“As change becomes a constant in business life, there are also many elements to the book that will be useful for training management teams who are about to embark upon major organisational change.”

Title: Change Management: a Critical Perspective
Author: Mark Hughes
Publisher: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
ISBN: 1-84398-070-3
Price: £32.99 (CIPD members £29.69)
Reviewer: Sharon Cooper

I found this a difficult book to read as a reviewer as it is a text book and therefore not supposed to be read in one sitting. It is clearly intended as a resource for use in groups in an educational context, as each chapter gives discussion topics and there are some very interesting case studies to be worked through.

The author is a senior lecturer in organisational behaviour at Brighton Business School who teaches change management on masters programmes and who very obviously knows his subject.

However, it is very comprehensive and covers all the challenges of change that we as HR professionals are required to handle, including how to communicate change and deal with resistance to it.

As someone who has spent a lot of time over the years managing many different aspects of change, I found myself having several “eureka” moments whilst reading this book as well as wry smiles in a “been there, done that, got the t-shirt” kind of way. The case studies have been particularly well thought through.

The book is extremely well researched and backed up with extensive references. I couldn’t think of anyone who has written on this subject in the past who does not get a mention and there were many more of whom I hadn’t heard before.

As change becomes a constant in business life, there are also many elements to the book that will be useful for training management teams who are about to embark upon major organisational change. Specifically I think that the chapters on leading change and learning and change would be helpful in this context.

Although it was a challenge, as a reviewer, to digest the book all in one go, I can imagine that I will dip in and out of it again in the future and probably use some of the examples to help coach colleagues and less experienced HR staff.

Review ratings (1-5):

• Overall 4


• Helpfulness 5


• Layout 3


• Value for money 3


• Suitability for professional level Business students and HR generalists


• Would you recommend it? Yes