Breaking the Code of Change
A Groundbreaking Work on the
Theory and Practice of Organizational Change
organizational change may
well be the most oft-repeated and widely embraced term in all of corporate America but it
is also the least understood. The proof is in the numbers: Nearly two-thirds of all change
efforts fail, and they carry with them huge human and economic tolls. Lacking any
overarching paradigm for change, executives of large, underperform-ing organizations have
been left with little guidance in how to choose the strategies that will lead them to
sustained success.
In Breaking the Code of
Change, editors Michael Beer and Nitin Nohria provide a crucial starting point on the
journey toward unlocking our understanding of organizational change. The book is based on
a dynamic debate attended by the leading lights in the field including scholars,
consultants, and CEOs who have led successful transformations and presents a series of
articles, written by these experts, that collectively address the question: How can change
be managed effectively?
Beer and Nohria organize the
book around two dominant, yet opposing, theories of change one based on the creation of
economic value (Theory E), and the other on building organizational capabilities for the
long haul (Theory 0). Structured in an unusual and engaging point-counterpoint style, the
book enlists the reader directly in the debate, providing a comprehensive overview of the
strengths and weaknesses of each theory along every dimension of the change process from
motivation to leadership to compensation issues.
The editors argue that the
key to solving the paradox of change lies not in choosing between the two processes, but
in integrating them. They identify the crucial considerations leaders must make in
selecting strategies that satisfy shareholders and develop lasting organizational
capabilities. With a groundbreaking conceptual framework applicable to established
corporations and small organizations alike. Breaking the Code of Change is a unique and
authoritative contribution to academic research and management practice on the process of
organizational change.
Michael Beer is the
Cahners-Rabb Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School.
Nitin Nohria is the Richard
P. Chapman Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School.
507 pages