Abstract
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 449-469 |
Number of pages | 21 |
Journal | Leadership |
Volume | 12 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Sep 2016 |
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Keywords
- John Kotter
- leading change
- transformation
- organizational change
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Leading changes: Why transformation explanations fail. / Hughes, Mark.
In: Leadership, Vol. 12, No. 4, 01.09.2016, p. 449-469.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Leading changes: Why transformation explanations fail
AU - Hughes, Mark
PY - 2016/9/1
Y1 - 2016/9/1
N2 - Professor John Kotter (1995) claimed in Leading change: Why transformation efforts fail to have identified eight leadership errors which resulted in transformation failures. He followed this up in 1996 with his best-selling book Leading Change, prescribing an eight-step model for leading trans- formations encouraging change leaders to create a sense of urgency, build powerful guiding coalitions and develop visions. Kotter openly acknowledged that he neither drew examples nor major ideas from any published source, except his own writing. In the 2012 edition of his book, which included a new preface, Kotter claimed that his book was now more relevant than when it was first published. As leaders knowingly or unknowingly still use Kotter’s steps and academics still cite this book, this paper critically assesses Kotter’s claim about the relevance of Leading Change. Three conclusions are drawn; Leading Change remains an enduring landmark leadership study, but Leading Change is stuck in the past and paradoxically today discourages change.
AB - Professor John Kotter (1995) claimed in Leading change: Why transformation efforts fail to have identified eight leadership errors which resulted in transformation failures. He followed this up in 1996 with his best-selling book Leading Change, prescribing an eight-step model for leading trans- formations encouraging change leaders to create a sense of urgency, build powerful guiding coalitions and develop visions. Kotter openly acknowledged that he neither drew examples nor major ideas from any published source, except his own writing. In the 2012 edition of his book, which included a new preface, Kotter claimed that his book was now more relevant than when it was first published. As leaders knowingly or unknowingly still use Kotter’s steps and academics still cite this book, this paper critically assesses Kotter’s claim about the relevance of Leading Change. Three conclusions are drawn; Leading Change remains an enduring landmark leadership study, but Leading Change is stuck in the past and paradoxically today discourages change.
KW - John Kotter
KW - leading change
KW - transformation
KW - organizational change
U2 - 10.1177/1742715015571393
DO - 10.1177/1742715015571393
M3 - Article
VL - 12
SP - 449
EP - 469
JO - Leadership
JF - Leadership
SN - 1742-7150
IS - 4
ER -