Process Of Intentional Change Research Articles

“Not like them”: New Signers’ narrative constructions of the authentic signer

Much of sociolinguistic research aims at exploring various aspects concerning authentic and native speakers. Throughout the literature, both concepts are not only frequently conflated but the corresponding terms oftentimes even used interchangeably. Focusing on emic perspectives of deaf sign language users, and strategically applying a theoretical approach well established in educational and race studies, the research examines how New Signers construct the counter-story of their own status as ‘the authentic signer’ (TAS) against the backdrop of the master narrative of native signer ideology. The qualitative analysis is based on conversations with 31 deaf signers recorded in the context of 10 focus group, which were conducted in 9 cities throughout Germany. The research demonstrates that participants construct the status of TAS either as inherited or as the outcome of a dynamic process of intentional change. Introducing notions of ‘Deaf aristocracy’ vs. ‘Deaf meritocracy’, the paper proposes a significant extension to current conversations about native speaker ideologies by providing empirical evidence that deaf conceptualizations embrace a clear differentiation between authentic and native language users, which therefore must also be upheld in relevant academic discourses.

Critical Connections between Participatory Evaluation, Organizational Learning and Intentional Change in Pluralistic Organizations

The current debate around the emergence of participatory approaches in evaluation practice suggests that participatory evaluation may be considered an organizational learning praxis, one which facilitates the development of a holistic process of intentional change. Through critical reflection on how participatory evaluation has been conceptualized, this article offers an overview of some of the contextual challenges encountered when using participatory evaluation to enable the creation of learning environments. Given the pluralistic nature of modern organizations and some contextual constraints, evaluators appear to have largely developed a more instrumental type of learning, which may, paradoxically, result in a significant source of resistance to intentional change. This article proposes a process of capacity building for evaluative research (CBER). This process offers a collaborative way of overcoming unforeseen resistance to intentional change by overcoming the challenges found in the relationship between participatory evaluation and organizational learning. The article concludes by suggesting some epistemological and organizational issues that evaluators should take into account when enabling the implementation of a process of CBER in pluralistic organizations.

Social capital and intentional change

PurposeBetter understanding the mechanisms through which individuals engage in sustainable change efforts has been an ongoing concern of both researchers and practitioners. While dyadic interactions with others can play a significant role in individual change efforts, the purpose of this article is to explore how the networks of relationships in which individuals are embedded are likely to impact their efforts to engage in sustainable change.Design/methodology/approachThis article develops a conceptual framework and offers propositions regarding the suggested impact of bridging and bonding social capital on each of the discovery phases of the intentional change process.FindingsDrawing on a variety of literatures, It is argued that the bridging and bonding forms of social capital may each significantly influence the intentional change process, but in different ways. Also provided is an example of how the intentional change process can, in turn, be utilized to build one's social capital.Originality/valueWhile previous research on intentional change has alluded to the importance of relationships to individual change efforts, little attention has been paid to the role that social capital may play in facilitating the individual change process. Considering the role of social capital in individual change efforts may suggest new avenues of inquiry for researchers, as well as provide insight to practitioners interested in mechanisms to facilitate change at the individual level.

Working on the positive emotional attractor through training in health care

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to link complexity theory to the intentional change process by examining the role of emotional attraction. A research study currently underway on intentional change theory (ICT) in a healthcare context is presented.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses the concept of “attractors” from complexity theory to suggest that emotion affects the process of intentional change in different ways dependent upon whether the emotion is positive or negative. Determination of the emotion in this way proposes the existence of either a positive emotional attractor (PEA) or a negative emotional attractor (NEA). The paper discusses positive psychology's perspective on the differential impacts of positive and negative emotion. The paper also outlines an ongoing research project at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center which examines the concept of PEA and its effect on diabetes self‐management as well as its consequent role in improved health.FindingsA review of the literature and subsequent development of hypotheses and the conceptual model, indicate education for chronically ill adults must be purposeful and directed toward a self‐perceived need for personal change; include their own disease experience; allow them to become active participants in learning; and lastly, the learning process should be considerate of individual cognitive ability.Originality/valueICT could address the needs of chronically ill patients as its focus is a self‐directed journey to personal change and learning. The potential of ICT is enormous given that diabetes is a national problem that has reached epidemic proportions.