CIPD - HR: making change happen

Corporate and HR strategy

A Summary of the CIPD Executive Briefing

This Executive Briefing forms one output from a major three-year project, Organising For Success, undertaken on behalf of the CIPD by a team of researchers led by Richard Whittington, Professor of Strategy and Organisation, SAID Business School, Oxford University. This publication is available to purchase online – please visit our bookstore for more information and to find out how to order.

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Organisational change is a regular feature of life, and dealing with reorganisations is a regular feature of the job of an HR professional. However, there is a lot of evidence that suggests that the success rates of reorganisations remain low. Organisations do not seem to have the capability to cope with repeated reorganisatons and they don’t always take full advantage of the HR expertise available.

The focus of the three year research project has been on the ‘how to’ of reorganising, including:

a review of current trends in organisational structure and design
the identification of current and emerging forms of organisation
providing understanding of, and guidance on, the practice of organisational restructuring and the capabilities required for effective restructuring
raising awareness about, and influencing practice in, effective organisational restructuring among senior executives
analysing the contribution of effective people management for effective restructuring
drawing conclusions and providing recommendations that support CIPD members in improving their contribution to the practice of organisational restructuring.

The research has included both surveys and case study approaches. This specific publication draws lessons from the 12 case studies that were involved in the research and is designed to provide practical tips and ideas for people management and development professionals on how to influence and implement change effectively. The use of extensive case study examples is intended to demonstrate the appropriateness of different responses in different contexts and the case studies are also used to re-inforce “the seven Cs of change”. This is a model for change used throughout the publication as a means of providing readers with examples and ideas they can adapt to address their own particular situations.
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The 7 Cs that are discussed within this publication are:

choosing a team
crafting the vision and the path
connecting organisation-wide change
consulting stakeholders
communicating
coping with change
capturing learning.

MOLLOY, E. and WHITTINGTON, R. (2005) HR: making change happen. Executive briefing. London: CIPD.

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