A New Perspective on Organisational Change Success: Double Fit and HR Flexibility as Enablers of Change

Higgs, Malcolm and Nissen, Alexander (2026) A New Perspective on Organisational Change Success: Double Fit and HR Flexibility as Enablers of Change. FIIB Business Review. ISSN 2319-7145 (In Press)

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Abstract

This paper connects separate research avenues by clustering the organisational change literature into three key themes and concepts: change types, change enablers and change outcomes. A survey was designed to understand the current position of a change initiative: a well-established change initiative versus a completed change initiative. Addressing research gaps identified by seminal authors, this paper investigated the relationship between Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) concepts of double fit – both vertical and horizontal – and flexible Human Resource (HR) practices, as enablers of change and the impact on organisational change success, a potential new outcome variable. Based on analyses of a sample of 348 firms from 40 countries, the results of structural equation modelling show a positive and statistically significant relationship between double fit and HR flexibility with organisational change success. This paper contributes to both theory and practice by demonstrating how double fit and HR flexibility enables organisations to adapt to both external and internal change.

Item Type:	Article
Dates:	Date Event 5 February 2026 Accepted
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Organisational Change Success, Strategic Human Resource Management, Vertical Fit, Horizontal Fit, Human Resource Flexibility.
Subjects:	CAH17 - business and management > CAH17-01 - business and management > CAH17-01-04 - management studies
Divisions:	Business School > Management, Business and Marketing
Depositing User:	Gemma Tonks
Date Deposited:	09 Mar 2026 10:29
Last Modified:	09 Mar 2026 10:29
URI:	https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/16910

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