Enabling Change? The Role of Leadership in Driving Organizational Transformation – A Case Study

This thesis examines how leaders enable radical organizational change in a highly institutionalized field, drawing on institutional theory and differentiated leadership research. The research questions address how leaders enable change and how the participation of change 'recipients' relates to their activation and responses. A qualitative case study of a public energy company undergoing organizational, strategic and technological transformation was conducted, with data including 15 interviews analyzed using Gioia methodology. Findings show that enabling change requires relational and directional leadership practices embedded in supportive organizational structures, and that empowerment of employees is more effective than their (symbolic) participation, advancing a multi-dimensional understanding of leadership and organizational change.