Fit for change? En kvalitativ studie av hvordan lederes fortolkning av uforutsigbare omgivelser påvirker deres handlingsrom og evne til å bygge kapasitet for strategisk endring

Abstract

In this chapter we explore how a leadership team in a Norwegian consultancy company interprets and handles strategic change during crises and other demanding situations. We explored how the leaders in this team make sense of uncertainty in the environment and how their interpretations influenced their managerial discretion and capacity for change in times of crisis. We followed the leadership group through three stages: T1: when the crisis hit, T2: calmer times, T3: the new normal, with new “crisis”. We find that the leaders experienced complex environments, consisting of multiple and rapidly changing situations, perceived as demanding, and characterized as crises. We also find that leaders’ perception of their managerial discretion affects their ability to build capacity for change, that is to say, their ability to handle daily operations, strategic change, and crises or demanding situations. Our findings contribute to increased insight into how organizations can build capacity for implementing strategic change in unpredictable environments.