Factors influencing effectiveness of change management interventions in a selected petrochemical company in the Western Cape, South Africa

Abstract

Change in today‟s business situation may be seen as unavoidable; however, the absence of standard change interventions within an organisation can cause an impact on the functioning of the business and its survival in the long run. Thus, it is ideal for the South African petrochemical industry to find a suitable intervention for change models that will assist them in navigating its effectiveness. This study has used an investigative approach to understand the effectiveness of interventions of change management in petrochemical organisations in the Western Cape, South Africa. A qualitative case study was used in this research, as data was collected directly from interviews by fieldworkers, while written documents were also consulted. It was found that a number of factors influence effective change management in the SA petrochemical industry. Some of the factors that were elicited for this study include: organisational structure and size and administrative methods; the introduction of new technology; processing and communication; changes in employee demographics; government regulations; and economic competition. Furthermore, the study also provides a framework that can be used to guide and assess effective changes within the SA petrochemical industry.