Coherence, pathology and change in Chinese commercial banks

Abstract

In this article, the traditional organisation development (OD) methodology is adapted into a new form called organisation patterning (OP), which is able to explore coherence, pathology and change in Chinese commercial state-owned banks. This occurs by shifting it into a cybernetic frame of reference that provides a new way of understanding organisational change. OP is better able to deal with resistance, power and control issues than traditional OD is. It is applied to the notions of coherence and pathology in the Chinese commercial banking system through a questionnaire analysis of state-owned banks in different Chinese regions. OP is different from traditional OD, incorporating new knowledge derived from a cybernetic paradigm called knowledge cybernetics. It is better able to understand coherence and pathologies and is applicable to understanding change in Chinese commercial state-owned banks. This study only concerns well-established state-owned commercial banks in China. There might be different conclusions for other types of enterprises. The study also offers guidelines for managing change in Chinese banks, especially with respect to coherence, pathologies and kinematics.