The impact of transformational change in the Department of Correctional Services of South Africa

Very few empirical studies have been conducted within the South African and global context on transformational change in an offender correctional environment, particularly on the human dimension of transformational change. The inadequate attention paid to the elements and dynamics of transformational change, which constitute the human dimension of transformational change has contributed tremendously to the high failure rate in the implementation of transformational change interventions. Empirical studies that seek to validate the above claim have somehow been very limited. Any empirical study that seeks to fill the empirical evidence gap mentioned above by investigating the role that people’s perceptions, reactions, experiences, resistance, personal impact, and organisational impact of change play in the management of change implementation processes becomes very important. This is what this study sought to do – to investigate, expose, and explore the impact of transformational change as one of the elements and dynamics of transformational change. It was the main objective of the study to expose managers to both the personal and organisational impact of transformational change. This was intended to ensure that managers understand the impact that transformational change initiatives have on both the employees and the organisation. A literature study was conducted in order to contextualise the impact of change within the South African Department of Correctional Services (DCS). For purposes of gathering data two survey questionnaires were utilised, which is, one for correctional officials and the other for offenders. The results of the study revealed that transformational change has a profound negative psychological and emotional impact on employees from both the intrapersonal and interpersonal perspectives.