The processual perspective: studying change in organisations

The processual approach for understanding organisational change takes time seriously in addressing how an organisation moves from point A to point B. The temporal dynamics are often understood within a broader contextual frame that accommodates the past (historical and retrospective analyses) and the future (analyses of future expectation before and after the event), as well as the current ongoing processes of change (Dawson 2013, p 252). The processual approach is based on the assumption that change is complex and at times chaotic (Alvesson & Sveningsson 2008). It recognises that the unplanned, unforseen and unexpected will occur and that consequently, organisational change should not be reduced to a list of simple sequential steps (Dawson 1994).