Changes In Organizational Practices Research Articles

A Balance of Rigor and Relevance: Engaged Scholarship in Organizational Change

Organizations face increasing demand to make meaningful, sustainable changes based on shifts in their external environments. This presents an unprecedented opportunity for insightful, useful research in the field of organizational change. As in other management science disciplines, the field suffers from a gap between research-favoring rigor and practice-favoring relevance. Through the framework of engaged scholarship—a collaborative approach to knowledge production—we present organizational change research as particularly well-positioned to utilize existing gap-related tensions to advance the field in terms of effective academic- and practice-based outcomes. We highlight empirical efforts in organizational change applied research that have contributed to theory building, method development, and practice knowledge. We include interview data collected from scholar-practitioners in the field and focus on the work of W. Warner Burke, in particular, for this special issue honoring the legacy of his rigorous and relevant contributions to the science and practice of organizational change.

Organizational Change Practices for a Post-Pandemic World

As the world moves into a post COVID-19 mode of operation, organizational change practices must also move into a new paradigm Drawing on what is already known

Stability and Innovation in the Use of Forecasting Systems: A Case Study in a Supply-Chain Company

Computer-based demand forecasting systems have been widely adopted in supply chain companies, but little research has studied how these systems are actually used in the forecasting process. We report the findings of a case study of demand forecasting in a pharmaceutical company over a fifteen-year period. At the start of the study managers believed that they were making extensive use of their forecasting system that was marketed on the basis of the accuracy of its advanced statistical methods. Yet the majority of forecasts were obtained by using the system’s facility for judgmentally overriding the automatic statistical forecasts. Carrying out the judgmental interventions involved considerable management effort as part of an S & OP process, yet these often only served to reduce forecast accuracy. This study uses observations of the forecasting process, interviews with participants and data on the accuracy of forecasts to investigate the reasons underlying the managers’ use of the system at two levels, the individual and the organizational. This evidence is then interpreted using various theories to understand the longevity of the company’s forecasting process, despite potential economic benefits that could be achieved through change. However, 10 years after the original case observations radical transformations of the forecasting system were introduced. The paper concludes by considering the impetus for adopting the new system and processes, and the changes in organizational practices this has led to.

Change Management Practices and Performance of the National Police Service in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya

In order for implementation of change to be executed successfully in any organization, the human capital should, as a matter of necessity, accept and support the change. Change management practices support behavioral and organizational adjustments thus ensuring that change is accommodated and sustained in the organization. The National Police Service (NPS) faces a myriad of challenges today, pushing the Government to embark on a comprehensive transformational programme within the service with the aim of enhancing performance. With these security sector reforms in progress, successful implementation of change is necessary in order for the objectives of the change to be attained. Crime rate, public safety and efficient utilization of available police resources remain a major concern in the country, pointing out to the fact that the intended level of police performance is yet to be realized. This study purposed to investigate how the practices used to manage change can impact the delivery of services of the National Police Service in the County of Uasin Gishu. It used the descriptive and explanatory research design. Targeted population was 1,055 junior National Police officers in Uasin Gishu County. The sample comprised of 158 respondents. Structured questionnaires were employed as the main tool of data collection. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data collected. The findings indicate that employee involvement has a significant positive effect on performance of the National Police Service in Uasin Gishu, effective communication has a significant positive effect on performance of the National Police Service in Uasin Gishu and senior management support has a significant positive effect on performance of the National Police Service in Uasin Gishu County. The findings support the chaos theory theoretical foundation that a small change in organizational practices has the ability to result to huge changes in future outcomes. The recommendations are that the National Police service should involve employees in all stages of the reform process in order for successful change management implementation to be realized and improve performance. To ensure successful change implementation in the National Police Service, employees should be given enough time to share their ideas about change and there should also be effective communication on the objectives of the change. The management of the National Police Service should commit to the change process by leading the process and striving to help employees understand how the changes will affect them personally in order to minimize their anxiety and reduce resistance.

Faculty Development Initiatives in Academic Dentistry: A Systematic Review.

The aims of this systematic review were to collect a list of published articles on dental faculty development and to determine the types and location of programs evaluated and years of publication. A subset of selected articles were then assessed using Kirkpatrick assessment model four levels: learner reaction, participant learning, participant behavioral change, and changes in organizational practice. The search, conducted in 2016, comprised all potentially relevant articles in the following databases: PubMed, EMBASE via Ovid, and ERIC. The study screening was done by three reviewers in multiple stages: by title, abstract, and full text review. Following deduplication, 257 titles were obtained; of those, 102 articles were selected for abstract review. As a result of that review, 32 articles were excluded, leaving 70 for data extraction. The majority of the 70 articles were about programs in the U.S., and two-thirds were studies conducted at individual academic institutions. Most focused on faculty development initiatives (n=49), followed by retention (n=22), recruitment (n=16), and/or promotion/tenure (n=11). The year with the highest number of published articles was 1991 (n=10, 14%), followed by 2007 and 2011 (n=6, 8.6% each). Among the 12 articles evaluated with the Kirkpatrick model, most assessed Levels 1, 2, and 3, but very few addressed Level 4. Research in those 12 articles was conducted primarily at two dental schools: New York University College of Dentistry (n=5) and University of Florida College of Dentistry (n=4). This study generated a varied list of published articles on faculty development, but the results point to the need for research at more institutions and using additional methodologies.

Adolescents' preferences regarding health care

Adolescents underutilize health services, especially for monitoring purposes, which represents a concern for professionals. Since adolescence is a crucial phase in acquiring healthy behaviors and attitudes that facilitate access to these services, finding ways to respond to the specific needs of adolescents through their participation is an important investment in the well-being of future generations. This is an exploratory, descriptive and qualitative study with two phases, seeking to identify and analyze adolescents' ideas and preferences about healthcare. Eight group interviews were conducted with 64 adolescents aged 13 to 18 years: four focus groups (phase 1) and four nominal groups (phase 2). The data was submitted to content analysis. The adolescents revealed both favorable and unfavorable opinions, highlighting a set of preferences regarding service conditions, such as short waiting periods, more comfortable and less crowded settings. Concerning the professionals' attitudes, they emphasized their technical competencies, such as knowledge and experience, although combined with interpersonal skills. These findings support the need for changes in organizational practices, and particularly in the attitudes of the professionals.

Effects of social work practice on practitioners’ spirituality

ABSTRACTIncreased attention to the intersection between spirituality/religion and social work has led to improved understanding of the importance of these influences in the lives of social workers and the people they serve. The effects of social work practice on practitioner spirituality, however, have not been adequately examined. A sample of social workers were surveyed to explore how their social work practice has influenced their spirituality. Three means of influence were found: practice can serve as a source of spirituality of new spiritual knowledge and growth; practice can support existing, fixed spiritual beliefs and values; and denial of influence of practice on spirituality. The findings suggest needed changes in organizational practice as well as social work education.

Police Reform Through an Administrative Lens: Revisiting the Justice Department’s Pattern or Practice Initiative

The U.S. Department of Justice’s “pattern or practice” initiative has been used to address systemic police misconduct in cities like Ferguson, Los Angeles, and Baltimore. Despite its clear relevance to administrative theory building and the practice of organizational change, the subject remains almost entirely unknown to public administration scholars. This article is designed to serve as an introduction to pattern or practice reform and a detailed agenda for future scholastic and practical contribution, with focus on three areas where administrative scholars could be of particular insight: (a) public personnel management, discretion, and accountability; (b) the influence of legal principles on the management of public bureaucracies; and (c) representative democracy and federalism. Engagement with the issue not only gives administrative scholars a voice on an increasingly salient public issue, but also would add depth and a much-needed perspective to management of such an important policy initiative.

Personalized learning in high technology charter schools

In recent years, there has been an increase in the popularity of personalized learning (PL) and educational technology in American K-12 schools. In particular, school models that use technology to deliver personalized learning experiences for students have proliferated. Still, few studies have investigated these phenomena in K-12 contexts, with no studies to date examining the implementation and evolution of PL models over time. Toward closing this gap in the current literature on PL models, this qualitative case study uses Activity Theory to understand how and why a PL school in the United States evolved from its inaugural year through its third year of implementation. Findings indicate that the school exhibited substantive changes in organizational practice rooted in: (1) a disconnect between vision and practice; (2) the implementation of a “No Excuses” model and the school-level prioritization of accountability; and (3) the reprioritization of PL. Implications for educators and organizations interested in developing and implementing PL are discussed.

Leadership in organisational change: A post-structuralist research agenda

The organisational change literature remains dominated by macro- and microexplanatory models which tend to exclude conflict, mess and power in favour of enumerating universalistic steps or, as is the subject of this article, leadership definitions and factors for successful change. In this article, I review and question some of the mainstream literature on leadership in organisational change, drawing on Laclau and Mouffe’s political discourse theory and its mobilisation by critical leadership studies of organisational change. This article problematises change leadership as a set of multiple and changing practices, pragmatically deployed by organisational players. In exploring those avenues, I deploy a five-step ‘logics of critical explanation’ approach – specifically designed by Laclauian discourse theorists – characterising organisational change practices according to social (rules and norms), political (inclusions and exclusions) and fantasmatic (fears and hopes) logics. Rather than a set of factors or top–down causes and effects, I offer a situated and critical explanation of leadership in organisational change. This research contributes to critical explanations of organisational change politics by considering leadership as a set of changing discursive practices and by developing four situated dimensions of leadership, which build on concepts of empty and floating signifiers, to add to discussions of the role of individuals in organisational politics.

A relationship between corporate sustainability and organizational change (part three)

Purpose– In the present kaleidoscopic business landscape the concepts of corporate sustainability are increasingly affecting corporations’ relationships with society and shaping how business leaders interpret changes to their organizations. The path to sustainability is best viewed as an organizational change initiative for which the “how” and “why” must be considered. Broadly, change initiatives have a notably poor success rate, which is likely related to discord between an initiative and the people undertaking it. Corporate sustainability is a transformational change that impacts business culture and a firm’s relationship with its community. The purpose of this paper is to better understand implications of undertaking sustainability change initiatives in today’s global environment the corporate-societal relationship needs to be examined in this three part paper in terms of value creation, for whom, and how sustainability is becoming an increasingly significant portion of this equation. First, a basis for corporate sustainability and the concepts surrounding who the stakeholders need to be examined, after which the reasons for attempting sustainability, in terms of value creation, and considerations for the implementation (culture, identity, attachment) of said change initiative will be explored.Design/methodology/approach– Empirical and practitioner research papers were reviewed to illustrate the meaning and approaches to corporate sustainability and analyze how organizational change initiatives can best be used to facilitate organizational transformation.Findings– There is no consensus on the meaning of corporate sustainability, rather there continues to be an evolution of ideas and theories shaping the evolution of corporate sustainability. To implement any form of corporate sustainability requires that managers understand their objective and the cultural and psychological barriers of organizational change. Better engagement with those undertaking organizational change and clear articulation of the change’s purpose can better lend themselves to an initiative’s success. However, there is no panacea and managers must recognize that approaches may need to be altered.Research limitations/implications– Research tends to occupy one of two spheres, either corporate sustainability or change initiatives. More linkage between these two concepts and empirical research of the effectiveness of organizational change practices for corporate sustainability is needed.Practical implications– A better understanding of organizational change theories, practices, and procedures may benefit managers and organizations that endeavor to realize corporate sustainability.Social implications– Given the implications of recent corporate collapses and their perceived malice, there is now greater thought about the role these organizations have in society. Concepts regarding shared value and mutual benefit to society and corporations can be expected to remain at the forefront of the public decorum.Originality/value– This paper sought to draw stronger ties between corporate sustainability and organizational change, highlighting that the two are codependent.

A relationship between corporate sustainability and organizational change (part two)

Purpose – In the present kaleidoscopic business landscape the concepts of corporate sustainability are increasingly affecting corporations’ relationships with society and shaping how business leaders interpret changes to their organizations. The path to sustainability is best viewed as an organizational change initiative for which the “how” and “why” must be considered. Broadly, change initiatives have a notably poor success rate, which is likely related to discord between an initiative and the people undertaking it. Corporate sustainability is a transformational change that impacts business culture and a firm’s relationship with its community. To better understand implications of undertaking sustainability change initiatives in today’s global environment the corporate-societal relationship needs to be examined in this three-part paper in terms of value creation, for whom, and how sustainability is becoming an increasingly significant portion of this equation. First, a basis for corporate sustainability and the concepts surrounding who the stakeholders need to be examined, after which the reasons for attempting sustainability, in terms of value creation, and considerations for the implementation (culture, identity, attachment) of said change initiative will be explored. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Empirical and practitioner research papers were reviewed to illustrate the meaning and approaches to corporate sustainability and analyze how organizational change initiatives can best be used to facilitate organizational transformation. Findings – There is no consensus on the meaning of corporate sustainability, rather there continues to be an evolution of ideas and theories shaping the evolution of corporate sustainability. To implement any form of corporate sustainability requires that managers understand their objective and the cultural and psychological barriers of organizational change. Better engagement with those undertaking organizational change and clear articulation of the change’s purpose can better lend themselves to an initiative’s success. However, there is no panacea and managers must recognize that approaches may need to be altered. Research limitations/implications – Research tends to occupy one of two spheres, either corporate sustainability or change initiatives. More linkage between these two concepts and empirical research of the effectiveness of organizational change practices for corporate sustainability is needed. Practical implications – A better understanding of organizational change theories, practices, and procedures may benefit managers and organizations that endeavor to realize corporate sustainability. Social implications – Given the implications of recent corporate collapses and their perceived malice, there is now greater thought about the role these organizations have in society. Concepts regarding shared value and mutual benefit to society and corporations can be expected to remain at the forefront of the public decorum. Originality/value – This paper sought to draw stronger ties between corporate sustainability and organizational change, highlighting that the two are codependent.

A relationship between corporate sustainability and organizational change (Part One)

Purpose – In the present kaleidoscopic business landscape the concepts of corporate sustainability are increasingly affecting corporations’ relationships with society and shaping how business leaders interpret changes to their organizations. The path to sustainability is best viewed as an organizational change initiative for which the “how” and “why” must be considered. Broadly, change initiatives have a notably poor success rate, which is likely related to discord between an initiative and the people undertaking it. Corporate sustainability is a transformational change that impacts business culture and a firm’s relationship with its community. The purpose of this paper is to examine the corporate-societal relationship to better understand implications of undertaking sustainability change initiatives in today’s global environment in this three-part paper in terms of value creation, for whom, and how sustainability is becoming an increasingly significant portion of this equation. First, a basis for corporate sustainability and the concepts surrounding who the stakeholders need to be examined, after which the reasons for attempting sustainability, in terms of value creation, and considerations for the implementation (culture, identity, attachment) of said change initiative will be explored. Design/methodology/approach – Empirical and practitioner research papers were reviewed to: illustrate the meaning and approaches to corporate sustainability; and analyze how organizational change initiatives can best be used to facilitate organizational transformation. Findings – There is no consensus on the meaning of corporate sustainability, rather there continues to be an evolution of ideas and theories shaping the evolution of corporate sustainability. To implement any form of corporate sustainability requires that managers understand their objective and the cultural and psychological barriers of organizational change. Better engagement with those undertaking organizational change and clear articulation of the change’s purpose can better lend themselves to an initiative’s success. However, there is no panacea and managers must recognize that approaches may need to be altered. Research limitations/implications – Research tends to occupy one of two spheres, either corporate sustainability or change initiatives. More linkage between these two concepts and empirical research of the effectiveness of organizational change practices for corporate sustainability is needed. Practical implications – A better understanding of organizational change theories, practices, and procedures may benefit managers and organizations that endeavor to realize corporate sustainability. Social implications – Given the implications of recent corporate collapses and their perceived malice, there is now greater thought about the role these organizations have in society. Concepts regarding shared value and mutual benefit to society and corporations can be expected to remain at the forefront of the public decorum. Originality/value – This paper sought to draw stronger ties between corporate sustainability and organizational change, highlighting that the two are codependent.

A Vision for Transportation Safety: Framework for Identifying Best Practice Strategies to Advance Vision Zero

The Traffic Safety Best Practices Matrix is presented. It is a tool to help U.S. cities to identify the landscape of strategies being used domestically and internationally to advance Vision Zero, as pioneered by Sweden. Many cities across the United States have expressed an interest in Vision Zero, with a growing number passing policies calling for the elimination of traffic-related fatalities over the next decade. Despite the increase in interest, little guidance exists around what Vision Zero is and what actions can be implemented to help realize zero deaths. The matrix culls together the results of an extensive examination of the measures that cities and countries are pursuing to reduce traffic-related fatalities and improve safety. The matrix attempts to bridge the gap by presenting a framework that cities can use to identify effective strategies, benchmark their efforts relative to other jurisdictions, and reach out to cities and countries pursing Vision Zero policies for additional information. An analysis of the matrix, focuses on three categories: measures with widespread adoption, limited implementation, and minimal utilization. There is discussion of how these findings can inform the next steps for Vision Zero implementation, with a focus on implications for U.S. cities. The main recommendations are to develop mechanisms that institutionalize Vision Zero across sectors, focus education on supporting changes in organizational practices and policy reform, improve collaboration across all levels of government, explore technology that meets the unique needs of cities, and create data systems that facilitate accountability and encourage public participation.

Integrating Technology, Management and Marketing Innovation through Open Innovation Models

This paper explores, through a company case study, the importance of innovation for the competitive development of a company and how the adoption of an open innovation strategy could be effective to face typical barriers associated with the implementation of such processes. The case analysis shows the importance of the University-Industry relationship and the relevant role that the government plays in fomenting these relationships. Likewise, we point out the value of adopting an integral vision of the innovation process that not only considers its technological dimension (new product development), but also the elements associated to marketing and organizational change practices. The case studied herein exemplifies the systemic character of innovation and the relevance it has for companies, particularly for SME’s, to open its innovation strategy and integrate themselves with other actors to leverage its cognitive and financial resources as well as to explore new routes to bring the best of its internal technological capacities.

Ready for Success? How Readiness for Change Drives Project Success

This study examined the influence readiness for change has on the success of IT projects and resulting organisational changes. Findings from a survey of IT projects of European steel producers (n=137) indicated a significant influence of readiness for change on the perception/acceptance of new IT solutions and employee commitment to related organisational changes whereas both contributed to the perception of overall project success. The findings of this study present statistical evidence for the positive contribution of organisational change practices in an early project phase for the successful realisation of IT projects from the perspective of organisational change and from the perspective of IT acceptance.

Cognitive foundations of organizational learning: re-introducing the distinction between declarative and non-declarative knowledge.

Contemporary research into socio-cognitive foundations of organizational learning tends to disregard the distinction between declarative and non-declarative knowledge. By reviewing the literature from organizational learning research and cognitive psychology we explain that this distinction is crucial. We describe the foundations of organizational learning by referring to models that consider the interplay between individual and collective knowledge-related processes in organizations. We highlight the existence of a research gap resulting from the finding that these approaches have widely neglected the existence of different types of knowledge. We then elaborate on characteristics of declarative and non-declarative knowledge in general, consider organizations as structures of distributed cognition, and discuss the relationship between organizational knowledge and practice. Subsequently, we examine the role of declarative and non-declarative knowledge in the context of organizational learning. Here, we analyze (1) the cognitive and social mechanisms underlying the development of declarative and non-declarative knowledge within structures of distributed cognition; and (2) the relationship between alterations in declarative and non-declarative types of knowledge on the one hand and changes in organizational practice on the other. Concluding, we discuss implications of our analysis for organizational learning research. We explain how our integrative perspective may offer starting points for a refined understanding of the sub-processes involved in organizational learning and unlearning and may support a better understanding of practical problems related to organizational learning and change.

We have not lived long enough: Sensemaking and learning from bushfire in Australia

Organizations increasingly find themselves responding to unprecedented natural disasters that are experienced as complex, unpredictable, and harmful. We examine how organizations make sense and learn from these novel experiences by examining three Australian bushfires. We show how sensemaking and learning occurred during the public inquiries that followed these events, as well as how learning continued afterward with the help of “learning cues.” We propose a model that links public inquiry activities to changes in organizational practices. Given the interesting times in which we live, this model has important implications for future research on how new organizational practices can be enacted after public inquiries have concluded their work.

Law Enforcement as Legal Mobilization: Reforming the Pharmaceutical Industry Through Government Litigation

Scholars of legal mobilization have long explored how litigation is used as a resource for social and political change. While most studies focus on the actions of private groups, this article considers law enforcement as a form of legal mobilization. Employing a case study of recent pharmaceutical litigation, this article examines how prosecutors have mobilized the law to reshape corporate responsibilities in the prescription drug industry. Prosecutors' litigation campaigns have forced changes in organizational practices, expanded the scope of the conflict over pharmaceutical industry actions, and established new legal norms that have spread throughout the political system. This form of prosecutor‐led legal mobilization has occurred in other contexts as well, including gun control and mortgage lending. In addition to indicating how lawyers within the state can engage in a form of cause lawyering, the government litigation explored in this article illustrates both the instrumental and constitutive power of the law.

Perspectives on the Formal Authority between Project Managers and Change Managers

Project management and change management both contribute to the management and delivery of changes to organizations; however, they are based on distinct bodies of knowledge, and practitioners of these disciplines have disparate views on how change should be managed. There is a lack of consensus about how these disciplines should work together to deliver organizational change projects, which may result in conflict. This research delves into practitioners' perspectives on formal authority, the reporting relationship between these disciplines, and also reveals the fundamental differences in how practitioners of these disciplines view the practice of organizational change.