1. Ch. 8 Soft Systems models for change

2. Learning objectives:
Recognize change situations (problems/opportunities) required soft rather hard than hard systems approaches
Consider the philosophy, value orientation & theories of organizational developments as generalized example of soft systems models of change.
Outline & describe the processes & practice that comprise most of OD approaches to implement organizational change Explain the hard systems model of change (HSMC) as representative of hard systems methodologies of change
Critically review the limitation of OD approaches to managing change.

3. Managing change in situations of soft complexity
Ackoff (1993) identifies three different kinds of things that can be done about problems – ‘they can be resolved, solved or dissolved’

4. Managing change in situations of soft complexity
The challenges of rationality
People make decisions & choices according to some rational mode; of decision making
People do act according to their own view of what is rational for them
OD is an an umbrella term for a set of values and assumptions about organizations and people, which useful for bringing about long-term change to dissolve problems than resolve or solve them.

5. Organizational Development-Philosophy & underlying assumptions
OD definition
Is a long term effort, led & supported by top management, to improve an organization's visioning, empowerment, learning and problem-solving processes through an ongoing, collaborative management of organization culture

6. Organizational Development-Philosophy & underlying assumptions
some distinguishing characteristics of OD approach to Change
It emphasize goals & process but with a particular emphasis on processes – the nation of organizational learning
It deals with change over the medium to long term (change that need to be sustained over a significant period of time.
It involves the organization as a whole as well as its parts
It is participative, drawing on the theory and practices of the behavioural sciences
It has top management support and involvement
It involves a facilitator who takes on the role of a change agent
It concentrates on planned change but as a process that can adapt to a changing situation rather than as a rigid blueprint of how change should be done

7. Soft system & three critical assumptions
The significance of people in organizations
The significance of organization as a system
The significance of organization as learning organization

8. The significance of people in organizations
The OD approach to change cares about people & believes that people at all levels of an organizations are individually & collectively, both the drives of change.
Paton & McCalman (2008) offer three fundamental concepts with respect to the management of people:
Organization are about people
Management assumptions about people often lead to ineffective design of organizations & this hinders performance
People are the most important asset & their commitment goes a long way in determining effective organization design and development.

9. The significance of people in organizations
Assumption regarding people in groups:
People in general are social beings and form groups informally.
For groups to be effective all group member must share in problem solving & work to satisfy both task & group member needs.
OD approaches to change assume that work groups and teams are essential element in the process of designing and implementing change.

10. The significance of organization as a system
Organization are systems of interconnected & interrelated subsystems that includes more formal organizational structures & process as well as culture, policies, style of leadership
This idea is one of the most important assumptions of OD as a process of facilitating change because:
It reinforces the systemic nature of organizational life & the fact that changes in one part of the organization will impact on operations on another part

11. The significance of organization as a system
2. A single important cause of change with clear effects can be found, as well as the assumption that any cause and its effect are necessarily closely related in space & time 3. Any organization is a balance of forces built up & refined over a period of time, consequently proposed change of any significance will change this balance & then encounter resistance.

12. The significance of organization as learning organization
The two present idea of (the significant of people in organization & the significant of organization as a systems) come together that for organizations operating in complex environment, the only way to survive is to be a learning organization.
Learning organization is built upon the proposition that there is more than one type of learning which can be:
Single-loop & Double- loop (Argyris & Schon, 1996)
Adaptive & generative (Senge, 1990)

13. The significance of organization as learning organization
Single-loop & Double- loop: systems of change that either goal oriented or process oriented
Goal oriented: is directed towards changing the means by which goals are achieved. It concerned with doing things better.
Process oriented: those with goals, focus more on fostering a change process that enable the goal to be challenged. Is concerned with doing the right things
Both types of learning (Single-loop & Double- loop/ Adaptive & generative) involves issues with organizational structure, culture, and leadership style that support this type of learning.

14. The OD Process
OD is at heart a process of facilitation of organizational change & renewal
It operates at all levels of the organization- individual, group and organizational.
It is relatively long-term process for initiating and implementing planned change
It takes into account the messy nature of many organizational problems.

15. Lewin’s three-phase model of change
Most OD models of change consist of a series of phases or steps and Lewin’s Model of change is the most influential models of planned change. Three steps of this model are:
Unfreezing: concerns the ‘shaking up’ of people’s habitual modes of thinking & behaviors to increase their awareness of the need for change.
Moving: the process of making the actual changes that will move the organization to the new state
Refreezing: involves the stabilizing of change, which required securing the change against ‘backsliding’ & may include brining new staff who are not influenced with the old habits.

16. OD- an action research based model of change
Research based model of change involves the following steps:
Management & staff perception of problems
Data gathering & preliminary diagnosis by those concerned with leading the change
Feedback to key client, management & those involved in the change
Joint agreement of the problem(s)
Joint action planning
Implementation
Reinforcement & assessment of the change

17. Doing Action research in your own organization

18. Stages of OD model of chnage
Stage 1a & 1b: The present & the Future
Stage 1a: Diagnose current situation: where environmental analysis of change are useful as tools for diagnosing triggers for change
Stage 1b: Develop a vision for change: what need to be change comes out of the process of organizational diagnosis and creative thinking (can be called as creative stage)

19. Stages of OD model of chnage
Stage 2: Gain commitment to the vision & the need for change.
This where feedback from the result of stages 1a & 1b is most important
The process of gaining commitment to change must include working at the group level of the organization & recognize the influence of both formal & informal leaders.

20. Stages of OD model of change
Stage 3: Developing an action plan
It’s the beginning of managing transition phase from the organization current state to the desired future state.
Critical issues must be consider at this stage, which is:
Who is to guide the planning, & the implementation of the change
What need to change to achieve the vision
Where any intervention should take place

21. Stages of OD model of change
Stage 4: Implement the change
This stage involves different levels of analytical focus of the change activities:
Survey feedback
Organizational mirroring
Role negotiation
Process consultation
Team building

22. Stages of OD model of change
Stage 5: Assess & reinforce the change
Assessing change
In soft system assessing change concern with messy situation related to attitude, behaviors and cultural norms.
Reinforcing & consolidating change
It’s the hardest part where its pointless to expecting people’s behaviors to change if this is not reinforced by concomitant changes in personal polices & practices.

23. The OD Model of Change

24. An assessment of the OD model for change
OD does not always face up to harsh realities of change
OD is limited when change situations are constrained
OD requires out of the ordinary leadership
OD fits uneasily with the structures 7 culture in the public sector
OD does not work in all cultures

25. Thank You