Exploring the processes used by experienced change agents to mitigate the impact of an emergency unplanned event in a planned operational change project

This study explores the processes used by experienced change agents to mitigate the impact of an emergency unplanned event in a planned operational change project. The study concentrates on the change agents reflecting on the mitigation of the emergency unplanned events. This interpretative study employed a purposeful sampling strategy aligned with semi structured interviews to generate the data. A total of twenty nine experienced change agents were interviewed for this study. Furthermore, the data resulting from the interview process was supported by the reflections maintained throughout the study by the researcher. Data analysis revealed 80 per cent of the interviewees followed the five-step reaction model. Though this may give validity to the model developed, the experienced change agents were unaware of the steps in the model formally. The researcher confirms the linearity of the model during simple mitigation efforts. However, during complex mitigation efforts the researcher observed, though the data analysis, multiple interaction between process steps. Furthermore, these interaction are in the form of verifying that the mitigation effort is a success, or an alternative approach is required. The study unveils 71 activities as identified by the experienced change agents during their mitigation approach. Additionally, the researcher enhanced the findings by aligning the 71 identified activities with the reaction model steps and with the best practice alignment approach of Reijers and Mansar (2005). This alignment gives a greater understanding of the approaches used during the mitigation efforts. This new contextual approach, now grounded in participant data, is theoretical underpinned in process theory which uses theological and action learning assumptions.