ISSN: 2226-3624
Open access
This article aims to build a context sensitive change management framework for achieving operational excellence in Ajman Police. In order to address the lack of fit of generic change models for Middle Eastern law enforcement institutions in multicultural, hierarchical and security sensitive contexts, the study examines the factors driving change. The study employed an exploratory qualitative case study design which included in-depth semi-structured interviews with ten senior police officers directly responsible for operational management, training, internal control, community engagement, and change management. Data were analysed thematically using open coding, constant comparison, theme development and interpretation, in relation to the perspective of change management, operational excellence, resource-based, stakeholder and lean management. The results confirm that leadership support, training, technology integration, workflow improvement, communication and employee engagement are key enablers for operational excellence. The most significant obstacles identified were resource constraints, stressful policing environments, lack of technology integration, and hierarchical structures. The article describes the ‘Ajman Police Integrated Change Management Framework', which is composed of three pillars: stakeholder alignment and cultural readiness, process digitisation and capability enhancement, and reinforcement through KPIs and continuous process innovation. The framework offers a practical pathway of reform for getting people, processes, technology and performance measurement on the same page in policing transformation.
Alharahsheh, H. H., & Pius, A. (2020). A review of key paradigms: Positivism VS interpretivism. Global Academic Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 2(3), 39-43.
Alrumaih, S. (2017). The impact of change management in enhancing the effectiveness of companies' performance. European Journal of Business and Management, 9(9), 82-85.
Al-Subaihi, G. Y. Q., & Salim, S. A. (2023). A study on digital service innovation factors influencing organization performance: Ajman Police Department in UAE. International Journal of Sustainable Construction Engineering and Technology, 14(5), 426-437.
Asikhia, O., Nneji, N., Olafenwa, A., & Owoeye, O. (2021). Change management and organisational performance: A review of literature. International Journal of Advanced Engineering and Management, 3, 67-69.
Awadh, A., & Saleh, H. (2020). The impact of training methods on effective training process in Ajman Police. Management Research Journal, 12(1), 2.
Barney, J. (1991). Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of Management, 17(1), 99-120.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101.
Brayne, S. (2020). Predict and surveil: Data, discretion, and the future of policing. Oxford University Press.
Brayne, S., & Christin, A. (2021). Technologies of crime prediction: The reception of algorithms in policing and criminal courts. Social Problems, 68(3), 608-624.
Carvalho, A. M., Sampaio, P., Rebentisch, E., Carvalho, J. A., & Saraiva, P. (2021). The influence of operational excellence on the culture and agility of organizations: Evidence from industry. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 38(7), 1520-1549.
Caveney, N., Scott, P., Williams, S., & Howe-Walsh, L. (2020). Police reform, austerity and 'cop culture': Time to change the record? Policing and Society, 30(10), 1210-1225.
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed.). Sage.
Daniel, C. O. (2019). Effects of change management on the performance of firms in Nigeria. International Journal of Advances in Scientific Research and Engineering, 5(9), 59-64.
Dawson, P. (2013). Reshaping change: A processual perspective. Routledge.
Errida, A., & Lotfi, B. (2021). The determinants of organizational change management success: Literature review and case study. International Journal of Engineering Business Management, 13, 1-15.
Freeman, R. E. (1984). Strategic management: A stakeholder approach. Pitman.
Gioia, D. (2021). A systematic methodology for doing qualitative research. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 57(1), 20-29.
Gutschmidt, D., & Vera, A. (2020). Dimensions of police culture: A quantitative analysis. Policing: An International Journal, 43(6), 963-977.
Harrison, M., Walsh, P. F., Lysons-Smith, S., Truong, D., Horan, C., & Jabbour, R. (2020). Tradecraft to standards - moving criminal intelligence practice to a profession through the development of a criminal intelligence training and development continuum. Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice, 14(2), 312-324.
Kotter, J. P. (1996). Leading change. Harvard Business School Press.
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Sage.
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldana, J. (2014). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook (3rd ed.). Sage.
Neyroud, P., & Khalfan, B. (2023). Developing organizational excellence: Applying benchmarking for guiding and measuring police agency performance. Journal of Police Science.
Schoch, K. (2020). Case study research. In G. J. Burkholder, K. A. Cox, L. M. Crawford, & J. H. Hitchcock (Eds.), Research design and methods: An applied guide for the scholar-practitioner (pp. 245-258). Sage.
Tyler, T. R. (2006). Why people obey the law. Princeton University Press.
Womack, J. P., & Jones, D. T. (1996). Lean thinking: Banish waste and create wealth in your corporation. Simon & Schuster.
Abdulrahman, A. M. Y., & Rahman, R. B. A. (2026). Developing a Change Management Framework for Operational Excellence: Evidence from Ajman Police. International Journal of Academic Research in Economics and Management Sciences, 15(3), 16-35.
Copyright: © 2026 The Author(s)
Published by HRMARS (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode