ABSTRACT
Organizations face change all the time, driven by internal and/or external influences. Most
changes in organizations are minor and incremental. A few changes are major and involve
completely new ways of operating. Managing change means taking active control of change
because many problems are those of adaptation, i.e. they require of the organization only that it
adjusts to an ever-changing set of circumstances. Factors from outside the business include:
technological developments, changing market conditions, such as exchange rate movements,
supplier price increases and demand from customers for new services, legislation, such as the
working time regulations and the minimum wage. Factors from inside the business include:
personnel changes, such as key employees leaving and new senior appointments. New
management processes such as customer service initiatives are also a source of change, and
there are constant pressures to improve efficiency in both the public and private sectors.
