Qualifications
MBA
Background
For the past 12 years I have worked within my own consultancy firms, most recently as Managing Partner of Lucidus Consulting Ltd a firm specialising in creating value from managed change through portfolios of projects and programmes. Before that I was a line manager and change manager within ICI (now sadly much smaller than it was) and then Amersham International (now part of GE Medical). My initial training was as a chemist. I quickly realised that I was more interested in people than chemicals and was lucky enough to switch into HR with ICI, and on from there.
Research Issue
Beyond normative prescriptions for planned change: What influences the internal dynamics of organisational routines undergoing planned change?
There are a few things driving my research:
1. Despite everyone`s best efforts, effective planned change remains elusive for many organisations - why? I have some ideas that I want to explore.
2. The `stand-off` between organisational theorists, strategy theorists and operations theorists is not helpful - I am interested in planned change and how organisations create the value they desire from it. This transcends any specific theoretical approach.
3. Literature seems to coincide around the notions of strategic fit, alternatively called strategic responsiveness, or strategy deployment. The RBV offers a number of interesting insights into organisational routines, and improvisation. My reading so far builds a case for matching and adapting organisational resources for accomplishing planned changes to dynamic strategic priorities - but I`ve got a long long way yet to go, and an open mind about what I might find in my next round of reading.
Research Methods
I am a social constructivist at heart, but also have listened to all the health warning about trying to finish a doctoral thesis in 4 years part-time using methods commensurate with constructivism. The jury is out. I`m reading widely about research principles and methods. I have some ideas of where to start but they need further validation.
I intend to carry out a cross-sector study.
Theoretical Perspective
As stated above, my work embraces strategy, operations and organisational theory. Planned change is of interest to all of these theoretical perspectives and all are being (will be) taken into account in my studies on accomplishing planned change.
Published Papers
None related to this work. I am co-author of 2 books related to project and programme management, and 2 further books about Understanding and Managing Risk Attitudes.
Why I chose Cranfield
I am a Visiting Fellow of the School of Management and work part-time with the International Centre for Programme Management.