Huy et al. (2014).pdf

Comprehensive Summary of Huy et al. (2014) on Radical Organizational Change Author : AI PDF GPT Date : 2024-09-30 Introduction This report presents a detailed and comprehensive summary of the document 'From Support to Mutiny: Shifting Legitimacy Ju...

Comprehensive Summary of Huy et al. (2014) on Radical Organizational Change Author : AI PDF GPT Date : 2024-09-30 Introduction This report presents a detailed and comprehensive summary of the document 'From Support to Mutiny: Shifting Legitimacy Judgments and Emotional Reactions Impacting the Implementation of Radical Change' by Quy Nguyen Huy, Kevin G. Corley, and Matthew S. Kraatz (2014). It covers key concepts, theories, frameworks, and examples crucial for understanding radical organizational change. Key Concepts and Definitions 1. Planned Radical Organizational Change (PROC): PROC refers to sudden, intense actions that disturb power structures, culture, and routines within an organization. PROC is typically driven by top managers to address crises. 2. Middle Managers as Key Agents: Middle managers are pivotal in implementing radical change, serving as intermediaries between top managers and frontline employees. 3. Legitimacy: Refers to middle managers’ judgment of top managers’ appropriateness as change agents. These judgments affect their support or resistance to change. 4. Emotional Reactions: Middle managers’ emotions, such as hope, frustration, or anger, influence their behavior during change. 5. Resistance to Change: Resistance arises when middle managers lose trust in the top managers or perceive the change process as unfair. Key Frameworks 1. Legitimacy Judgments Framework: Instrumental Legitimacy: Top managers are judged by their ability to achieve goals. Relational Legitimacy: Managers are judged on fairness and respect in treating employees.  Moral Legitimacy: Managers are judged based on alignment with organizational values. 1. Emotional Reactions: Emotional responses can strengthen commitment or lead to resistance. 2. Process of Resistance Development: Resistance develops as middle managers’ legitimacy judgments decline and negative emotions intensify. Research Findings 1. Initial Support: Early in the process, middle managers viewed top managers as legitimate due to their outsider status and qualifications. This led to positive emotional reactions. 2. Shifting Legitimacy Judgments: As implementation progressed, middle managers began to view top managers as less legitimate due to failures in meeting goals and perceived unfairness. 3. Emotional Reactions and Growing Resistance: Negative emotions such as frustration led to increased resistance, culminating in open defiance. 4. Mutiny and Change Collapse: Ultimately, the loss of legitimacy and rising resistance resulted in the failure of the change initiative. Strategic Insights 1. Importance of Legitimacy in PROC: Middle managers' judgments of top managers’ legitimacy are critical to the success of radical change. 2. Managing Emotional Reactions: Leaders must manage emotional responses within the organization to prevent resistance. 3. Relational and Moral Leadership: Effective leadership requires both instrumental success and relational/moral legitimacy, especially in times of crisis. Conclusion The study by Huy et al. (2014) provides valuable insights into the dynamics of radical organizational change. The evolving legitimacy judgments and emotional reactions of middle managers are key determinants of their support or resistance to change. The failure to manage these factors can result in the collapse of the change initiative.