Managing organizational change as a project - Integrating change and project management to achieve success
Ruuskanen, Minttu (2025)
2025
Tuotantotalouden DI-ohjelma - Master's Programme in Industrial Engineering and Management
Johtamisen ja talouden tiedekunta - Faculty of Management and Business
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Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2025-08-20
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202508198338
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202508198338
Tiivistelmä
This thesis explores how organizational change can be effectively managed through projects by integrating change management practices with project management processes. While the literature has paid limited attention to change management in context of project and project management, this study addresses this gap by identifying common challenges and key success factors in managing organizational change through projects.
Managing change successfully requires the integration of both change and project management. While project management ensures structured approach, change management focuses more on guiding individuals through the change. Without addressing the human side of change, even well-managed projects may fail to deliver sustainable impact. Combining these two approaches is essential for ensuring success in today’s continuously evolving business environments.
To support the analysis of change-related elements within the project context, the ADKAR model was applied in the research. The purpose of integrating ADKAR to the project management phases is to ensure that both the technical and people sides of change are addressed simultaneously.
The empirical part of the study is based on seven semi-structured interviews and a survey conducted within the case organization. The interviews were conducted with the change project leaders who were directly responsible for managing each of the change initiatives. In addition, the survey was distributed to the members of the project working groups. This combination of data sources provided a more comprehensive and multifaced perspective on the progress and execution of the projects.
The findings of the study highlight several key success factors for managing organizational change through projects. These factors include strong leadership skills, clear communication, effective stakeholder management, and early involvement, and alignment with strategic objectives. The discussion further evaluates the relevance and benefits of integrating project management and change management practices, and proposes a structured framework to support the management of change initiatives in project environments.
Managing change successfully requires the integration of both change and project management. While project management ensures structured approach, change management focuses more on guiding individuals through the change. Without addressing the human side of change, even well-managed projects may fail to deliver sustainable impact. Combining these two approaches is essential for ensuring success in today’s continuously evolving business environments.
To support the analysis of change-related elements within the project context, the ADKAR model was applied in the research. The purpose of integrating ADKAR to the project management phases is to ensure that both the technical and people sides of change are addressed simultaneously.
The empirical part of the study is based on seven semi-structured interviews and a survey conducted within the case organization. The interviews were conducted with the change project leaders who were directly responsible for managing each of the change initiatives. In addition, the survey was distributed to the members of the project working groups. This combination of data sources provided a more comprehensive and multifaced perspective on the progress and execution of the projects.
The findings of the study highlight several key success factors for managing organizational change through projects. These factors include strong leadership skills, clear communication, effective stakeholder management, and early involvement, and alignment with strategic objectives. The discussion further evaluates the relevance and benefits of integrating project management and change management practices, and proposes a structured framework to support the management of change initiatives in project environments.