Thesis
The rhetoric and reality of public sector change
Southern Cross University
Southern Cross University
2020
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25918/thesis.49
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Abstract
Organisations today face unprecedented levels of change with organisational transformation being the norm. Effective change relies on many factors working in sync. Past research identifies numerous individual factors (such as managers’ Psychological Capital) as well as organisational factors (such as the type of leadership behaviour) likely to impact on employees’ acceptance of change. Additionally, research into the contextual public-sector factors such as austerity-driven policy can also impact managers’ resistance to, or acceptance of change. Together these factors impact on organisational change in Australian public sector organisations (PSOs), showing the complexities involved in implementing organisational change.
The methodology used in this study was a comparative case study research design. The methods used to collect data included document reviews, and interviews with employees to ascertain their perspective about what factors affect their decisions to resist or accept change The relevance and consequences of the findings were interpreted using a mix of public administration theory and especially behavioural public administration. This research identified the role of austerity under the guise of efficiency and effectiveness goals as a major factor affecting how managers responded to organisational change. To deliver on these themes, policymakers and public managers were tasked to redefine service delivery options. These considerations have created layers of complexity that affect managers’ acceptance or resistance of reforms. The study has proposed a model based on the notion that the impact of policy implementation progresses through several phases. The underlying assumption of the model is that diverse factors, attributes (corporate and individuals) are responsible for different stages of the process and therefore impact the change outcome.
Details
- Title
- The rhetoric and reality of public sector change
- Creators
- Julia Ashton-Sayers
- Contributors
- Yvonne Brunetto (Supervisor) - Southern Cross UniversitySilvia Nelson (Supervisor) - Southern Cross University
- Awarding Institution
- Southern Cross University; DBA
- Theses
- Southern Cross University
- Publisher
- Southern Cross University
- Number of pages
- xiv, 201
- Identifiers
- 991012871700302368
- Copyright
- © J Ashton-Sayers 2020
- Academic Unit
- School of Business and Tourism; Management; Faculty of Business, Law and Arts
- Resource Type
- Thesis