Change Management Consortium Showcases Research

How to Engage People Through Change

Thursday, 6 December, 2007

A recent event, hosted by HM Revenue & Customs, Westminster, showcased the culmination of three years research by the Change Management Consortium (CMC) at Cass Business School which looked at engaging employees during times of organisational change.

Professor Veronica Hope-Hailey, Director of the CMC at Cass, opened on the key findings of the research, which examined the receptivity to change within eight large and mature multinational and public sector organisations. In particular, Professor Hope-Hailey focused on how to overcome the barriers to employee engagement in an increasingly complex and changing business environment. She highlighted that: “Employees need motivational conditions and leadership facilitation to personally engage in their work.” And that creating a successful balance between workers and work characteristics is crucial: “Work contexts and peoples’ perceptions of them create the conditions in which the personally engage in and disengage from their work.”

The seminar was attended by past and present members of the CMC who joined together to discuss the research findings. Key sessions were led by industry practitioners and academics including: Russell Grossman, Head of Internal Communication, HM Revenue & Customs; Robyn McLelland, Director of Organisation Development, GlaxoSmithKline, and Dr Judith Bell, Co-Director, Tavistock Consultancy Service.

The CMC works collaboratively with practitioners to share experiences and discuss recent research and development within the area of change. The Consortium recognises that, since organisational life is characterised by rapid change, it is essential to create long-term partnerships between universities and industry so that academics and practitioners can work together to identify new challenges and respond with new solutions. Partnership is central to the CMC’s research, teaching and consultancy.

Find out more about the CMC website here.