Re-examines traditional views on change management, in particular the resistance to change, and to suggest alternative views and a practical approach for better managing change. The literature on change management contains numerous prerequisites for successful change, with a predominantly negative view on the issue of resistance to change. Some authors have argued for the positive utility of resistance, but have lamented a lack of management theories which support this view. Describes a management methodology called the theory of constraints (TOC) which views resistance as a necessary and positive force, and we demonstrate how it was applied in a case study involving a bank merger. Reviews how TOC handles the various types of resistance identified in the change management literature, and posit that the TOC framework helps lead and manage change by providing practical guidance on, inter alia, situational assessment, assumption surfacing, conflict resolution, planning and implementation of successful change. Resistance to changeResistance to change is acknowledged as being a fundamental block to change, and a

Purpose -This paper seeks to provide a timely review of developments to the theory of constraints (TOC) body of knowledge, particularly the TOC thinking processes as reported in the public domain peer-reviewed literature, and to present an analysis of the nature of the thinking processes (TPs), and their methodological and applicatory evolution. Design/methodology/approach -Research reported in the public domain from 1994 to early 2006, as peer-reviewed journal articles or as papers published in refereed conference proceedings, was reviewed to summarize key research issues that have been studied and to suggest future research. The literature is categorized along several dimensions and according to several emergent and self-defined clusters that relate to application area, methodology and epistemology. Findings -This paper presents a comprehensive review of the TP literature, identifies specific publication and research gaps as they relate to the defined classification and also provides some future research topics.Research limitations/implications -The review addresses only the peer-reviewed literature spanning a limited period from 1994 to the time of the current work in early 2006 -that is the period since the publication of Goldratt's It's Not Luck. In doing so, the review complements the work of others for the period to 2000, extends previous reviews beyond 2000, whilst providing an additional focus on the TPs. Practical implications -This paper provides useful insights about the development of the TOC body of knowledge, especially as it relates to the development and reported use of the TPs as stand-alone tools or in tandem with other tools or methods. It provides a valuable summary, for academics and practitioners, of the developing TOC body of knowledge that has been reported in the peer-reviewed literature. Originality/value -The development of the TOC body of knowledge has been largely practice-led, manifested not only in the diverse nature of application areas and in the diverse use of TOC tools, but also in the broader evolution of TOC methodology, methods and tools. Earlier reviews of the literature in this journal preceded many of the developments documented here. This paper will help position the many TOC methods and tools in relation to one another, as well as capturing developments in multi-methodological usage across several domains.

No abstract

Access to this document was granted through an Emerald subscription provided by UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN MADISON For Authors:If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service. Information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comWith over forty years' experience, Emerald Group Publishing is a leading independent publisher of global research with impact in business, society, public policy and education. In total, Emerald publishes over 275 journals and more than 130 book series, as well as an extensive range of online products and services. Emerald is both COUNTER 3 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation.Abstract The theory of constraints (TOC) is a multi-faceted systems methodology that has been developed to assist people and organisations to think about their problems, develop breakthrough solutions and implement those solutions successfully. This paper describes a literature-based research project examining the results of TOC applications reported in the literature. In particular, it presents here the results of a meta-analysis of over 80 successful TOC applications, based on available quantitative data, which showed that significant improvements in both operational and financial performance were achieved as a result of applying TOC. Despite extensive searches, the research found no reports of failures. While reports are mainly from manufacturing organisations, the findings may be generalisable to other types of organisations, particularly to their operational aspects. The paper concludes with an agenda for future research on the use of TOC in operations and production management.

No abstract