Summary 

The pace of change that is occurring in global markets, escalating technology, and general uncertainty has forced both large and small organisations to consider new ways in which to remain competitive. As a consequence they have needed to develop cultures which are markedly different from their traditional norms. Processes, reward systems, leadership, and operational structures are being reviewed and modified, and all of these impinge upon an organisation's "culture". 

Some of the key factors that hold back cultural change within organisations are; a lack of long-term planning; leadership's lack of confidence in decision making; "silo" or protectionist mentalities within organisations; and crisis management or "fire-fighting" taking precedence and leaving little time to consider making changes.   

Outsourcing offers an effective means to rapidly implement changes within organisations by:

• Providing new capabilities and expertise
• Injecting otherwise unavailable capital into the organisation
• Providing freedom to manage, communicate, and to concentrate on core business issues. 

A high percentage of change management initiatives actually fail to deliver the intended results. To overcome this tendency the following is required:

Clarity from leadership regarding proposed changes; Organisations need to ensure that they have the capability to effectively execute the desired changes;

• Risk management analysis and  choices need to be made;
• The implications associated with proposed changes need to be communicated to all stakeholders including employees;
• Finally a sound action plan needs to be put into place along with ensuring the continuity transformational initiatives. 

Organisational change is often a stressful experience, and for this reason excellent communications are required to minimise "fall-out".  Communication of cultural changes is a leadership responsibility that cannot be delegated, and this communication requirement has a component that is never ending. Usually an organisation's people will need to be both "pushed" and "pulled" into the future; some will be early adopters but the majority tend to be slower to adopt  changes. By encouraging a high employee involvement throughout the change period i.e., from the planning stages through to implementation the potential "engagement gap" may be closed.

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