MGMT8270 Chap.8 Implementing Change in Organisations
Implementing Change in Organisations
Designing an intervention
Week 8 moves from diagnosis, which asks what, where and why, to intervention, which asks how and when.
Implementation means choosing the level of intervention, from individual through group, intergroup and organisational to transorganisational, and the type: human process, human resource, technostructural or strategic.
Culture and implementation
The chapter compares the four types and their tools, including large-group search conferences, and uses Schein's three levels of culture to explain why slogans and values statements did not prevent the Wells Fargo fake-accounts scandal, in which, 3.5 million fake accounts had been opened by 5,300 staff by 2016. It separates interventions, the what, from implementations, the how, and introduces three mechanisms, I can, I want and I am allowed, before working an intervention for a merged team.
Turning a diagnosis into a pitch
For the Team Presentation, the intervention plan is where this chapter earns its place.
A clear proposal names the level, the type, the tools and the mechanisms, and explains why each fits the diagnosis. The culture material warns against plans that change slogans while leaving incentives untouched, and the iterative view reminds you to build review points into the plan.
What this chapter covers
- 01
Where, what and how to intervene
- 02
Five levels of intervention
- 03
Human process and human resource interventions
- 04
Technostructural and strategic interventions
- 05
Search conferences
- 06
Schein's three levels of culture
- 07
Interventions and implementations
- 08
Iterative implementation
Worked example · free
Matching an intervention to the problem
- 1The problem is intergroup: it sits in the relationship between two units, not in one person or the whole university.
- 1It concerns how people work together, so the matching type is a human process intervention, such as a facilitated cross-unit dialogue.
- 1A new reporting structure is technostructural and targets processes that already work, so on its own it is unlikely to fix the trust problem.
Key terms
- Human Process Intervention
- An intervention that improves how people work together, through communication, trust and collaboration.
- Technostructural Intervention
- An intervention that changes the structure, processes, technology or workflows of an organisation.
- Search Conference
- A facilitated, participative planning event in which stakeholders build a shared vision and action plan.
- Espoused Values
- The stated values, strategies and philosophies of an organisation, Schein's middle level of culture.
- Underlying Assumptions
- Unspoken beliefs people no longer question, which Schein places at the deepest level of culture.
Implementing Change in Organisations FAQ
What are the four types of change intervention?
Human process interventions improve how people work together; human resource interventions align skills, motivation and roles; technostructural interventions change structure and workflows; and strategic interventions align strategy with the environment and the organisation's capabilities.
Why is organisational culture so hard to change?
Because it lives in values, norms and assumptions that people share without questioning them. People resist when change threatens identity and tradition, and informal routines often persist after formal policy changes, so lasting change has to reach the assumptions.
What is the difference between an intervention and an implementation?
An intervention is the technique used to shift structures, processes or behaviour, the what of change. An implementation is the set of intentional activities, such as informing, training, involving or rewarding, that carries it into daily work, the how.
What do I can, I want and I am allowed mean?
They name the three routes by which implementation activities shape results: people having the capability to change, wanting to change, and being given the chance to take part. A strong plan addresses all three.
What is a search conference?
A facilitated planning event, typically 20 to 30 participants over two to three days, in which stakeholders review history and current realities, build a shared vision and finish with an action plan they own. Everyone has an equal voice, especially those most affected by the change.
Assessment move
For a team problem you know, write the level, the type and the three mechanisms of an intervention in four lines, then add one review point at which you would adjust it. Check that at least one part of your plan reaches beneath artefacts and stated values to the assumptions that drive behaviour.
Working through Implementing Change in Organisations in MGMT8270? Sia is AskSia’s AI Management tutor — ask any MGMT8270 Implementing Change in Organisations question and get a clear, step-by-step explanation grounded in how MGMT8270 is taught and assessed. Read this chapter free, then take your hardest questions to Sia.
MGMT8003 Organisational Behaviour · BUSI7280 Managing in a Global Context · BUSI3028 Business in China