Kurmet Kivipõld: Crisis preparedness is an integral part of change management

Researchers from the University of Tartu and other universities have published an article in the international journal Review of Managerial Science, in which they empirically test a change management framework that incorporates crisis preparedness as a critical factor influencing change success.

The study is based on survey data collected in Latvia (n = 191) and analyses four groups of factors: change management processes, change communication, people factors, and crisis preparedness. The results show that implementation practices, systematic review, employee experiences, and communication implementation directly predict change success.

Crisis preparedness does not directly drive change success, but it strengthens employees’ perceptions of readiness, thereby indirectly supporting transformation.

The study highlights that employee resistance to change should not be viewed merely as a barrier, but as a form of constructive engagement that can be channelled through empathetic and transparent leadership to support successful change. The article’s main conclusion is that successful change management in the emerging AI world requires the integration of systematic processes, proactive crisis preparedness, and a human-centred approach.

Read the article: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11846-026-00979-1