Leadership Succession

Abstract

Leaders frequently attempt to implement changes when they enter an ongoing organization. Subordinates react to these attempts, either by facilitating implementation or by resisting it. This research examined both implementation tactics and resistance tactics. The first of two studies found that the implementation tactics used by Army leaders are highly similar to those that have been reported previously for civilian leaders, except that training is used as an implementation tactic in the Army but not in civilian organizations. Army subordinates' tactics are similar to, but more limited than, those previously described for civilian subordinates. The second study found that Army leaders' ratings of the various implementation tactics differed as a function of leadership experience and the presence or absence of subordinate resistance to the proposed change. Army subordinates' ratings of tactics for dealing with proposed changes differed as a function of the subordinates' acceptance of or resistance to the proposed change.