Models & Theories of Planned Change

Dr. Ruchi Sinha

Organizational development is planned change in organizational context. The development of models of planned change facilitated the development of OD.

Models and Theories depict in words or pictures, the important features:of some phenomenonDescribe those features as variables and Specifies the relationships among variables. A model is an integrated way of explainingWhy and how change takes, based on a known and acceptable basic explanation of relationships of several aspects involved. INTRODUCTION

Planned change theories areRudimentary in explaining relationships among variables but pretty good for identifying the important variables involved.Several recent theories show great promise for increasing our understanding of What happens and How it happens in planned changeIt is obvious that there are different ways of explaining change, depending on what theory we use

Kurt Lewin's Three Step Model What is occurring at any point in time is a resultant in a field of opposing forces. i.e. the status-quoStatus-quo what ever is happening right now is the result of forces pushing in opposite directions. (eg. Of equilibrium point)ManufacturingMoraleForce-field Analysis is a technique thatHelps in identifying major forces that make up the field of forces and Develop action plans for moving the equilibrium point in one direction or the other.

Kurt Lewin's Three Step Model Kurt Lewin the father of change processes identified three phases in initiating and establishing any changeUnfreezingChanging or MovingRefreezingKurt Lewin argued that successful change in organizations should follow these three steps:Unfreezing the status-quoMovement to a new stateRefreezing the new change to make it permanentThe status-quo can be considered to be a state of equilibrium.

Kurt Lewin's Three Step Model To move from this equilibrium to overcome the pressures of both individual resistance and group conformity, unfreezing is necessary.

EffectivenessIneffectivenessSupporting ForcesRestraining ForcesTime UnfreezeChangeRefreezePoint at which change occurs

Stage 1: Unfreezing:

Creating motivation & readiness to change through disconfirmation or lack of confirmationcreation of guilt or anxietyprovision of psychological safety.

Throughout this process, information can be shown which will demonstrate discrepancies between behaviors desired by organization members and those behaviors currently exhibited.In other words, this is the stage in which employees can be influenced to engage in change activities.

Stage 2: Changing through cognitive restructuring moving

Helping the client to see, judge, feel things & react to things differently based on a new point of view obtained through:Identifying with a new role model, mentor etc.Scanning the new environment for a new relevant information. The person acquires information & evidence showing that the change is desirable & possible. Throughout the moving process, the behavior of the organization, department, or individual is shifted to a new level.This shift involves the intervention of new behaviors, values, and attitudes through changes in organizational structures and processes

Stage 3: Refreezing Helping the client to integrate the new point of view into:The total personality & self conceptSignificant relationships

In this stage there is integration of new behaviors into the persons personality & attitudes. The term significant relationships refers to imp people in the persons social environment-do they approve of the changes. During the refreezing stage, the organization is stabilized at a new equilibrium.

Ronald Lippitt, Jeanne Watson, Bruce Westley

Seven stage model : Represents the consulting process

Phase 1: Developing a need for change. It corresponds to Lewins unfreezing phase.

Phase 2: Establishing a Change relationship. In this phase a client system in need of help & a change agent from outside the system establishing a work relationship.

Phase 3: Clarifying or diagnosing the client systems problems.

Phase 4: Examining all alternative routes & goals & intentions of action.

Phase 5: Transforming actions into actual change efforts. Phase 3, 4 & 5 corresponds to Lewin's moving phase.

Phase 6: Generalizing & stabilizing change. This phase corresponds to Lewins Refreezing phase.

Phase 7: Achieving a terminal relationship, that is terminating the client- consultant relationship

Burke-Litwin ModelThis model of organizational change and individual and organizational change was given by Warner Burke and George Litwin.Model shows how to create first order(transactional) change and second order (transformational) change in the organization.In first order change, some features of the organization change but the fundamental nature of the organization remains the same.In second order change, the nature of the organization is fundamentally and substantially altered- the organization is transformed.

Bases for the model

Organisation climate is defined as people perceptions and attitudes about the organisation-whether it is good or bad place to work.These perceptions are relatively easy to change cause they are built on employees reaction to current managerial and organizational practices. Organizational Culture is defined as deep seated assumptions, values and beliefs, that are enduring, often unconscious.Changing culture if often more difficult than changing climate.Difference between Organizational Climate and organizational culture

Transactional Vs Transformational LeadersTransactional leaders are leaders who inspire followers to transcend their own self interest for the good of the organization and who are capable of having a profound and extraordinary effect on their followersTransformational leadership embodies inspiration which leads to new heights of performance.Transformational leadership is required for causing second order change.Transactional leaders are those who guide or motivate their followers in the direction of established goals by clarifying role and task requirements.Transactional leadership embodies a fair exchange between leaders and followers that leads to normal performance.Transactional leadership is sufficient for causing first order change.

Premise of the ModelOD interventions directed towards structure,management practices, and systems (policies and procedures) result in first-order change i.e. changing the organisation climate;

OD interventions directed towards mission and strategy, leadership, and organizational culture result in second order change i.e. changing the organization culture.

The Burke & Litwin Model

Transactional Factors Involved in First Order ChangeTransformational Factors Involved in Second Order Change

The Purpose As an OD practitioner we have to do the following:

Size up the change situationDetermine the kind of change required (Transactional or Transformational)Targets interventions towards factors of organization that produce the desired change.

Porras and Robertson Model of Organizational Change

The Basic PremiseOD interventions alter the features of work settings causing changes in individuals behavior, which in turn lead to individual and organizational improvements. Organisation change occurs only when individual change their behavior, and these behavior changes occur when elements of work setting have been modified by OD interventions.

Work setting consists of four factors: organization arrangement, social factors, physical setting and technology.

Organizational Work Setting Factors

1.Goals2.Strategies3. Structure4. Administrative policies and procedures5. Administrative systems6. Reward system7. Ownership

1. Culture2. Management style3. Interaction processes4. Informal patterns and networks5. Individual Attributes1.Space Configuration2.Physical Ambience3. Interior Design4. Architectural Design1. Tools, equipments and machinery2. Information Tech.3. Job Design4. Work Flow Design5. Tech Expertise6. Tech Procedures7. Tech Systems

The Change Based Organizational Framework

Systems Theory

Another foundation of OD is Systems Theory, which views organizations as open systems in active exchange with their environments.

This explains system theory describes the characteristics OD Systems, and show how systems theory enhances the practice of OD.

Ludwig Von Bertalanffy first articulated the principles of General Systems Theory in 1950.

Kartz and Kuhn were the first to apply open systems theory to organizations in 1966.

Systems Theory is one of the most powerful tools available to understand the dynamics of organizations and organizational change.

Fagan defines Systems as a set of objects together with relationships between the objects and between their attributes

Von Bertalanffy refers to a System ofelements standing in interaction .

Kast and Rosenzweig defines System as an organized, unitary whole composed or more interdependent parts, components, or sub-systems and delineated by identifiable boundaries from its environmental supra-system.

To summarize, System denotes Interdependency, inter-connectedness among elements in a set that constitutes an identifiable whole or gestalt.

InputsTransforming MechanismOutputsSources of EnergyMaterialsInformationHRUsersInternal Interface Feedback Mechanism

External InterfaceFeedback Mechanism

Characteristics of Open Systems are

All Open systems are Input-throughput-output mechanisms.

Open systems have purposes and goals, the reason of their existence.

Steady state and Dynamic HomeostasisPreservation of the character of the systemOver time systems get elaborated, differentiated, specialized and complex over time, this process is called differentiation.With increased differentiation, increased integration and coordination.

Characteristics of Open Systems are

Information is important in several ways..Feedback is information from the environment about system performance.Systems requires two kinds of feedback, negative and positive they are deviation-correcting feedback and deviation-amplifying feedback.

Another characteristics of systems is equifinality.

These characteristics of open system explain many phenomena we observe in organizations

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