HOW FRENCH MANAGERS DEAL WITH RADICAL CHANGE

Top management are increasingly concerned with the flexibility of their companies and with the problem of implementing strategy. This article presents a model of strategic change derived from the managers' experience and perceptions in some companies which achieved radical transformation. Indepth studies were carried out in four diverse companies. The experience of top managers revealed that the management of strategic change required an integrated approach to six interrelated areas-formulating a strategic project, managing the development of resources and skills, negotiating with the environment increasing internal communication of strategy, dealing with power, influencing the norms of behaviour and developing a team of transformation-minded managers. © 1991.