Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine implementation of an organizational change in the public sector. It explores the change process of problem-oriented policing implemented by the senior and middle managers as the change agents in the Plano Police Department, Texas. Four research questions focused on: (1) starting the change process, (2) making the change process happen, (3) consolidating the change, and (4) applying problem-oriented policing as the change process. This research consists of two main research components, a qualitative methodology and a case study. The eight-step change management model (Kotter 1995) and problem-oriented policing model (Goldstein 1979) primarily guided this research. The study has provided information from interviews with ten police employees of the Plano Police Department, existing documentation, and field observations. It concludes that not only leaders in private sector but also executives and managers of public organizations may benefit from application of planned change theories during organizational changes.