TELEOLOGICAL THEORIES OF CHANGE:Unit of change, Mode of Change, Limitations

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Change Management MGMT625

LESSON # 9

TELEOLOGICAL THEORIES OF CHANGE

Teleological theories of Change

According to this theory, human actions are purposive; goal is the final cause for guiding

movement of an entity. This underlies other organization theories like functionalism, decision-

making, adaptive learning & model of strategic planning and goal setting. By this theory

development of an organizational entity proceeds toward a goal or end state. The entity is

purposeful and adaptive by itself or interaction with others. The entity constructs an envisioned

state, takes action to reach it, and monitors the progress. Therefore development process entails the

repetitive sequence of goal formulation, implementation, evaluation and modification of goals.

Individuals or organisations who are sufficiently like-minded strive to act as a single collective

entity. Therefore, the question is why to have organisation in the first case? Its answers lie in the

fact that it is the commonality and convergence of purpose which binds individuals and

organizations. Hence task oriented-ness pre-dominates (technocratization). This is perhaps one such

structural difference between managers in developed and developing countries. But unlike life-

cycle theory, teleology doesn't prescribe necessary sequence of events.

Some teleological models incorporate the systems theory assumption of equi-finality (multiple

effective ways to achieve a goal). In this theory there is no prefigured rule, logically necessary

direction or set sequence of stages. Teleology stresses the purposive ness of the actor and within

organisation's environment and resources constraints

Unit of change

Change processes go on at many organizational levels, including the individual, group,

organisation, industry and on other population as well

Mode of Change

Teleological and dialectical motors incorporate a constructive mode of change and development

(2nd order change). By this very nature teleological processes tend to diverge from the current

order. Because goals can be changed at the will of an entity and can be attained in many ways,

therefore this may result in unpredictability and discontinuity

Application:

New management system like MBO, ISO certification, introduction of new software, quality drives

in organisations are all considered part of teleological approach to change management. Focus in

this approach is on goals or objective setting process or phenomenon in an entity. So the case in

point is how do we set goals? How do we arrive at our decisions? What our objectives or ends are?

Are these in continuity or in discontinuity with the past objectives of an entity? All these

dimensions relate with ends and means debate. Good and quality objectives with legitimate and

effective means for an entity are always difficult to arrive at. Another issue with objective setting is

whether goals are rationally formulated? Rationality, of course is bound by time and space, the

concept of bounded rationality earlier propounded by Herbert Simon. Visionary is the one who can

see things at distant, that is, he can give stretch to time and space. So when we say vision ought to

be shared by members of the organization For example whether this vision is shared by senior

executives and the managers in succession (change of CEO). Hence change of managers or CEO is

meaningless if there is no meaningful qualitative change in objectives of organization. One can

apply the same for developing nations like Pakistan. For instance take the context of history of

Pakistan. A Pre-1947 objectives of colonisers was to extract revenue and control us through the

design of strong bureaucratic institutions. After independence this objective ought to have been

revised and replaced by the objectives of growth & development (Constitution is a written objective

of a nation). This never happened as bureaucratic institutions remain oriented towards control and

revenue like the objective of colonisers. Similarly objectives of governing elite whether or not get

Change Management MGMT625

changed by the change in personalities, law, system or party change. Similarly in case of

organisation we have to see mission, vision, objectives, plans, target, what is known as hierarchy on

intent truly reflects organization performance or just a rhetoric. Therefore the need to have an

organization is "to attain our goals" and for the attainment of goals organizations at time becomes

autocratic in behaviour. For that matter, the very first goal being survival or "Self-preservation" all

factor of generation-growth-maturity in organisms are considered to be in line with self-preserving.

Therefore, behaviour in organisation becomes purposive.

Limitations:

Though the tautological theory has good explanatory power yet it is not without its limitations. Two

such stand very obvious. One is that the element of subjectivity is ignored in this kind of

explanation. Human behaviour is not as subjective as explains for all and sundry behaviour. Second

this is considered too much mechanistic, ignoring the organic dynamism of nature.

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