Comprehensive Study of Critical Areas of Change Management as a Starting Point for Leaders in the Area of Managing Human Resources in Organizations: The Case of the Visegrad Four

(1) Background: This research deals with an element of strategic management, namely corporate changes. It applies to production enterprises operating in the countries of the Visegrad Group. Since similar studies in the area of change management in the V4 environment are absent, we consider the research to be beneficial for the subject area. The aim of the paper is to identify key elements in change management that would contribute to improving the work of leaders. (2) Methods: We conducted the research on a sample of 318 manufacturing companies operating in V4 countries. We verified the obtained data using several tests, including Chi-square tests and Fisher’s exact test or binomial test, through which we verified established research hypotheses. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was also used, which made it possible to identify critical factors in the area of change management. (3) Results: Critical change management factors emerged from the research, and we also determined the preconditions for successful management of these initiatives. We consider the results significant for change management leaders. (4) We consider the findings to be a contribution to the given field of management, as similar studies are absent in it, which creates a gap in this field.