Lakatos’ methodology as an epistemological framework for organizational change

Abstract

By the mid-20th century, logical positivism showed limitations in describing and understanding complex phenomena, which led to the emergence of new perspectives such as Popper’s falsificationism and Kuhn’s paradigm revolutions. This paper, through a documentary review, examines the relevance of Imre Lakatos’ scientific research program as an epistemological bridge and its applicability to organizational change management. It establishes that the Lakatosian structure, composed of the hard core, protective belt, and heuristics, provides a theoretical framework that reconciles stability and adaptability in complex organizational contexts. The findings demonstrate that this approach enables organizations to preserve their strategic identity while implementing peripheral adjustments, facilitating transformation without compromising core values. Moreover, the concepts of theoretical and empirical progressiveness are essential for evaluating change programs, avoiding programmatic degeneration. Finally, the Lakatosian perspective reconceptualizes resistance to change as an indicator of anomalies that drive adaptive innovation. The study concludes that the Lakatosian model offers an applied epistemology that transcends the contradictions of traditional administrative thinking, providing conceptual tools for the effective management of change in dynamic environments such as digital transformation and corporate sustainability.