Lewin's Field Theory Research Articles

Advancing Induced Models of Management Accounting Change: A Dynamic Perspective

This research represents a progressive evolution of the induced model for man-agement accounting change (MAC), originally proposed by Innes and Mitchell (1990), later enriched by Cobb et al. (1995) and Kasurinen (2002). To this end, us-ing a longitudinal case study, this research employs Lewin's (1943) force field the-ory to present and interpret the dynamics of contextual factors underlying the change scenario. The study makes two main contributions to the literature. First, it advances Kasurinen's (2002) MAC framework by adding three elements that in-corporate a longitudinal perspective. The study acknowledges that the forces driv-ing change differ across organizations and evolve within individual organizations over time, both in terms of nature and intensity. This underscores the need for a flexible MAC model capable of tracking these forces at any given point in time. Moreover, the findings indicate that MAC can generate new factors that further influence its progression, underscoring the importance of understanding the chain reactions triggered by change. This is crucial for effectively managing both driving and restraining forces throughout MAC's evolution. Finally, this study enhances Kasurinen's model by expanding its components. Acknowledging that human agents are the primary drivers of MAC, the refined model emphasizes the roles of organizational actors in adopting new practices, assessing information, and deter-mining whether to continue, modify, or discontinue changes. These factors are es-sential for illustrating the dynamic evolution and interactions that drive organiza-tional development and transformation. The second contribution lies in validating Kurt Lewin's force field theory within the domain of MAC. Although Lewin's framework is widely used in organizational change and management studies, its application in management accounting has been largely overlooked. This study addresses that gap by demonstrating how Lewin's framework effectively reveals how changes are initiated and managed, thereby extending the applicability of his approach to the new context.

Towards human-compatible autonomous car: A study of non-verbal Turing test in automated driving with affective transition modelling

Autonomous cars are indispensable when humans go further down the hands-free route. Although existing literature highlights that the acceptance of the autonomous car will increase if it drives in a human-like manner, sparse research offers the naturalistic experience from a passenger's seat perspective to examine the humanness of current autonomous cars. The present study tested whether the AI driver could create a human-like ride experience for passengers based on 69 participants' feedback in a real-road scenario. We designed a ride experience-based version of the non-verbal Turing test for automated driving. Participants rode in autonomous cars (driven by either human or AI drivers) as a passenger and judged whether the driver was human or AI. The AI driver failed to pass our test because passengers detected the AI driver above chance. In contrast, when the human driver drove the car, the passengers' judgement was around chance. We further investigated how human passengers ascribe humanness in our test. Based on Lewin's field theory, we advanced a computational model combining signal detection theory with pre-trained language models to predict passengers' humanness rating behaviour. We employed affective transition between pre-study baseline emotions and corresponding post-stage emotions as the signal strength of our model. Results showed that the passengers' ascription of humanness would increase with the greater affective transition. Our study suggested an important role of affective transition in passengers' ascription of humanness, which might become a future direction for autonomous driving.

Enhancing and inhibiting: Framing of innovation in educational encounters

In the present paper, I introduce the concept of the Zone of Inhibited Action (ZIA) for the knowledge production within universities. Different zones (Zone of Free Movement (elaborated within Lewinian field theory) extended by Zone of Promoted Action (ZPA) by Valsiner in conjunction with Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) known via the legacy of Lev Vygotsky are central to the present paper. The new concept (ZIA) is at the foreground. For that purpose, I draw upon an autoethnographic event—from the perspective of a student—showing how the ZFM, ZIA, ZPA relate to each other in an academic context. In this regard, I exemplify how negotiation between course instructor and student can help to define and sharpen the borders of the ZIA and ZPA which alters the relation of the life-space. Here, I underline that democratic back-and-forth negotiation makes the ZPA and ZIA dynamic meaning that different actions become promoted or inhibited. ZIA and ZPA only become illuminated in a democratic back-and-forth-process between student and course instructor which changes their relation to the ZFM showing that the borders of the ZFM become re-structured.

Navigating force conflicts: A case study on strategies of transformative research in the current academic system

Against the backdrop of the increasing calls for scholars, universities and the broader academic system to become more societally relevant and contribute to tackling various sustainability challenges, researchers across all disciplines are themselves moving toward conducting more transformative research. Work to date has focused on challenges in these transitions, obstacles to transformative research, and researchers' resistance to ‘impact strategies’; however, little is known about how those who actually do transformative research ultimately overcome these challenges. Using Lewin's field theory as a theoretical basis, we collected qualitative data and carried out 32 in-depth interviews with ‘transformative’ scholars and policy and support staff at Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) on the driving and conflicting forces related to transformative research, as well as strategies for dealing with them. An in-depth grounded analysis revealed transformative researchers' identity and goal conflicts and showed how they skillfully navigate those conflicts by choosing between two ideal-typical strategies, ‘transforming through research output’ and ‘transforming through research process’. The constellations of forces identified that actually influence researchers' choices on those strategies need to be taken into account in the designing of effective research policies for leveraging the potential of transformative research to tackle sustainability challenges.

Lewin's field theory as a lens for understanding incumbent actors’ agency in sustainability transitions

Understanding incumbent actors’ behavior is one of the current key targets in sustainability transitions research. Scholars studying incumbents’ agency have demanded the inclusion of broader social-science theories that bridge different levels (i.e., individual, group) and enable the inclusion of a multitude of actors’ drivers and motives into one coherent framework. The present article suggests that Kurt Lewin's field theory, an influential theory of social and organizational change, may be suited for this purpose. From the perspective of field theory, actors are exposed to various partially conflicting ‘field forces’ (e.g., related to needs, expectations, or roles). The relative strength of these forces determines actors’ decisions and behavior. The paper introduces key concepts of Lewin's field theory and reinterprets incumbents’ responses to sustainability transitions from a field-theoretical perspective. It elaborates on potential theoretical and methodical benefits of Lewin's field theory for studying incumbents’ agency and closes with a discussion of practical implications.

Public Relations

RELATIONS has, for reasons not that obvious, been neglected in terms of theoretical conceptualization in the study of communication phenomena. Though the field has seen a number of text books and articles written on public relations, attempts to put public relations in conceptual theoretical perspectives have been limited. The need therefore is to elevate the study of public relations to higher theoretical levels, which could also benefit industry eventually. In this article Lewin's field theory, and in particular his topology of the inner per- son has been put forward as a focus domain of how to conceptualize public relations in an organizational context. Public relations is playing the mediating role between individual and individual, organization and individual as well as organization and organization. Lewin's field theory, as such, provides the communicologist with exploratory alter- natives to the study of public relations.

Setting the Seeds for a Normative Expansion of Lewinian Field Theory for Cultural-Psychological Practitioners

AbstractIn the present article, I am examining, expanding, and re-evaluating a Lewinian kind of cultural psychology for cultural-psychological informed practitioners. Originating from Lewinian field theory that behavior is a function of a person and environment, B(f) = P,E, I am introducing a specific equation wanting to illustrate Lewin’s theory about cultural psychology. A person is driven by specific needs and goals that develop while him relating to his very own environment. Yet, how these needs and goals are pursued and satisfied (I call that trajectories) depends to a large degree upon his social environment showing him not only which goals are worth pursuing but also which ways to choose in order to attain them. Culture is thus a function of a person’s needs and goals that develop while him relating to his environment and henceforth to the life space of the social other—such as to one’s family—but also implying a specific unique social situatedness within the environment that can alter the culturally accepted way how to reach a specific goal. It is within such a perspective that I deduce a normative appeal character of cultural psychology grounded within Lewinian field theory that can be made fertile for people identifying as cultural-psychological practitioners. In the second part of the article, I am comparing a Lewinian (normative) understanding of cultural psychology with other prominent theories such as the one of Boesch, Bruner, and Valsiner reaching the conclusion that such a Lewinian understanding of cultural psychology is in accordance with their theories.

СПОНУКАННЯ ЯК КОНСТИТУТИВНИЙ ЕЛЕМЕНТ ПСИХІКИ ЛЮДИНИ

The article examines the fundamental influence of human motivation on human inner and outer worlds. The views of Aristotle were used as the methodological basis to study the causality of the existence of things and phenomena, and as the theoretical basis Kurt Lewin's psychological field theory was used. The main ways of forming motivation, specifically, the upbringing process and assimilation to the social mechanism of livelihood (the relations of distribution, exchange and ownership) were researched. The connection between motivations, attitudes and dominance has been established. It is proved that motivations form a certain hierarchy of attitudes that are fixed in the human brain as dominants. The influence of motivation on the formation of human typology has been studied: dependent personality, mediocre personality, mature personality and a genius. It has been substantiated that a person of a dependent spiritual development is motivated by immediate needs, the intentions of their consciousness are directed to his body and relations of distribution, and the attitude is a stimulus. The life of a dependent person is focused on pleasure, the dominant is in the area of the striatum; behavior is dominated by the simplest forms of adaptation (stimulus - reaction), and language during communication reflects the bodily needs and desires for satisfaction. It has been further examined that a person of mediocre (reproductive) level of spiritual development is motivated by success, the intentions of his consciousness are directed to his ego, cognition of exchange relations, and attitude is the motive. The life of a mediocre person is built on the principle of reality, and the dominant migrates from the striatum to the prefrontal cortex. Behavior reproduces typical forms of behavior, and language reflects the desire for profit (economic, political, legal, psychological, ideological). It has been concluded that a person of a personal level of spiritual development is motivated by the needs of society, the intentions of their consciousness are aimed at mastering the laws of society, morality, holistic knowledge of relations of distribution, exchange and property, and interest is the attitude. The person's life is governed by duty, and the dominant is mainly in the prefrontal cortex. Behavior patterns of a mature person are focused on asserting the interests of society, and language reflects the interests of society, its values, goals and national security. Finally, it has been proved that a person of genius level of spiritual development is motivated by the need of finding the truth, the intentions of their consciousness are aimed at mastering the metaphysical laws of existence, and the ideal is the main attitude. The life of a genius is focused on creativity, the dominant is stably in the prefrontal cortex. In behavior, genius is focused on the establishment of ideals, and language reflects the ideals as a combination of Truth, Goodness and Beauty.

Analysis of Human Resource Flow Dynamics under New Economic Policy Based on Lewin Field Theory

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The conception of aging based on Kurt Lewin's psychological field theory and group dynamics

The study sought to reflect on the applicability of Kurt Lewin's psychological field theory to the conception of aging. It involved a reflexive approach to the use of Kurt Lewin's field theory to define and legitimize the experience of aging, and as a strategy for qualifying health professionals as mediators in the dynamics of elderly people's groups. It made it possible to observe that the elderly behave according to their perceptions and not in accordance with reality, react according to what is comfortable or not with their cognitions. Stimulating the elderly to make positive subjective interpretations of other people, things and the aging process induces the idea of satisfaction. And the dynamics of groups can foster the development of a collective action of discussion and reflection on aging. In this sense, the applicability of this theory to the experience of aging can enhance the perception of the elderly themselves as protagonists of interventions and endowed with judgments about well-being and the quality of life.

Nurturing environmental citizenship by mapping the field of action

PurposeStudents' simplistic observations and uninspired solutions for social-ecological dilemmas were the motivation for this study. The purpose of this paper is to foster systemic thinking in students and study the role of the lecturers.Design/methodology/approachThe research was designed as a self-study action-research (AR), which was carried out by the lecturers of an environmental citizenship course in a teachers' college. The paper describes three AR circuits, expressed in three stages of field mapping by students: group mapping at the beginning of the course, initial individual field mapping and field mapping prior to action design.FindingsAnalyzing the maps after each stage allowed for design modifications. The findings indicate that field mapping helped students better understand the complexity of a social-ecological system and their role within it. Lecturers were required to maintain a delicate balance between teaching and supporting the students' first-hand experience as environmental citizens.Research limitations/implicationsThe study's conclusions are based on a case study and are therefore presented dialectically rather than as global generalizations.Practical implicationsMapping the field of action can serve as a powerful tool in fostering a system approach to environmental citizenship in many educational settings.Originality/valueThe paper presents the use of Kurt Lewin's field theory for environmental education and for fostering environmental citizenship based on systemic and ecological thinking. The diversity of students' conceptualizations of the complexity of a social-ecological system, as revealed in this study, calls for further research of field-mapping as a teaching method.

Is There a Problem in the Laboratory?

Problem-solving research in the field of psychology has been closely linked to laboratory investigations throughout its development. However, there is a questionable conceptual assumption underlying this commitment to the laboratory, namely the assumption that one can reduce all problem-solving behavior to a cognitive mechanism. Upon validating this assumption from a phenomenological standpoint, doubts about its foundations emerge. For when we consider the experiential conditions that characterize a problematic situation, we come to determine several phenomenal aspects that are not taken into account in this approach. A phenomenologically revised notion of the problem therefore demands a modification of the scope of the empirical research. First, this paper investigates the configuration of the laboratory as an arena of experience based on Lewin’s field theory. This investigation indicates instructions as a key component of the laboratory. Second, a phenomenological description proposes a novel understanding of the problem. In this part it is shown that it is wrong to presume that problematic situations can be evoked arbitrarily by instructions. Finally, further contemplations help outlining the empirical requirements for exhaustive research. They call for novel paradigms in empirical psychology, such as live streaming, which are more faithful to the phenomenology of problems.

John Rickman behind the scenes: The influence of Lewin's field theory on practice, countertransference, and W.R. Bion

ABSTRACTThis article introduces Kurt Lewin's field theory of social groups to show the impact at the time (1930s and 1940s) on the conceptualisation of the clinical setting in psychoanalysis. John Rickman is now little known, but these ideas were brought by him to psychoanalysis. Through his mentoring of his one-time analysand, Wilfred Bion, they influenced psychiatry during World War II, and helped to set the direction of a number of subsequent developments, including the evolution of a form of group therapy, the Tavistock Institute approach to organisations, and not least the new thinking about countertransference in clinical practice after 1950.

What could promote farmers to replace chemical fertilizers with organic fertilizers?

To lessen the negative environmental impact of chemical fertilizers, replacing chemical fertilizers with more organic fertilizers for famers is a good choice. However, most of the farmers would like to use chemical fertilizers instead of organic fertilizers in developing countries, mainly because they fear that they may lose income if they use organic fertilizers instead of chemical fertilizers. From this point, policy makers need to find strategies to incentivize farmers to use organic fertilizers instead of chemical fertilizers. Therefore, a randomly selected household survey on the use of chemical and organic fertilizers by apple growers in China was conducted from July 2016 to October 2016. Its aim is to find out what could promote farmers to replace chemical fertilizers with organic fertilizers partially or completely. We have analyzed farmers' choices involving prospect utility, risk, and environment based on Kahneman's prospect theory and Lewin's field theory. Twelve psychological and socio-economic variables were included in a tobit regression model to explain farmers' choice between organic fertilizers and chemical fertilizers. We find that membership in agriculture cooperatives, subsidies on organic fertilizers, and farm size play positive roles in influencing farmers' choice of organic fertilizers instead of chemical fertilizers. The results will be helpful to update extension policy of organic fertilizers.

Supporting active school travel: A qualitative analysis of implementing a regional safe routes to school program

Physical inactivity among children is a significant public health concern. Active school travel (AST) methods, such as walking and wheeling to school, can be a valuable way to increase children's levels of daily physical activity. In Canada, Active and Safe Routes to School (ASRTS), a national health promotion initiative, has led the campaign for AST through its flagship school travel plan (STP) program. At present little is known about the on-the-ground implementation processes that impede or facilitate the success of STPs. Through a thematic analysis of 18 interviews with STP facilitators and 4 focus groups with the larger STP committees, our study evaluates the factors shaping the functioning of STP interventions at ten elementary schools participating in a regional ASRTS program in Southwestern Ontario. Our analysis yielded six themes that have implications for STP implementation and sustainability: 1) accounting for school context; 2) establishing committee capacity and leadership; 3) supporting STP action; 4) responsiveness to external and internal barriers; 5) engaging schools at the grassroots level; and 6) building future champions. We draw from Lewin's Field Theory and discuss the forces affecting STP committees to frame our findings in a way that can be discussed to support the building of efficient, effective, and viable AST intervention environments.

A Lewinian Approach to Managing Barriers to University–Industry Collaboration

Calls are made by governments, university management and industry to increase university–industry (U–I) collaboration to find solutions for societal and economic problems that are too complex to be tackled within one sector alone. Researchers are often expected to realise these ideas, but when it comes to everyday research and knowledge development, individuals may encounter barriers to accomplishing this. The paper presents an empirical study of researchers’ view on U–I collaboration. Our focus in the analysis, inspired by the Lewinian field theory, is on the hindering forces that might create barriers to collaboration from a researcher’s perspective. Contrary to the previously used approaches taken in force field analysis, we perform a qualitative study, which might be better suited for this framework. In the literature on U–I collaboration, ‘orientation-related’ and ‘transaction-related’ barriers have been identified. In our analysis, we discuss hindering forces on the individual, intra- and interorganisational levels. In total, we find 18 key areas to identify possible hinders for collaboration and based on a Lewinian perspective, we suggest that removing hindering forces can benefit U–I collaboration. The paper recognises the need to regard universities as equal partners in U–I collaboration for sustainable knowledge production.

Why some restricted pesticides are still chosen by some farmers in China? Empirical evidence from a survey of vegetable and apple growers

Restricted pesticides1 applied by farmers play a prime role for the quality of fresh agro-products. A household survey in unrestricted pesticides applied and restricted pesticides applied were carried out in 2011 from a randomly selected sample of 472 small-scale farmers, its aim is to analyze why some farmers still choose restricted pesticides based on Lewin's field theory. We estimate the choice by utilizing a Poisson regression model. The results show that most farmers have a little knowledge about class II restricted pesticides and related pesticides regulation. Pesticide retailers play a key role in influencing farmers' choice of restricted pesticides, farmers' education, restricted pesticides knowledge, age, reading pesticides label carefully or not and planting years play a minor role in influencing farmers' restricted pesticides choice. The results will helpful to update pesticides regulation and pesticides extension policy.

Towards a Social Psychology-based Microscopic Model of Driver Behavior and Decision-making: Modifying Lewin's Field Theory

Central to effective roadway design is the ability to understand how drivers behave as they traverse a segment of roadway. While simple and complex microscopic models have been used over the years to analyse driver behaviour, most models: 1.) incorporate separate car-following and lane-changing algorithms, and thus do not capture the interdependencies between lane-changing and car-following vehicle; 2.) do not capture differences in the drivers’ cognitive and physical characteristics; and 3.) are constructed from observed vehicle movements and make no attempt to model the discrete differences between how each roadway element alters each driver's behaviour.This paper employs field theory to construct a conceptual framework for a new microscopic model. In field theory, an agent (e.g. the driver) views a field (i.e. the area surrounding the vehicle) filled with stimuli and perceives forces associated with each stimuli once these stimuli are internalized. Based on this theory, the resulting model would be designed to directly incorporate drivers’ perceptions to roadway stimuli along with vehicle movements for drivers of different cognitive and physical abilities. It is postulated that such a model would more effectively reflect reality, and if this model were accurately calibrated, could potentially model the effects of external stimuli such as innovative geometric configurations, lane closures, and technology applications such as variable message boards. A modified field theory could potentially capture and model “hot topics” in traffic engineering, such as the distracted drivers, road rage, the incorporation of ITS elements, and driver behaviour through a work zone.

Sharpening the Focus of Force Field Analysis

The purpose is to explore the inherent complexity of Kurt Lewin's force field theory through applied analysis of organizational case examples and related methods. The methodology applies a range of tools from the consultancy research domain, including force field analysis of complex organizational scenarios, and applies bricolage and corroboration to emerging discoveries from semi-structured interviews, author experience, critical reflection and literature survey. Findings are that linear representation of internal and external forces in organizational applications of field theory does not fully explain the paradox of inverse vectors in the forces of change. The force field is not an impermeable thing; instead, it morphs. Examples of the inverse principle and its effects are detailed and extended in this analysis. The implications of the research are that force field analysis and related change processes promoted in organizational change literature run the risk of missing key complexities. The inclusion of the inverse principle can provide enhanced, holistic understanding of the prevailing forces for change. The augmentation of the early work of Kurt Lewin, and extension of previous analyses of his legacy in the Journal of Change Management and elsewhere, provide, in this article, change analysis insights that align well with current organizational environments.

Sticker in the Box! Object-Person Distance and Descriptive Norms as Means to Reduce Waste

Abstract With a steadily growing population, waste management and reduction have become increasingly important issues. While many people refrain from acting in an environmentally friendly way, we suggest that the activation of corresponding environmental norms in combination with a low object-person distance may instigate waste reduction behavior. Drawing from predictions of social influence research and Lewin's field theory, we put “no-ads-please” stickers into mailboxes of N=51 households without such a sticker (intervention). In parallel, we asked surrounding mailbox owners to put a no-ads-please sticker visibly on their mailbox. As expected, a substantial amount of stickers was subsequently used by intervention households. Importantly, the more surrounding mailboxes had a no-ads-please sticker, the more likely were intervention households to put the sticker on their own box. These findings reveal an effective way to easily motivate people to engage in waste reduction.