THE IMPACT OF EVERYDAY EXPERIENCES ON PLANNED ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE: APPLYING SCHEMATIC CHANGE THEORY TO THE STUDY OF NARRATIVES IN COMMUNITY‐BASED ORGANIZATIONS

Abstract

This case study examines change experiences of two community‐based organizations participating in a planned organizational change (POC) project. Research on POC in community psychology has emphasized teleological change processes (e.g., strategic planning). This paper aims to broaden the discourse through a qualitative study focused on the role of cognition and sensemaking in organizational change. A schematic change process model is proposed and used to explore how members' narratives related to everyday change shape the way they make sense of and engage in a formalized, change process. Analysis revealed two types of change narratives: romantic and tragic. The findings suggest that romantic narratives reinforce existing paradigms of practice, but can also serve as positive resources for members during POC. In contrast, tragic narratives may serve as an impetus for POC, however, when related to negative internal organizational dynamics can undermine and impede the POC process. Implications for change readiness are discussed.