Due to the peculiarities of higher education, change management in them is significantly differentiates change management in the business environment and companies. As universities invest large resources in reform with often uncertain or unsuccessful results, there is a need to find an effective and purposeful way of managing change in higher education. The research problem studying this doctoral thesis is, therefore, organizational change and change management in higher education. In the paper, this problem will be missed through the prism of doctoral education reform at the university in Europe and in the developing world over the last 10 years. The aim of the research is to investigate the process of introducing changes in doctoral education at selected European universities and to identify the main factors influencing the outcome. The achievement of this research output will be achieved within the conceptual framework for understanding change management in higher education, combining noninstitutional and political theory of organizational change and adapting them to the sensitivity of doctoral education. To achieve a specific research objective and research problem, we have demonstrated a qualitative analysis of the process of introducing change in doctoral education at four European universities, using a research approach to case studies. The author argues that the distinctive characteristics of higher education institutions require an approach to managing change that is different from the approach used in hierarchical organizations. Multiple case studies have been conducted at four public universities that have undergone a process of modernization of doctoral education in four countries (Slovenia, Austria, Portugal and Montenegro). 16 respondents responsible for change were interviewed, using a custom Burke - Litwin causal model of organizational performance and change as conceptual frameworks. The author has outlined a general framework for conceptualizing change management in doctoral education that delineates the distribution organization of higher education institutions and their effects on inappropriate change management. The study found that the external environment, organizational culture and structure had a profound impact on the scope, goals, duration and effectiveness of the change management methods used during the process of modernizing doctoral education.