Why Most Organizational Change Programs Fail
Imagine you work in the IT department at Super Productivity Corporation.1 You and your colleagues wish to adopt an automated process for IT help, based on an electronic help desk that works through an app on the employee’s computer.
You have very good reasons to be excited about the process: it is much faster than the existing phone-in process and will save time for everybody. After all, efficiency is a core value at the Super Productivity Corporation. For this reason, you don’t anticipate any problems—but, just to be safe, you still take the time to inform all employees about this change through emails, luncheons, and workshop demonstrations of how it’s used and what the benefits are.
Launch day finally arrives. You and the others in the IT department arrive and sit back, ready to enjoy what is sure to be a nice, relaxing day at work. With the new system in place, the constant ringing of phones will be a thing of the past! But your hopes for a perfect day are shattered when a colleague comes knocking at the door to relay their technical issues, and in a somewhat agitated manner…
References
- Soman, D., Yeung, C. & Sunstein, C. (2021). The Behaviorally Informed Organization. University of Toronto Press.
- Mosadeghrad, Ali & Ansarian, Maryam. (2014). Why do organisational change programmes fail?. International Journal of Strategic Change Management. 5. 189. 10.1504/IJSCM.2014.064460.
- Wood, W. (2019). Good habits, bad habits: The science of making positive changes that stick. Pan Macmillan.
- Behavioural Economics in Action at Rotman, May 2021. How Can Leaders in Organizations Use Behavioural Science to Communicate and Support Their Teams Effectively? By Grace Lou, Sunny Xiang, Tony Kuang, Anirudh Ram-Mohanram, Kayln Kwan, Dilip Soman, Sonia Kang, and Bing Feng. Link to interactive document: https://indd.adobe.com/view/5d063c4a-0775-45f6-8894-9452da3c21d6
- Murray, K., & Chen, S. (2021). CHAPTER NINE Workplace Habits and How to Change Them. In The Behaviourally Informed Organization (pp. 155-169). University of Toronto Press.
- Kang, C. (2013). Google crunches data on munching in the office. Washington Post.
About the Author
Melina Moleskis
Dr. Melina Moleskis is the founder of meta-decisions, a consultancy that leverages management science and behavioral economics to help people and organizations make better decisions. Drawing from her dual background in business and academia, she works with determination towards uncovering pragmatic, sustainable solutions that improve performance for clients. Melina is also a visiting Professor of Technology Management as she enjoys spending time in the classroom (teaching as the best route to learning) and is always on the lookout for technology applications in behavioral science. In her prior roles, Melina has served as an economic and business consultant for 7 years in various countries, gaining international experience across industries and the public sector. She holds a PhD in Managerial Decision Science from IESE Business School, MBA in Strategy from NYU Stern and BSc in Mathematics and Economics from London School of Economics.
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