Managing change through management development: an industry case study

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the interconnections between management development and change management within the context of an industry case study. To develop strategies for how management development practices might better support the management of change. Design/methodology/approach – Using a constructivist methodology, one‐to‐one interviews were conducted with two groups: a randomly chosen cross‐section of middle managers and a purposive sample of senior stakeholders within the industry. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the interview data. Findings – The study finds that there was not a clear understanding of how the management of change fitted within the overall job role of the middle managers. How middle managers actually manage change on a day‐to‐day basis has been largely ignored or taken for granted. This has led to considerable stress on managers. There is a wide range of management development practices in the industry, with many managers receiving low levels of preparation and support. Research limitations/implications – As a qualitative study, there are limitations on the generalisability of findings. The study is set in one industry and the concepts advanced will require validating in other settings. Further research possibilities are recommended. Practical implications – Based on the literature and study findings, a list of change management competencies and a number of management development strategies are recommended as a way of bringing change management more into the foreground of management thinking and practice within the industry. Originality/value – This paper contributes to the small body of research on the interconnections between management development and change management, provides the only such research in the residential aged care industry, and contributes a range of practical proposals about how management development practices can be used to support the change management competencies of middle managers.