ABSTRACT
The primary purpose of this chapter is to describe and analyze various characteristics of organizational change in the public sector. New political administrations, budget cuts, reductions in force, clientele demands, and competition for scarce resources often play a role in changing the nature of public agencies. The constant fluidity of the public environment compels public agencies to become extremely change-conscious. Yet, public agencies often resist change. Internal characteristics, such as informal norms, personality styles, and subunit conflict, often affect the willingness or ability of an agency to adapt. Many public agencies exhibit an amazing resilience to change even in the face of political pressure stressing reform. But perhaps the most basic concern for public agencies is “survival,” and survival often necessitates that an organization modify its structural arrangements and functional orientations as a means for achieving legitimacy in the environment 1 .
