The role of personnel in change processes: introducing the ‘charabanc of change’ typology

The various models of the role of the personnel function tend to allude only in part, if at all, to personnel's role in change management. In examining personnel's role in change processes, the authors devised a five-fold model or typology—the ‘charabanc of change’, based on a metaphorical coach journey designed to capture the dynamic, mobile qualities of change. Early research demonstrated that the model was valid and comprehensible for both personnel practitioners and employees in general, and that the ‘navigator's’ role was likely to be an appropriate one for a personnel specialist involved in organizational change. This article: —Briefly reviews the changing role of personnel—over time, between organisations and within organizations; —recaps on existing models of the function; —delineates the ‘charabanc of change’ typology; —reports on the initial research, based on the management change initiative ‘Investors in People’ at a large UK hospital. The authors conclude that the effectiveness of their metaphorical typology rests on: the ease with which the analogy is grasped; the degree to which it is capable of further extension; and its value as a heuristic device leading to deeper levels of understanding of personnel's role in change initiatives. They consider that an area for further research would involve utilizing the ‘charabanc of change’ model to investigate the combinations of roles that are exhibited by the personnel function in an organization undergoing change. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.