Change Management in Adult Educational Organizations

Change Management in Adult Educational Organizations: A Slovenian Case Study

A complete a review of the attached case study that includes the following information:

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· A description of the research

· An analysis of the criteria and methods used to effectively lead change

· A discussion on characteristics and personal traits that are important in managing change

The review must be a minimum of 500 words in length, not counting cover and reference pages.

Use APA style when writing your review and cite any direct quotes or paraphrases from the article.

Must be plagiarism free.

Romana Martinčič

Successful implementing and managing of change is urgently necessary for each adult educational organization. During the process, leading of the staff is becoming a key condition and the most significant fac- tor. Beside certain personal traits of the leader, change management demands also certain leadership knowledges, skills, versatilities and be- haviour which may even border on changing the organizational culture. The paper finds the significance of certain values and of organizational climate and above all the significance of leadership style which a leader will adjust to the staff and to the circumstances. The author presents a multiple qualitative case study of managing change in three adult edu- cational organizations. The paper finds that factors of successful lead- ing of change exist which represent an adequate approach to leading the staff during the introduction of changes in educational organizations. Its originality/value is in providing information on the important re- lationship between culture, leadership styles and leader’s behaviour as preconditions for successful implementing and managing of strategic change.

Key Words: change management, educational organization, leadership, process of changes, qualitative research jel Classification: i10, m10

Introduction

The only constant of the time we live in are the changes in all areas of our life and work. They are incited by a number of factors: technological ad- vancement, changed expectations and needs of the clients, changed mar- ket conditions, changing of legislation, changed social values etc. (Paton and McCalman 2000); no organization – large or small, local or global – is immune to change (Kotter 1998b). Educational organization must follow the opportunities and avoid the threats which occur in the con- temporary turbulent environment. The changing of legislation and reg- ulation of education entails change implementation in a special manner ‘from the top downwards.’ An educational organization has little or no

Romana Martinčič is a Director’s Human Resources Assistant at the University Clinic of Respiratory and Allergic Diseases Golnik, Slovenia

Managing Global Transitions 8 (1): 79–96

80 Romana Martinčič

influence on such change. Its task is more or less to respond to change, as it has no choice but to operate in accordance with the rules. Much more interesting for the long term efficiency of an organization is the change that originates from the organization itself as a premeditated, planned activity caused by various reasons: fewer pupils and students, young or adults, the need to improve the quality in education or to introduce new formal or informal forms of education etc.

Several authors (Fullan 2001; Bukovec 2005; Coleman 1994; Drucker 1999; Kotter and Cohen 2003; Tracy 1999) claim that successful imple- menting and managing of change depends on the leadership style. The changes in organizations represent a major challenge to leaders, as the quality of leadership is proved in the course of implementing change. The central topic of this research was to study implementing change from the point of view of leadership in three adult educational organi- zations. As leadership is a highly complex phenomenon its exploring has been approached holistically and the leadership styles were put into the context of a situation and of the prevailing organizational culture. The radical/strategic change, which represents fundamental transformation of the steady manners of operation in an adult educa