The individual or group that undertakes the task of initiating and managing
change in an organization is known as a change agent. Change agents can be internal,
such as managers or employees who are appointed to oversee the change process. In
many innovative-driven companies, managers and employees alike are being trained to
develop the needed skills to oversee change (Tschirky, 2011). Change agents also can be
external, such as consultants from outside the firm.
For major organization-wide changes, companies frequently will hire external
change agents. Because these consultants are from the outside, they are not bound by the
firm's culture, politics, or traditions. Therefore, they are able to bring a different
perspective to the situation and challenge the status quo. This can be a disadvantage,
however, because external change agents lack an understanding of the company's history,
operating procedures, and personnel.
To offset their limited familiarity with the organization, external change agents
usually are paired with an internal coordinator from the human resources department.
These two then work together with line management. In very large firms, the
organization sometimes has its own in-house change specialist. This person replaces the
external consultant and works directly with the organization’s management team to
facilitate change efforts. Following, I will discuss change agent types, change agent roles,
and characteristics of successful change agentry.