At some time or other all organisations must undergo transition. And given today's realities, this transition must focus on the internal and external environment. The purpose of this paper is to assess how the South African telecommunications company, Telkom, handled transformation, given that dramatic changes in African economies influence the ability of an organisation to adapt to these changes in the environment, achieve better performance and pursue aggressive competitive strategies. Thus, we want to see what change management literature says about how change is managed. We will then examine or assess Telkom as a case and draw lessons from that. The results of this study reveal certain characteristics about change in organisations and the manner in which such change is implemented. Also, the findings have implications for theoretical issues such as slow and fast change and transition, strategic choice versus strategic implementation, organisational culture, and ownership. It is further hoped that the current study would bridge a gap between the management and the economic versions of institutional theory, and thus, provide a platform for a better understanding of the intricacies of organisations experiencing drastic changes in their institutional structure.

Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, 2003.