People who act as catalysts and assume the responsibility for managing the change process are called change agents.6 WHO can be a change agent?

• Any manager can. We assume organizational change is initiated and carried out by a manager within the organization.

• OR any nonmanager—for example, an internal staff specialist or an outside consultant whose expertise is in change implementation—can.

For major systemwide changes, an organization will often hire outside consultants for advice and assistance. Because these consultants come from the outside, they offer an objective perspective that insiders usually lack. However, the problem is that outside consultants may not understand the organization’s history, culture, operating procedures, and personnel. They’re also prone to initiating more drastic changes than insiders—which can be either a benefit or a disadvantage—because they don’t have to live with the repercussions after the change is implemented. In contrast, internal managers who act as change agents may be more thoughtful (and possibly more cautious) because they must live with the consequences of their actions.