How does context influence the process of managing organisational change? : a comparative study of restructuring in the New Zealand public and private sectors

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to study the effects that the public and private sector contexts have on the process of managing organisational change. While the broad focus of this paper is on the process of restructuring, it pays particular attention to the specific practice of downsizing. It is proposed that the public sector environment contains unique and influential forces that do not exist to the same degree in the private sector. Furthermore, these forces are expected to increase the difficulty of managing organisational change in the public, compared to the private, sector. To test the research question and the hypotheses, both quantitative and qualitative methods were employed. The quantitative methodology consisted of a mail questionnaire, while the qualitative methodology employed a case study approach. Overall, it was the finding of this thesis that while organisations in the two sectors have become increasingly similar, that differences in their respective environments still influence the process by which they manage organisational change. Finally, implications for both research and practice are discussed.