Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the applicability of Prochaska and colleagues&#... more Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the applicability of Prochaska and colleagues' “stages of change model,” which has generated substantial support in the therapeutic literature as a useful framework for understanding the dynamics of motivation to change problem behaviors, in a leadership development context.Design/methodology/approach – A group of over 70 supervisors/managers was studied over a period of nine months as they participated in a company‐sponsored leadership development effort.Findings – Results provide initial evidence that the stages of change model has the potential for being reliably and validly assessed in a leadership development context. Participants' stage scores related in meaningful ways to relevant criteria such as job attitudes, perceptions of personal leadership areas needing improvement, and evaluations of actual development module content and presentation over a nine‐month period.Research limitations/implications – Participants were...
Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 2016
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of core self-evaluations (CSE) and c... more Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of core self-evaluations (CSE) and change uncertainty on job satisfaction and turnover intentions within the context of an organizational change. Because individuals high in CSE are expected to be able to cope better with uncertainty, the authors also tested the mitigating effect of CSE on the change uncertainty-attitude relationships. Design/methodology/approach – Surveys were completed and returned by 398 employees in the midst of a merger containing measures of CSE, change uncertainty, job satisfaction, and turnover intentions. The survey was voluntary and administered cross-sectionally. Findings – Change uncertainty was found to negatively influence job satisfaction and positively influence turnover intentions. Additionally, CSE positively impacted job satisfaction and negatively impacted turnover intentions. High CSE was also found to minimize the negative impact of examined change uncertainty-job attitude relationshi...
Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 2007
Using an operational framework, the diagnostic funnel is introduced, which prescribes the appropr... more Using an operational framework, the diagnostic funnel is introduced, which prescribes the appropriate actions of a process consultant in conducting an organizational diagnosis. The diagnostic funnel comprises the four actions of (a) selecting a general diagnostic model, (b) collecting data that minimizes bias, (c) analyzing the data to reduce the likelihood of error, and (d) deriving a unique diagnostic paradigm, specific to the organization under study. It is argued that the actions described by the diagnostic funnel will result in a diagnosis that achieves a high level of scientific rigor. To provide a detailed description of the diagnostic funnel, a case example of an organizational diagnosis is presented.
Research in Organizational Change and Development, 2007
Page 1. TOWARD A COMPREHENSIVE DEFINITION OF READINESS FOR CHANGE: A REVIEW OF RESEARCH AND INSTR... more Page 1. TOWARD A COMPREHENSIVE DEFINITION OF READINESS FOR CHANGE: A REVIEW OF RESEARCH AND INSTRUMENTATION Daniel T. Holt, Achilles A. Armenakis, Stanley G. Harris and Hubert S. Feild ABSTRACT ...
ABSTRACT Today's businesses are confronting continuous and unparalleled changes. For orga... more ABSTRACT Today's businesses are confronting continuous and unparalleled changes. For organizations to assist employees in being motivated and prepared for change, it is essential that managers, leaders, and organization development professionals understand factors that may influence individual change readiness. The purpose of this research study was to investigate the relationship between readiness for change and two of these possible factors: organizational commitment and social relationships in the workplace. Four hundred and sixty-four usable surveys were returned from full-time employees in four companies within two northern Utah counties. The findings indicate that there are significant relationships between readiness for change, organizational commitment, and social relationships. Relationships were also found between readiness for change and number of children; social relationships and gender; and organization commitment or one of its three components (i.e., identification, job involvement, and loyalty) and employee age, length of time with organization, educational level, and gender.
... Page 31. Perspective Taking and LMX Dyad Agreement LMX quality can be assessed from both the ... more ... Page 31. Perspective Taking and LMX Dyad Agreement LMX quality can be assessed from both the supervisor and subordinate perspective. ... Within-dyad correlations of LMX agreement have ranged from .50 (Graen & Cashman, 1975) to .29 (Scandura, Graen, & Novak, 1986). ...
Sensegiving is one of the key responsibilities of middle managers while implementing organization... more Sensegiving is one of the key responsibilities of middle managers while implementing organizational change. In this qualitative study, we examine how middle managers frame their sensegiving efforts to communicate change readiness sentiments. Consistent with the social movement literature, we found that middle managers employed three readiness framing strategies: (a) diagnostic framing centered on the need for change; (c) prognostic framing focused on the appropriateness of the specific change effort; and (3) motivational framing concentrated on influencing efficacy and change personal valence, and demonstrating organizational support. Additionally, the managers performed episodic and everyday actions to reinforce their change readiness frames.
Research in Organizational Change and Development, 1999
ABSTRACT Increasing global competition has accelerated the rate of organizational changes, such a... more ABSTRACT Increasing global competition has accelerated the rate of organizational changes, such as reengineering, restructuring, and downsizing. As a result, organizational leaders find themselves faced with growing cynicism among employees that the current wave of changes is nothing more than the program of the month that will pass as those that preceded it. We address the issue of how to make changes permanent by providing a model developed from theory and research on organizational change and from successful practices implemented in numerous organizations worldwide. The model can serve at least three purposes. First, the model can assist change agents in planning for and assessing progress toward institutionalizing organizational change. Second, the model can help focus efforts of organizational scholars to study the change process. Third, the model offers the basis for hypothesis testing regarding the success or failure of change efforts.
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the applicability of Prochaska and colleagues&#... more Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the applicability of Prochaska and colleagues' “stages of change model,” which has generated substantial support in the therapeutic literature as a useful framework for understanding the dynamics of motivation to change problem behaviors, in a leadership development context.Design/methodology/approach – A group of over 70 supervisors/managers was studied over a period of nine months as they participated in a company‐sponsored leadership development effort.Findings – Results provide initial evidence that the stages of change model has the potential for being reliably and validly assessed in a leadership development context. Participants' stage scores related in meaningful ways to relevant criteria such as job attitudes, perceptions of personal leadership areas needing improvement, and evaluations of actual development module content and presentation over a nine‐month period.Research limitations/implications – Participants were...
Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 2016
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of core self-evaluations (CSE) and c... more Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of core self-evaluations (CSE) and change uncertainty on job satisfaction and turnover intentions within the context of an organizational change. Because individuals high in CSE are expected to be able to cope better with uncertainty, the authors also tested the mitigating effect of CSE on the change uncertainty-attitude relationships. Design/methodology/approach – Surveys were completed and returned by 398 employees in the midst of a merger containing measures of CSE, change uncertainty, job satisfaction, and turnover intentions. The survey was voluntary and administered cross-sectionally. Findings – Change uncertainty was found to negatively influence job satisfaction and positively influence turnover intentions. Additionally, CSE positively impacted job satisfaction and negatively impacted turnover intentions. High CSE was also found to minimize the negative impact of examined change uncertainty-job attitude relationshi...
Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 2007
Using an operational framework, the diagnostic funnel is introduced, which prescribes the appropr... more Using an operational framework, the diagnostic funnel is introduced, which prescribes the appropriate actions of a process consultant in conducting an organizational diagnosis. The diagnostic funnel comprises the four actions of (a) selecting a general diagnostic model, (b) collecting data that minimizes bias, (c) analyzing the data to reduce the likelihood of error, and (d) deriving a unique diagnostic paradigm, specific to the organization under study. It is argued that the actions described by the diagnostic funnel will result in a diagnosis that achieves a high level of scientific rigor. To provide a detailed description of the diagnostic funnel, a case example of an organizational diagnosis is presented.
Research in Organizational Change and Development, 2007
Page 1. TOWARD A COMPREHENSIVE DEFINITION OF READINESS FOR CHANGE: A REVIEW OF RESEARCH AND INSTR... more Page 1. TOWARD A COMPREHENSIVE DEFINITION OF READINESS FOR CHANGE: A REVIEW OF RESEARCH AND INSTRUMENTATION Daniel T. Holt, Achilles A. Armenakis, Stanley G. Harris and Hubert S. Feild ABSTRACT ...
ABSTRACT Today's businesses are confronting continuous and unparalleled changes. For orga... more ABSTRACT Today's businesses are confronting continuous and unparalleled changes. For organizations to assist employees in being motivated and prepared for change, it is essential that managers, leaders, and organization development professionals understand factors that may influence individual change readiness. The purpose of this research study was to investigate the relationship between readiness for change and two of these possible factors: organizational commitment and social relationships in the workplace. Four hundred and sixty-four usable surveys were returned from full-time employees in four companies within two northern Utah counties. The findings indicate that there are significant relationships between readiness for change, organizational commitment, and social relationships. Relationships were also found between readiness for change and number of children; social relationships and gender; and organization commitment or one of its three components (i.e., identification, job involvement, and loyalty) and employee age, length of time with organization, educational level, and gender.
... Page 31. Perspective Taking and LMX Dyad Agreement LMX quality can be assessed from both the ... more ... Page 31. Perspective Taking and LMX Dyad Agreement LMX quality can be assessed from both the supervisor and subordinate perspective. ... Within-dyad correlations of LMX agreement have ranged from .50 (Graen & Cashman, 1975) to .29 (Scandura, Graen, & Novak, 1986). ...
Sensegiving is one of the key responsibilities of middle managers while implementing organization... more Sensegiving is one of the key responsibilities of middle managers while implementing organizational change. In this qualitative study, we examine how middle managers frame their sensegiving efforts to communicate change readiness sentiments. Consistent with the social movement literature, we found that middle managers employed three readiness framing strategies: (a) diagnostic framing centered on the need for change; (c) prognostic framing focused on the appropriateness of the specific change effort; and (3) motivational framing concentrated on influencing efficacy and change personal valence, and demonstrating organizational support. Additionally, the managers performed episodic and everyday actions to reinforce their change readiness frames.
Research in Organizational Change and Development, 1999
ABSTRACT Increasing global competition has accelerated the rate of organizational changes, such a... more ABSTRACT Increasing global competition has accelerated the rate of organizational changes, such as reengineering, restructuring, and downsizing. As a result, organizational leaders find themselves faced with growing cynicism among employees that the current wave of changes is nothing more than the program of the month that will pass as those that preceded it. We address the issue of how to make changes permanent by providing a model developed from theory and research on organizational change and from successful practices implemented in numerous organizations worldwide. The model can serve at least three purposes. First, the model can assist change agents in planning for and assessing progress toward institutionalizing organizational change. Second, the model can help focus efforts of organizational scholars to study the change process. Third, the model offers the basis for hypothesis testing regarding the success or failure of change efforts.
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Papers by Stanley Harris