Changing Management Control And Practices Towards A High-Performance Culture: The Case Of A Newly Acquired Organisation In Malaysia

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Date
2011-01
Authors
Abdullah, Zarifah
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Publisher
Universiti Sains Malaysia
Abstract
This research employs an interpretive case study method to examine how a newly acquired organisation changes its organisational culture or institutions. The study specifically looks at how the changes brought in through a culture of highperformance, introduced by the new management of a Western multinational, have become institutionalised and formed a new culture in the acquired organisation. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, document reviews, informal conversations and observations in the case organisation. Van der Steen’s (2006) framework of institutional change is used to explain the data. The new management has been successful in establishing new management control and practices through the inculcation and instigation of the high performance culture. The organisation’s daily activities need to change in order to meet the new and higher expectations of the new management. The structural and physical changes have resulted in organisational members beginning to rationalize and make sense of the changes that have taken place, are currently taking place and are about to take place, before they finally reach an understanding through consensus as to why change is needed. This resulted in a paradigm shift in their mindset, and hence, their actions. The changes in the actions and mindset have rendered the existing norms and values of the organisation useless. New management control and practices then become habitual and routinised, and eventually institutionalised within the organisation. This study has shown that institutionalising a new practice, though difficult, is not impossible. The change process requires patience and determination from all involved, particularly in the change leader. Leadership is identified as playing an important role in this study. The ability of the change leader to explain and motivate the organisational members towards the required change would further ease the change process. Hence, any change management programme introduced in a newly acquired organisation should not only take into account the existing norms and values of the organisational members, but should also be championed by strong transformational leaders.
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The changes brought in through a culture of highperformance , introduced by the new management of a Western multinational
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