SOME BASIC CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS:Strategic change, Logical incrementalism

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Change Management MGMT625

LESSON# 5

SOME BASIC CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS

Organizational Learning (OL)

This refers to the continuous improvement of existing approaches and processes of adaptation to

change, leading to new goals and/or approaches. In other words OL can be viewed as the

organization's detection and correction of error, where error is mismatch between the organization's

intentions and what really happened (Argyris 1989)

Single loop learning is defined as the organization's ability to perceive deviation from performance

and to "fix" them (refers to diagnostic management control system). This is something pre-

programmed and content specific.

Double loop learning (more sophisticated) emphasises that organization must review the underlying

assumption that created the problem to be "fixed" in the first place, and seek and adapt a better

assumptions for future performance. This entails questioning and adjustment of policies and

objectives, and is process -oriented

Learning Organisation (LO)

Peter Senge, the author of fifth discipline gave the concept which essentially means that just like

individuals Organizations also tend to learn. An organization where people continually expand their

capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are

nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning how to

learn together.

The five disciplines are:

1. Systems thinking

2. Personal mastery - skills, values and competence

3. Mental models - are deeply ingrained assumptions, or even pictures or images that

influence how we understand the world and how we take action

4. Shared vision common aspiration/objective

5. Team Learning dialogue and thinking together

Learning cycle

Includes the following stages; planning, execution of plans, assessment of progress revision of

plans

Un-learn

Schein believes in unlearning for change to occur the organisation must unlearn previous beliefs, be

open to new inputs, and re-learn new assumptions and behaviour.

Strategic change

The concept is broader in its scope; change that is driven by "strategy" and "environmental forces",

and is tied closely to the organization's ability to achieve its goals. For e.g. merger, acquisition,

down-sizing, acquisition, joint venture. Or in other words it is the role and impact of environmental

Change Management MGMT625

forces like government, societal, technological or political changes is decisive which an

organization has to bear and incorporate in its strategic output.

Process Change

The focus is with in organization changes, narrower in scope, and is confined to a particular unit,

division or function of the organisation. This relates to basically an examination and adjustment of

organizational or managerial processes. Nadler & Tushman identified as "Tuning" meant to

increase efficiency

Adaptive Change

Adaptive changes are incremental and evolutionary in nature, analogous to the concept of "working

in the system" more directed towards changes and management on day-to-day organizational

transactions.

Generative Change

Changes which likely to entail a quantum break through, generates essentially a new ways of doing

things. Revolutionary in nature and Also referred as transformation "Working on the system"

Schein's Typology

1. Natural Evolutionary

Some thing which is all the time going on in organization. This is known as learning process

occurring in organization taking placing knowingly and unknowingly. This refers to environmental

adaptation, synonymous with evolutionary change, may be progressive leading to growth and

development or regressive or degenerating one leading to organization illness or death.

2. Planned & Managed Change

As the name suggests this type of change means one can control the direction of change and

learning. Learning can be controlled. Managers can stabilize the processes that need to be

stabilised, even organization culture can be changed and managed. So one can change and stabilize

some ways of working

3. Unplanned Revolutionary Change

Refers to impact of turbulent and unstable environment which creates disequilibrium and high

uncertainty for organizations' strategy and structure.

Logical incrementalism

A concept which gained wide currency in designing and managing change, articulated by J. B.

Quinn. Change management is complex and time-consuming phenomenon where internal and

external forces exert significant pressures to resist change. Keeping in view this the logical

incrementalism process which focuses on the evolution of the change as broad goals are more

narrowly defined and adapted. The process comprises of the following stages:

1. Change is considered as a general concern a vaguely felt awareness of an issue or opportunity

2. Broadcasting of a general idea without details the idea is floated for reactions pro and con, and

for refinements of change plan or idea.

3. Formal development of a change plan

Change Management MGMT625

4. Use of a crisis or opportunity to stimulate implementation of the change plan. For example

retirement of a senior manager or a sudden loss of market share can facilitate rapid acceptance and

implementation of the change plan

5. Adaptation of the plan as implementation progresses.

This approach has its advocates and critics. Many top level managers consider it appropriate to

bring successful change in organization by floating an idea early on, a leader can improve the

quality of information generated before decisions are made and can overcome emotional and

political barriers. While the critics of logical incrementalism see this as disjointed, garbage-can

approach, or as managerial muddling. These complaints are valid if change plans are unclear or

poorly formulated

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