The Role of Human Resources in Change Management: An Exploratory Study in Lebanon

Constant change occurs due to globalization, increased pace of competition, vibrant technological advancement, information flow and customers' awareness among others. The forces subject organizations to challenges as how to respond, handle and mitigate the negative impact of those changes. The resultant uncertainty and volatility lead to a situation where competition is souring and organizations that respond reactively narrows their competitiveness and erodes their market share and sustainability chances. Organizations' preparedness and pro-activeness are key success factors in terms of resources/capabilities and their use and how these envision and deal with the aforementioned uncertainties. Amid the aggressive external environment, one of the fundamental key agents for change management is the human resource. However, the key question here concerns the roles that HR can assume, and what contribution HR has to the change process and outcomes. This study aims to assess the role of HR in the ongoing process of change in organizations, the interrelation between change management and HR practitioners as catalysts of change and to propose a framework to expose the interrelation between the concept of change and the role of HR in the change process. This is intended to be done by identifying separately the change process then the functions and roles of HR in this process and how these interrelate. This research is exploratory using qualitative analysis based on the literature reported in secondary data and primary data collected using semi-structured interviews to achieve the objectives of the current study. A convenient sample of HR experts and practicing professionals is selected based on their willingness to participate. The outcomes of this research help to identify the role of the Human Resource Practitioners in the process of change, and help to assess the nature of this effect, and how to develop it in a more effective and efficient way for organizations. HR managers and organizational policy makers may benefit from such outcomes.