Change management for sustainable competitive advantages: the roles of organisational culture and employees in the Chinese construction firms

Abstract

As economies continue to undulate, firms’ ability to adapt and respond flexibly to changes is the key for their survival and competitiveness. Conceptually, organisational culture and human resources are valuable and key sources of competitive advantage. However, unlike other physical assets, human resources have their own expectations, needs and idiosyncrasies that must be met and managed if they are to contribute to firms’ change management efforts. The aim of this research is to investigate employees’ perception of change management in architectural, engineering, and construction (AEC) firms. More specifically, this research attempts to: (1) identify the key enablers of change management; (2) identify the key characteristics of effective change agents; and (3) examine the relationships between organisational culture, employee behaviours and commitment, and perceived organisational change management performance. An online questionnaire survey of 74 construction professionals was undertaken and it is found that training and development opportunities, employee–employer relationships and effective information and communication systems are the three most significant enablers for the successful implementation of a change management process. For effective change management, it is also found that company leaders need to be ‘respectful and caring’ and place greater emphasis on developing and promoting a learning culture. This research informs industry practitioners of employees’ key concerns and drivers towards effective organisational change management for sustainable competitive advantages.

Keywords:

• Change management
• Chinese construction industry
• employees
• sustainable competitive advantages