Investigating the readiness to accept the implementation of new business processes in the support service industry

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the importance and necessity of change management in ensuring the successful implementation and management of business processes. Firstly, processes in organisations, otherwise referred to as business processes, were investigated. The general misunderstanding is that business processes are like a recipe; once developed and implemented they must be followed and never changed. However, this misconception might be a relevant contributor to employees' general resistance to change, as they often wonder "Why change something that works?" The key factors or enablers necessary for the readiness to change were identified through an extensive literature review and data were collected using a questionnaire with close-ended answers. The questionnaires were completed by personnel working in the support service industry within a unit of a higher education institution. This study may provide some insight to organisations and managers who are faced with change issues daily. It is hoped that it will also provide a better understanding to organisations of the importance of change management to ensure the successful implementation or modification of business processes.