Supportive mechanisms for effective change management

This paper discusses the mechanisms used to support and enable change in contemporary organisations in Europe. Based on a literature review, we identify and classify critical factors to the management of change. These include organisation structure, organisation culture and climate, communication mechanisms, training and skills development as well as evaluation procedures for the monitoring of the change effort. These factors are then analysed in the context of empirical findings in four European countries: Greece, Spain, Denmark and the UK. As a result of this analysis, best practices for change management are identified. The research findings suggest that it is critical to adopt a holistic approach to continuous change with emphasis on communication, teamwork, education and training and an adaptive culture.

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