Managing Planned Change: The Transition From A Nationalized Organization To A Fragmented Network

Abstract

Organizational change literature has traditionally concentrated on how organizations realign internal resources in an effort to predict and match the needs of the external environment. This paper examines how managing the change process can influence organizational performance measures such as voluntary turnover. The underlying causes of resistance to change and person-organization fit are discussed as the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom continues to experience upheaval as it shifts from a nationalized institution to a fragmented network of trusts charged with visibly increasing efficiencies.

This paper argues that middle managers may be better placed to communicate the vision of the future to nursing professionals as they simultaneously receive leadership communications and engage in sensemaking activities to interpret, manage, and respond to events. Ultimately, they play the critical role in mitigating a loss of experienced professionals and knowledge capital.