Change management : towards polyphony ; case studies

"This book develops a critical view on the main current theories in change management and leads to a multidimensional grid for assessing change processes. Thanks to numerous case studies, it offers a concrete illustration of a polyphonic management style. This book develops a critical view on the main current theories in change management. Most of them offer partial explanations : the planning model considers change as a linear process, in which design necessarily precedes implementation ; the contingent model is essentially focussed on contextual pressures ; the political model is mainly concerned with power games, often leading to the dilution of change, etc. The book proposes an original combination of these models by referring to the actor-network theory, a french sociologiclal perspective. Thanks to numerous case studies, it provides the reader with a rich and concrete understanding of the main phenomena linked to any change process. It leads to a multidimensional grid for assessing change processes and pleads for the adoption of a "polyphonic" management style, in which the interests of the various stakeholders concerned directly contribute to the design of the project."