Executing the mandate for change: unveiling the microfoundations in strategic implementation

Objective – This article examines the essential microfoundations required for executing the mandate for change, focusing on change agents during the strategic implementation phase. Methodological procedures – This study adopts a qualitative approach, employing a multiple-case study design with three companies that underwent intensive organizational transformation as an adaptive response for survival. The companies were selected based on the significant environmental changes they experienced. Data collection involved twelve in-depth interviews with senior management and operational team members, enabling a detailed analysis of change dynamics and the microfoundations involved in executing the mandate for change. The research integrates deductive, inductive, and abductive analysis to iteratively link empirical findings with theoretical constructs. Originality/value – This study contributes to the change management literature by unveiling the microfoundations of strategy execution through a new conceptual model for executing the mandate for change. The model is structured around three phases: Involvement, Action, and Barriers, each driven by specific microfoundations. Our findings indicate that the Involvement phase catalyzes Action, shaping the direction of change and enabling organizations to overcome barriers. A key insight is the crucial role of a Coalition for Change, formed by leaders and change agents, in overcoming inertia and ensuring the structured execution of strategic initiatives. This reinforces our argument that coalition formation must remain a central mechanism to sustain the mandate for change, allowing leadership to execute strategy more effectively. Main results – This study presents a generic framework based on the microfoundations of executing the mandate for change, proposing the propositional initial concept of the mandate for change as a guiding framework for organizational transformation. As a practical implication, we provide a strategic guide for leaders and change agents, emphasizing the creation of conditions that facilitate the execution of the mandate for change. Theoretical contributions – The findings contribute to the literature on microfoundations for organizational change and strategy execution, explaining this phenomenon not only at the organizational level but also, and more importantly, at the managerial, team, and individual levels. Additionally, this study aligns with Eisenhardt (1989) and Yin (2015) in demonstrating how case study research can generate theoretical insights, particularly in the formulation of emerging theoretical constructs. Although the mandate for change remains in its propositional stage, we highlight the need for future studies on scale development and validation to further establish this concept within the literature.