Who Leads Change Processes?: From the Case Study of Japan Railways Kyusyu

Abstract

Due to a serious deficit during the 1970s, Japanese government meant to transform Japan National Railway (JNR) in profit organizations. After a lengthy political battle over it, the bill of the privatization of JNR was enacted in 1986 and finally, JR Kyusyu (JRK) was born in 1987. This case shows intriguing change processes, that is, enthusiastic small attempts for change proliferated in the early stage. Throughout the change processes, some who survived spread across the different parts of the organization like a pollination process. Learning back and forth across JRK went on running; consequently, swift change movement started to transform their old organizational culture to new one. It is a teaching case.