More of the Same? A Dual Case Study Approach to Examining Change Momentum in the Public Sector

Abstract

Despite the significant amount of change experienced by the public sector, there has been relatively limited empirical examination of how change agendas affect public sector employees in Australia. This article presents a comparative analysis of two Australian public sector organisations that implemented the same positive work change agenda, but experienced very different outcomes. Using a critical realist approach, we draw on a mix of qualitative techniques to suggest that textbook notions of ‘successful change’, which are often derived from large private sector expectations, may fail to capture the complex nature of how public sector change initiatives may unfold. In particular, we demonstrate how political, temporal, contextual, and process factors interact to shift change momentum. Illustrative examples are provided throughout and the findings are discussed in terms of their implications for theory building, for change facilitation, and for future research.

Commercial sport organisations and community capacity building: a case study of two surf parks

“…Case studies are useful in developing a "holistic understanding of a set of issues" and how they relate to a given set of stakeholders (Gratton & Jones, 2004, p. 119). Where the research goal is to analyse the features, context, and process of a phenomenon, a dual case study methodology is appropriate and adds rigour to the findings (Barker et al, 2018;Yin, 2003).…”

Editorial Special Issue: The impact of organizational change on public sector employee outcomes

“…Whilst leadership is important, other papers showed the importance of contextual factors as well, especially during the implementation process. Barker et al () examine the impact of contextual factors before and after the decision to implement change in two public sector organisations. Whilst each organisation pursued different directions, at different paces, the following factors: “organisation's characteristics, resources, history culture, structure and management ability and commitment” impacted the change path and momentum.…”

“…Whilst leadership is important, other papers showed the importance of contextual factors as well, especially during the implementation process. Barker et al (2018. ) examine the impact of contextual factors before and after the decision to implement change in two public sector organisations.…”

When Change Readiness Spirals Down: A Mixed-Method Case Study of Change Communication at a European Government Agency

“…The results suggest that for successful implementation of planned change, authentic leaders need to create employees' readiness for change (unfreezing) that will in turn develop their commitment to change (moving) and behavioral support for change (refreezing). Barker, McKeown, Wolfram Cox, and Bryant (2018) present a dual case study approach of two Australian public sector organizations that implemented the same positive work change agenda, but experienced very different outcomes. Using a critical realist approach, the authors draw on a mix of qualitative techniques to suggest that textbook notions of "successful change," which are often derived from large private sector expectations, may fail to capture the complex nature of how public sector change initiatives may unfold.…”