Organisational identity and legitimacy dynamics during a strategic change process : a case study at a South African Business School

Abstract

The current study set out to track a strategic change process via a “real-time” processual approach to uncover the underlying identity and legitimacy processes and practices that constitute strategic change within an organisational context. Both identity and legitimacy have been viewed mainly from an essentialist ontology, theorizing these constructs as fixed, permanent features. The current study departed from such an ontology, and instead viewed them from a process-practice ontology. From this ontological view, the conceptualization of identity work and legitimacy-in-process is more generative, interactive and dynamic. The aim was to contribute to organisational practice and theory through a notion of individual and group action that recognizes context and takes into account flux and temporality. The study subscribed to a dwelling worldview orientation, which provided for a focus on the more subtle and dynamic aspects of identity and legitimacy, taking into account their temporal and fluxing nature. ���� The study followed a longitudinal inductive approach and was based on a single explanatory case study, with a focus on faculty staff members as “change recipients” who were crucial in constructing and performing identity and legitimacy work during a strategic change process. Data was collected via real-time diaries, non-participant observations, structured interviews and documentation. The emergent data was used to develop a process model of how individuals interpreted a strategic change process. Four key outcomes formed the basis of the emerging model and reflected a dynamic and holistic view of the underlying processes and practices affecting change. These took the form of an emerging identity within a fluxing context, key tacit elements that enabled the change process in the form of phronetic leadership and communities-of-practice, and various prospective and reflective sensemaking and sensegiving imperatives. Lastly, a significant theme that was present throughout the process involved ‘iterative action and adjustment’, which showed a learning-through-doing element associated with strategic action. In addition to these central findings, the current study proposes that one needs to uphold a pluralistic view of the world. The final conceptual model incorporated an adapted version of iii Popper’s three world’s theory, to visualize a nested system, connecting the micro-practices to the macro environment. The findings of the current study depicted the intersection between practices and processes and their combinatory static and dynamic nature, reconceptualizing how agency, action and practice interrelate. The intended main contribution of the current study is to present a more dynamic account of processes and practices embedded within change processes through a processual, temporal view of identity and legitimacy. Through conceiving both identity and legitimacy-as-process, the study adopted a more oblique approach towards these concepts, as opposed to seeing them as static features, thus exposing the more tacit elements of strategy. The findings of the study contribute towards a deepened understanding of the dynamics that occur within strategic change processes and offer an alternative framework for understanding identity and legitimacy dynamics, exposing the evolving identity and legitimacy elements embedded in the practices and processes of everyday activities. The findings suggest that strategising constitutes not only planned and intentional action, but also dynamic and emerging actions, involving instinct, adjustment and phronetic action. The final process model that is proffered, may guide future research that aims to understand the more subtle and dynamic aspects of a strategic change process and the underlying processes and practices that affect strategic change. Understanding how individuals respond, adapt, and cope during processes of strategic change, provides potentially useful insight into how strategic change is enabled or constrained, which could have future implications on how change processes are designed or implemented.

In hierdie studie is ʼn proses van strategiese verandering deur middel van ʼn intydse prosessuele benadering gevolg om te bepaal watter prosesse en praktyke onderliggend tot identiteit en legitimiteit, deel vorm van strategiese verandering in ʼn organisasiekonteks. Voorheen is sowel identiteit as legitimiteit hoofsaaklik beskou vanuit ʼn essensialistiese ontologie wat hierdie konsepte as vaste, permanente kenmerke hanteer het. Die huidige studie het van sodanige ontologie afgewyk en het identiteit en legitimiteit eerder vanuit ʼn proses-praktyk-ontologie beskou. Volgens hierdie ontologiese beskouing was die konseptualisering van identiteitswerk en legitimiteit-in-proses meer generatief, interaktief en dinamies. Die doel was om tot organisasiepraktyk en -teorie by te dra deur ʼn begrip van individuele en groephandeling wat konteks erken, en veranderlikheid en temporalieë in ag neem. ʼn Nadenkende wêreldbeskouing-oriëntasie is in hierdie studie gevolg, wat voorsiening maak vir ʼn fokus op die meer subtiele en dinamiese aspekte van identiteit en legitimiteit, met inagneming van die temporele en veranderlike aard daarvan.

Die studie het ʼn longitudinale, induktiewe benadering gevolg en is op ʼn enkele toeligtende gevallestudie gegrond, met ʼn fokus op fakulteitspersoneellede as ontvangers van veranderinge; hulle was deurslaggewend in die opstel en uitvoering van identiteit- en legitimiteitwerk tydens ʼn proses van strategiese verandering. Data is ingesamel deur middel van intydse dagboeke, waarnemings van niedeelnemers, gestruktureerde onderhoude en dokumentering. Die data wat opgelewer is, is gebruik om ʼn prosesmodel te ontwikkel van hoe individue ʼn proses van strategiese verandering interpreteer. Vier sleuteluitkomste het die basis van die ontluikende model gevorm en het ʼn dinamiese en holistiese beskouing van die onderliggende prosesse en praktyke wat verandering beïnvloed, weerspieël. Dit het die vorm aangeneem van ʼn ontluikende identiteit in ʼn veranderende konteks, beslissende onuitgesproke elemente wat die proses van verandering in die vorm van praktiese leierskap en praktykgemeenskappe moontlik maak, en verskeie verwagte en reflekterende imperatiewe wat sin maak en betekenis gee. Laastens, ʼn belangrike tema wat deur die hele proses opgemerk is behels herhalende handeling en aanpassing, wat ʼn element van leer-deur-te-doen wat met strategiese handeling geassosieer word, insluit. Buiten hierdie sentrale bevindinge, stel die studie voor dat ʼn mens ʼn pluralistiese beskouing van die wêreld moet hê. Die finale konseptuele model het ʼn aangepaste weergawe van Popper se drie-wêrelde-teorie geïnkorporeer om ʼn genestelde stelsel te visualiseer waarvolgens mikropraktyke met die makro-omgewing verbind word. Die bevindinge van hierdie studie beeld die kruispunt tussen praktyke en prosesse en hul kombinatoriese statiese en dinamiese aard uit deur te herkonseptualiseer hoe werksaamheid, handeling en praktyk onderling verband hou. Die beoogde hoofbydrae van die huidige studie is om ʼn meer dinamiese weergawe te gee van prosesse en praktyke wat in veranderingsprosesse asgelê is, deur ʼn prosessuele, temporele beskouing van identiteit en legitimiteit. Deur beide identiteit en legitimiteit-asproses te konsipieer, het die studie ʼn meer indirekte benadering tot hierdie konsepte gevolg – teenoor een waar dit as statiese kenmerke gesien word en die meer onuitgesproke elemente van strategie dus blootgelê word. Die bevindinge van die studie dra by tot ʼn meer diepgaande begrip van die dinamika wat in prosesse van strategiese verandering voorkom, en bied ʼn alternatiewe raamwerk waarvolgens identiteit- en legitimiteit-dinamika verstaan kan word. Sodoende word die ontwikkelende elemente van identiteit en legitimiteit wat in die praktyke en prosesse van daaglikse aktiwiteite ingebed is, blootgelê. Die bevindinge gee te kenne dat strategisering nie alleen beplande en intensionele handeling behels nie, maar ook dinamiese en ontluikende handelinge wat instink, aanpassing en praktiese handeling insluit. Die finale prosesmodel wat aangebied word, kan rigting gee vir toekomstige navorsing wat ten doel het om die meer subtiele en dinamiese aspekte van ʼn strategieseveranderingsproses en die onderliggende prosesse en praktyke wat strategiese verandering beïnvloed, te verstaan. Begrip van hoe individue reageer, aanpas en staande bly gedurende prosesse van strategiese verandering, kan potensieel nuttige insig gee oor hoe strategiese erandering aangehelp of beperk word, en dit kan in die toekoms implikasies hê vir hoe veranderingsprosesse ontwerp of geïmplementeer word.

Ucwaningo lwamanje luhlose ukulandela umkhondo wohlelo lwamasu ezinguquko ngokusebenzisa indlela ebizwa nge-Real-time processual ukuveza isithombe esifihlekile kanye nezinhlelo ezimayelana nokugunyazwa ngokomthetho kanye nezingqubo lezo ezakha amasu ezinguquko kwisizinda senhlangano.. Esikhathini esedlule zombili lezi zinhlaka isithombe kanye nesimo somthetho ziye zabonwa ngokwendlela ye-essentialist ontology leyo ndlela ethathwa ngilezi zindlela zokwakha njengezimpawu ezimile, izimpawu ezihlala unomphela. Ucwaningo lwamanje lusuke kuleyo ontholoji kanti kunalokho yabona isithombe kanye nesimo segunya lomthetho kwihlelo lweprocess-practice ontology. Ukusukela kulo mbono we-ontholoji, ukwakhiwa komqondo wegama elimayelana nomsebenzi wesithombe kanye nohlelo lwe-legitimacy-in-practice belugxile kakhulu kwindlela yokwakha, yokuhlangana kanye nendlela yezinguquko. Inhloso kwaye kukufaka igalelo kwingqubo yenhlangano kanye nethiyori ngombono womuntu ngamunye kanye nesenzo seqembu leso esiye sahlonipha isimo futhi sabeka engqondweni udaba olumayelana nobuningi kanye nesikhathi. Ucwaningo. Ucwaningo luye lwalandela imfundo emayelana nendlela yombono womhlaba, okuyindlela enikeza ithuba lokuthi kugxilwe kwizinto ezinzima kanye nalezo eziguquguqukayo ezimayelana nesithombe kanye nokugunyazwa ngokomthetho, kubhekwe udaba lesikhathi kanye nokugeleza ngobuningi.. ����Ucwaningo luye lwalandela indlela ebizwa nge-longitudinal -inductive-approach kanti lwasuselwa phezu kwesibonelo esisodwa esichazayo, kanti ucwaningo belugxile kubasebenzi bomkhakha njengabamukeli boshintsho abadlale indima esemqoka ekwakhiweni kanye nasekwenziweni komsebenzi wokwakha isithombe kanye nokugunyazwa ngokomthetho ngesikhathi sohlelo lwamasu okuguquka. Idatha yaqoqwa ngokusebenzisa amadayari ohlelo lwe-real-time, abantu abasebenza ukubheka vii abangabandakanyeki kucwaningo, izinhlolovo ezihleliwe (structured interview) kanye nokufakwa embhalweni. Idatha evelayo yasetjenziswa ukwakha imodeli yohlelo yendlela abantu bahlaziya ngayo uhlelo lwamasu ezinguquko. Imiphumela emine esemqoka iye yakha isisekelo semodeli ekhulayo kanti iveze umbono oguqukayo nombono wonke wezinhlelo nezingqubo ezikhona ezinomthelela kwinguquko. Lokhu kuye kwalandela indlela yesithombe esivelayo kwisimo sobuningi, kwisimo sezinhlaka ezisemqoka ezi ezingaqondile eziye zasiza uhlelo lwezinguquko ngendlela yokukhombisa i-phronetic leadership kanye nohlelo lwecommunities-of-practice, kanye nezinhlaka ezahlukahlukene zakusasa kanye nezinhlaka ezakha incazelo ngokubheka emuva kanye nezinhlaka ezenza ingqondo. Okokugcina, indikimba esemqoka eyayikhona ohlelweni lonke ibandakanye isenzo esibuyekezayo nenguquko, okuyisenzo esikhombise uhlelo lonke lokufunda ngokwenza izenzo ezihlobene nesenzo samasu. . Ukwengeza kulo lwazi olubalulekile olutholakele, ucwaningo lwamanje luhlose ukuthi umuntu udinga ukuphakamisa indlela umhlaba obona ngayo izinto. Imodeli yokugcina yomqondo wegama iye yamukela inhlobo eguquliwe yethiyori kaiPopper yezindlela ezintathu zokubona umhlaba ukwakha ngengqondo ikusasa lohlelo , oluthintene nezingqubo ezincane ezihlobene nesizinda esikhulu. Ulwazi lwamanje olutholakele luveza ukuhlangana phakathi kwezingqubo kanye nezinhlelo kanye nesimo simile nesiguqukayo, esakha kabusha indlela i-ejensi, isenzo kanye nengqubo kuhlobana ngayo. Igalelo elisemqoka elihlosiwe locwaningo lwamanje ukwethula indaba yezinguquko zohlelo kanye nezingqubo ezequkethwe wuhlelo lwezinguquko ngohlelo, ngombono wesikhathi ngesithombe kanye nokugunyazwa komthetho.. Ngokulandela kokubili isithombe kanye nohlelo lwegunya lomthetho legitimacy-as-process, ucwaningo lwamukele indlela engacacile mayelana nemiqondo yamagama, njengoba kuphambene nokuyibona njengezimpawu ezimile ndawonye, ngakho-ke ziveza izinto zamasu ezingaqondile kakhulu. Ulwazi olutholakele locwaningo lune nomthelela ojulile ekuzwisiseni kwezinguquko ezenzeka kwizinhlelo zamasu futhi zinikeza esinye isakhiwo sokuzwisisa isithombe sobunjalo kanye nezinhlaka zomthetho, ziveza ubunjalo besithombe kanye nezinhlaka ziqukethwe kwizingqubonakwizinhlelo zemisebenzi yansuku zonke. Ulwazi olutholakele luphakamisa ukuthi uhlelo lwamasu aludali kuphela isenzo esihlelwe ngaphambili nesinenhloso, kodwa sidala izenzo ezinezinguquko nezisavelayo, lokhu

kuxuba phakathi umuzwa, isenzo sokushintsha kanye nesenzo esibizwa yi- phronetic. Uhlelo lwemodeli lokugcina lolo olulethwayo lungahlahla indlela yocwaningo lwakusasa oluqonde ukuzwisisa izinto ezinzima kanye nezinto ezimayelana nezinguquko zohlelo lwamasu ezinguquko kanye nezinhlelo ezikhona kanye nezingqubo lezo ezithinta amasu ezinguquko.. Ukuzwisisa indlela abantu baphendula ngayo, balandela ngayo futhi bahambisana ngayo namasu ezinguquko kunikeza ulwazi lwangaphakathi mayelana nokuthi amasu ezinguquko asizwa kanjani noma aphazanyiswa kanjani, okungaba nomthelela esikhathini esizayo mayelana nangendlela izinhlelo zamasu ezinguquko zidalwa ngayo noma zisetshenziswa ngayo.