SUCCESSFUL ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE MANAGEMENT: THE INFLUENCE AND ROLE OF STRATEGIC PLANNING.

ABSTRACT The increased speed of change in technological advancement, globalization, shifts in social trends, human resource requirements, increased in knowledge workers, managerial decisions and government legislation or pressures have put more pressure on the need to respond to change. Consequently, management of change has become pertinent in that successful management of change is a catalyst to the survival of any organisation in the face of continuously competitive business environment. However, the introduction of these changes, especially in organisations tends to be problematic and part of a puzzle. Consequently, much attention is given to financial indicators such as budgeting, rate of return and balance sheet more than how change can be implemented to align with organisational set goals.
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It is worthwhile to emphasise that, in the face of all these changes, strategic planning tends to be a fundamental tool in all the process of introduction of change and management of change to moderate the relationship between organisational change and the attainment of change goals. It is the researchers view that without strategic planning as a fundamental tool in change management may be catastrophic as undesirable outcomes such as employee resistance, breaking of employee psychological contract, lack of commitment and lack of motivation may emerge in the organisation. Against this backdrop, this thesis seeks to present strategic planning as a proven exhibit in two organisations when these organisations were undergoing a dramatic turnaround to meet the demands of the changed environments. The papers then seeks to illuminate the influences strategic planning has in change periods and presents an integration of strategic planning and organisational change management in and an effort to achieve the purpose of the research. Thus, the paper seeks to evaluate the relevance of strategic planning as the fundamental tool in the management of change in organisations in overcoming the complexities that come with change. The researcher achieves the purpose by analysing two organisations in the United Kingdom and Australia whose response to competitive changing environment became a success by virtue of strategic planning being the fundamental in the processes of their change management. Conclusions are therefore grounded on literature of the study area and expected to contribute to the specified area of study. The paper then concludes that the focus on change implementation in change processes alone is not enough to provide robust results of change goals. Thus, organisations which adopt strategic planning as a fundamental tool at the early stages of their change processes tend to gain an advantage of achieving change goals. The paper also concludes that strategic planning represent an influential means of development and sustenance of change goals through strategic direction, effective change strategies, sense of ownership of change goals by employees and the improvement of employee psychological contract through effective change communication and employee participation in decision-making. Key words: Influence, Strategic Planning, Change and Change Management. PART I: INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1: THE STUDY PROBLEM 1.0 INTRODUCTION The aim of this chapter is to give a clearer insight of the background of the study, the problem statement, the objectives, significance, scope, questions of the research, assumptions and hypothesis. The interest of the study and the contributions of

Strategic Planning and organisational change management are outlined as well as the structure of the research. 1.1 Background to the Problem. Change is a factor that never ceases to exist in the business operating environments especially in the 21st century (Burns, 2004). According to this author, an organisations ability to survive on the long-term may be judged based on its ability to manage change in the face of competitively changing environments. Therefore, a successful change management in any organisation is very crucial in order to survive, sustain and gain competitive advantage (Luecke, 2003). However, most organisations are more concerned with budgeting, evaluation of rate of return and current balance sheet more than giving attention to the effectiveness of change in their organisations (Luecke, 2003). Todays working environment obligates organisations to adopt to changes in order to remain in competiveness and can therefore be risky for any organisation that does not respond to its internal and external environmental dynamics (Beach, 2006). A number of internal and external factors serve as catalysts for change in organisations. According to Buelens, et al., (2002) and Balogun and Hailey, (2004), external factors include globalisation, demographics, technological advancement, social, government legislation and political pressures. Internal factors such as organisational structure, human resource requirements such as high demand of knowledge workers and managerial decisions also account for change in organisations in order to gain sustainability in the face of changing conditions (Wood et al., 2010; Burns, 2004; Carnall, 2007).

These factors cause uncertainty about the future since they are constantly changing and unpredictable. Technological advancement for instance may result in the installation of more efficient facilities which in most cases may replace most human resource duties resulting in providing more efficiency through layoffs (down-sizing) Graetz (2000). High demand of knowledge workers for instance has brought managerial changes in organisations today (Senior, 2002). The characteristics of these workers such as well-educated, qualified, intellectual thinkers and

complicated problem solvers have brought changes to their leading and management approach making traditional leadership methods of command and control
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questionable as they require a system of persuasion to work effectively (Alvesson, 2004).Most organisations also operate in areas where much competition exists and this has resulted in virtual organisations with much emphasis on mobility of international labour market (Martin et al., 2007). It is in this bid that Luecke (2003), points out that in order to gain success and survival in such dynamic environments, organisations must look into the factors of change and adopt strategic measures to respond accordingly. The argument therefore is how do organisations implement and manage change to ensure long-term successes in alignment with organisational goals and objectives without evoking employee resistance to change? Managers and employees have different view point about change (Strebel, 1996). The common ground is that both parties are aware that the visions of the company are central to change. However, leaders and top- managers recognise change as an opportunity to develop and strengthen the organisation but most employees see change as a threat and disruption (Mills et al. 2008). This gap usually becomes a problem that causes relationship problems in many organisations as management usually anticipate commitment and enthusiasm for subordinates to aid the change process. However, undesirable result such as employee resistance to change occurs, missing the mark of change implementation. Strategic planning (SP) is often seen as an influential tool in managing change (Boddy, 2011, Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, 2011). It is in this bid that Burnes (2004) argues that due to the fact that an organisations life is characterised by change at all levels of operations, there is the need for organisations to envisage their desired future position and plan how to get there taking into consideration how those changes can be managed. Perhaps, the reason to the successes and failures of organisations can be attributed to strategic planning (Porter, 1991). Consequently, organisational change management and SP go hand in hand (Rieley and Clarkson, 2001). The end of SP should not only entail implementation of strategic plans; moreover, the implementation and management of change must be taken into consideration. Encounters such as top management and stakeholders must be aware of the impacts of strategies in the management of the change. This would help management to gain judgemental evidence whether the allocated resources directed

towards implementing a change strategies is indeed worthwhile or not (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, 2011). An essential element is that, the evaluation of the influence and roles of SP should not only focus on quantitative outputs such as financial indicators, but attention must be given to the qualitative impacts such as behavioural outputs. Due to this reason the research has stimulated the evaluation of qualitative roles SP plays in organisational change management. 1.2 Statement of the Research Problem. Todays trends are constantly changing the shape of organisations due to the drivers of change that continues to persist within and outside organisations. Currently, most organisations are facing complexities in achieving organisational goals due to the inability to looking deeply into how change must be introduced and managed (Todnem, 2005 and Buelens et al., 2002). Literature on financial outputs on performance of SP continues because of the focus of many researchers in the area (Falshaw and Glaister, 2005 and Ridwan and Marti, 2012), therefore attention must be given to evaluating the influence and roles of SP in change management on behavioural outputs and other qualitative outputs besides financial outputs. The evaluation of the qualitative influence of SP in change management will help bridge the gap in knowledge. SP entails series of managerial decisions for the long-term survival of the organisation. It particularly deals with strategic decisions concerning the strategic position of the organisations (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, 2011). Consequently, SP in change management monitors and evaluates opportunities and threats in the business context to determine strengths and weaknesses surrounding the businesss capacity to respond to change. The effect is the capitalisation of the strengths and opportunities to overshadow organisational weaknesses in order to achieve organisational change goals. It is a fundamental tool of every organisation even if not explicitly shown and formulated and its typical of proactive organisations to respond to changing environments (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, 2012) Notwithstanding, pro-activeness must be a mark of every organisation in this changing times. The dictatorship of the drivers of change propels organisations to
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strategize measures to respond and deal with changing times. It has therefore become a competitive edge for organisations to act proactively toward change by strategic planning. This is to say, size or location of an organisation must not be a stumbling block in the development of strategies for change. However, the influence and roles of SP in managing organisational change must be taken into consideration. 1.3 Purpose of the Study To meet the demands of the highly competitive changing environments that surround organisations today, there is the need for organisations to pay much attention to how change must be responded to in order to gain competitive advantage in alignment with its organisational goals. This demands SP in change management that is not only to device change strategies but which has the capability of effectiveness of influencing on the whole change management process by using change strategic approaches to win employees interest to the change. Having knowledge about the need for change in organisations and accepting SP as the fundamental tool in change management processes, the purpose of this research is to explore the relationship between SP and organisational change management processes on the basis of the roles and influence that SP imparts on change management processes in organisations undergoing change and the expediency of SP as a fundamental tool in change management. 1.4 The Research Objectives. The focus of this research is to evaluate the impacts resulting from strategic planning in the management of change in organisations. Objectives of the study are; To determine whether SP helps in reducing employee resistance to change. To determine the roles SP plays in the management of change. To determine the extent of influence of strategic planning on organisational change management. 1.5 Research Questions. In order to enable a level of understanding of this thesis to the reader and to focus on the purpose of the research, a number of questions are outlined to maintain the focus in two major themes;

Theme 1: Change What types of changes are noticeable when an organisation is undergoing a change? How can change be managed using strategic planning as a fundamental tool in change management? Theme 2: Strategic planning How can strategic planning be used in reducing employee resistance to change? What are the effects of strategic planning in managing change?

1.6 Significance of the Study. Literature on organisational change has increased over the years. According to Mills (2003), between 1960 and 2006 alone, literature on organisational change stocked in the United States Congress Library amounted to 3,400. This is because management of change has become a core capability for firms if they want to survive time and this has caused the interest of most scholars to be shifted to the subject area. Despite the numbers of literature on change management, successful organisational change management remains elusive. More specifically, the number of change programme failure recorded has increased over the years (Hirschhorn, 2002, Sirkin et al., 2005 and Kotter, 2008). Ineffective leadership, violation of employee psychological contract and lack or inadequate strategic planning are among the causes of change programme failure. The study would therefore focus on the roles SP plays in managing organisational change. 1.7 Contributions of the Study. The thrust of this study is to contribute to knowledge in the specified study area. It will also produce information to top management and stakeholders to assess or value the worth of various resources allocated to strategic planning in managing changes in their organisations. 1.8 Scope and Delimitation of the Study

The study is focused on determining the influence and roles strategic planning plays and impacts on change management processes by analysing the cases of two organisations; Corus Steel Product, UK (CSP UK), a major contributor in the supply chain of the oil and gas industry (one of the major distributors of oil and gas pipelines in the world) and Truelocal.com, one of the largest online service providers in Australia. It views the successes of change when SP was regarded a fundamental tool in their change management. It does not however study the influence on financial outputs. 1.9 Assumptions and Hypothesis. The hypothesis for the study is that strategic planning moderates the relationship between organisational change and the successful achievement of change goal. 1.10 Research Methodology

This thesis will use a selection of case studies and archival research which covers questions and elements of the study area to achieve the research purpose. It will also utilize secondary sources to substantiate the conclusions drawn from the analysis to achieve the purpose of the study.

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Justification of Research Methodology

The researchers choice of case study analysis and archival research is based on the reasons that, it presents detailed analysis of the research problem in real context and also focuses on contemporary issues of the research area. It also gives room for comparisons of organisations to minimize any bias. Archival research on the other hand would allow the researcher to get hold of direct administrative information about the organisations to help in achieving the purpose of the study. 1.12 Definition of Key Terms.

For quality directional perspective of this study, an attempt is made in the definition of key concepts. These concepts are planning, strategy, strategic planning, influence, change, organisational change, change management and psychological contract.

Planning: This term has been defined by scholars and Management gurus in several ways. Boddy (2011 p. 171) defines planning as involving the establishment of goals (or objectives) and specifying how to they can be achieved, implementing the plan and evaluating results. Mintzberg (1994) defines planning as a production of expected results by virtue of laid down procedures of interconnected decisional structures. Planning is also defined as the future being the present pursuit about decisions on goals (Bateman and Snell 1999). Considering these definitions, it is observed that a common ground about planning exist among the scholars in analysis of situation, goals, plan, evaluation and selection of plan. Strategy: This is commonly used in the military which involves the military Generals directing and mobilising tactics and resources for wars. Since 1960, this term has been used by business entities to describe actions and plans in achieving organisational goals. Johnson, Whittington and Scholes (2011) define strategy as the direction of an organisation in the long-term. Hax and Majluf (1996) gives a similar definition of strategy as factors that regulate organisational goals in the perspective of the future in terms of resources in an attempt to sustain the organisation through responsiveness to opportunities, threats, strengths and weaknesses. Mintzberg in his work in 1978 also defines strategy as a stream of pattern a decision follows to achieve goals. It is in this light that Drucker (1999 p. 43) points out that it is strategy that allows an organisation to be purposefully opportunistic based on the organisations Theory of the Business. From the definitions, synthesis can be made that strategy is about focus on the future and involves either planned or emergent patterns. Strategic planning: This is a systematic or formalized process, whereby organisations analyse factors of internal and external towards determining organisations goals and objectives in the process of decision making which involves areas of finance and ethics (Brammer, et. al., 2010 p. 401). Influence: This is the process of an impact, effect or consequence that yields either a negative or positive results whether intentional or unintentional (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes (2011). Change: Scholars have given different views about this concept. It is important to digest these different perspectives in order to illuminate its shortcomings. According
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to Kanter (2005), the modification of an existing pattern of behaviour is change. Although this is a process centred definition (by virtue of the use of modification), this may mislead the understanding of the concept and may be perceived as a modification rather than total status change in itself (Tonder, 2004). Boddy (2011 p. 385), provides a deeper definition and argues that change is when influential personalities in an organisation perceive, outmoded technology or existing structure or system as a threat to performance gap, stressing on status change rather than modifications. Organisational change: Boddy (2011 p. 635) defines as 'a deliberate attempt to improve organisational performance by changing one or more aspects of the organisation, such as its technology, structure or business processes. Change management: Moran and Brightman (2001) defines this term as the organisations continual process of responding to changing needs of internal and external environments by institutionalizing transitions, renewing, adjusting, amending and restructuring the organisations structure, direction, skills and vision to satisfy changing environments. Psychological contract: Herriot (2001) mentioned by Martin (2006 p.72) defines this as. the perception of the two parties, employees and employer, of what their mutual obligations are to each other. Boddy (2011) supports this view by saying that it is the understanding that exist between the employer and the employee regarding their commitments to each other. 1.13 Structure of the Research

The study comprises of five chapters which are chronologically sub-divided into parts to enable a flow of the research structure. It contains the following; Part I: This part comprise of chapter 1 of the research which provides a general introduction and orientation to the study. It sets the pace for the practical background to the research question, research objectives, key research questions, significance of the study, interest or motivation for the study, contribution of the study, delimitation, assumptions and hypothesis, defining key terms and chapter outline.

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Part II: Literatures in the area of study are reviewed and comprise of chapter 2 of the research. Theoretical frameworks based on strategic planning and change management are explored. It is sub-divided into two; the first is devoted for SP

while the second is for organisational change management. It also introduces theoretical frameworks of both strategic planning and organisational change management. Part III: This comprises chapter 3 and chapter 4. Chapter 3 deals with the chosen methodology use for the research which includes analysis of case studies and secondary sources (related literature) while chapter 4 focuses on the analysis of the case studies. This relation is essential in ensuring an authentic and critical evaluation of analysis and discussions. Part V: This focuses on chapter 5 which entails conclusion or inference drawn from the study; the limitation encountered during the research as well as suggested recommendations for future research are focused in this part.

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PART III: METHODOLOGY, AND CASE STUDY ANALYSIS CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 3.0 Introduction The purpose of this chapter is to (1) give a presentation of the research methodology used for this study and (2) explain the procedures used in analysing the data. It will also entail the advantages and disadvantages of the chosen approach and the justification or appropriateness of choosing the methods. 3.1 Philosophy of the Research. The methodology of this present research is justified from a philosophical viewpoint. According to Joubin et al., (2011), every research is based on a paradigm which plays a vital role in influencing the meta-theoretical views or conceptions of the researcher. Paradigm can be explained as the beliefs, values, assumptions or worldviews that provide guidance to the researcher. Guba and Lincoln (2003) identify the paradigms of research as critical theory, positivism, post positivism and the constructivism. The use of paradigms will enable the researcher to be critical about intellectual assumptions and also assist the researcher to critically review literature from a methodological and theoretical viewpoint. Using paradigm in research will also help locate the researchers frame of reference thus, the values and ideologies on the basis of which judgments are made in relation to social theory, which forms the basis for ones personal appeal of perspectives (Burrell and Morgan, 2000). In research conduction, these four assumptions are examined on the basis of form and nature of reality (ontology), nature of connection between the researcher and the beliefs of what can be known (epistemology) and how the researcher intends to know what can be known. (Joubin et al., (2011). In the present study, the researchers assumption is based on post- positivism insights on the foundation of
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ontology. The researcher regards the importance of reality and subjective processes with ideological frameworks of viewpoint, including the researchers view point. 3.2 The Research Strategy. The research strategy can be defined as the roadmap or directional guide for the research (Remenyi et al., 1998), thus the plan the research would be carried out. There are different types of research strategies. They are survey, grounded theory, experiment, case study, action research and archival research (Sauders et al., 2006). However, this present research employs case study analysis strategy and archival research of the cases under review. Issues raised in the analysis are substantiated by literature to achieve the purpose of the research (Yin, 2003). 3.3 The Research Methodology This study employs a qualitative research methodology. Qualitative research is defined as a research which lies upon a foundation of evidence that seeks to find answers to a question and difficult to be summarised into figures Joubin et al., (2011). This type of research requires an analytical stance while embodying theoretical knowledge and experience for interpretation (Strauss and Corbin 1990). It is in this bid that Ten Have (2004) argues that this type of research necessitates findings to be expressed in words linked with theoretical knowledge. Bryman and Bell (2003) supports this assertion when they point out that qualitative research is founded in interpretivism and centres on themes, perceptions and insights gained by analysing at others. The researcher is also required to interpret results seen in the research and needs to be general or widespread. This denotes that, very often the results can comprise narratives aimed at illuminating comprehensive results. The researcher deems qualitative methodology fit to achieve the purpose of the study. A benefit of using a qualitative methodology is that it presents an in-depth evaluation of complex real organisational situational analysis. It is also built upon deductive reasoning to enable the explanation of causes of relations between variables and the generalisation of research findings (Sauders et al., 2006). The research methodology is supported by literature to illuminate various issues in the research area to achieve the purpose of the research.

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The study would employ case studies analysis and archival research. Case study analysis as would be employed in this thesis can be explained as an in-depth analysis of for instance an organisation to aid the researcher to have informed knowledge and understanding of the research problem (Bryman and Bell, 2003).The research will employ selected cases from organisation where issues of the research problem is embedded in to investigate the role strategic planning plays in managing change in organisations. An advantage of using a case study is that it helps in gaining understanding into the central issues on a practical ground (Yin, 2003 and Stake, 2006). In other words, case studies provide in-depth presentations into specific issues of real life situations. An important feature of using case in a research is that it is associated with qualitative research and an excellent tool in providing data on why change occurs in organisations as it focuses on illustrating complex interplay of actions to formulate a holistic understanding (McQuarrie, 2006). Archival research on the other hand according to Joubin et al., (2011) entails the forehand details of the administrative processes of an organisation which gives a precise picture of what is going on in an organisation. 3.3.1 Justification for the chosen Research Methodology Even though case study analysis have been traditionally perceived by some to have poor objectivity and precision, it is argued by the author to have some level of authenticity due to the reasons that it focuses more on contemporary issues within organisations and outside organisations ( Halinen and Tornroos, 2005 and Remenyi et al., 2008). Furthermore, case study analysis is an essential tool within the management and business settings of organisations as it involves real life organisational context which has the benefit of providing a detailed analysis of an organisation (Remenyi et al., 2008). Finally, it gives the researcher a considerable level of control to make comparisons between organisations. The researchers choice of using archival research of this research has some benefits. Firstly, it provides direct administrative information of the organisations under case study review which provides important information that will help achieve the purpose of the study. Secondly, it provides a real context of details of administration of an organisation. It is the researcher hope to achieve the purpose of this research based on the chosen research strategies.
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The authors choice of the case study analysis is therefore based on the grounds of appropriateness of strategy to help identify strategic planning as key element in a successful change management context. Archival research will also help the research to lay hands on original company administration documents to support the analysis. The choice of the research strategy grounded on literature is supported by Yin (2003) as shown in Table 1. Table 1: Comparative illustration of different strategies of research (Yin, 2003) STRATEGY TYPE RESEARCH QUESTION OF BEHAVIOURAL AND CONTROL REQUIREMENT? Case Study How and Why NO YES PRESENT-DAY

EVENT ISSUES FOCUSED?

Archival Research

How much, where, NO how many, what, who

YES /NO

History Experiment Survey

How and Why How and Why

NO YES

NO YES YES

How much, where, NO how much, what, who

Source: Yin (2003)

3.4 Data collection As indicated earlier on, the research is based on secondary sources grounded on relevant literature. 3.4.1 Secondary Sources

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The information relating to this study was gathered from secondary sources such as books, academic journals, previous dissertations, conferences and internet sources. According to McQuarrie (2006), secondary data is explained as already existing data due to earlier research in the study area. It is worthwhile to note that, although earlier researches by other researchers are for different purposes, they are still useful for the current research.

3.4.2 Data Analysis There are various forms of presentation of a case study analysis. The forms can range according to suspense structure to chronological structures. The researcher therefore chose the linear-analytical structure as the best option to achieve its aim. This analytical approach of presentation is commonly preferred as the standard tool for presenting a case study analysis (Yin, 2003). There are reasons behind this choice of presentation approach. In order for the reader to get an understanding of the analysis, this analytical approach was chosen as it gives more room for issue focusing without distorting structure. According to Robert Burns (2000 ), a good researcher must be capable of evaluating critically data to establish its authentic source. In terms of analysis, current research will be analysed and substantiate discussions with relevant literature. By this approach, there will be the authenticity of conclusions drawn. 3.5 Credibility of the Research Findings Validity and reliability perform a task of asking two questions which is an important foundation when it comes to the evaluation of the research (Bryman and Bell, 2003). The first question dwells on how quality the research is while the second question deals with how the research will be reviewed and evaluated by a critical audience. 3.5.1 Validity of the Research Findings From insights from (Bryman and Bell, 2003), the validity of a research may mean to correctly conduct a research based on an intended manner. An example is when one wants to measure the height of an object. The concept of validity in this context is the situation that there is accurate measurement so that the intention of measuring the
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height of the object would be achieved correctly. There are two perspectives of this research based on the concept of validity. These two perspectives are that (1) if the research questions are answered by the research and (2) if methods used in the research produce data correctly (Kumar, 2005). Case studies and literature (books, articles, publications and other sources) are what this thesis is grounded on. To ensure the validity of this research, the literature review of this thesis and the content of the case studies are thoroughly selected. 3.5.2 Reliability of the Research Findings Reliability according to (Remenyi et al., 1998), is how possible the research is able to be replicated, thus if analogous observations can be done differently. This is to say, this research is reliable if same result is achieved any time the research is conducted (Fin, 2009). Thus (relating it to the height measurement example), there is reliability of the scale of measurement of the height if it produces the same results any time it is measured.

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CHAPTER 4: ANALYSIS-DISCUSSION 1. Strategic planning influence change management process throughout the period it takes place .. (analysis and literature)etc 2. Companies 3. Environmental . IF YOU WANT YOU CAN HAVE A CHAPTER FOR ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS AND ONE FOR DSCUSSION SYNTHSIZING WITH LITERATURE. The better is to be clear , rich in information but brief and if could be analysis and discussion together factors influence strategy that apply strategic planning have competitive

advantage

PART IV: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION CHAPTER 5: LIMITATIONS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS. 5.1 Research Limitations 5.2 Conclusions
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5.3 The formulation of a strategic plan in change management processes leaves much to be desired. The influence of SP in this process had centred on the behavioural and quality approach to change response. The thesis begun with in-depth analysis of strategic planning concept and the models often used in SP in change management processes. Even though there are some critiques against SP in general, this present thesis suggests that there are much importance of SP especially in the management of change processes (Mintzberg, 2006, Martin, 2006, Ford and Ford, 2011 and Bye and Sibony, 2007). It was concluded that due to the turbulent nature of competitively changing environments, any organisation which want to survive in such environments by responding to the change must take SP the fundamental tool for any change management process undertaken as literature suggests that one of the major causes of change failure to be centred on lack of strategic planning as one of the pivotal areas of change management programmes. After analysing the role SP plays in change management, it was concluded that just focusing on change implementation as some organisations do is not enough to facilitate change. However, employee participation in decisions during the strategic planning for change was seen as a catalyst in moderating organisational change and employee resistance to change. This yields better communication of the need for change and perception of considerable fairness for employees as they feel involved in the whole process. Even though the researcher recognises the various change management models, it is the researchers opinion that SP plays or forms the fundamental role or foundation in organisational change management processes. It is therefore concluded that for a successful management of change, SP as the basic tool will enhance effective implementation of change. The use of SP in change management processes was concluded to have positive impacts in employee psychological contract to some extent when well-planned and structured focusing on employee involvement in decision. Strategic thinking and strategic direction were major areas support by scholars to have influence of Sp.

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In respect to the pivotal highlight of the importance of SP in change management, there is a conclusion that without an effective SP in change management processes is void of resulting in desired results (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, 2011). It is in this light that Fisher (2012) further argues that changing organisations which adopt SP to respond to change usually gain better understanding of the organisations strategic position (context), strategic choices (content) and how to put implement strategies to achieve change goals (processes). Considering studies done in the area of change, it is not doubtful that business environments would continue to be completive due to globalisation, technology and other factors; it is in this regard that Ghafarian and Kiani (2003) suggests two important capabilities to respond to change in turbulent times; effective planning and strategic thinking capacity, the prerequisite elements for change management in every organisation.

5.4 Recommendations For Future Research Basing focus on the discussions and implications of strategic planning in change management looked at in this study, the present study therefore recommend the following for knowledge advancement in future research. For a wider scope of knowledge of the research area, it is recommended that more clusters of organisations such as the service sector, health sector and educational sectors be studied to widen knowledge of the study area for a more conclusive and advance approach. Further studies might also investigate the influence of strategic planning on other areas such as customer satisfaction, innovation and employee development to widen the scope of knowledge. It is however dependent of the type of organisation and its pertaining issues at stake. In fact, change is an inevitable factor that occurs to every organisation no matter the type as well as strategic planning which is essential to every organisation, therefore more focus be centred on these two areas.

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