Implementation of the Change Management Process in the Merger of the Main Harbormaster Office with the Port Authority

This study investigates the delayed achievement of the normative objectives in the institutional merger of the Main Harbormaster Office (Kesyahbandaran Utama) and the Port Authority (Otoritas Pelabuhan) into KSOP Utama at one of Indonesia’s national ports. The merger was expected to streamline bureaucracy and enhance port governance, but instead revealed a decline in operational performance, a drop in the Container Port Performance Index (CPPI), and weak readiness for change among civil servants (ASN). Adopting a constructivist paradigm, this research employs a qualitative descriptive–exploratory approach and a single-case study design. Data were gathered through 30 semi-structured interviews, non-participant observations of key post-merger activities, and a review of 68 policy and operational documents. Analysis was conducted using layered thematic analysis with NVivo 12, guided by Lewin’s three-phase change model (unfreeze–change–refreeze) and the Ability–Motivation–Opportunity (AMO) framework.Findings show that the unfreeze stage was driven by regulatory pressure and a rightsizing agenda, but failed to address internal resistance and readiness. The change phase delivered some quick wins—such as structural simplification and digital integration—but lacked systemic AMO-based HR management. The refreeze phase remains transitional: SOPs and KPIs have been institutionalized, but cultural integration, performance incentives, and feedback loops remain underdeveloped.