1. Chapter Fourteen – Change and Innovation

2.  Understand why change occurs  Be familiar with the process of organizational change  Will be able to discuss four significant of a planned change  Understand the basic ingredients of planning in criminal justice  Understand personal resistance to change  Understand organizational resistance to change

3.  Be able to discuss the characteristics of organizations that readily facilitate change  Be able to describe the process to overcoming resistance to change  Understand organizational development  Be able to describe unintended consequences of change  Be aware of ethical pitfalls resulting from organizational change

4.  Change can emanate from either inside of outside of an agency’s environment.  Performance gap – When the agency is performing improperly or below capacity, change is likely.  Employee turnover creates different expectations.  Technology – can reveal the need for change, particularly in communications.  Change is really the bridge between the organization and its environment.  Unexpected and unintended events can cause change.

5.  The optimal approach is a deliberate and rational process of rational change.  At best however, administrators process change through a process that is best described by o Bounded rationality o Garbage can theory  Planned organizational change consists of a set of activities designed to change: o Individuals o Groups o Organizational structures o Organizational processes

6.  Planned change steps o Create a sense of urgency o Build coalitions across the organization (critical mass) o Develop a vision o Communicate the vision and strategy o Empower the coalition to overcome barriers o Achieve short term victories o Use success as the basis for short term wins o Repeat new programs, policies, and procedures until they become rooted in the culture

7.  Planning – “any deliberate effort to increase the proportion of goals attained by increasing awareness and understanding of the factors involved” (Dahl, 1959:340).  The first step in the planned change process.  Requires, o Review of the agency mission and goals, o Identification of constraints and opportunities o Forecasting, and o Identifying alternatives.

8.  Planning change is technical and relatively straight forward.  Implementing change involves human relations and is the most difficult aspect of planned change.  Resistance to change can be intense, especially if the change is perceived to threaten entrenched values, mores, and attitudes.  Change agents should focus on eliminating, or at least mitigating, the sources of resistance.

9. Personal  Misunderstanding  Failure to see the need  Fear  Lack of identification/ involvement  Habit  Vested interests  Norms  Threats to existing social systems Organizational  Reward system  Rivalry or conflict  Previous fiscal commitments  Threat to power balances  Prevailing climate  Poor choice of method  History of unsuccessful change  Structural rigidity

10.  Lower costs or perceived higher return on investment  Less complex change that is consistent with existing organizational structure  Change that comes naturally from inside the organization  Involving fewer people or processes

12.  Three strategies o Individual – individuals must modify their attitudes, skills, and behaviors. o Structural and Systems – modifying the basic structure rather than merely changing a few procedures. o Organizational climate – involves changing multiple dimensions within the organization including the task structure and reward/punishment relationship.

13.  Focuses on the environmental influences of an organization.  Attempts to alter an organization’s values, routines and structures to create an atmosphere for change.  Organizational development (OD) tends to be more comprehensive and involve an entire organization.  Often it is necessary to identify a change agent.

14.  The final outcome of change may be different than what was planned.  Reasons for unintended consequences: o Goals may not be thoroughly understood o Interventions may be exploited o Goals may be displaced by a bureaucratic emphasis

15.  Change can be exploited by individuals inside and outside the organization.  Be aware that change threatens the lives of all individuals involved.  Honest and clarity of purpose are keys to insuring an ethical outcome.  Responding immediately to unethical behaviors has considerable symbolic value.

16.  Stability, predictability and consistency are virtues in most criminal justice organizations.  Change is often very slow and methodical in criminal justice unless the organization’s survival is threatened.  Consistency in leadership over the change process is a critical value.

17.  Changes in agencies take place after external groups (citizens, legislators, clients, etc.) believe that the agency is underperforming  Change can also occur from pressure from internal constituents such as unions.  Change can take place by carefully planning or because of forces beyond an organization’s control.  The four significant elements of planned change are individuals, groups, organizational structure, and process.

18.  The basic ingredients of planning in criminal justice are identify agency goals and problems, forecasting contingencies, creating alternative opportunities, and making clear the means-end relationship.  Personal resistance to change can be caused by the; fear of income or job status loss, need to protect territory, lack of trust in management, fear of new challenges, uncertainty and many others.  Organizational resistance to change can be caused by; traditions, ideology, past practices, deeply sunk costs, change of large magnitude, or a rigid organizational culture.

19.  Organizations that readily facilitate change tend to have a professional rather than hierarchical structure and a culture of innovation and creativity.  The processes for overcoming resistance to change include; unfreezing, changing, and refreezing.  Change strategies should be aimed at individuals, structures and systems, organizational climate, and culture.  Organizational development is a process that attempts to alter systemic values, routines and structures to eliminate obstacles to change.

20.  Organizational development requires an increased level of trust among members and creating an environment in which authority is based on expertise.  The final outcome of change may be different than intended.  Change often creates a new set of problems.  The ethical pitfalls of change include; creating winners and losers, harmful organizational politics, and the dishonor of past efforts and successes.

21.  Upon returning home after attending a conference the Mayor called a meeting and instructed the police depa  rtment to “become a community policing organization”.  The Chief responded “We already adhere to many of the precepts of community policing. Mayor, what more do you want us to do?”  “I want you to go all the way!” The Major responded.

22.  Using what you know about the planned change process, resistance to change, and the possibility of unintended consequences, discuss how you would implement the Mayor’s order.  Give particular attention to the Mayor’s lack of clarity in expressing his request.