As an exemplar, this article looks firstly at the context for the traditional,
rational approach to organizational change. It subsequently illustrates how rational
change is depicted and deployed with reference to three different organizational
cases on leadership and change. The following section explores a range of organizational
change philosophies and considers how these might provide a broader
frame of reference in understanding the change process and its undeniable,
though sometimes tense, partnership with continuity. Based on this discussion,
the conclusion considers how an appreciation of the philosophies of change
may help to turn around the way organizations and, in particular, senior management,
view the process of change. It, therefore, puts forward the case for a multiperspectives
approach in managing the continuity-change dilemma and offers
advice for practitioners attempting to navigate the turbulent waters of organizational
change.