Implementing change in public sector organizations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review the importance of various change principles in assisting change in three public sector organizations. Design/methodology/approach – The researchers carried out interviews and used focus groups in assessing the principles and strategies which would be more useful. Findings – The interview and focus group results in three public sector organizations suggest that forming a guiding coalition might be one of the most important principles to observe. Research limitations/implications – The research data used for illustration are based on case evidence and the anecdotal interpretation of change in three settings. The paper does not claim to offer a scientific conclusion. Practical implications – The goal is to encourage a discussion on whether or not certain principles or strategies should be more important. Originality/value – The paper reviews the literature on change and reviews these principles in real experiences. Much of the other literature is conceptual.