Strategic change management is indispensable for every organization that has to adjust its strategy to changing industry contexts. Patricia Klarner adopts a new approach to analyze strategic changes and introduces the rhythm of change as a concept that measures the timing of changes. Her research model examines the relationship between the rhythm of change and long-term firm performance as well as the impact of knowledge-related and financial moderators on this relationship. It is empirically tested in the European insurance industry for the period from 1995 to 2004. The author provides a state-of-the-art view of the optimal timing of strategic changes in organizations and of the factors underlying successful change efforts.

Dr. Patricia Klarner completed her doctoral thesis under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Gilbert Probst at the Chair of Organization and Management at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. She is now an Assistant Professor of Strategic Management at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich.