Change Management in Greek Local Government: A Systematic Literature Review
Abstract
This PRISMA-guided systematic literature review synthesizes research on change management in Greek Local Government Organizations published between 2005 and 2025. Searches across four academic sources yielded 159 records, of which 48 met the inclusion criteria. The reviewed studies were classified into four thematic strands: crises, administrative reforms and resilience; environmental challenges and climate adaptation; e-government and accounting information systems; and urban planning and territorial governance. The findings indicate growing scholarly attention to municipal change but reveal a persistent focus on external drivers, including economic crises, digitalization, climate change, and institutional reforms, while providing limited insight into the organizational processes and capabilities through which change is managed within municipalities. By offering the first systematic synthesis of this literature, the review contributes to public administration and local governance scholarship and highlights the need for future research on organizational capabilities, leadership, learning mechanisms, and strategic change management under conditions of continuous and overlapping transitions.
Downloads
References
Angelidis, M. (2025). Greece: Significant but insufficient advancements in horizontal intergovernmental cooperation. In N. Behnke & B. Petersohn (Eds.), Horizontal intergovernmental coordination at local and regional levels (pp. 127–145). Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-83567-4_7
Apostolou, D., Stojanovic, N., & Anicic, D. (2009). Responsive knowledge management for public administration: An event-driven approach. IEEE Intelligent Systems, 24(5), 20–30. https://doi.org/10.1109/MIS.2009.101
Arvanitidis, P. A., & Papagiannitsis, G. (2024). Community and informal institutions in reforms under crises: The odyssey of a 350-year-old functionally credible water commons. Journal of Institutional Economics, 20, e33. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1744137424000183
Bekiaris, M., Paraponti, T., & Spanou, F. (2025). Investigating the Greek general government accounting reform: The challenging task of staff training. Accounting and Management Information Systems, 24(1), 96-137.
Belias, D., & Rossidis, I. (2025). Dioikisi allagon: Organosiaki allagi kai stoicheia organosiakis symperiforas [Change management: Organizational change and elements of organizational behavior]. Tziola Publications.
Broz, J., Angelakis, V., Penttinen, M., Schon, A., Jain, A., Tichy, T., Del-Busto, F., Sioutis, I., Nese, T. S., Grundel, I., & Carstensen, T. A. (2024). Designing an evaluation methodology for the living labs of the ELABORATOR project. 2024 Smart City Symposium Prague (SCSP), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1109/SCSP61506.2024.10552692
Charvalis, G., Koureas, M., Brimicombe, C., Bogogiannidou, C., Kalala, F., Mouchtouri, V., & Hadjichristodoulou, C. (2025). Daily time series of 12 human thermal stress indices in Greece, aggregated at commune level (1998–2022). Data in Brief, 58, 111264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2024.111264
Chatzopoulou, C., Tsolkanakis, D., Vasileiadou, S. M., Kyriakidis, K., Skoutzouri, K., Kirtikidou, D., Shah, S. I. H., & Peristeras, V. (2022). E-government and COVID-19: An empirical study in Greece. In E. Garoufallou, M.-A. Ovalle-Perandones, & A. Vlachidis (Eds.), Metadata and semantic research (Vol. 1537, pp. 307–321). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-98876-0_27
Chondroleou, G., Elcock, H., Liddle, J., & Oikonomopoulos, I. (2005). A comparison of local management of regeneration in England and Greece. International Journal of Public Sector Management, 18(2), 114–127. https://doi.org/10.1108/09513550510584946
Cohen, S., Karatzimas, S., & Naoum, V.-C. (2017). The sticky cost phenomenon at the local government level: Empirical evidence from Greece. Journal of Applied Accounting Research, 18(4), 445–463. https://doi.org/10.1108/JAAR-03-2015-0019
Davey, A. G. (1998). National system planning for protected areas. Gland, Switzerland & Cambridge, UK: IUCN.
Davvetas, V., Ulqinaku, A., & Abi, G. S. (2022). Local impact of global crises, institutional trust, and consumer well-being: Evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of International Marketing, 30(2), 73–101. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069031X211022688
Deligiannis, A. P., & Peristeras, V. (2025). Pioneering public sector innovation: The case of Greece’s e-government team. Administrative Sciences, 15(8), 306. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci15080306
Deligiannis, P. A. (2025). Special urban planning and the national cadastre (Doctoral dissertation, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki).
Denazis, S., Politi, T., Faliagka, E., Antonopoulos, C., Christopoulou, E., Tranoris, C., Prevedourou, D., Kostis, N., Ioannou, I., Christophorou, C., Vassiliou, V., Poulkov, V., Sotirov, S., & Mihovska, A. D. (2023). Metacities excellence hub: Exploiting digital twins and metaverse technologies in South-Eastern Europe. 2023 IEEE International Smart Cities Conference (ISC2), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1109/ISC257844.2023.10293341
Dimitropoulos, N., Milioni, E., Lampkowski, M., Sarmas, E., Kapsalis, P., Marinakis, V., & Doukas, H. (2023). A web-based service supporting local governments in SECAP implementation activities. 14th International Conference on Information, Intelligence, Systems & Applications (IISA), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1109/IISA59645.2023.10345905
Echave, C., Ceh, D., Boulanger, A., & Shaw-Taberlet, J. (2019). An ecosystemic approach for energy transition in the Mediterranean region. 1st International Conference on Energy Transition in the Mediterranean Area (SyNERGY MED), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1109/SyNERGY-MED.2019.8764107
Gorgan, M., & Bavorova, M. (2022). How to increase landowners’ participation in land consolidation: Evidence from North Macedonia. Land Use Policy, 123, 106424. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2022.106424
Górriz-Mifsud, E., Burns, M., & Marini Govigli, V. (2019). Civil society engaged in wildfires: Mediterranean forest fire volunteer groupings. Forest Policy and Economics, 102, 119–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2019.03.007
Haug, N., Dan, S., & Mergel, I. (2024). Digitally-induced change in the public sector: A systematic review and research agenda. Public Management Review, 26(7), 1963–1987. https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2023.2234917
Hudson, J. (2006). Institutional trust and subjective well-being. Kyklos, 59(1), 43–62.
Kalogiannidis, S., Kalfas, D., Patitsa, C., & Chalaris, M. (2024). Relationship between climate change and business risk: Strategies for adaptation and mitigation. WSEAS Transactions on Environment and Development, 20, 276–294. https://doi.org/10.37394/232015.2024.20.28
Katsinas, P., & Soudias, D. (2025). Constructing a governmental vision of happiness: Insights from Greece. Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space, 43(4), 696–712. https://doi.org/10.1177/23996544241282525
Kuipers, B. S., Higgs, M., Kickert, W., Tummers, L., Grandia, J., & Van der Voet, J. (2014). The management of change in public organizations: A literature review. Public Administration, 92(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1111/padm.12040
Koutsovili, E. I., Tzoraki, O., Kalli, A. A., Provatas, S., & Gaganis, P. (2023). Participatory approaches for planning nature-based solutions in flood vulnerable landscapes. Environmental Science and Policy, 140, 12–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2022.11.012
Kyvelou, S., Marava, N., & Kokkoni, G. (2011). Perspectives of local public–private partnerships towards urban sustainability in Greece. International Journal of Sustainable Development, 14(1–2), 95–111. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJSD.2011.039640
Leclercq, E. (2018). Privatisation of the production of public space. A+BE Architecture and the Built Environment.
Lekakis, N., & Liddle, J. (2022). City politics under austerity in Greece. Cities, 131, 103984. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2022.103984
Liang, T., You, J., & Liu, C. (2010). A resource-based perspective on information technology and firm performance: A meta-analysis. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 110(8), 1138–1158. https://doi.org/10.1108/02635571011077807
Liu, S., & Li, C. (2017). Public services evaluation from the perspective of public risk governance. In E. Ahmad, M. Niu, & K. Xiao (Eds.), Fiscal underpinnings for sustainable development in China (pp. 53–70). Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6286-5_3
Lotsis, S., Georgousis, I., & Papakostas, G. A. (2024). Big data as a reform opportunity for public sector and real economy. F1000Research, 13, 234. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.144350.1
Melissanidou, E., & Johnston, L. (2019). Contextualising public entrepreneurship in Greek local government austerity. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 25(7), 1563–1579. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-11-2018-0749
Moradi, H., Iskandar, R., Rodriguez, S., Singh, D., Dugdale, J., Tzempelikos, D., & Sfetsos, A. (2025). A framework for constructing agent-based models for evaluating emergency evacuation procedures. Proceedings of the Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, 1978–1987. https://doi.org/10.24251/hicss.2025.244
Nader, M. R., Salloum, B. A., & Karam, N. (2008). Environment and sustainable development indicators in Lebanon. Ecological Indicators, 8(5), 771–777. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2007.09.001
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., & Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372, n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
Panagiotopoulos, P., Protogerou, A., & Caloghirou, Y. (2023). Dynamic capabilities and ICT utilization in public organizations. Long Range Planning, 56(1), 102251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lrp.2022.102251
Panayiotou, N., & Stavrou, V. (2019). A proposed maturity assessment framework of the Greek local government web electronic services. Transforming Government: People, Process and Policy, 13(3/4), 237–256. https://doi.org/10.1108/TG-03-2019-0018
Papadeas, P., & Tsamis, A. (2024). Cash flow statements for general government of Greece from 2025. In A. Hyz (Ed.), The role of the public sector in building social and economic resilience (pp. 33–49). Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-67702-1_3
Papageorgiou, K., & Kassioumis, K. (2005). The national park policy context in Greece. Journal for Nature Conservation, 13(4), 231–246. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnc.2004.11.001
Papavasileiou, A., Economou, A., Mitoula, R., & Plotnic, O. (2025). The contribution of local government organizations and citizens to the achievement of the 12th sustainable development goal in Greece. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.26341/issn.2241-4010-2025-16a-10-K02228
Patergiannaki, Z. (2023). The digital transformation in the public sector: The case of the Greek local government (Doctoral dissertation, University of Piraeus).
Poulaki, M., Xagoraris, N., Kalogianni, E., Kyriakidis, C., Kara, A., & Dimopoulou, E. (2024). Developing a LADM Part 5–Spatial Plan Information country profile for Greece. In 12th International FIG Workshop on the Land Administration Domain Model & 3D Land Administration (pp. 143-160). International Federation of Surveyors (FIG).
Prontzas, D. (2025). Forms of the corruption phenomenon in Greek local government. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 27(2), 237–249. https://doi.org/10.30574/wjarr.2025.27.2.2858
Pumar-Méndez, M. J., Mujika, A., Regaira, E., Vassilev, I., Portillo, M. C., Foss, C., Todorova, E., Roukova, P., Ruud Knutsen, I. A., Serrano, M., Lionis, C., Wensing, M., & Rogers, A. (2017). Stakeholders in support systems for self-care for chronic illness: The gap between expectations and reality regarding their identity, roles and relationships. Health Expectations, 20(3), 434–447
Rahman, H. (2008). Role of ICT in establishing e-government systems for disadvantaged communities. In C. Van Slyke (Ed.), Information communication technologies (pp. 1482–1493). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-59904-949-6.ch101
Riyadi, R., Mita, H., A, C., & Anggoro, Y. (2024). The effect of change management on organizational adaptability in the age of technology. Maneggio, 1, 85–97. https://doi.org/10.62872/7dn4vx41
Schismenos, S., Emmanouloudis, D., Stevens, G. J., Katopodes, N. D., & Melesse, A. M. (2022). Soil governance in Greece. Soil Security, 6, 100035. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soisec.2022.100035
Theodora, Y. (2020). Natural hazards: Key concerns for setting up an effective disaster management plan in Greece. Euro-Mediterranean Journal for Environmental Integration, 5(2). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41207-020-00174-y
Togridou, A., Hovardas, T., & Pantis, J. D. (2006). Factors shaping implementation of protected area management decisions. Environmental Conservation, 33(3), 233–243. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0376892906003171
Toledo, I., Laino, E., Iglesias, G., Palazón, A., & Aragonés, L. (2025). Local authorities or national frameworks? Environmental Development, 53, 101119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envdev.2024.101119
Triandafyllidou, A. (2015). Reform, counter-reform and the politics of citizenship. Journal of International Migration and Integration, 16(1), 43–60. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12134-014-0343-7
Trivella, L., Nasiopoulos, D. K., & Trivellas, P. (2017). The cultural organizations’ revival lies in the use of business management strategy. Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics, 203–210. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33865-1_26
Tsakarestou, B. (2005). Greece: The Experiment of Market Extension. In Corporate Social Responsibility Across Europe (pp. 261-273). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg.
Tulumello, S., Cotella, G., & Othengrafen, F. (2020). Spatial planning and territorial governance in Southern Europe. International Planning Studies, 25(1), 72–87. https://doi.org/10.1080/13563475.2019.1701422
Tzavella, V. (2022). The leader–manager debate in the Greek public administration. International Conference on Business and Economics – HOU, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.12681/icbe-hou.5357
Villamayor-Tomas, S., Thiel, A., Amblard, L., Zikos, D., & Blanco, E. (2019). Diagnosing the role of the state for local collective action. Environmental Science and Policy, 97, 44–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2019.03.009
Wardropper, C. B., Sparks, A. M., & Hovardas, T. (2025). Social capital and adaptation to wildfire in southern Greece. Ecology and Society, 30(3). https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-16075-300319
Yi, C., & Qiu, X. (2025). From local government to local governance: A systematic literature review and future research agenda. Australian Journal of Public Administration, 84(1), 102–124. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8500.12644
Copyright (c) 2026 Panagiotis Zisis, Kleanthis Katsaros, Grigorios Beligiannis
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
