optometric practice

Conclusion: TQM in the Laubman and Pank Group

Conclusion

Appendix III: An Example of a Processual Case Study Used for Teaching Purposes

Introduction

Guidelines for case study tutorials

A recommended approach

The British Rail case study: Learning from the past?

The computerisation of freight operations control

The implementation problem

The ‘task force’ approach

Creating a culture of change

Technological change and organizational innovation

Case study questions

Conclusion

Bibliography

Index