Managing commitment to change - How to increase the success rate of change initiatives : An investigation of formal and informal leaders’ perception of how to develop commitmentto organizational change

Abstract: Although there exist numerous academic and practical theories and models regarding the subject of change management, research shows that 70 percent of all change initiatives fail to reach its objectives. One suggested reason for the failure rate is that there are not enough focus on the individuals in a change process. The individuals’ journey through change is a core process and developing commitment to change among individuals is suggested to increase the success rate of organizational changes. Moreover, the AEC industry (architecture, engineering, and construction) has undergone large technical advancements during the last decades, and the method of working with BIM (building information modeling) has affected the industry worldwide. Therefore, there is a need and desire for organizations to adapt to the changing industry and implement new work practices. Consequently, it is important to involve individuals in the change process and make them commit to the organizational changes. The objective of this investigation is to research leaders’ perception of how to create commitment to change among individuals. A case study with a qualitative approach was used in order to conduct the investigation. Interviews were performed with two groups of leaders, formal and informal leaders, in order to investigate the two groups’ perception of the process of developing commitment to change among individuals. The empirical material were later on analyzed and quantified in order to detect differences in perception between the two different groups. In large, the result showed that the role of the leader, clear leadership and the communication between change leaders and change recipients are important aspects to consider in the change process, and the process of creating commitment to change. Furthermore, the participants in this study recognized the individual as the core entity of the change process and the process of developing commitment to change. Also, a difference in perception was noticed between formal and informal leaders. The formal leaders showed, in general, a deeper understanding of the process of creating commitment to change and the different activities included in that process.