The ability of an organisation to change and adapt is critical. The process of change however
tends to be more challenging than expected during initial planning. Organisations frequently
rush into change initiatives; these often result in unintended consequences which may
subsequently lead to many change efforts being unsuccessful. There is much contention around
issues of participation and communication, and current theory and models are criticised for
being inadequate. The skills base of employees and managers are also often inadequate to deal
with proposed changes. Problems are seldom handled effectively, thereby decreasing an
organisation’s ability to engage in learning. Simulations have proven beneficial in enabling
participants from various backgrounds to meaningfully engage by learning from experience.
The safety of the environment enables participants to explore ideas and strategies, with the aim
of developing abstract thinking by observing and reflecting on experiences from the simulation.
This exploratory study therefore set out to investigate how and specifically in which ways
simulations can play a role in change management. Relevant literature in the areas of change
management, learning, systems thinking, complexity theory and simulations were examined to
establish a theoretical grounding. The empirical component of this study focused on the
fisheries system in the Western Cape province of South Africa. A qualitative research approach
and purposive sampling were employed. Fifteen semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were
conducted. Observations and secondary data in the form of archival data, and other relevant
organisational documents were also analysed. Subsequent data analysis was then used to
uncover the various pertinent issues. A simulation was thereafter designed, piloted with
students, and then conducted twice with some of the stakeholders in the fisheries context. This
study is significant in understanding how interactive simulations contribute to change
management. The main findings from this study indicate that simulation use illustrated how the
various stakeholders in a system interact, and how their actions and decisions influence each
other. The findings also revealed that simulations were particularly effective in a multiplestakeholder
scenario, and could show the role that mental models and stakeholder perceptions
play. The findings indicated that simulations could successfully place emphasis on developing
capabilities, and highlight how approaches towards communication and participation influence
outcomes. General implications based on the findings were derived for change and simulation
theory, as well as for the fisheries context. The simulation may be used in other areas of natural
resource management, as well as general stakeholder scenarios. It may also be effective in a
general organisational setting to re-examine the conventional way of approaching change. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2009. / MCM.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ukzn/oai:http://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za:10413/4280 |
| Date | January 2009 |
| Creators | Gerwel, Cecile. |
| Contributors | Bodhanya, Shamim. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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