Overcoming Cultural Barriers: Effective Change Management in the Mining Industry
Change management in mining is a battle against deeply entrenched corporate culture. Over the years, I have worked for organisations with different approaches to managing change. From structured frameworks to more reactive, less-defined strategies, I’ve seen how corporate culture influences the success—or failure—of change initiatives, particularly in the mining industry.
Mining is an industry defined by tradition, hierarchy, and a strong focus on tonnage. Change management is often perceived as a compliance exercise rather than a strategic enabler. Leadership often assumes that the change manager can handle communication, training, and implementation alone, without active and visible sponsorship. However, Prosci research shows that sponsorship is the most critical factor in driving successful change (Prosci, 2021). Change adoption is significantly hindered if leaders are not active and visible, building a coalition, and communicating effectively.
Corporate Culture as a Barrier to Change
One of the biggest cultural barriers I’ve encountered in mining is the resistance to structured change management processes. In many mining operations, the perception is that change initiatives must be transactional—employees expect something tangible in return for their engagement. At a particular mining company I worked for, getting buy-in for new processes was difficult without an immediate, visible benefit to the employees. Employees often went to their shop stewards to express concerns about additional workload, even when the changes ultimately made their jobs easier. The research by Kusnadi et al. (2024) supports this observation, emphasising that employee engagement in mining is strongly linked to corporate culture, which often prioritises stability over transformation.
In another multinational mining organisation for which I was a change manager, change management was taken more seriously. Still, even there, culture dictated that change managers did much of the heavy lifting. While leadership acknowledged the importance of change management, they were often reluctant to actively drive adoption. This aligns with Kusnadi et al., (2024), who showed that leadership plays a crucial role in shaping corporate culture. Unfortunately, in mining, that leadership engagement is often missing.
Resistance Management in a Production-Driven Culture
Resistance management in mining must be approached differently than in other industries. Many employees, particularly those on the frontline, see change as an additional burden rather than an opportunity. For example, when we introduced mobile digital reporting tools for maintenance employees, there was immediate pushback. Despite the system improving efficiency, workers resisted using their personal devices, arguing that the company should provide them.
In Latin America, I saw a different response. Employees were eager to learn and improve, and the change agent network worked well. In South Africa, however, participation in change initiatives was often passive. People attended awareness sessions but didn’t engage, and leadership was reluctant to take on an active role. National culture plays a significant role in corporate culture integration. The Hofstede model, referenced in Kusnadi et al. (2024), suggests that power distance and uncertainty avoidance influence how employees react to change. In high-power-distance cultures like South Africa’s mining sector, employees often wait for direction from leadership rather than proactively engaging with change.
The Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 2011) helps explain this resistance. Employees’ attitudes toward change are influenced by their perceptions of control, norms, and expected outcomes. If employees believe they have little influence over the change and that it does not benefit them personally, resistance is almost inevitable.
This is where structured Prosci methodologies become critical, particularly ADKAR (Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, and Reinforcement). Building Desire for change in mining requires a more tailored approach acknowledging the importance of tangible incentives, clear messaging, and leadership reinforcement.
The Critical Role of Sponsorship
Leadership sponsorship in mining is inconsistent at best, with sponsors often delegating all change-related activities to the change manager and resisting direct engagement with employees. One site sponsor insisted on handling all communication himself while deliberately excluding the change managers from the communications plan. This created inconsistencies and undermined trust in the change process. This is one of the most damaging cultural factors affecting change management in mining—leaders who recognise the need for change but fail to actively drive it.
Kusnadi et al. (2024) similarly highlight that cultural integration efforts in mining must be driven from the top down. Adoption rates improve significantly when leaders actively engage in the process—attending town halls, reinforcing key messages, and demonstrating commitment. Unfortunately, many leaders in mining see their role as purely operational, focused on production metrics and tonnage rather than the people side of change.
Looking Forward: A Culture-Driven Approach to Change
If I were to approach change management in mining again, I would prioritise deeper engagement with leadership from the outset. Prosci’s research consistently shows that sponsorship is the number one driver of change success, yet leadership engagement remains weak in mining. I would invest more time in leader coaching, emphasising their role in reinforcing and sustaining change.
I would also advocate for a stronger focus on cultural adaptation in change planning. Rather than applying a generic approach, mining change management strategies should be tailored to the specific cultural dynamics of each site. Corporate culture in mining is highly resistant to change due to ingrained hierarchies and operational pressures. Overcoming this requires structured interventions that address employee concerns early and provide clear, tangible benefits.
Ultimately, the future of change management in mining depends on shifting the perception of change from a compliance exercise to a strategic necessity. This shift requires leadership accountability, a recognition of cultural barriers, and a commitment to reinforcing change at every level. Without these elements, change management in mining will continue to feel like a box-ticking exercise where communication is sent, training is booked, and engagement sessions are held, but true adoption remains elusive.