How do Irish organizations approach and enable organizational change?

This paper investigates the approaches of private and public organizations based in Ireland towards change management. It examines the primary catalysts for change, utilizes change management tools, and contrasts the modus operandi of change in the public and private sectors. The discourse on effective change management has been extensively explored since the mid-twentieth century. Despite a plethora of literature, change models, and insights from management consultancy experts, achieving success in change management remains challenging, with documented hurdles proving intricate to surmount. Senior leaders from Irish organizations in both sectors were interviewed as part of this qualitative study to unravel their perspectives. The interviews revealed nuanced distinctions in the impetuses driving change between public and private sector entities. The public sector displayed a continuous drive to enhance service delivery, while the private sector was exclusively focused on executing commercial strategies dictated by the market and stakeholders. Notably, the universal external driver identified by all sectors was the climate change crisis. The study highlighted significant variations in the structured implementation of change, with Kotter’s 8-step process being the most frequently cited. Amidst diverse methodologies, a unanimous consensus emerged on the pivotal role of people engagement through effective communication and stakeholder management in ensuring successful implementation. Failure to engage individuals emerged as a substantial impediment to successful change. The research reaffirmed the conclusion drawn from the literature review that change is constant; organizations’ responses to change vary, with those investing in people-centric aspects such as performance management and a culture of feedback through communication being more successful. Drawing from this exploratory study, three recommendations for enhancing the successful execution of change emerge for both public and private organizations in Ireland. Firstly, organizational change strategies should be aligned with internationally recognized change drivers specified in ISO standards. Second, they cultivate change experts across all organizational tiers and embrace data science and digital engagement tools to fortify strategy and culture.