East German managers in transition

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The book represents the author's doctoral thesis at Oxford Brookes University, focusing on east German senior industrial managers during a period of significant environmental change following the adoption of the west German political, economic, and societal system. It enhances the understanding of managerial roles in transitional economies, particularly in central and eastern Europe, and aims to improve the effectiveness of western interventions in the shift towards market-driven economic models. The study also sheds light on individual dynamics of change, which have been overlooked in previous research that concentrated on group and systems levels. A qualitative approach was utilized, involving 73 in-depth interviews and structured questionnaires to gather data on the individual, organizational, and change profiles of the managers. The findings reveal that east German managers, through their experiences of radical change, developed a new worldview, moving from believing in stable organizational environments to recognizing the inevitability of ongoing change. The research concludes that individual development is crucial for successful transformation, targeting the cultural and ideological foundations necessary for effective change. Karin Breu, Ph.D., who previously specialized in organizational change management in emerging economies, is now a researcher in Information Systems at Cranfield School of Management in the UK.