Organizational Change Theories : A Synthesis

"As Demers notes, organizational change is becoming a major field of research inquiry, encompassing an increasing diversity of theories. The three parts of the book place this topic in historical context, and reflect three key debates within the field: adaptation versus selection; transformation versus evolution; and natural evolution versus social dynamics."

—CHOICE

While there are thousands of books on change management that adopt a normative perspective and numerous conceptual works that present one author′s perspective, this unique book offers a synthesis of major organizational change theories. Author Christiane Demers gives a unique guided tour of the field of organizational change providing readers with a historically framed, comprehensive synthesis of organizational change theories. Organizational Change Theories: A Synthesis exposes readers to the variety and richness of North American and European scholarly literature.

Key Features:

• Presents a historical framework: This historical perspective provides a comprehensive synthesis that situates different theoretical approaches and highlights their links over time.
• Covers literature from World War II to present day: A comparative summary of each period′s important theories identifies the major dimensions, key concepts, and questions that characterize the different perspectives.
• Offers a balanced evaluation of each theoretical approach: By comparing each perspective in terms of major contributions and limits, students can develop their critical thinking skills.
•  Provides a wide-range review of current literature: While the focus is historical, the book includes recent theoretical perspectives to offer an up-to-date review of emerging research and trends shaping the evolution of the field.
• Includes extensive references: A fantastic bibliographic resource for scholars and students to further investigate issues of change in organizations.

Intended Audience

This text is designed for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses such as Organizational Development, Organizational Theory, and Organizational Change in the departments of business & management, political science, and public administration. It is also an ideal resource for academics, researchers, and scholars interested in organizational change.