Organizational Change: A Case for More Systematic and Dynamic Modeling

Despite the amount of research in organizational change, there is a need for more profound studies exploring the context, content, and processes involved in a change initiative. This research effort has three main objectives. First, to develop and explore a new model for organizational change that links the context and processes of change with the organizational outcomes. Second, to conduct a case study at a selected state agency to corroborate or reject the different propositions on which the model is based. Third, to generate a series of assertions explaining the experiences and conclusions found in the case study that can be extended for further investigation in similar or dissimilar entities. To achieve these objectives a new model, The Influence Model for Organizational Change, was developed with the hope of better demonstrating the dynamics that take place in the organization by using a systems engineering view. The model was decomposed to create a modeling framework and determine tools appropriate for modeling this particular case. This paper reports the progress made in this effort and discusses additional avenues of research in modeling organizational change in a more systematic and dynamic fashion.