Managing Change: Considerations for Effective Human Resource Interventions, the Case of CSIR-Forestry Research Institute of Ghana

Aim: The study examined the potential roles of Human Resources (HR) in ensuring efficient change management in a Ghanaian research organization, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The study was premised on the assumption that employees, when well engaged through HR activities, can be better informed and understand the need for change during any change management process.

Methodology: The study tested the assumption using a quantitative research design of survey questionnaire among 64 employees and a review of institutional documents at the CSIR - Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (CSIR-FORIG). The responses were analysed using statistical means.

Findings: The findings show that HR functions, such as; communication, training, and monitoring of performance that make the Human Resource Manager a change agent are challenged at the CSIR-FORIG, especially in the communication role. While the level of understanding of change appears not to depend on the category of employee, the expectations and commitment of employees seem to be associated with the category of employee. Four predictor variables of change management were found not to have been adequately met due to factors such as lack of feedback mechanism in the communication strategy limiting full understanding of the change process.

Conclusions: The study concludes that change management implementation at the CSIR-FORIG did not yield the needed outcome and this could partly be attributed to HR role which was not adequately incorporated in the implementation strategy. Therefore, policy and practice implications on any change management process need to recognize the role of HR and incorporate HR professionals in the change management strategy.