Social Networks and Planned Organizational Change

This study of 40 units in a large multinational corporation considers the influence of the density of networks of strong ties on the implementation of planned organizational change between organizational units and unit leaders in both a change implementation and a change recipient network. Also examined are the effects of the density of networks of strong ties within the change recipient network of units and unit leaders on the use of change. The results suggest the need for implementers of change to create strong ties with the change recipient units for successful change implementation. Both unit level and unit leader density of strong ties within the change recipient unit network were significant predictors of change use, indicating that both unit members and unit leaders may play central but independent roles in influencing the change use process. Implications for using social network analysis in planned organizational change are discussed.