Shaping strategic change ‐ The case of the NHS in the 1980s (1992)

Summary

This article explores the question of why change management was an issue in the NHS in the 1980s. It reports the results of a study which explored reasons for variability in the observed rate and pace of strategic service change in the NHS. The article introduces the metaphor of 'receptive' and 'non-receptive' contexts for change, as well as outlining eight 'signs and symptoms' of receptivity. It provides a logic and language which may enable a better understanding of the processes of change in the NHS.