Citation:
Langley, A., Smallman, C., Tsoukas, H., & Van de Ven, A. H. (2013). Process studies of change in organization and management: Unveiling temporality, activity, and flow. Academy of Management Journal, 56(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2013.4001
What Is This Research About? 🎯
This research explores how organizations change over time. Instead of looking at organizations as static entities, the authors argue that they should be studied as continuous, evolving processes. The focus is on how things emerge, develop, and change over time, rather than simply measuring outcomes at fixed points.
Process studies take into account the role of time, activity, and interaction in shaping organizations. The researchers discuss different ways to study organizational change, outline methods for studying process-based phenomena, and highlight key findings from past studies.
Why Does This Matter? 🤔
Traditional management studies focus on fixed variables and relationships (e.g., how X affects Y). However, these approaches fail to capture the unfolding nature of change. Process studies offer a deeper understanding by:
- Recognizing that change happens over time ⏳
- Showing that organizations are shaped by ongoing interactions 🔄
- Highlighting the importance of timing, sequencing, and flow in how changes occur 🌊
Understanding these dynamics can help leaders, managers, and researchers better navigate change and develop flexible strategies.
Key Concepts 🧩
1. Process Thinking Over Variance Thinking 🔄➡️📊
- Traditional management research looks at variance (e.g., how one factor influences another at a specific time).
- Process research examines how things develop over time—capturing sequences of events, patterns, and turning points.
2. Temporality & Timing ⏳
- Change is not just about what happens but when and how it happens.
- Timing can determine whether a transformation succeeds or fails.
- Example: A merger may look successful after a year, but its long-term effects may only become clear after five years.
3. Levels of Change & Interaction 📡
- Change does not happen in isolation. It results from interactions across different levels, such as:
- Individual (employee actions and decisions)
- Organizational (company policies and culture)
- Institutional (industry trends and government regulations)
- These different levels influence each other dynamically.
4. Stability vs. Change ⚖️
- Organizations seem stable, but they are constantly adapting and evolving.
- Even when things appear unchanged, small adjustments and processes are happening beneath the surface.
- Understanding how stability is maintained is just as important as understanding radical change.
5. Process Research Methods 🔬
- Studying change requires methods that capture unfolding events over time.
- Common approaches include:
- Longitudinal Studies (studying organizations over months or years)
- Case Studies (in-depth examination of change in specific settings)
- Archival Analysis (reviewing historical records and company reports)
- Ethnography (observing people in organizations to understand their behaviors)
- Interviews & Observations (collecting firsthand accounts of change)
How Did the Researchers Study This? 🧪
1. Reviewing Prior Research 📖
- The researchers reviewed over 100 studies on organizational change to identify key themes and methods.
- They analyzed articles published in top management journals to find common patterns in how change is studied.
2. Examining Different Approaches to Process Research 🔍
- They explored two main ways of studying change:
- Process as a series of events (studying how one event leads to another)
- Process as continuous flow (understanding change as an ongoing movement rather than a set of steps)
3. Highlighting Key Studies and Findings 📊
- They presented examples of real-world organizational changes and how different research methods captured these changes.
- They examined case studies of mergers, leadership transitions, and innovation adoption.
What Were the Results? 📊
- Process research is essential for understanding change in organizations.
- Time and timing matter—understanding when something happens is as important as understanding what happens.
- Organizations are constantly evolving, even when they appear stable.
- Different levels of change (individual, organizational, institutional) interact, making change complex and dynamic.
- Process research requires different methods than traditional variance-based research—long-term studies, in-depth observations, and qualitative analysis are key.
Implications for Researchers and Practitioners 📌
For Academics & Researchers 🎓
- This study encourages researchers to move beyond static models and embrace dynamic, time-sensitive approaches.
- The paper provides a framework for conducting strong process-based studies in management and organizational research.
For Business Leaders & Managers 🏢
- Understanding change as a continuous process helps leaders make better decisions.
- Leaders should pay attention to timing, interactions, and ongoing adaptation, rather than just focusing on immediate results.
- Organizations should balance stability and change—embracing innovation while maintaining core values and structures.
Final Thoughts 💡
This research provides a powerful new lens for understanding how change unfolds in organizations. By focusing on processes, time, and interactions, researchers and managers can develop better strategies for navigating uncertainty and transformation.
Instead of asking “What caused this change?”, we should ask “How did this change unfold over time?”
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