Strategic change management at the national museums of Kenya

Abstract

With the rapid changes in technology and globalization the past decade has seen organizations of all types undergo change more than ever before. Change management entails thoughtful planning. sensitive implementation and above all consultation and involvement of the people affected by the changes. If you force change on people normally problems arise. Change must be realistic. achievable and measurable. Change can take many forms and include many environments. The most common IS organizational change management which is the process of developing a planned approach to change in an organization. Typically the objective is to maximize the collective benefits for all people involved in the change and minimize the risk or failure in implementing the change. To be effective, change management should be multidisciplinary and should touch on all aspects of the organization. At its core. implementing new procedures. technologies and overcoming resistance to change are fundamentally human resource management issues which determine the success or failure or a change program. The National Museums of Kenya (NMK) is a unique institution that manages three World Heritage Sites, twenty two museums and over a hundred sites and monuments across the country. As the custodian of Kenya's natural and cultural heritage. NMK collects preserves and presents the past and present for today and posterity. Like other institutions operating in a competitive global environment the institution saw the need to undertake a change management process. To this end the museum underwent a restructuring program from 2005 to 2007 with an aim of making it a world class institution which is responsive to visitor needs. This case looks at the forces of change within the NMK, strategic change management practices adopted, the change content and the challenges faced in implementing the change program. The study identified that some of the change programs were still ongoing and recommends that the NMK develops the capacity to be a learning organization that is able to respond to changes in the environment and move into the future sustainability.