ABSTRACT
Change is a feature of organisations. Higher education is particularly susceptible to change as it operates in an increasingly complex environment driven by the dynamic interaction of a range of factors. These include changes in senior leadership, metrics, external and internal politics, culture, quality assurance, finances, rebranding and, importantly, timing. What is intriguing is, why it is that some organisations appear to be successful in leading or managing complex change, whilst others have a very poor record? These organisations experience wave after wave of change with little positive impact, leaving behind a legacy of staff insecurity, a silenced majority and an unwillingness to engage in change however it is ‘sold’ to staff. An examination of four critical elements in understanding the barriers to organisational change is offered as a constructive way forward for staff responsible for leading change and as a framework for training. These comprise whether change is perceived as mandatory or self-initiated, the staff’s relationship with the organisation illustrated through the metaphors used, an examination of what lies beneath the organisation and, finally, whether resistance to change lies with staff or the organisation itself. The interrelationship of these elements has a direct impact on the organisation’s capacity to effect change. It is proposed that leaders’ reflexivity and their ability to think critically and scrutinise factors which lie beneath the surface of a department or faculty will offer a deeper understanding of the institution’s culture, enabling a more sensitive engagement with the process of change.
