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Review Notes on   CO:  Organizational Change
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Organizational Change   
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      Orgs & Social Change  
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      Org Evolution  
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      The Potential for Org Change  
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The Orgl Change Process  
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      Orgl Transformation   
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      Orgl Innovation / Reformulation   
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      Orgl Death   
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Professional, New, Changing Orgs   
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Orgl Characteristics & Orgl Change  

 
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 Outline on Organizational Change
External Links
  -  Project:  Orgl Change Examples 
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  ORGL CHANGE IS THE MUTUAL CHANGE OF PARTICIPANT BEHAVIOR AS WELL AS CHANGE IN VARIOUS OTHER FACTORS SUCH AS STRUCTURE, GOALS, MISSION, OUTCOMES, ETC.   
  Orgl change is just one type of social change:  see Orgs & Social Change  
  Orgl change can & does occur, but it is an intricate & laborious process  
  Orgl change is said to be intentional when someone ( any orgl actor ) consciously tries to change the org  
  The process of intentional orgl change is called orgl development  
  Org change is said to be evolutionary or natural when the org changes w/o the intention of any org actor  
  When org change occurs, the type or category of the org may change or one or more components of the org may change  
  The ideographic approach to examining org change offers a detailed analysis of meanings that soc actors attach to situations, orgs, envs & seeing that these meanings should be stated in their own words   
  The nomothetic approach to examining org change offers hypotheses testing w/ the sci meth & the use of sys research methods  
  In both the ideographic & the nomothetic approach to examining org change, the research obtains data from key informants & from the gen members of the org & outsiders in it's immediate org env   
   A COMMON TYPE OF ORG CHANGE IS STRUCTURAL CHANGE, FROM FOR EXAMPLE, A SOLE PROPRIETORSHIP TO A CORP, ETC.   
  SEVEN examples of the type of the org changing from one fundamental structure to another include:  
  1. a sole proprietorship incorporating to become a corporation  
  2. Weber's analysis of the transformation of a charismatic org to a bureaucracy  
  3. a totalitarian org to a democratic org or vice versa  
  4. a social group formalizing to become a formal org like a business or charity  
  5. Scott's analysis of the transformation of a rational to natural or open orgs  
  6. the changing of the boundaries of an org leading to orgl growth or decline  
  7. a change in the level of networking of an org leading to orgl change  
  ORG CHANGE OCCURS BOTH IN REACTION TO THE ENV & BY USING THE ENV AS A RESOURCE   
  Org change occurs w/in a broad context including the env of other orgs, econ, political, & soc patterns & changes, & the change efforts of the orgs themselves
 
  Thus org change occurs as the result of an orgl actor, as the result of natural processes, or as the result of env factors
 
  At times orgl change flows nearly automatically while at other times orgl change is forced on an unwilling org
 
  Kimberly, Miles, ( K & M ) & Associates, 1980, examine the "life cycle" of orgs 
 
  For K & M, orgs are born, grow, & decline & sometimes they reawaken & sometimes they disappear
 
  For K & M, investors try to determine the phase of an org, preferring growth over decline
 
  For K & M, orgs can change in form irrespective of the life cycle
 
  Hage, 1980, defines org change as "the alteration & transformation of the form so as to survive better in the environment" 
 
  ORG CHANGE OCCURS AS THE ORG CHANGES ITS GOALS, AS GOALS 'NATURALLY EVOLVE' AS GOALS BECOME OUTDATED BY THE ENV, AS GOALS EXPAND, ETC.   
  Org goals should be clearly considered when addressing org change which delineates btwn planned & spontaneous org change
 
  Org survival is the ultimate test of an org
 
  But some argue that this should not be the goal, rather a more task oriented goal should dominate & if that task is complete, the org should disband  
  Orgl change is based on environmental pressure & internal pressure, including goals
 
  McKelvey, 1982, argues that most changes are due to external (allogenic) forces as opposed to internal (autogenic) forces
 
  Thompson, 1967, emphasizes internal or goal directed forces such as managers actions under conditions of rationality
 
  Benson, 1977, sees org change as developing dialectically
 
  Organizational Change Potential  
  THE ORG CHANGE PROCESS HAS THE STAGES OF CONCEPTION, BIRTH & FOUNDING, TRANSFORMATION, INNOVATION, DEATH   
  a.  Conception
b.  Births & Foundings
 
  c.  Orgl Transformation
     Stasis
     Growth
     Decline
 
       Population Ecology  
  d.  Orgl Innovation  
  e.  Orgl Death  

 
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 Outline on  Organizations & Social Change
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  There are THREE perspectives on social change, the nominalist perspective, the realist perspective, & the pragmatist perspective
 
  For the nominalist, reality is constructed thru indiv cognition which is to say that the world is artificial creation formed in people's minds  
  For the realist, the world ext to the indiv is a real world made of hard tangible, relatively immutable structures   
  Soc change agents are pragmatists, using praxis as a tool for change  
  See Also:  Praxis  
  We usually act according to some compromise btwn the nom & real approach to soc change  
  If we were a total nom, we would believe that all things were possible at all times  
  For total realists, little can change, & certainly nothing changes in the short run, & it is difficult to argue that anything has changed in the long run  
  As pragmatists, using praxis, things can change, but we must deal w/ historical forces, i.e.. reified relationships, pwr, people, etc.  
  Orgs are the source of both
- social stability in soc
- social change
 
  Orgs are stabilizing agents in society, & are often seen as the source of all stability thru such orgs as:
- the family
- religious orgs
- one's job
- ed, & more
 
  Orgs by their very nature are not change agents, but "conservative" in that they promote the status quo  
  Orgs both promote stability & stifle change  
  Change occurs indirectly when orgs in their soc structure change unintentionally, or when their env changes
Examples? 
 
  Org conservatism can be seen in that many orgs are conservative to begin w/ in that they actively promote stability both internally & in their env  
  The orgl intent is stability in such orgs as the Civil Service & Am auto mfr  
  In the Education sys, Janowitz (1969) notes that ed maintains it's org/process despite changing demographics & ed needs in its env  
  Orgs as Social Change Agents:  
  While orgs are inherently conservative social agents, all social change comes thru orgs  
  A cause is not enough for social change; people must have an org
 
  Change may be a direct result of org activity which would be characterized as intentional change
 
  Changes may be an indirect result of org act which would be characterized as unintentional change
 
  The TVA created indirect social change through it's pursuit of the goals of water mgt, pwr mgt, conservation, etc.   
  See Also:  The TVA & Orgl Co-optation & the Env  
  See Also:  The TVA Official Website   
  A (un)favorable outcome for an org can lead to changes in society
 
  Intentional Social Change
 
  Often an orgs' goal is social change as seen in 
- the US revolution
- abolition & the Civil War
- the suffrage mvmt
- WW2 where soc change occurred at the hands of the military & the govt
- the civil rights mvmt
- the anti Vietnam war mvmt
- the env mvmt
- the Bolsheviks, Russian Rev
- McDonalds & the advent of fast food
- changes in fin mgt
- changes in higher ed
 
  Social forecasting  
  Orgs must generate/reap support from soc at large  
  Social Forecasting is major area of study in sociology today where the researcher predicts the causes & effects of asocial change
 
  Bus leaders, politicians, soc activists, etc. find it difficult determine when an idea's time has come
 
  Like people, generally orgs become more conservative over time
 
  Almost all "radical" orgs or social change orgs become more conservative as they mature such as is seen in:
 
  - Lipset's study of the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF)
 
  - the Bolsheviks transformation into "The Communist Party" in Russia  
  - Bill Gates & Steven Jobs creating Microsoft & Apple  
  Intentional or Unintentional effects of orgl change include:  
  - changing membership patterns or women going to wk  
  - wider stock ownership  
  - patterns of wk including longer/shorter hrs & the assembly line vs hi tech methods of prod  
  - transforming wk to reward ind thinking, initiative, etc., which has an impact on personalities, attitudes, values  

 
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 Outline on  Organizational Evolution
External
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    -  Project:  Orgl Evolution
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-  Video: Lou Dobbs on the Power of NGOs    May 4, 2004   3:47
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    ORGS HAVE EVOLVED OVER TIME, DEVELOPING AS A RESULT OF THE INTERACTION OF PRIOR ORGL STAGES & OTHER SOCIETAL FACTORS SUCH AS CULTURE, POLITICS, ETC.   
    Orgs have evolved over time
 
    The structure of each type of organization today is affected by its socio historical origins
 
    The times of emergence for orgl formations are the time at which the org emerged as a relatively autonomous entity
 
    Almost all of the organizational formations listed below existed earlier, nested w/in another org  
 
Historical Era
OVERVIEW OF THE EVOLUTION OF ORGS
 
 
1.  Geologic Era  
 
 
2.  Pre Human 
     Evolutionary Era
1.  PEER GROUPS ARE PEOPLE OF THE SAME OR EQUAL RANK W/ REGARD TO ANY NUMBER OF QUALS
 
    Peer groups develop as the practice of social cooperation evolves in the context of a competitive evolutionary dynamic  
    The family / clan was the first human formation/organization to evolve after peer grouping  
 
3.  Hunter Gatherer Era Our ancestors lived together in small hunter gatherer tribes, & spanned most of the globe
 
 
 1.5 mm BC - 10K BC
2.  FAMILY / CLAN:  A FAMILY IS PARENTS & THEIR CHILDREN, POSSIBLY W/ SEVERAL GENERATIONS; A CLAN IS GROUPS OF FAMILIES 
 
 
 
The family / clan is the first human formation/organization
 
 
 
The family is the oldest & most important organization
 
 
 
Religion, military, charity, & the company/enterprise developed almost simultaneously w/in the clan
 
 
 
The orgs of the clan, religion, the military, charity, & the company/enterprise were all one org w/in the clan that developed as separate entities later in history
 
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 4.  Pre Empire Era "The dawn of civilization" occurs around 10,000 BC in Northeast Africa & the Middle East
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 10 K BC - 3 K BC
3.  RELIGIOUS ORGS ARE STRUCTURED TO BRING THE DEVOUT TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE THEIR WORSHIP GOALS 
 
 
 
Religious leaders were often closely tied to the city state govt, but also frequently to the military
 
 
 
Thus, as civilization advanced, the govt, the military, & religion became the nexus of social power
 
    4.  THE ECONOMY IS A SYSTEM OF ORGS WHICH AIMS TO CREATE PRODUCTION & / OR WEALTH   
    The workplace, company, or enterprise develop  
    As civilization began, the social structure of work was predominately, marginally, supra subsistence herding & agriculture  
    Work first developed as the family business  
    In early HG society, work could only produce subsistence level existence, precluding slavery or assistance to the weak, old, or infirm  
    5.  GOVT IS A SYSTEM OF ORGS WHICH ADMINISTERS WHAT THE PEOPLE DETERMINE TO BE THE PUBLIC DUTY OF THE STATE   
 
 
CITY STATE:  While the tribal system is the first form of govt, the city state is, while still marginally linked to the family social structure, primarily independent of the tribal system
 
 
 
Babylon, etc.
 
 
 
Religion, military, charity, the company/enterprise, & the city state all emerged as relatively autonomous entities almost simultaneously w/ the dawn of civilization
 
    6.  THE MILITARY IS A SYSTEM OF ORGS WHICH DEFENDS THE PEOPLE & / OR THE STATE   
    The military remained wholly integrated w/ the city state govt & there was practically no separation among many of the early social structures   
    7.  CHARITY IS A SYSTEM OF ORGS WHICH FORMED TO ASSIST NEEDY PEOPLE   
    Charity began in wholly integrated in religious orgs, but became separate during the period of the early industrial revolution   
 
5.  Early Empire Era The first important empires are formed in Sumeria Egypt, Greece, Rome, etc. 
 
 
 3 K BC - 200 BC
The primary forms of authority / organization in early civilization were based on charisma & tradition, but the first rational organizational structure also emerges, the bureaucracy
 
 
 
BUREAUCRACY:  Bureaucracy emerges, to eventually evolve, during the early Industrial Revolution, into the most important form of organization since the family
 
 
 
THE STATE:  Some city states grow to become what would be recognized today as nation states
 
 
6.  Roman Era Social tolerance becomes a state policy, fostering growth of the empire  
 
200 BC - 500 AD
Leisure & recreation become a major part of Roman society, but fall w/ the Roman Empire, not to be seen again until the mid Ind Age  
 
 
Limited forms of democracy develop & fall will the Roman Empire
 
 
7.  Middle Ages After the "fall of the Roman Empire," the "Dark Ages" begin in the West, while the Mideast continues modern development
 
 
500 - 1300
8.  EDUCATION IS A SYSTEM OF ORGS WHICH FORMED TO EDUCATE PEOPLE   
 
 
Private education is, at first, only for the wealthy & for women primarily is concerned w/ etiquette while public education develops in the Industrial Age
 
    9.  THE MEDIA IS A SYSTEM OF ORGS WHICH FORMED TO EXPLORE & PUBLISH PUBLIC AFFAIRS INFO, ESP THE NEWS   
 
 
A limited print media in the form of newspapers develops & continues to slowly develop as technology allows & as the middle class gains enough disposable wealth to purchase it
 
 
 
The media & private education were at first, only for the elites
 
 
 
In the late Mid Ages or Early Indl Age, the instits of ed & the media began to become available to an emergent middle class
 
 
 
THE CORPORATION:  Early corps were closely held by groups of wealthy investors
 
 
 
Example:  The Dutch Trading Co
 
  8.  Early Industrial Age The "proto factory" develops
 
 
1300 to 1700
The division of labor, intellectual property, guilds, monopolization, wage labor, profit, capitalism, all become important developments
 
  9.  Industrial Age The "Industrial Revolution" & "Globalization" begin, catalyzing the development of the corp  
 
 1700 to present
PUBLIC EDUCATION:  Public ed becomes available to the mid class, but at first women, some religions, non whites, etc.  were excluded  
    Public ed begins during the indl age   
    Widespread public education for the mid class begins in the US & Europe & spreads around the world  
    SOCIAL MOVEMENTS:  Social movements develop during the Industrial Age  
    Early soc mvmt include the democratic revolutions & the labor mvmt  
    Contemporary social movements include the civil rights movement, the women's movement, the anti war movement, the environmental movement, & many more  
    10.  LEISURE & RECREATION IS A SYSTEM OF ORGS WHICH PROVIDES RECREATION FOR PEOPLE IN THEIR SPARE TIME   
    Leisure & recreation become part of everyday life for the middle class, & thus become available for the middle class, fostering a new dynamic sector of the economy  
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 10. Era of 
        Global Capitalism
The effects of the Industrial Revolution & Globalization have become pervasive & substantial around the globe
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1910 to present
MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS ARE THOSE ORGS CONSISTING OF SEVERAL PEOPLE, LEGALLY EMPOWERED TO ACT AS ONE, TO CONDUCT BUSINESS, GENERALLY THROUGHOUT MANY NATIONS   
    While early forms of the multinational corp existed centuries earlier, the truly multinational form developed in the West in the early 1900s  
    UN  
    The League of Nations first developed after WW 1  
 
 
The UN developed after WW 2
 
 
 
GLOBAL REGULATORY STRUCTURES ARE THOSE AGENCIES FORMED BY SEVERAL NATIONS, & / OR THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY WHICH ARE EMPOWERED TO GOVERN ACCORDING TO AGREED UPON RULES 
 
 
 
Global regulatory structures developed after WW 2 
 
    Examples of global regulatory structures include the World Bank, the IMF, GATT, etc. 
 
    Network / charity / social orgs develop as an evolution of social mvmts   
    NGO stands for non governmental organization  
    Examples of NGOs which have a global influence include everything from OPEC to the Red Cross, to Amnesty International, to the Sierra Club   
  11. Post Industrial Age The first industrial nations experience "deindustrialization" & move to service & high tech economies  
 
 1970 to present
TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATIONS ARE THOSE ORGS THAT ARE EVEN MORE GLOBALIZED THAN MULTINATIONAL CORPS   
    Transnational corporations are those that have globalized & that have totally integrated into the system of an international division of labor  
    Examples of transnational corporations include GE, GM, IBM, Toyota, BP, etc.  
    TRADING BLOCKS ARE NATIONS WHICH AGREE TO HAVE FREE TRADE OR LITTLE TRADE RESTRICTION   
    In the 1990s the many trading blocks such as NAFTA, EU, ASEAN developed   
    SUPRANATIONAL CORPORATIONS ARE THE MOST GLOBALIZED FORM OF CORPS, WHICH OFTEN HAVE NO TIES TO ANY NATION   
    Supranational corporations are those that have all the globalized features of the transnational corporation, but have lost any national allegiances & culture   
    All transnational corporations are evolving into supranational corporations because of the structure of the global economy   
    An example of a supranational corporation is Fox   
 
12. The Future THE POSSIBILITY OF WORLD GOVT IS ONLY BEGINNING AS SEEN IN A FEW GLOBAL REGULATORY AGENCIES 
 
 
  Most organizational experts believe some type of world govt will evolve in the future 
 
 
  Orgl experts vary widely on the extent to which they believe supranational corps & orgs, NGOs, the UN & other forms of globalized organizations will continue to gain power & dominate the everyday life of humanity 
 
    THE ORIGINS OF FORMAL ORGS ARE ANCIENT BUT IT IS ONLY IN THE LAST FEW CENTURIES THAT THEY HAVE BEGUN TO DOMINATE SOCIETY, ESP IN THE FORM OF CORPS   
    The origins of formal orgs date back thousands of years & their development spans all of human history   
    The efficiency of early formal orgs was limited   
    In early formal orgs, people lacked the technology to travel over large distances, to communicate quickly, & to collect & store information on a large scale   
    Preindustrial societies usually have a traditional character which often results in opposition to the rationalization of orgs & other spheres of  society   
    See Also:  Weber:  A  Comparison of Charismatic, Traditional, & Rational Authority   
    Tradition, according to Max Weber, is sentiments & beliefs about the world passed  from generation to generation   
    Weber pointed out that the modern worldview is rationality, deliberate, matter of fact calculation of the most efficient means to accomplish a particular task   
    The rise of the “organizational society” rests on what Weber termed the rationalization of society, the historical change from tradition to rationality as the dominant mode of human thought  
    The transition from traditional to rational mode of thought on the societal level lays the groundwork for the orgl structure called bureaucracy  

 
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 Outline on Organizational Change Potential
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  ORGS CONSTANTLY CHANGE, YET ARE CONSERVATIVE & RESIST CHANGE, PEOPLE & BRANCHES OF ORGS STRUGGLE OVER CHANGE, MUSTERING RESOURCES TO EITHER SUPPORT OR RESIST CHANGE  
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Child & Kieser, 1981, believe orgs are constantly changing because of external conditions & internal factors
 
  Orgs by their nature are conservative, i.e. resist orgl change   
  Even those orgs that promote societal change experience resistance to orgl change   
  Hedberg, 1981, notes that orgs change because people are constantly learning & unlearning from their actions   
  The org is the stage on which the action of learning & unlearning occurs   
  On the other hand, Staw, 1982, argues that individuals get locked into courses of action, & their commitment to actions escalate when they have invested previous effort  
  People defend their actions & turf by continuing the previous course of action  
  Informal standard operating procedures (SOPs) are difficult to change  
  Powerful coalitions exist which will block change if it is not in their interest  
  Hannan & Freeman, 1984, see personnel as a force of inertia  
  They note that personnel are usually hired based on reliability & accountability & not on their ability to change
 
  Though sometimes change agents are hired as seen in the informal title, "the hatchet man"
 
  Orgs will remain the same because the same type of people do the hiring & they hire the same type of people to fill positions
 
  Pfeffer, 1983, sees personnel composition or orgl demography as affecting org change potential through org policies w/ regard to compensation, promotion
 
  For Pfeffer, envl factors such as the rate of growth of the industry are also important in affecting orgl change potential
 
  Orgl demographics affect change since it impacts succession & power differences  
  KAUFMAN POSITS INTERNAL FACTORS THAT LEAD ORGS TO RESIST CHANGE, INCLUDING THE DESIRE TO STAY W/ THE FAMILIAR, SELFISHNESS, INABILITY, BLINDERS 
KAUFMAN POSITS EXTERNAL, SYSTEMIC OBSTACLES TO CHANGE, INCLUDING:  SUNK COSTS, OFFICIAL CONSTRAINTS, INTERORG AGREEMENTS, LACK OF RESOURCES 
 
  For Kaufman, 1971, org change may be good or bad but it is confronted by strong forces holding it in check circumscribing the org's capacity to react, sometimes w/ dire results  
  For Kaufman there are internal orgl factors that lead orgs to resist orgl change including:   
  a.  the collective benefits of stability or familiarity w/ existing patterns:  it is often easier to stay w/ the familiar, even when we know that path is failing, than it is the change   
  b.  calculated opposition to change occurs because members may have altruistic or selfish motives   
  c.  the inability to change:  lack of knowledge, willingness, etc.   
 
d.  mental blinders   
  Kaufman, 1971, identifies external, systemic obstacles to orgl change, including:   
  a.  Sunk costs or investments in the status quo   
  b.  Accumulation of official constraints on behavior in the form of informal customs   
  c.  Interorganizational agreements prevent change because it may upset parts of the org's network   
  d.  Orgs may not have the resources required for change   
  KATZ & KAHN SEE FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO ORGL CHANGE RESISTANCE, INCLUDING:  OVER DETERMINATION, LOCAL DETERMINISM, INERTIA, THREATEN GRPS, THREATEN POWER, THREATEN REWARDS   
  Katz & Kahn, 1978, see SIX factors that contribute to orgl change resistance, including that:   
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1.  orgs are "over determined" because there are multiple mechanisms to ensure stability   
  2.  orgs error in assuming local determinism or believing that changes can be isolated, or that they may be nullified by another part of the org   
  3.  individual & group inertia or the force of habit are very powerful   
  4.  orgs change can threaten groups such as those who may no longer be needed   
  5.  orgs change can threaten the established power system, i.e. mgt. sees power shifting   
  6.  orgs change can threaten the allocation of rewards, profits, etc.   

 
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Examples:  Child & Kieser, 1981, believe orgs are constantly changing because of external conditions & internal factors
Competition, innovation, public demand, govt policy changes, methods, output changes
Internal factors:
Mgrs & others may seek, not maintenance but change,
to promote growth, their own power, improved benefits, etc.
External factors:

 
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Examples:  a.  Orgs are "over determined" because there are multiple mechanisms to ensure stability
Personnel selection, training, reward system

 
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 Outline on the Organizational Change Process
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  PERSONNEL TURNOVER IS ONE MAJOR FACTOR THAT ENGENDERS ORGL CHANGE   
  There are multiple explanations of orgl change   
  Kaufman, 1971, developed the personnel turnover model of orgl change   
  Despite the best selection & training, successive generations of personnel are not clones & they therefore enter new personnel dynamics into the org   
  Affirmative action practices have altered the racial & gender demographics of some orgs   
  While many theorists continue to debate whether bringing women & minorities into the workplace have changed anything, most practitioners, workers, & mgrs concur that this has indeed changed the culture & operation of the modern workplace   
  Tolbert & Zucker, 1983, examined civil service reforms in city govts which reduced nepotism, tested applicants etc. & found that orgs changed at a rate that was determined by the external factor of how fast the reforms were institutionalized into law   
  Biggart, 1997, examined the Post Office & found that orgs can resist change as proposed by forces outside the org   
  In relation to the interest groups w/in the org struggle, some support the change, & some oppose it   
  ORGS CHANGE AS THEY AGE / MATURE & GO THROUGH 'LIFE CYCLES  
  The orgl change cycle has stages, including: 
a.  Conception 
b.  Births & Foundings 
c.  Transformations 
       Stasis 
       Growth 
       Decline 
d.  Innovation/ Reformulation 
e.  Death 
 
  A.  ORGL CONCEPTION OCCURS WHEN IDEA CHAMPIONS ENVISION THE ORG 
 
  Idea champions often must find a market, need, client, etc. & bring together capital investment, mgt. know how, labor, etc. 
 
  B.  ORGL BIRTH & FOUNDINGS OCCUR WHEN THE ACTUAL ORG IS LAUNCHED, OPENED, BEGUN OR STARTED UP 
 
  Delacroix & Carroll, 1983, define orgl birth as the "creation of an operating entity that acquires inputs from suppliers & provides outputs to a given public, such as customers, clients, patients, etc." 
 
  The social env of orgs affects their rates of birth   
  Orgl births may take place through a legislative action as in when govt orgs are born 
 
  Stinchcombe, 1965, made the seminal discovery that org env's impact the numbers, types, etc. of orgs that are born 
 
  Pennings, 1982, found that metropolitan areas foster industrial firms 
 
  Marrett, 1980, found that the existing density of women's societies affected the further growth of orgs 
 
  Delacroix & Carroll, 1983, found that political turbulence affected newspapers' births 
 
  Carroll & Huo, 1986, found that political turbulence is a part of the institutional env or value system in which newspapers are embedded   
  The Institutional Env affect both foundings & failings of orgs because it is this env that provides the resources 
 
  Preexisting orgs serve as sources of legitimation & domain definition (Wiewel & Hunter, 1985)   
  Hannan & Freeman, 1987, found that Am. labor unions founding rate varies w/ the number of other union foundings   
  The social env of orgs affects their futures   
  Kimberly, 1979, found that the env at the founding & the characteristics of the founder affected the structure of the org   
  Founders are key players for adopting strategies appropriate for the env   
  C.  ORGL TRANSFORMATION   
       Population ecology   
  D.  ORGL INNOVATION   
  E.  ORGL DEATH   

 
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 Outline on Organizational Transformations
External
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  The orgl change cycle has multiple stages that orgs many encounter 
a.  Conception 
b.  Births & Foundings
c.  Transformations
       Stasis
       Growth 
       Decline 
d.  Reformulation
        Innovation
e.  Death
 
  The norm is that orgs change or go through transformation
 
  However some orgs appear to exist is stasis:  i.e. a condition of little or no change
 
  There are strong forces w/in many orgs that promote stability & implement maintenance  
  Change threatens the status quo, but is welcomed by some
 
  Many times orgs remain relatively the same rate while their env change around them, putting pressure on them for change or death
 
  The most likely orgl trans is death, & new orgs, govt & private, have a high death rate
 
  New orgs are usually small & suffer a liability of newness
 
  Population ecology theory is useful in explaining org transformations  
  Child & Kieser, 1981, believe orgs can take FOUR steps to safeguard an org's position in the env, such as:
 
  a.  secure the benefits of growth
 
  b.  enhance competitive power or public approval through efficiency & rationalization or through technology
 
  c.  establish a secure domain through the negotiation of a field of activity or niche
 
  d.  respond flexibly to external change
 
  Some population ecologists believe that agreements among orgs to lessen competition weakens the validity of their model
 
  However some theorists believe that cooperation w/in an env is relatively common
 
  Orgs make agreements w/ constituents such as workers, customers, communities, suppliers, competitors, vendors, the govt, etc.
 
  Movement into new areas such as a major change in strategy, structure, process, etc. is a common orgl transformation
 
  Carroll & Hannon, 1989, note that env's vary in their density, i.e. in how much they impact an org  
  Thus org change occurs as a result of internal or external forces  
  Kimberly & Quinn note that some org change is not related to the env but to internal pressure  
  Entrepreneurialism involves unprogrammed recombination of preexisting elements of reality (Peterson, 1981)  
  March, 1981, notes that orgl change frequently happens by accident, env forces, rationality  

 
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 Outline on Organizational Innovation
External
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  - Project:  Orgl Innovation
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  The org change cycle has stages
a.  Conception
b.  Births & Foundings
c.  Transformations
       Stasis
       Growth
       Decline
d.  Innovation/ Reformulation
e.  Death
 
  An orgl innovation differs from an orgl transformation in that it may affect only a part of the org  
  An innovation is a departure from existing practices or technologies & represents a significant departure from the state of the art at the time it appears (Kimberly, 1981)  
  Much of the analysis of innovation focuses on technology, but any other feature of an org amy also be the seat of an innovation:  administration, personnel hire procedures, etc.  
  A radical innovation is a significant departure from previous practices  
  Zaltman, Duncan, & Holbek, 1973, suggest THREE forms of innovation, including programmed innovation, non programmed innovation, & distressed innovation  
  a.  Programmed innovation is planned   
  b.  Non programmed innovation occurs when there is "slack" in the org & resources are available to be applied to innovations  
  c.  Distressed innovation is that which is forced on the org often as a result of a crisis from w/in the org or from the env  
  Zaltman, Duncan, & Holbek, 1973, suggest NINETEEN factors on which orgl innovation is based, and/or hopes to achieve, including
 
  a.  controlling orgl cost  
  Orgl costs generally are accounted for in econ terms; however, some analyses are starting to integrate social costs into the mix  
  b.  the maximization of return on investment (ROI), which is a common financial indicator  
  c.  the maximization of efficiency  
  d.  controlling of risk & uncertainty, allowing for the reduction of delays & accidents  
  e.  increasing communication allowing for increased innovation & efficiency  
  f.  enhancing compatibility allowing the smoothing of the work process among orgl units  
  g.  managing complexity to match the need for complexity  
  h.  managing scientific status so that R & D translates into info that serves orgl goals  
  i.  increasing perceived relative advantages  
  j.  increasing perceived absolute advantage  
  k.  recognizing & point of origins so that internal innovations are more likely to be accepted, & so that the points of origin can be rewarded & fosters  
  l.  coordinating timing so that innovations, processes, etc. are synchronous  
  m.  making the status quo ante a possible end state because reversibility increases the likelihood an innovation will be accepted  
  n.  commitment to the attitudes & behaviors toward the innovation  
  Participation in the decision to innovate increases commitment of all orgl actors  
  o.  enhancing interpersonal relations because if an innovation is not disruptive to personnel or Labor, it is more likely to be accepted  
  p.  managing the publicity & the vs. secretiveness of an innovation so that orgl actors who are not affected by the innovation are aware of that, & those that are affected have the necessary amt of into  
  q.  managing gatekeepers, aka the power brokers, which the innovation must pass through, because the more the gatekeepers accept, the more likely the innovation is to be accepted  
  r.  increasing the susceptibility to successive modification of the innovation because the more modifiable the innovation, the more likely the innovation is to be accepted  
  s.  increasing gateway capacity since the adoption of one innovation may increase the capacity for other innovations   
  t.  increasing gateway innovation since the adoption of one innovation may act as a gateway for other innovations  

 
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 Outline on Organizational Death
External Links
  The org change process has stages
a.  Conception
b.  Births & Foundings
c.  Transformations
       Stasis
       Growth
       Decline
d.  Innovation/ Reformulation
e.  Death
 
  Org's death includes businesses going out of business, some mergers, & some transformations   
  Orgl death is (going out of business) often is preceded by decline  
  Cameron, et al, 1987, define decline as a condition in which substantial, absolute decrease in any org's resource base occurs   
  Weitzel & Jonsson, 1989, suggest FIVE stages of orgl decline, including blindness, inaction, faulty action, crisis, & dissolution  
  See Figure 9-1:  Widening Performance Gap in the Decline Process  
  a.  Orgs that are blind to the signs of decline are more likely to experience orgl death  
  b.  Inaction in the face of decline results when the org recognizes the need for change but takes no action  
  Inaction in the face of decline is probably the most common response to decline & those orgs that successfully reverse this trend are the most likely to prosper  
  c.  Faulty action is taken but it is inappropriate because determining the cause of decline is difficult, or because the solution is not simple  
  d.  Crisis may or may not occur & can occur as an internal crisis, e.g. low sales, or an external crisis, e.g. cannot secure funding  
  e.  Dissolution occurs when the org has no viable solutions left  
  Hambrick & D'Aveni, 1988, see decline as a downward spiral as the result of slack & poor performance, followed by extreme & vacillating strategies that lead to further problems
 
  See Figure 8-2:  Orgl Decline as a Downward Spiral  
  Orgl death can result from being too successful as in a takeover or merger  
  Starbuck & Nystrom, 1981, found regular social traditions around orgl death such as parties, picnics, etc.  
  Orgl death can be long, painful, & leave scars on survivors as a result of unpaid debt, disgraced employees, unemployment, broken dreams, etc.  
  Orgl longevity should also be taken into account  
  Orgs survive hundreds, even thousands of years as seen in the orgs of the Catholic Church, Hinduism, etc., Standard Oil, JP Morgan, Mercedes, Hapsburgs of Austria, etc.  

 
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 Outline on  Professionalism & Organizational Change
External
Links
 
-  Project:  'New Orgs' & Organizational Change 
Link
  SOCIETY & THE ORGS THAT COMPRISE IT ARE IN A PERIOD OF CONSTANT, RAPID CHANGE   
  For Kanter, Stein & Dick, the only constant in orgs is orgl change
 
  Society & orgs have exp a tidal wave of org change from bureaucracy to the flexible org
 
  The old generalizations about orgs as stable, stagnant, behemoths are no longer accurate because orgs today have more temp wkrs, more part time wkrs, & more contracted wk
 
  Today, centralization & hierarchy are dysfunctional while decentralization & networks are functional
 
  The new org is characterized as having: 
 
  - flexibility
 
  - adaptability to change
 
  - few levels of hierarchy
 
  - loose boundaries among functions & units
 
  - sensitivity & responsiveness to the env
 
  - concern w/ stakeholders such as wkrs, communities, customers, suppliers, shareholders, & others
 
  - the ability to empower people to be entrepreneurial
 
  - the ability to help people gain skill & "employability"
 
 
Thus, for K, D, & S, the new org is in a continual state of change, experiencing all the processes, complexities, & effects of change
 
  Thus the new org is an org consisting largely of professionals who have prof, collegial, relationships w/ each other that mix both admin & work tasks  
  The new prof org is in sharp contrast to hierarchical bureaucracies where wkrs are highly constrained   
 
NEW ORGS OPERATE MORE AS NETWORKS THAN STABLE STRUCTURES   
 
New changing orgs are seen as networks which experience a continuous flow of production, people, & other networked orgs  
 
New, changing orgs are bundles of activities w/ common elements that allow activities & people to be grouped & treated as an entity  
 
In new, changing orgs activities shift, new or diff units or people are included in activities clusters & thus what is identified as the org also shifts  
  In new, changing orgs, membership, composition & ownership & goals are constantly changing  
 
In new, changing orgs, projects rather than positions are central  
 
In new, changing orgs, bonds btwn actors are more meaningful & ongoing
 
  LEADING THE NEW, CHANGING ORG IS LIKE STEERING A SHIP   
  Orgs are always in motion  
  In new, changing orgs, central direction results from past events, the env, strategies embraced by org's dominant coalition, by org character, & by the activities clusters in org may or may not be in sync w/ this direction  
  NEW, CHANGING ORGS HAVE THEIR OWN UNIQUE SET OF PROBLEMS INCLUDING AGENCY, COORDINATION, IMPLEMENTATION, DELEGATION, & OTHERS   
  The new, changing orgs have:  
  - an agency problem where the ownership of authority & responsibility, & who is acting in whose interest is not clear  
  - a coordination problem where even coordinated actions don't always produce intended results  
  - an implementation problem where things just don't get done  
  - a delegation problem where some people delegate too much, & some not enough  
  Problems occur in new, changing orgs because they consist of multiple stakeholders carrying out multiple but overlapping activities  
  THE FACTORS LEADING TO THE NEW CHANGING ORG INCLUDE:  GLOBALISM, TECHNOLOGY, STAKEHOLDERS, PROFESSIONALS, & OTHERS   
  The factors leading to the new, changing org include:   
  a.  global econ competition  
  b.  techl change  
  c.  the rise of stakeholder pwr  
  d.  professionalization  
  The authority over the new, changing org comes from many sources & directions & through many pathways rather than "down" a "chain of command"  
  Authority in the new changing org has greater limits than it did in the old org  
  In the new, changing org, intentional "strategic" acts are only one form of action  
  Because there are are multiple strategists in the new, changing org; the orgl purpose becomes problematic & debatable  
  THE BONDS / CONNECTIONS THAT MAKE ORGS ARE DIFFERENT FOR OLD & NEW ORGS IN CUSTOMER / CLIENT TYPE, ABILITY TO CHANGE, STASIS, INTERORG RELATIONS, & OTHERS   
Link
The Table on the Comparison of Orgl Ties in Old & New Orgs shows that the bonds / connections that make orgs work are different for old & new orgs  
  It is important to note that the differences btwn old & new orgs is not absolute, it is a matter of degree as seen in the fact that action possibilities as in mkt transactions are neither completely open in the new, changing or nor completely closed in a bur   
  In the new, changing org, there is a great variety of relationships of the  indiv to the org  
  In the new, changing org, some roles are defined by place in hierarchy (or in several hierarchies), others are defined by ability to mobilize resources, others by the ability to dev commitment  
  In the new, changing org, rewards may be social, psycl, or econ  
  In the new, changing org, activity sets are minimally institutionalized  
  For the new, changing or, network theory or soc mvmt theory may be more relevant to orgs than bur theory  
  Orgs must use momentum built from a coalition of interests & a network of activities w/in a momentum bearing structure  
  THE 'NEW ORG' IS IN FLUX, MANAGED BY WKRS / PROFESSIONALS, WHO SET THEIR OWN GOALS, ARE NETWORKED  
  The implications of the new, changing org for action are that   
  a.  change is always occurring  
  b.  change may not be guided by org leaders  
  c.  change may be inconsistent w/ the goals of principle stakeholders  
  d.  mgrs who control / guide must be aware of the nature of networks so they are able to form / wk thru coalitions to induce multiple activities & interests to coalesce around the org's momentum  
  FOR 'OLD ORGS,' THEY HAD MANY SOP'S THAT ALLOWED THEM TO MAINTAIN STABILITY SUCH AS CONCENTRATION, CLOSED MKTS, TECH, COMMITMENT OF WKRS, STAKEHOLDERS, ETC.   
  Before the new profl, flexible org, the stability of yesteryear was achieved by   
  1.  a unified motion from a coalescence of interest & activities in an env of adequate relative consistency & certainty  
  2.  abundant resources   
  3.  few competitors  
  4.  geographically confined competition   
  5.  protected mkts  
  6.  standardized tech  
  7.  understood tech  
  8.  viewing indiv & grp ambition as a constraint  
  9.  people accepting what they have  
  10.  few disasters or sys failure, which if they do occur are accepted fatalistically  
  11.  clear & acceptable commitments to stakeholders  
  12.  adequately aligned interests   
  GM in the 50s & 60s was very stable  
  Stability today departs from old conditions to the new global econ where motion becomes apparent & change takes center stage  
  Stability becomes responding to change, harnessing change, creating change, & managing change  
 
THE ENV OF THE 'NEW ORG' IS ONE W/ SCARCE RESOURCES, NEW TECH, UNCOMMITTED WKRS, MGRS, ET AL, CRISES, ETC. 
 
  Today in a climate of instability / change:   
  1.  resources are scarcer   
  2.  resources are more difficult to obtain   
  3.  new tech arises constantly   
  4.  indiv & grp ambition is given free reign   
  5.  crises are common; assumed to be solvable  
  6.  commitments of  customers,  wkrs, & other stakeholders are fragile & short lived  
  In the new, changing org, uncertainty in decision making is more prevalent  
  In the new, changing org, mgrs spend time, effort & $$ getting info to make decisions w/ info that is uncertain, incomplete, inaccurate, but mgrs must act anyway  
  We look back at history to consider what can or might be & we see multiple possibilities, not a single inevitable ending  
  Multiple possibility theory is well suited to org theory because history gives a coherent, orderly inevitable sheen to events  
  For people in the action, the choices are far less clear, options less structure, results more mixed, rationales more arguable  
  It is still up to people to act, & do more than predict the future, to invent it  
 
In the new, changing org, there is a participatory gap btwn the declared participatory mgt style & what is actually practiced  
 
In K, D, & S they report that Collins, Ross, and Ross (1989) found that 485 mgrs from 59 firms had  total support for participatory mgt, but most di not install such sys's, blaming a lack of opportunity  
 
In the new, changing org, to pursue change   
 
1.  know the sources of orgl success such as the things that /\ reliability, etc.  
 
2.  such as the success factors in orgl change  
  CHANGE OCCURS TODAY GENERALLY EITHER IN QUICK, BOLD STROKES, OR BY THE LONG MARCH  
 
Bold strokes (BSt) are big strategic decisions such as major econ initiatives such as e.g. buying a firm, closing a plant, or allocating crit resources  
 
Long marches (LM) are operational initiatives which combine several divisions, which have a transitional qual on customer relations which enhance orgl effectiveness  
 Link
The Table Comparing the Time frames of BSts & LMs shows that BSts & LMs vary in many important orgl dimensions  
 
Responsibility of bold strokes & long marches varies in that 
 
 
- BSts can be mandated by up mgt or a few people
 
 
- LMs  requires personal support of many people & cannot be mandated in practice  
 
Change at Ford under Donald Petersen in 80's used both Bld Ss & LMs  
 
At Ford, BSts were implemented in styling which shifted toward the Euro look of Taurus & Mercury Sable, & was a huge success & changed look of all Am autos  
 
At Ford, the LM was developed under the strategies of  Quality is Job 1, participatory mgt, & reduced cycle time  
 
At Ford, it appears that today that the BSts succeeded while the LM failed  
 
LM succeeded at Xerox through the visible commitment & top mgt attn to ground level operations  
 
The characteristics of the firm & leaders are imp in determining whether BSts or LMs will succeed  
 
Orgs develop dispositions toward dealing w/ problems & these dev into habits  
  Habits must be supported by the org character, mechanisms, standards, procedures  

 
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Table on the Comparison of Orgl Bonds / Connections in Old & New Orgs
Type of Org >
Type of Connection \/
Old org New, changing org
Customer / Client Type mkt oriented meaningful
Ability to Change rigid flexible
Stasis immutable ongoing
Interorgl Relations  none / independent many / networked 
The Table on the Comparison of Orgl Ties in Old & New Orgs shows that the bonds / connections that make orgs work are different for old & new orgs

 
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Table Comparing the Actions of Bold Strokes & Long Marches
  Bold strokes Long marches
Time frame Fast Slow
Locus of action Decisions @ top Initiatives throughout 
Leader control Hi:  Can command results Lo:  Can initiate but not command
Initial results Clear acts, impact Unclear acts, impact
Later results Erratic Dependable
Culture impact Habits unchanged Habits can change
The Table Comparing the Actions of Bold Strokes & Long Marches shows that BSts & LMs vary in many important orgl dimensions

 
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 Outline on Organizational Characteristics & Organizational Change
External
Links
  Hage & Aiken, 1970, found SEVEN orgl characteristics which enhance innovation including:   
  a.  professional training  
  b.  decentralization  
  c.  a low level of formalization  
  d.  a low level of the stratification of rewards  
  e.  a low emphasis on volume  
  f.  a low emphasis on efficiency  
  g.  a high level of job satisfaction  
  Hage, 1980, adds that cosmopolitan professionals & a dominant coalition in support of innovation will enhance innovation  
  Moch & Morse, 1977, find that innovation is related to org size, specialization, differentiation, & decentralization  
  They focus on the values of lower level dec mkrs, whose perspectives & interest must be compatible w/ the innovation  
  Baldridge & Burnham, 1975, believe that orgl characteristics are more important to innovation than orgl attitudes  
  Hage & Dewar, 1973, argue the opposite, that the values of the elites are more imp than the structural characteristics  
  Corwin, 1973, found that the econ conditions & the internal politics of the org affected how the innovations were accepted-- through a power struggle  
  Daft & Becker, 1978, found that innovations increases as incentives from the env increase because of a growth env  
  Manns & March, 1978, found that adversity also increases innovation, w/ weak orgs requiring more innovation  
  Successful innovation requires different orgl arrangements for each stage  
  Decentralization might be more effective in the initiation stage of orgl change  
  Centralization is more important in relation to the implementation stage or orgl change  
  Govt policies can encourage or discourage innovation (Hall, 1981)  
  Holden, 1980, clearly demonstrates that Japanese govt policies on such factors as taxes, trade, tariff, regulations, etc., are better coordinated & more conducive to innovation  
  Weick, 1979, views orgs as constantly changing & recognizes factors such as size & technology, but sees orgs as more "enacting" entities placing greater emphasis on the perceptions & interpretations of individuals  
  Weick emphasizes that constantly shifting constructions of reality mean that the org is fluid  
  Hall sees the org as less fluid because of structural factors, power arrangement, limitations of the env, etc.  

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