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KNOWLEDGE FINDERbook reviews
Eric Flamholtz is President of Management Systems management consultancy. He is also Professor of Human Resource Management & Organisational Behaviour and a Faculty Research Fellow at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Yvonne Randle is Vice President of Management Systems, a management consultancy firm run with Co-author Eric Flamholtz.
Leading Strategic Change: Bridging Theory and Practice
Eric Flamholtz, Yvonne Randle
It is a long-standing question in management theory and one which numerous strategy, change and leadership books have tried to tackle – just why do some change ventures succeed while others struggle or fail? In Leading Strategic Change, authors Eric Flamholtz and Yvonne Randle have draw a number of disparate concerns on the matter into a cohesive bundle and successfully present their work in an approachable and fully applied way. They together have 30 years of consultancy experience with big companies including Starbucks, Neutrogena and IBM. By tackling the various issues from frameworks and tools through to leadership and management styles, they have effectively covered this wide topic from some refreshing angles.
The integrated framework presented in the book consists of three levels: The first analyses the theory behind the process of change; the second deals with the plan for organisational redevelopment, identifying types of change needed; and the third discussed the human resources (skills and competencies) needed to implement change successfully. Complementing and validating this framework are nine case studies ranging from the small (IndyMac Bank, Infogix) to the large (Starbucks, Westfield) and valuable insights and guides to lessons in organisational change.
The book approaches the subject of change from different angles simultaneously. It is a holistic approach, but with detailed examples. The thrust of the book covers four main areas:
• An introduction and appreciation of organisational change theory
• A new and fully integrated framework for leading change
• An investigation of nine real-world case studies
• A practical user guide to implement organisational change
It is by weaving all these elements together that the book finds its strength, demonstrating that the key to long-term organisational success is the ability to adapt and manage different types of change. Throughout the various elements of the book, Flamholtz and Randle have demonstrated that it is the leadership rather than the management that brings clear success in organisational change. By linking all these threads together in a clear and digestible format, Leading Strategic Change will be welcomed by both managers and leaders involved with or in charge of significant change programmes.
