Change Management- The Implementation of Strategic Planning of 2030 Vision of Saudi Arabia in the General Commission for Survey

Table of Contents

  i

Table of Contents   ii

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY    1

Introduction. 1

Research Philosophy. 1

Research Approaches. 2

Research Strategies. 4

Data Collection. 4

Interview.. 5

Questionnaire. 6

Data Analysis. 7

Research Ethics and Risk Assessment. 7

Limitations. 9

CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND DATA ANALYSIS   11

Introduction. 11

Analysis of findings from survey questionnaire. 12

Analysis of Findings from Interview.. 23

Charter of Vision. 24

Change management through strategic planning. 25

How 2030 Vision will change the image of the country. 27

Essential Elements for Change Management 29

Impact of Vision, Economy and Nation. 31

Goal accomplishment of vision 2030. 32

Summary. 33

References   35

Appendices   38

Appendices 1: Interview Questions. 38

Appendices 2: Questionnaire. 38

Change Management- The Implementation of Strategic Planning of 2030 Vision of Saudi Arabia in the General Commission for Survey

Introduction

This chapter aims to present all the methods and methodologies that have been used in this research to collect and analyze the data. In addition to that, this chapter presents the ontological, epistemological and methodological framework of the research study. Furthermore, Smith (2015) suggested that it is vital for the researchers to follow the framework of research union while conducting a research. The research methodology of this study is based on following the research procedures of research onion. It has been identified by Schmidt and Hunter (2014) that the Research Union is a powerful model that enables analysts to make an outline for explore strategy. It comprises of layers that have a point by point depiction of each stage. The target of this work is to portray the methodological plan for this examination extend.

Change Management- The Implementation of Strategic Planning of 2030 Vision of Saudi Arabia in the General Commission for Survey

Research Philosophy

There are four types of research philosophies such as Pragmatism, Positivism, Realism and Interpretivism (Interpretivist). According to Johnson et al., (2007) pragmatism research usually follows mixed or multiple methods of design and it can also apply in both qualitative and quantitative research studies. On the other hand, positivism research philosophy follows highly structured and large samples for study. Additionally, it follows quantitative measurements but it can be qualitative also. In addition to that, realism research philosophy follows all the methods and methodologies, which are fit for the subject matter, and it also includes both qualitative and quantitative research methods (Bryman and Bell, 2015). On contrary, interpretivism research philosophy conducts in-depth investigations on a small sample.

Change Management- The Implementation of Strategic Planning of 2030 Vision of Saudi Arabia in the General Commission for Survey

Mostly it is conducted on a qualitative data; however, it can also include the quantitative research studies. This research study is initiated by taking the interpretivist approach as it bargains inside and out aspects of the research area by taking a relatively small sample size (Best and Kahn, 2016). This approach enables the researcher’s scientist to transform the examination in view of naturalistic information gathering, and the data collection tools used in this research include interviews and survey questionnaires. The reception of this approach suit the setting of the investigation as in this study the researchers aims to collect the data from participants who have a good and in-depth knowledge about the research topic which is the Saudi Arabia Vision 2030.

The interpretivist approach utilized in this research is considered as a part of researching multifaceted contrasts. This research study aims to consider this issue as it will examine the workers’ impression of key arranging and change management which is used by the administration for the success of this project which is the Saudi Arabia Vision 2030. The interpretive approach enables the analyst to have a wide clear vision in the possibility of the universe of the person that creates the social procedures. Therefore, the interpretive approach has been proposed to be used in this research study.

Change Management- The Implementation of Strategic Planning of 2030 Vision of Saudi Arabia in the General Commission for Survey

Research Approaches

The research approach helps the researcher to choose the most appropriate approach for the research which will be used to collect and analyze the data throughout the research. There are three types of research approaches namely deductive research approach, inductive research approach and abductive research approach. The rationale behind using the deductive approach is that it is used when the premises are true and the researcher also wants the conclusion to be true. In this approach, the trends of generalizability followed are from the general to specific (Mackey and Gass, 2015). Moreover, data collection in the deductive approach is used to evaluate the propositions or hypothesis which are related to the existing theory. However, inductive approach is used when the researcher and general population know the premises. However, the researcher to generate the untested conclusion uses the known premises. The researcher to go from specific to general uses this approach. Furthermore, in this approach, data collection is used to create a conceptual framework, identify themes and explore the phenomenon. On the other hand, in an abductive research approach, the researcher tends to use the known premises that can generate the testable conclusions (Sekaran and Bougie, 2016). In this approach, generalization is conducted between the general and specific. Data collection in this approach is used to identify the themes and patterns, explore a phenomenon and to locate these in the conceptual framework. Furthermore, this data is tested by collecting the data subsequently. Moreover, this approach can be used to generate or modify the theory, incorporate the existing theory. This approach is also appropriate for building new or modifying an existing theory. Deductive approach is helpful when the researcher aims to use literature and explore different trends regarding the research objectives in order to reach a conclusion about the study (Mertens, 2014). This approach enables the specialist to test the data gathered from the existing literature to contrast it with the information which has been collected by the researcher. On the other hand, the inductive approach uses the information collected by the researcher to make a hypothesis. It has been identified by Glesne, (2015), that this research approach empowers the researchers to explore the particular points of interest assembled from the information with a specific end goal to build a hypothesis that is then tried in connection with the existing literature. Hence, the primary concentration to be utilized in this research is the inductive approach as it is found to be the most appropriate research approach for this study.

Change Management- The Implementation of Strategic Planning of 2030 Vision of Saudi Arabia in the General Commission for Survey

Research Strategies

Thomas et al., (2015), identified that choosing the most appropriate research strategy is at the heart of any research as it defines the validity and reliability of the research. Furthermore, it is also stated that if the researcher has chosen the most appropriate research strategy then the collected data is said to be justified and valid to implement in the environment. It takes a lot of considerations such as sample size, research design and applying the most effective methods for data collection and data analysis. The main research strategy used in this research is to collect a primary data by using a mix research methods and then analyze the primary collected data to reach a conclusion. Hence, the exploration venture will concentrate principally on the General Commission for Survey (GCS) as a contextual investigation. There are a number of data collection methods which can be used for collecting the primary data for research (Lundh, et al., 2015). However, the researcher in this study has selected the tools for data collection such as survey questionnaire and interviews. Survey questionnaires have been used as it is the most effective method for the collecting the data from a large number of participants. Additionally, it allows the researcher to collect the data from a large pool of participants in a small amount of time. On the other hand, this data collection tool also requires less cost in terms of time and finance as compared to other methods of data collection (Flick, 2015). In addition to that, the researcher has also collected the data by conducting an interview of the participants. The interviewees have been chosen from top management of GCS who have a good in-depth knowledge about the change management and Saudi Arabia Vision 2030.

Data Collection

Methods used to gather data and information is highly reliant on the methodology approach implemented by the researcher. Data collection method used by the researcher adds significantly to the reliability and validity of the overall study. The data generated from secondary data is referred as the second-hand data as it is already used by the previous researches and studies (Padgett, 2016). The most common sources of attaining secondary data are the past published articles, journals and grounded theory. The utilization of primary data is more cost effective and less time to consume as compared to primary data. However, the reliability factor of the information attained through secondary source is relatively less as compared to the data gathered through primary sources. The data collection play a significant role in conducting a research. Since the researcher in this study aims to collect a primary data from survey questionnaire and interviews, therefore, it is important to consider how the most appropriate data can be collected by using these tools (Berger, 2015). Primary data is referred as the set of information that is attained by the researcher through the first-hand sources. The common primary sources used in the research to gather relevant information are face to face interviews, observations and questionnaires. There are several merits of using primary data as the authenticity level of the data is high as compare to the secondary sources (Zikmund, et al., 2013). Furthermore, the information gathered is not influenced by the previous studies and behavior. It also enables the researcher to develop results based on the genuine and authentic information.  For this research study, primary sources such as interviews and questionnaire would be selected to gather primary information to attain the research questions from the outcomes generated through the primary sources (Apendix: 1 and Appendix: 2).

Change Management- The Implementation of Strategic Planning of 2030 Vision of Saudi Arabia in the General Commission for Survey

Interview

The research of Smith (2015) emphasized on the fact that interview is the most common primary source used by the researcher as it helps them to have face to face meeting with the respondents and it increases the level of common understanding and corporation between the researcher and the respondent. In addition to that, open ended questions in interview help the researcher to attain in descriptive response that is feasible in attaining in-depth analysis. However, it is also evident that the procedure of interview consumes more time as compared to other primary sources (Schmidt and Hunter, 2014). Furthermore, maintaining the records of the interviews could be a difficult task so, the researcher will need to overview the disadvantages of the interview as well. A total of 6 participants have been selected for this research on a random basis for the interview.

Questionnaire

Questionnaire is one of an essential sources of attaining primary data. Questionnaires are used in the research study to attain an appropriate outcome and cover a large sample size within a small span of time. Furthermore, execution of questionnaire is less time consuming and less cost effective as compare to interview (Bryman and Bell, 2015). However, it is important for the researcher to structure the questions that could help to gather relevant information without forcing the respondents to leak any confidential information regarding their educational institute or workplace. Questionnaire for this research will include close ended question as the results attained from the questionnaires would be evaluated through SPSS test. The questionnaire would be conducted from GCS employees.

Change Management- The Implementation of Strategic Planning of 2030 Vision of Saudi Arabia in the General Commission for Survey

Data Analysis

The utilization of applicable statistical instruments is highly pivotal in a research study to ensure that the findings attained from the respondents through questionnaire and interview s are discussed and analyzed through appropriate means. In addition to that, implementation of appropriate and applicable means is referred as the main tool for analyzing and interpreting the data (Best and Kahn, 2016). There are various tools that could be used in the research study to analyze the findings. These tools are known as Microsoft Excel, Matlab, R and SPSS.  For this particular study, data gathered through quantitative method would be analyzed through SPSS. The utilization of SPSS tool would help the researcher to elucidate the results of large sample size. In order to analyze the data through SPSS test, responses were recorded in the excel sheet and then copied to the SPSS file to formulate the frequencies of the results. On the contrary, the thematic approach would be used to analyze the data gathered through qualitative research method (Mackey and Gass, 2015).

The implementation of thematic approach would help the researcher to record the specific themes developed in each interview and it also helps to align the responses of the interviews with the research aims and objectives.  As this research study conducts open ended interviews with employees of different professions who play an influencing role in decision making process of the firm. Therefore, various themes would be developed for every interview. Furthermore, the responses would also be discussed in the lights of the literature review.

Change Management- The Implementation of Strategic Planning of 2030 Vision of Saudi Arabia in the General Commission for Survey

Research Ethics and Risk Assessment

When conducting a research study, addressing ethical issues are important as they increase the value of research. Thus, it is necessary to ensure that the data obtained from participants is based solely on their consent. In addition, it is necessary to ensure that the information provided by participants is confidential in the investigation even after the research is completed. On the other hand, Sekaran and Bougie, (2016), also argued that performing a formal research study includes some ethical guidelines to adhere to ethical criteria in research assist in promoting goals and objectives of learning and preventing errors that may arise.

Such errors may include fabrication, prevention of counterfeit information or misrepresenting the evidence for the purpose of enhancing truth and reducing errors. Mertens, (2014), also stated in his study that by conducting research involving great cooperation and coordination between different individuals in different organizations, following ethical principles are important that could create trust, responsibility, fairness, and mutual respect. In addition, it was also emphasized that the following protocols in the study help ensure that research can be responsible for the population who participated in the study.

In the context of the current study, the researcher has focused on addressing ethical issues that may arise in the study. The first moral element is related to the legitimacy of the documentary work involved in the study. Therefore, the investigator ensured that the written and oral understanding of the research purpose is shared among respondents so that any false impressions can be avoided at later stages (Glesne, 2015). Also, the researcher has obtained a written statement from respondents who aim to participate in the study. This has made the self-assurance possible as the research questions provide certain queries and goals for gaining trust and interest.

However, ethical approval was also obtained from the Ethics Committee. Another moral issue that may have arisen in the study relates to the storage and security of data gathered through pilot and semi-focused interviews. To address this issue, the researcher has made a list of identifiable numbers/codes that were already created for interviews, and this list has been stored specifically and safely from study material (Thomas, et al., 2015). To minimize the risk of confidentiality, the information that could cause a risk has been deleted. Regarding confidentiality, the anonymity of participants in the study was also guaranteed on the information sheet. When interviewing, the volunteer participation of respondents ensures that participants are not forced to participate in the study and have been allowed to quit whenever they want during the interviews.

Another area associated with the anonymity of participants was linked with providing participants with pseudo names on an interview sheet, and efforts have been made so that participants’ names were not addressed during the interview (Lundh, et al., 2015). Finally, an approval form was designed for signing by each participant who is part of the study, either in interviews or in surveys. With the help of following all of these ethical criteria, research allows research to be conducted ethically and without hazard and risk that might have arisen throughout the study.

Change Management- The Implementation of Strategic Planning of 2030 Vision of Saudi Arabia in the General Commission for Survey

Limitations

There are several weaknesses that the researcher was faced with when applying research methods. Therefore, this section discusses the limitations and weaknesses of each method separately and how the study addressed these vulnerabilities. The use of diverse answers has provided data and information according to the research objectives, but there are limitations on using the final questions rather than the close-ended questions, which limit the number of results. Close-ended questions in surveys have confined and limited participants to provide answers according to a particular choice (Flick, 2015). Usually, the close-ended questionnaire does not likely welcome the ideas of respondents, and their thoughts and feelings, which makes the respondents frustrated, irritated and dissatisfied because their desired choice is not available among the options given. The multiple options and choices might have created a sense of confusion, misunderstanding and ambiguity in the minds of respondents.

The effortlessness of the close-ended questionnaire pushes respondents to response simple answers for complex and intricate questions. Close-ended questions require more effort; time and critical thinking to create a good question that directly develops the relationship between research objectives and response. The existence of these restrictions has a major impact on the importance of the study, which directly affects the outcomes and findings of the study. The research has estimated and calculated all risks associated with data processing method that is close-ended questions to reduce the negative impact on the performance of the study (Padgett, 2016). Therefore, the study also intended to integrate the concept of organized interviews with all respondents accommodate the limitation can be found using the closed questionnaire. This data-gathering process by face to face assisted the researcher in obtaining data and information in detail without limiting the results to defined options.

Change Management- The Implementation of Strategic Planning of 2030 Vision of Saudi Arabia in the General Commission for Survey

CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND DATA ANALYSIS

Introduction

The aim of this chapter was to present the results of the study and to interpret them as per the requirements. In addition, the objective of this chapter was to analyze the data collected through interviews. In this chapter, the researcher has provided the results of the study and then interpreted them. Moreover, another aim of this chapter was to analyze the results of this study, however, analysis of results was more important than their presentation because the data collection was done through interviews. The secondary data was collected via peer reviewed journals, online libraries, government publications etc.

The pattern of the chapter was that firstly the researcher conducted data analysis and applied statistical tool using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). However, there were several other statistical packages for data analysis such as Eviews and Stata but the researcher did not use them because statistical tools for this study were limited to frequency distribution.

In addition, it can be seen from the above introduction that the researcher used frequency distribution for the analysis since it was the most appropriate option for analysis of data for this study. Moreover, frequency distribution was done by keeping descriptive statistics at the same time by including different measures of central tendencies. These central tendencies included different parameters including mean median and mode. Furthermore, some crucial parameters were also included in the same table including standard deviation, skewness, kurtosis and range. The next step after the presentation of data in this chapter was an analysis of data, as the researcher analyzed the data after presenting it and reached the final conclusion.

Moreover, the researcher also made discussion in the same chapter in order to support the results of this study along with the literature and to analyze whether the results of this study were supported by the literature or not. Afterwards, the conclusion for this study was made in the next chapter. Furthermore, the researcher also showed limitations, recommendations and future researcher option in the next chapter and concluded the entire study. Lastly, when the researcher asked respondents of this study they provided different answers to questions in interviews and survey and the results were as follows.

Analysis of findings from survey questionnaire

The first section of the survey questionnaire was developed to explore the personal and demographic data of the participants. The total number of participants participated in this study are 276. Among these participants, 191 were males and 76 were females.

The age group from which the researcher intends to collect data was from 20 to 30. The researcher has selected this age group is based on the rationale that the individuals from this age group are more aware of the future strategies and they are more concerned about strategic issues of the country. Among these participants, 138 participants were from the age of 20-25 and 129 participants were from the age of 129.

The data was collected from the employees of General Commission for Survey. The above table represents the responses of the participants as for how many years they have been working at GCS. It has been identified that 37 participants are employed from less than one year, 110 participants are employed from three years, 57 participants are employed from 3 years, 31 participants are employed from 5 years and 32 participants are studying from more than 5 years.

The above table represents the findings of the participants whether their first language is Arabic or not. Out of all participants who have participated in this study, 130 participants have Arabic as their first language. On the other hand, 137 participants have their first language different from Arabic.

The research study is based on identifying the impact of change management in ensuring the success of any project. Therefore, it was vital to ask the participants whether they are aware of the concept of change management or not. It has been identified that out 267 participants, 89 participants were well aware of the concept of change management. However, stated that they have a little idea about the concept of change management and 84 were not aware of the concept of change management.

As mentioned above, the research is based on exploring the impact of change management. On the other hand, this research also concentrates on identifying the impact of change management on the Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. Therefore, it is vital to ask form the participants whether they are aware of the Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 or not. It has been identified that out of total participants, 84 participants are well aware of the Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and 93 participants have a little information about it and 90 participants are not aware of this vision.

It is vital to ensure that the participants are well aware of the strategic planning but it is difficult to ensure that which participants are well aware of the strategic planning. However, it has been identified that out of total participants, 166 participants are well aware of the strategic planning. On the other hand, 101 participants have not studied about the concept of strategic planning and they are not aware of this concept.

This section of the questionnaire survey is developed to identify the importance of change management in the development of any country. It has been identified that change management plays a vital role in ensuring the development of any country (Goetsch, and Davis, 2014). It can be seen in the above table that 67 participants agree to the above statement that change management is important in ensuring the development of any country. Similarly, 101 participants have agreed to the above statement, 81 participants were neutral and 18 participants have not agreed to the above statement.

The next question of the survey was developed to identify the relevance of change management in the implementation of Saudi Arabia’s vision of 2030. Renz, (2016) identified that change management plays a vital role in ensuring the success of any project or any vision. Therefore, it is vital for the general public to accept and adopt the strategies of change management in ensuring the success of such project. Similarly, the above table also reflect upon the same findings as 48 participants have strongly agreed with the above statement, however, 108 participants have agreed to the above statement while 84 participants were neutral to the above statement and 27 participants have disagreed with the above statement. It has been identified from the above analysis and it was also confirmed in the study of Hammer, (2015), that change management plays an important role in ensuring the success of any vision.

Furthermore, Cummings, and Worley, (2014), has identified that the challenges in the change management can impact the achievement or success rate of any project. In addition to that, results in this study also identified the similar patterns as most of the participants have agreed to the statement that challenges in the change management implementation will impact the achievement of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. Among all participants, 57 participants have strongly agreed with the above statement, 81 have agreed to the above statement. However, 56 participants were neutral and 73 participants have disagreed with the above statement.

Next question of the survey questionnaire was focused to identify the role of strategic planning activities which contribute towards the achievement of Saudi Arabia’s vision 2030 through change management. Haines, (2016) and Lozano, (2013), identified that strategic planning is considered to be the main pillar in ensuring the change management of any project or vision. On the other hand, the findings of this study have reflected that 48 participants think that strategic planning contributes towards the achievement of Saudi Arabia’s vision 2030 through change management by strongly agreeing to this statement. However, 81 participants have agreed to this statement, 92 participants were neutral to this statement and 46 participants have disagreed with this statement.

It was asked from the participants that based on the perception of the employees of GCS, it is difficult to achieve the 2030 vision of Saudi Arabia. A mix perception of responses have been identified against this question as 38 participants have strongly agreed with the above statement, 83 participants have agreed to the above statement. However, 109 participants were neutral and 37 participants have not agreed to the above statement.

Galliers, and Leidner, (2014), identified that change management is relatively a difficult concept and it is difficult to implement the measures of change management in any setting. It is based on the fact most of the people in the general population show resistance to any change and they are not likely to accept any change in their environment (Kerzner, 2013). In this context, the above question was developed to identify whether GCS is also experiencing similar circumstances or not. It has been identified in this study that majority of the participants think that GCS has witnessed resistance in implementing the concept of change management. In the response to this question, 75 participants have strongly agreed with the above statement, 81 participants have agreed to the above statement. However, 84 participants were neutral to the above statement and 27 were not agreed to the above statement. Therefore, it can be implied that resistance to change is the major issue in implementing the Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 which needs effective management.

It was asked from the participants whether the vision of Saudi Arabia can be achieved without the contribution of GCS. It has been identified that it is not possible for Saudi Arabia to achieve its 2030 vision without the contribution of GCS. As 30 participants have strongly agreed with the above statement, 55 participants have agreed to the above statement and 182 participants were neutral. On the other hand, it has been identified that GCS play a significant role in ensuring the success of its 2030 vision.

Moreover, this research study has also identified that GCS is capable enough to encourage change management towards the achievement of Saudi Arabia vision 2030. The majority of the participants have agreed to the above statement and think to consider GCS as a capable enough to successfully initiate this vision. Among all participants, 57 have strongly agreed with the above statement and 109 participants have agreed to the above statement. However, 92 participants were neutral in this case and 9 participants have disagreed with this and think that GCS is not capable enough to implement this initiative.

Additionally, the researcher has asked that lack of support from the top management of the country will make it difficult for organizations like GCS to implement change management concepts towards the achievement of Saudi Arabia vision 2030. In response to this statement, it has been identified that it will be really difficult for GCS to implement this change management if they do not receive support from the management of the country. Out of all participants, 66 participants have strongly agreed with this statement, while 64 participants have agreed to this statement. On the other hand, 101 participants were neutral to this statement and 36 participants disagreed with this statement.

The participants were asked whether Saudi Arabia has become progressive and can achieve the vision of 2030 without change management and planning initiative. In response to this question, it has been identified that majority of the participants have not agreed to this statement as there were 90 participants who have disagreed with this statement. On the other hand, 27 participants have strongly agreed with this statement and 67 participants have agreed to this statement while 83 participants were neutral.

Armstrong, and Taylor, (2014), identified that the change management is a continuous learning process the individual involved in its process needs to have a continuous learning. Similarly, this was also asked from the participants whether change management is an ongoing process and requires the organizations to become more focused towards knowledge management. It has been identified that majority of the participants have agreed to the above statement as 79 participants strongly agreed, 96 participants agreed, 88 were neutral, 2 participants have not agreed to the above statement.

Management or leadership is an ongoing process that lasts throughout the cycle of implementing change. Methods of work and interaction, based on the terms of reference, should be followed by all, first of all, in order to ensure the involvement and adoption of the necessary, and most importantly, timely decisions. A vision of management and a consistent commitment to change, which people recognize as necessary, are crucial. Many efforts aimed at transformation have proved futile because top management has underestimated its role in this process, as well as the importance of the latter.

Analysis of Findings from Interview

This section of the chapter aims to comprehensively analyze the findings and the outcomes that would be generated through open-ended questions. The researcher aims to attain descriptive responses in this research as a qualitative research method is adopted in this study. The primary aim of conducting open ended interviews in this study is to examine the responses of the participants through thematic analysis. For conducting interviews sample size of 6 university students working in NGOs would be randomly selected.  The findings of the interview would be analyzed in this chapter through various themes and discussed in the lights of literature review and other secondary sources. The findings attained from the interviews are discussed as follows:

In order to analyze the findings of each respondent and examine the overall responses outcomes, research will formulate various themes that could be used to analyze the data attained from the participants more comprehensively. In order to maintain the confidentiality, the respondents are provided pseudo names which are mentioned below:

The findings and discussion of the respondents would be based on the following themes:

Charter of Vision

The initial question that was asked by the respondent was regarding their knowledge and updates related to the charter of the vision and what are the positive perspectives that they consider could be beneficial in ensuring that the desired vision is achieved. In accordance with this response, the majority of the respondents positively agreed to the question. Respondent 1 stated that:

Yes, I read the Charter and found that the vision is wonderful, the country will succeed in the achievement of this vision by working on it appropriately.

As per this response, it could be analyzed that the respondent considers that this vision could only be achieved if the strategies the developed to achieve the desired elements of the vision (Hill, et al., 2014).

Respondent 2 had the views that:

Yes, I read the Charter and found that the vision is wonderful, the country will succeed in the achievement of this vision by working on it appropriately.

Similar views were reflected by the second respondent as compared to the earlier respondent, as this respondent also emphasised on the fact that the vision desired and planned would only be achieved through appropriate planning and operations. Furthermore, it was also analyzed through the above respondent that the respondent considered that the charter of the vision is attained it would contribute positively to the economic development of the country. Changes often begin and develop successfully when the organization is headed by a leader with developed leadership qualities that understands the need for transformations. Respondent 3 also positively respondent to the question.  Alternatively, respondent 5 highlighted in his response that:

Not actually, I am not very much interested in reading about it. Though, I have heard it from my colleagues that there has been a strategic planning to encourage tourism and enhancing the economy of the country.

This response emphasised on the fact that tourism and economy of the country could be extended to the higher level if the objectives of the vision are attained effectively. Similar respondents were also received from the last respondents.

The graphical presentation of the results highlights the fact that majority of the respondents have personally read the charter. As 7 out of 6 respondents have read the charter. Whereas, only 1 respondents have not read the charter.

Change management through strategic planning

The respondents in the next question of the interview were asked regarding believe in the change management through strategic management. Respondent 1 stated in his response:

I think strategic planning is a key to have a change in a systematic way. When utilizing strategic approaches and systematic steps for change, I think it will result in attaining effective results from the new change.

As per the response, it can be analyzed that strategic planning is one of the most crucial factors while working on any vision of development. Furthermore, the response also highlighted the fact that, effective strategic management can help in attaining effective results. A similar opinion was shared by the second respondent as the following response was attained against this question:

Yes, I believe that change can be brought with careful strategic planning. There are a number of examples that show how businesses failed due to lack of planning.

Respondent 3 emphasize on the fact that:

Yes, the change management is only possible through the effective strategic planning. Strategic planning is a long term planning that facilitates the change management for longer runs.

Respondent 4 highlighted the fact that:

Change management can only occur through strategic planning. As a matter of fact, strategic planning is the key to successful change. A change cannot occur in a proper and flawless fashion without proper planning and development of a strategy.

All the responses highlighted above emphasised on the fact that strategic planning does play a very prominent role in change management as implementing any change requires effective strategic planning. Furthermore, the above responses also indicate the fact that all the respondents have similar views regarding this question as all of them believed that strategic management plays a positive role in changing management (Cassidy, 2016).

How 2030 Vision will change the image of the country           

The next question that was asked by the respondent was whether Saudi Arabia’s 2030 vision will positively impact the growth and image of the country. This question was very crucial in context to the study as the researcher through this question will evaluate the growth level of the country through the Saudi Arabia’s 2030 vision. Respondent 1 in response to this question stated that:

Of course, it will change. 2030 Vision is a source of developing Saudi Arab and enhancing the technological infrastructure of the entire country. Likewise, through 2030 Vision, we will be able to develop more independent Saudi Arab with more productive GDP and a booming economy.

Through this response, it is evident that the respondent is quite confident that the Saudi Arabia’s 2030 vision will impact the image of the country positively as the vision will help to increase the productive GDP and booming economy. Alternatively, respondent emphasises in his response that:

I am not fully sure about this but I expect that it will make some improvements in the infrastructure of the country.

This response emphasises on the fact that the expectation is much higher for improving the infrastructure of the country but the probability of success cannot be guaranteed.  Respondent 3 had opposite views as compared to the response of the previous response, respondent 3 in his response stated that:

Yes. The Vision will really develop its positive image all over the world as Saudi Arabia would be one of the modern and advanced states in the world in 2030.

Similar views by shared by respondent 4 as he highlighted the fact that.

Vision 2030 will positively change the face of the country. This vision encapsulates many technological and infrastructural development in it. As a matter of fact, by year 2030, Saudi Arabia will be seen as an entirely new country across the globe with a verily different image. Construction of new cities and purpose built cities for sports are the core component of this vision. Moreover, the focus of Saudi Arabia is also on the development of Holy sites (which is a source of millions of visitors across the world every year).

Through this response, it is evident that lots of developments could be encountered by the country in the effective implementation of this vision as it will help in the construction of the new cities and holy sites would be highly focused. Similarly, respondent 5 highlighted the fact that,

I strongly believed that Vision 2030 will change the image of Saudi Arabia in the world because the aim of Saudi Arabia is to be the one of the world’s best country by 2030 through achieving highest lifestyle, education, healthcare and economic growth.

All these responses make it evident that Saudi Arabia’s vision 2030 would impact the image of the country positively and the majority of the respondents have positive expectations regarding this vision.

The graphical presentation of the results emphasized on the fact that majority of the respondents have positively responded to the question. On the contrary, 1 out of 6 respondents has negative views regarding this vision.

Essential Elements for Change Management                       

The respondents were also questioned regarding the five essential that they considered being highly important for implementing the change management for attaining the Vision 2030. In response to this following responses were generated by the respondents:

Respondent 1 stated that:

Leadership, Political stability, Insights with projected benefits of change, Trust in leaders and Minimum resistant to change are the five important factors that are important.

Respondent 2 highlighted that:

Change in culture, change in tradition, change in technology, change in national boundaries and change in religion and beliefs.

Respondent 3 examined that:

Change in culture, Leadership skills, trust on the plans, effective strategies and skillful leaders.

The above respondent’s highlights that each of the respondents have their own factors that they consider are important for the implementation of change management. However, Peppard and Ward (2016), identified that the leadership qualities and skillful labors are the most mutual characteristics that are also examined from the above responses. The most successful examples of the implementation of changes demonstrate the use of a wide range of various communication channels with vision and results, and ritual and tiring quarterly management meetings in exciting discussions about the transformations. The rejection of accepted education and training in general management and the implementation of modules that focus on the current business problems and necessary changes. Change management is the process of constantly adjusting the direction of the company’s activities, finding new opportunities and using them. All of these transformations are caused by constantly changing requirements imposed by the situation on the market, customers and employees. Nowadays everything changes faster than ever, so it is necessary to define new rules of the game. A clear behavioral model, priorities and understanding of what to expect under the new conditions is important here.

Respondent 4 stated that:

The visa policy is the most important I think because Saudi Arabia strictly prohibits non-Muslims in the state. Secondly, there will be a change in transport because there will be more consumption. Infrastructure will also be required to accommodate tourists. Another important is immigration policies to attract workers to play role in making this vision possible.

This response emphasises on the fact that there are certain policies regarding visa to strictly prohibiting the non-Muslims for visiting the holy sites and other important strategies are required to ensure that the changes are effectively implemented. In short, the key principle is simple use every available communication channel, especially one that is wasted to report useless information. Following a well-developed communication plan at all stages of implementing changes will ensure that the right message is delivered to the right people at the right time. As a result, we come to an important conclusion: change management is not a complement, but a separate part of the operational activity. The changes are a new imperative for operational activities, organizational vision and innovative initiatives aimed at improving the efficiency of personnel, efficiency in the market, improving the expectations of consumers and investors. Rapidly evolving technologies, new laws and regulations, intense competition are the volatile realities that we need to meet, while experiencing minimal costs, and employees must be prepared for changes that can happen at any time.

Respondent 5 had the views that,

In my personal opinion, change management under vision 2020 cannot take place without proper planning, designing, implementation, monitoring, and adjustments in the weak areas.

Impact of Vision, Economy and Nation

The respondents were asked to analyze that whether society, economy and nation have equal important for implementing the vision effectively. Different responses were received this response as all the responses have their own perspective regarding the question. In response to this question, respondent emphasized on the fact that:

I think these are interdependent on each other, better society collaboratively will result in a better nation. And the better nation will result in attaining developed and booming economy.

A similar response was generated by respondent 2 as he emphasized on the fact that:

Yes all of them are important but the most important are society because society makes nations and economies.  Therefore, initiatives should be taken for the welfare of a society because it will eventually affect the whole nation and economy positively.

Both the above responses highlight the fact that all these three factors are equally important and the primary reason of this is they are integrated to each other.

Respondent 3, against this response emphasized on the fact that,

Yes. All of them are equally important as ignorance to either of them will result in failure to achieve all of them.

Respondent 4 stated that:

Yes the three entities hold equal importance. As a matter of fact, the Saudi government is working on the development of its own citizens as a useful resource. Moreover, the economy which is currently disturbed by the oil crisis is re-establishing and Saudi government is also working on alternate sources of income. Lastly, as a society, the government is working to develop a better nation with relatively sounding patriotic spirit.

Through the analysis of the above respondents, it is evident that all the factors are integrated to each other. Therefore, it is highly important for the higher authority working on the vision to ensure that all the three elements are combined while planning strategies. Successful changes are based on a “picture of the future”, where it is relatively easy to communicate with customers, shareholders and employees. The vision should be clearly articulated and determine the direction in which the organization will move on. This is clearly manifested in different ways: it “inflames” motivation, monitors and ensures consistency between various initiatives and projects, provides filters for assessing what the organization is doing, and justification for the changes that it has to implement. A well-thought-out, correctly formulated and delivered vision will provide a clear business case for the implemented changes, the necessary momentum and direction of development, as well as key success factors and performance indicators.

Goal accomplishment of vision 2030

            The last question that was included in the interview was regarding the phased implementation and transformation would help the goal accomplishment of vision 2030 or not. In responding to this question positive responses were attained from the respondents as respondent 1 highlighted the fact that:

Yes, it will. For attaining any goal, it is essential to have systematic and step by step approach that integrates different phases. It will result in attaining effective implementation of vision 2030.

This response highlights the fact that phased implementation will play a very prominent role in accomplishing the goals of the vision 2030 in Saudi Arabia.  Respondent 2 emphasized on the fact that:

Yes. Off course, change can be brought through step by step.

Respondent presented their perception by stating the fact that:

Phase Implementation will ensure that each task is accomplished on proper required time. This will help make and achieve milestones which make a bigger problem to be integrated and resolved piece by piece making it simpler.

Through all these above responses it can be identified that phased implementation and transformation benefits the goal accomplished of Vision 2030 in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, Responses indicates the fact that, Phased implementation and transformation would help the management to achieve the desire visions effectively.

Summary

The findings of the respondents have been presented in this study. Through the analysis of the responses attained from the respondents, it is quite evident that respondents are quite confident regarding the vision and they consider that the effective implementation of this vision could help the country to portray a positive image around the globe. Furthermore, respondents also highlighted the fact that vision 2030 will also help the country to attract tourism which will eventually increase their economic GDP rate and employment standards. However, the researcher had limited time span in order to conduct interviews, therefore, some of the questions were left out in this research study. Overall, findings of the interview emphasized on the fact that this vision 2030 for Saudi Arabia could be a game changer keeping in mind the economic perspective of the country. However, the findings have also identified certain aspects that would be essential for implementing the change management. Furthermore, through the analysis of the findings, it can also be concluded that strategic planning needs to be highly appropriate as it plays a very crucial in adopting the change management for achieving the desired Vision 2030 in Saudi Arabia.

References

Armstrong, M. and Taylor, S., (2014). Armstrong’s handbook of human resource management practice. Kogan Page Publishers.

Berger, A.A., (2015). Media and communication research methods: An introduction to qualitative and quantitative approaches. Sage Publications.

Best, J.W. and Kahn, J.V., (2016). Research in education. Pearson Education India.

Bryman, A. and Bell, E., (2015). Business research methods. Oxford University Press, USA.

Cassidy, A., (2016). A practical guide to information systems strategic planning. CRC press.

Cummings, T.G. and Worley, C.G., (2014). Organization development and change. Cengage learning.

Flick, U., (2015). Introducing research methodology: A beginner’s guide to doing a research project. Sage.

Galliers, R.D. and Leidner, D.E. eds., (2014). Strategic information management: challenges and strategies in managing information systems. Routledge.

Glesne, C., (2015). Becoming qualitative researchers: An introduction. Pearson.

Goetsch, D.L. and Davis, S.B., (2014). Quality management for organizational excellence. Upper Saddle River, NJ: pearson.

Haines, S., (2016). The systems thinking approach to strategic planning and management. CRC Press.

Hammer, M., (2015). What is business process management?. In Handbook on Business Process Management 1 (pp. 3-16). Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

Hill, C.W., Jones, G.R. and Schilling, M.A., (2014). Strategic management: theory: an integrated approach. Cengage Learning.

Johnson, R.B., Onwuegbuzie, A.J. and Turner, L.A., (2007). Toward a definition of mixed methods research. Journal of mixed methods research, 1(2), pp.112-133.

Kerzner, H., (2013). Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley & Sons.

Lozano, R., (2013). Are companies planning their organisational changes for corporate sustainability? An analysis of three case studies on resistance to change and their strategies to overcome it. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 20(5), pp.275-295.

Lundh, A., Sismondo, S., Lexchin, J., Busuioc, O.A. and Bero, L., (2015). Industry sponsorship and research outcome. Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 12.

Mackey, A. and Gass, S.M., (2015). Second language research: Methodology and design. Routledge.

Mertens, D.M., (2014). Research and evaluation in education and psychology: Integrating diversity with quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods. Sage publications.

Padgett, D.K., (2016). Qualitative methods in social work research (Vol. 36). Sage Publications.

Peppard, J. and Ward, J., (2016). The strategic management of information systems: Building a digital strategy. John Wiley & Sons.

Renz, D.O., (2016). The Jossey-Bass handbook of nonprofit leadership and management. John Wiley & Sons.

Schmidt, F.L. and Hunter, J.E., (2014). Methods of meta-analysis: Correcting error and bias in research findings. Sage publications.

Sekaran, U. and Bougie, R., (2016). Research methods for business: A skill building approach. John Wiley & Sons.

Smith, J.A. ed., (2015). Qualitative psychology: A practical guide to research methods. Sage.

Thomas, J.R., Silverman, S. and Nelson, J., (2015). Research methods in physical activity, 7E. Human kinetics.

Zikmund, W.G., Babin, B.J., Carr, J.C. and Griffin, M., (2013). Business research methods. Cengage Learning.

Appendices

Appendices 1: Interview Questions

1. Have you read (personally) the charter of the vision?
2. Do you believe in change management through strategic planning?
3. Do you believe that Saudi Arabia’s 2030 Vision will change the image of the country throughout the world?
4. Can you name any five essentials without which this change management under vision 2030 cannot take place?
5. The vision comprises of a society, economy and nation, do you think the three categories hold equal importance?
6. Will a phased implementation and transformation help the goal accomplishment of vision 2030?
7. What can be alternative solution(s) to change resistance?

Appendices 2: Questionnaire

The following questionnaire is drafted to gain relevant information from the employees in General Commission for Survey whose first language is Arabic. The questionnaire is developed in a clear and concise manner so to avoid any confusions and misunderstandings by the respondents.

1. For how many years have you been working in General Commission for Survey?

• Less than 1 year
• 1 year to less than 3 years
• 3 years to less than 5 years
• 5 years or more

2. Is your first language Arabic? (FLA)

• Yes
• No

3. Are you aware of the concept of change management? (CCM)

• Yes
• Somewhat
• No

4. Are you aware of the Saudi Arabia’s vision 2030? (SAV)

• Yes
• Somewhat
• No

5. Have you ever studied about the concept of strategic planning? (CSP)

• Yes
• No