Developmental Concept of Change

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Table of Contents

The Table of Three Types of Organizational Change
The Literature Review of Developmental Concept of Change
The Basic Method
The Cycle of Change
Low Level of Uncertainty
People-Oriented Approach
References

The Table of Three Types of Organizational Change

	Developmental	Transitional	Transformational
Purpose	Developmental change is the change “within the box” (Anderson & Anderson, 2010, p. 52). In other words, it implies the development of the current state, by improving existing skills, systems, processes, etc. The simplest of three types on the list.	More complicated than development change. Instead of improving “what is”, this method replaces it with something completely new (Anderson & Anderson, 2010, p. 56). It must also determine “new roles, management processes, and tasks” (Amado & Ambrose, 2001, p. 68).	The most complicated and challenging and the least learned type. As Ehrenberg and d’Ambrosio (2007) claim, “transformational change … is extremely difficult” (p. 52). It is aimed to build a new state with the help of changing current strategies and systems, as well as learning and error discovery.
Historical and Political Perspective	From a political point of view, every team consists of individuals with various goals and interests. By implementing one of the methods of organizational change, internal balance within a group can be violated (Cummings & Worley, 2014, p. 188).
Historical and Political Perspective	From a political perspective, developmental change is the least threat. It is also the oldest strategy of all (Cummings & Worley, 2014, p. 489).	It can violate the balance radically. It was first defined in 1987 by Beckhard and Harris (Anderson & Anderson, 2010, p. 56). They were the first to assert that such kind of changes can actually be managed.	Since it includes the analysis of errors, the negative impact on the balance of powers within the group is minimal.
Structure and Methodology	The process of developmental change has to be led by leaders or managers. It is based on two assumptions. The first one implies that individuals in a group or an organization are able to improve. The second asserts that people actually will improve if they are provided with all the necessary opportunities to do it.	Transitional change is applied when managers or leaders find a crucial problem, which has to be fixed. Then they develop a new state that solves this problem and determines the transition steps that help to replace the old state with the new one. Therefore, the structure of this method consists of three stages, the old, new and transition ones.	This type is characterized by unknown outcomes, as well as emergent changes needed to be implemented to get there. It has to be managed by well-qualified managers or leaders.
Strengths and Weaknesses	It makes people better motivated, lets them grow, overdo themselves and achieve new levels of work, communication, teamwork, and leadership. Besides, the risks connected to the developmental approach, as well as the number of unpredictable variables, are lower in comparison with other types. However, this method is the simplest and its impact on individuals is usually minor and mild.	It can help to remove the problem entirely, has concrete outcomes and is fully predictable. The main weakness is that since the current state is to be wholly replaced, not only its disadvantages but the advantages as well will be gone. Besides, it usually does not take into consideration people’s issues.	It considers a human factor and can adapt to a particular group of people or an organization. If it is properly implemented, it can cause extraordinary breakthroughs. However, the process depends on many unpredictable variables, and its outcomes can be different from the expected ones.
Applications	It can be applied to individuals, teams or even organizations, in every sphere and stage of a process.	It can be applied to various groups and organizations in case if a problem, which has to be fixed, is indeed crucial and can not be solved with the help of other, less radical, methods. It can also be managed “against a tight budget and timeline” (Anderson & Anderson, 2010, p. 57).	This method is suitable for every group of individuals and every organization. Should be applied under the guidance of well-qualified leaders or managers.
Process for Implementation	Includes training (personal, interpersonal and professional), various interventions, team building, improvement of the work quality and productivity, practicing in problem-solving and conflict resolutions. Finally, it is important to provide feedback and monitor any progress.	The implementation process consists of the creation of new strategies, procedures, and products, which will replace the old ones. The next step is a reorganization, interventions, and IT implementations that do not fundamentally affect an individual’s day-to-day work. The process is finished with training and analyzing the pros and cons of new systems.	Firstly, it is necessary to create a vision – the desired result of the process of transformation. Then the first steps should be defined and taken. The rest of the steps depend on the following learning and error discovery.

The Literature Review of Developmental Concept of Change

Describing the developmental concept of change, this paper covers and examines several literature sources. A detailed critique and analysis are presented below. All comprehensive information about every source that has been used can be found in the reference list.

The Basic Method

The majority of sources describe the developmental method as the simplest one. Indeed, while the transitional type of organizational change implies creating an entirely new state as well as determining transitional levels and actions, which can help to achieve it, the developmental concept relies only on the current state. Unlike the transformational method that contains numerous unpredictable variables, the developmental type is much more linear. Even visually, if a person looks at the schemes of the organizational change types, the one that corresponds to the developmental approach seems to be really plain, especially in comparison with others (Anderson & Anderson, 2010, p. 53). Besides, as Cummings and Worley (2014) state, this type is also the oldest one. So, the developmental concept of change should be considered as the backbone of the rest.

The Cycle of Change

In her book, Helen Campbell (2014) defines the model of the Cycle of Change (p. 13). According to her words, it is “a simple representation of the diverse and complex task of changing an organization and is a handy way to look at the change in a holistic way” (Campbell, 2014, p. 14). The Cycle of Change illustrates what a group of people must have before the implementation of changes, what activities are to be involved and how they are connected, and, finally, who is responsible for every stage of the organizational change process. Unlike the transformational method, the developmental approach can be graphically represented according to the Cycle of Change and, thus, it can also be monitored at every stage. Besides, many particular activities and interventions needed to achieve the main goal are clearly determined from the very beginning. However, this method is still not entirely predictable (as the transitional type of change is) and does contain many variables, which depend on a situation.

Low Level of Uncertainty

Implementation of new strategies, especially the ones that are aimed to transform the whole organization of work, is always fraught with additional risks, mistakes, stresses and so on. Those usually appear as the result of the fear of change and unpredictability. In the article written by Bordia, Hobman, Jones, Gallois, and Callan (2004), the consequences of uncertainty in the frames of organizational change are described in detail. Because of the lack of control over the situation, the productivity of work, satisfaction, and trust in the common goal can vastly decrease. The lack of knowledge causes different types of errors and noticeably lower performance. Finally, all of these can easily bring anxiety, physical strain, and stress.

The developmental approach provides all the necessary conditions to avoid these adverse consequences. For example, communication and team-building help to reduce tension. Those also contribute to the exchange of knowledge and let the team members learn quicker. Additionally, the developmental concept of change implies practicing in problem-solving and monitoring the progress to prevent mistakes, as well as analyze those that have been already made. Finally, due to the proper feedback, all group members will feel valued and needed.

People-Oriented Approach

In comparison with the transitional approach, the developmental method is much more focused on a human factor and people’s desires. Aunola, Leskinen, Onatsu-Arvilommi, and Nurmi (2002) have conducted research, analyzing the response of more than a hundred first grade pupils (from six to seven years old) on new developmental changes. “Simultaneous use of variable- and person-oriented methods” in the developmental approach was the primary reason for its success (Aunola et al., 2002, p. 343). Still, the transformational type of organizational change is even more person-oriented.

So, there are numerous literature resources, which cover the topic of the developmental type of organizational change. Examining those, we can conclude that “developmental change is least threatening and easiest to manage” (Alas, 2014, p. 16). We can even say that this approach is the golden mean between two others. However, it can hardly lead to such exceptional breakthroughs, as the transformational approach does.

References

Alas, R. (2014). Implementation of Changes in Chinese Organizations: Groping a Way Through the Darkness. Oxford, UK: Chandos Publishing.

Amado, G., & Ambrose, A. (2001). The Transitional Approach to Change. London, UK: Karnac Books.

Anderson, D., & Anderson, L. A. (2010). Beyond Change Management: How to Achieve Breakthrough Results Through Conscious Change Leadership (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.

Aunola, K., Leskinen, E., Onatsu-Arvilommi, T., & Nurmi, J. (2002).Three Methods for Studying Developmental Change: A Case of Reading Skills and Self-concept. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 72, 343–364.

Bordia, P., Hobman, E., Jones, E., Gallois, C., & Callan, V. (2004). Uncertainty During Organizational Change: Types, Consequences, and Management Strategies. Journal of Business and Psychology, 18(4), 507-532.

Campbell, H. (2014). Managing Organizational Change: A Practical Toolkit for Leaders. London, UK: Kogan Page.

Cummings, T., & Worley, C. (2014). Organization Development and Change (10th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.

Ehrenberg, R. G., & d’Ambrosio, M. (2007). Transformational Change in Higher Education: Positioning Colleges and Universities for Future Success. Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing.

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