Change management models

[Peter von Stackelberg]

Matt:

I noticed your e-mail about change manangement models.

I put together a STELLA model of individual and organizational resistance
to change that might give you some insights. It does not include such
variables are process knowledge, systemic understanding, vision, etc.
Rather, it simplifies much of this by using a more limited number of
variables that include mental models, resistance levels, change rate, etc.

Check the Applied Futures, Inc. web site at
http://www.neosoft.com/~appfutr/ for description and an article on this
model.

Ive also used cellular automata to model change. Im still at the stage
of interpreting some of the data from these models, but Im finding some
interesting patterns of resistance and adoption of new ideas within the
systems modeled.

Regards,

Peter

---------------------------------------------------------------
Peter von Stackelberg
Applied Futures, Inc.
25025 I-45 North Freeway, Suite 525
The Woodlands, Texas 77380

Phone: (713) 364-1640
Fax: (713) 364-9225

E-mail: appfutr@neosoft.com
WWW: http://www.neosoft.com/~appfutr/
---------------------------------------------------------------

["Matthew Mayberry"]

I am working on a SD model of the process of organizational change. The purpose
is to provide senior managers in my organization with a learning environment to
help guide their efforts in leading change.

Does anyone know of such a model (S/F, CLD) already in existence?

A few of the (soft) variables Im attempting to include are: organizational
defensiveness, awareness of inconsistencies between behavior and beliefs, new
process knowledge, sense of responsibility, motivation to change, clarity of
vision, systemic understanding, leaders ability to surface underlying
assumptions, etc etc. Im especialy intrigued by the work of Chris Argyris,
Peter Senge et al on Organization Learning and Ronald A Heifetz ("Leadership
without Easy Answers") on the adaptive work required of leaders during times of
change.

Any leads toward models slanted in this general direction would be greatly
appreciated.

Thanks,
Matt Mayberry (mattm@mfg.sgi.com)
Strategic Program Manager
High-end Operations
Silicon Graphics, Inc.

[CrbnBlu@aol.com]

Matt,

Althought I dont have a direct answer to your question I would offer that
Jeffrey Goldsteins "The Unshackled Organization: Facing the Challenge of
Unpredictability Through Spontaneous Reorganization" may have some most
noteworth perspectives. Productivity Press 1994, ISBN 1-56327-048-X

And if anybody out there has Jeffreys e-mail address could you send it to me
as there are several parts of this book Id like to discuss with him.....

Gene Bellinger
CrbnBlu@aol.com

[Stephen Wehrenberg]

Barry Richmond (HPS) displayed a model of resistance to change a couple of weeks
ago in Boston at the Systems Thinking Conference. You can reach him through the
HPS web page at ww.hps-inc.com. I vaguely recall Peter Von Stackelberg doing
something similar (same outcme variable, different causes and model). You can hit
that through Gene Bellingers pages (http://www.radix.net/~crbnblu) also Gene is at
crbnblu@aol.com.

Steve

--
Stephen B. Wehrenberg
Chief, Forecasts and Systems, US Coast Guard;
Administrative Sciences, The George Washington University
wstephen@erols.com
"Life is a jam session."

[mpellega@mandic.com.br (Marco Pe]

Replying to SD0317
>
>I am working on a SD model of the process of organizational change. The purpose
>is to provide senior managers in my organization with a learning environment to
>help guide their efforts in leading change.
>
>Does anyone know of such a model (S/F, CLD) already in existence?
>

Matt, I am also very interested in building such type of model.
Unfortunately, I dont even know how to get started (e.g., how to apply
operational thinking in such a context? - sorry, Im in a very primitive
stage in terms of SD skills/thinking). However, Id suggest some readings
that IMHO may be useful in finding/specifying variables:

The Unwritten Rules of the Game, by Peter Scott-Morgan, McGraw-Hill, 1994

Group Model Building to Facilitate Organizational Change: An Exploratory
Study, by Jac A. M. Vennix, Henk A. Akkermans and Etienne Rouwette, in
System Dynamics Review, Volume 12, number 1, Spring 1996, Wiley

Rebuilding Behavioral Context: Turn Process Reengineering into People
Rejuvenation, by Christopher A. Bartlett and Sumantra Ghoshal, in Sloan
Management Review, Fall 1995

Rebuilding Behavioral Context: A Blueprint for Corporate Renewal, by S.
Ghoshal and C.A. Bartlett, in Sloan Management Review, Winter 1996

Pictorial Modeling of Dynamic Systems, by Antonio Camara, F. Ferreira, E.
Nobre, and J. Fialho, in System Dynamics Review, Volume 10, number 4,
Winter 1994 (on this one, a question from the top of my mind: can we
compare change agents, change resistants etc. to predators, preys etc. and
model/simulate the ecology of change?)

I hope the references can be of help and please keep us updated on your
efforts. Good luck!

Marco

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Marco Pellegatti
Amana-Key Desenvolvimento & Educacao
Av. Maria Coelho Aguiar, 215 G/2
Sao Paulo SP 05805-000 Brazil
Tel. 55-11-37-41-36-96
Fax 55-11-37-41-56-19
personal e-mail: mpellega@mandic.com.br
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