Corporate changes which involve information and communication technology

This paper is concerned with understanding the nature of complex programmes of organisational and technical change, and indicating some approaches to managing change that will allow managers and employees to address not only the inherent complexities but the fact the those affected by change experience losses as well as gains. It is intended as a contribution towards illuminating what is happening in organisations as people within them confront the organisational options opened up by new information and communication technologies, and the implications for both technical and organisational change agents. The experiences discussed stem mainly from a two year Department of Trade and Industry assisted research and development project "Methods and Tools for Reinforcing and Developing Teamwork in Manufacturing" (TIM), led by the Programme for Organisational Change and Technological Innovation (OCTI) at The Tavistock Institute. The findings from this project emphasise the iterative and uncertain nature of the interlinked organisational and technical change initiatives commonly associated with moving to "teamworking", and also indicate the kind of approaches to planning and sequencing changes needed.