"Excessive Change: Coping Mechanisms and Consequences"

I. Stensaker, C. Meyer, J. Falkenburg, and A. Haueng

Organizational Dynamics

Winter 2002, pp. 296-312

In a study involving three organizations, the authors of this article generated two defining aspects of "excessive change":

1. The organization pursues several, seemingly unrelated and sometimes conflicting changes simultaneously; and
2. The organization introduces new changes before the previous change is completed and evaluated, without allowing time for business as usual and reaping the benefits.

Organizational consequences of excessive change were identified. Structural consequences included:

1. musical chairs—this involved rotation of managers and voluntary or involuntary turnover,
2. orchestrating without a conductor—Here employees lack direction due to non-functional and inconsistent middle management; and
3. shaky foundations—This involves lack of routines and unclear responsibilities.

Consequences on performance involved implementation failure (where changes are not carried through) and loss of effectiveness (where focus on change steals attention from primary tasks and/or competencies and capabilities risk being lost because of focus on changes).

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