Challenges of Managing Organizational Change and Ways to Address them for a Sample of Employees of the Iraqi Ministry of Education

Wafaa Juda Badi (Ministry of Education, Center for Educational Research and Studies)

Indonesian Journal of Law and Economics Review
Vol. 21 No. 4 (2026): November

General Background: Government institutions increasingly undertake structural and administrative reforms to improve performance and service quality, but implementation is often constrained by administrative, human, financial, and situational barriers. Specific Background: The Iraqi Ministry of Education operates through multiple administrative levels and extensive human resources, making adaptation to digital, organizational, and knowledge-based transformations complex. Knowledge Gap: Limited empirical evidence identifies the main difficulties experienced by ministry employees during the implementation of institutional reforms in the Iraqi public education sector. Aims: This study identifies the key barriers encountered by employees at the Iraqi Ministry of Education headquarters and proposes practical measures to address them. Results: A descriptive analytical design was applied to questionnaire responses from 195 employees. The instrument included four dimensions: administrative and organizational, human and professional, financial, and situational barriers. Data were analyzed using SPSS 28 and Microsoft Excel. Situational barriers ranked highest, with reliance on traditional methods during crises (mean = 3.82). Human and professional barriers followed, particularly inadequate professional competencies for reform management (mean = 3.80). Novelty: The study provides a four-dimensional employee-based diagnosis of reform implementation at the headquarters of a major Iraqi public institution. Implications: Effective reform implementation requires crisis-responsive procedures, continuous professional development, transparent communication, employee participation, fair committee formation, and flexible institutional planning. Highlights: Traditional crisis procedures received the highest item rating at 3.82. Professional competency shortages ranked second, with a mean of 3.80. Recommended actions prioritize communication, training, participation, fairness, and implementation flexibility. Keywords: Organizational, Management, Administrative , Education, Employee Resistance.