Common Management Errors cont.
Cxxxxviii) The time they take to process information and make a decision (this can depend upon personality type like introvert or extrovert; it can be due to neurological differences such as attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) which can result jumping to the change without questions.)
Cxxxxxix) Not understanding the divide between the theory and practice of organisational change (there is a different emphasis between academics’ and practitioners’ approach to change management. Research has shown:
- General Management Literature emphasizes abstract concepts like knowledge management, organizational learning and strategy; engages with change at a systemic, theoretical level.
- Specialist Change Management Journals focus more on value, culture and social identity; they draws from sociological frames rather than purely strategic or process-oriented approaches.
- Practitioners or Change Managers prioritize individual, project and team-level issues; emphasize targeted communication, quickly identifying key contextual drivers and context-specific execution; operate less through theory and more from applied, immediate action.
This
(source: Julian Pollack, 2015)
Interpretation & Significance
| Group | Emphasis |
|---|---|
| 1. General Management | Strategy, learning systems, knowledge management |
| 2. Specialist Journals | Culture, values, social identity |
| 3. Practitioners | Teams, communication, rapid identification of local drivers |
There is a need to ‘bridge the divide’.
Research confirms that there is a significant disconnect, with academics focusing on conceptual models while practitioners rely on context-driven, operational approaches.
Recognizing these differences highlights the need for greater integration; academics could benefit from closer engagement with real-world scenarios, while practitioners could gain from simplified, tested frameworks that resonate with their context.
Summary of Characteristics
- Distinct clusters of themes across each corpus
- Academic sources cluster around abstract, high-level concepts
- Specialists cluster around cultural and identity-related themes
- Practitioners cluster around people-focused, actionable terms such as “communication,” “project,” and “team.”
NB The prevalence of these characteristics highlights the need for better integration.