Initial Stakeholder Engagement in a Cultural Change Project: A Case Study

  Change Management   Innovation   Stakeholder Management   Knowledge Shelf  

Change within an organization can come in many different forms. It is common to see change take place in tactical systems or processes within organizations. New IT system or HR process rollouts are examples of such changes. However, sometimes change can be broader and much more far-reaching. This type of change occurs when an organization goes through a deeper, more fundamental shift in its underlying culture and way of thinking.

In this article, I discuss one such project in which an organization went through a fundamental change in the way work practices were conducted. In particular, I take a detailed look at steps that were taken to effectively engage senior stakeholders in the initial stages of this project. I also outline how senior level engagement helped create a strong foundation for the successful implementation of this change project.

Organizational Culture and Influencers
Deal and Kennedy (1982) defined organizational culture as “the way things get done around here.” Edgar Schein (1992) defined organizational culture as having three levels: artifacts/rituals, values, and tacit assumptions. Artifacts are the tangible/visible elements in an organization. Dress code, logos, and slogans are some examples of artifacts. Espoused values are the organization's publicly stated values and rules of behavior. Tacit assumptions are the deeply …

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