ORGB 4871 STUDENT ID FIRST NAME LAST NAME ASSIGNMENT 5
Introduction
This assignment discourses the concept of change institutionalization. I will discuss my
understanding of institutionalization of change, describe an assessment method that can be
used to determine if institutionalization is evident, as well as the processes that illustrate that
institutionalization is not evident. I will then look at how a manager could create a capacity
for continuous change, learning, and improvement. Lastly, I will describe the future trends
that may impact on the role of the manager in relation to institutionalization of change.
Completing this paper will help me increase my understanding of change institutionalization
through reading and incorporating insights from a variety of existing studies that explore the
subject.
Q1. Discuss your understanding of institutionalization of change. In your discussion,
indicate how organizational characteristics affect institutionalization. (20 marks)
Once a change intervention has been implemented, the other key action or stage involves
institutionalization. In this stage, organization members are no longer discussing about the
new ways, resisting the interventions, or experimenting with the new conditions. Instead, they
have adapted to the new ways of being and the conditions have become a permanent
characteristic of the organization culture. Ideally, institutionalization is the process of making
a particular change a permanent feature of the organization’s functioning (Cumming &
Worley, 2005). Institutionalization ensures that the outcomes of successful change
interventions persist over time. Considering the challenges posed by transformations
experienced in the environment of operation, organizations are required to ensure that
successful results of change programs survive the pressures. Institutionalization is a way of
staying put or maintaining a balance in the midst of uncertainties and problems. Keeping an
, appropriate balance is a means of defense against the eroding forces of nature (Wheatley,
2006).
Institutionalization is impossible without considering evaluation processes. Evaluation
is concerned with providing feedback to change practitioners and organization members
about the progress and impact of interventions (Cummings & Worley, 2005). Such
discovering may imply a need for adjustment of the change initiative, or it may indicate that
the program is successful. The key aspects in evaluation are measurement and research
design. Measurement issues focus on selecting appropriate variables while research design
involves establishing the conditions for making valid assessments of an intervention’s effects
(Cummings & Worley, 2005).
Organization characteristics can affect change institutionalization. The key organization
characteristics that affect institutionalization processes include:
i. Unionization. While unions can be a useful force for promoting change,
integration of interventions may be difficult in unionized settings (Cummings &
Worley, 2005). A rigid union, for example, can make it difficult to combine
several job categories into one.
ii. Congruence. Congruence is concerned with the extent to which an intervention is
perceived as being in harmony with the organization’s managerial philosophy,
strategy, and structure (Cummings & Worley, 2005). When an intervention is in
agreement with these factors, it is more likely that it will be institutionalized.
iii. Stability of environment and technology. Unless change interventions match
with the changes in the environment and technology, it may be difficult to attain
long-term intervention stability.
Introduction
This assignment discourses the concept of change institutionalization. I will discuss my
understanding of institutionalization of change, describe an assessment method that can be
used to determine if institutionalization is evident, as well as the processes that illustrate that
institutionalization is not evident. I will then look at how a manager could create a capacity
for continuous change, learning, and improvement. Lastly, I will describe the future trends
that may impact on the role of the manager in relation to institutionalization of change.
Completing this paper will help me increase my understanding of change institutionalization
through reading and incorporating insights from a variety of existing studies that explore the
subject.
Q1. Discuss your understanding of institutionalization of change. In your discussion,
indicate how organizational characteristics affect institutionalization. (20 marks)
Once a change intervention has been implemented, the other key action or stage involves
institutionalization. In this stage, organization members are no longer discussing about the
new ways, resisting the interventions, or experimenting with the new conditions. Instead, they
have adapted to the new ways of being and the conditions have become a permanent
characteristic of the organization culture. Ideally, institutionalization is the process of making
a particular change a permanent feature of the organization’s functioning (Cumming &
Worley, 2005). Institutionalization ensures that the outcomes of successful change
interventions persist over time. Considering the challenges posed by transformations
experienced in the environment of operation, organizations are required to ensure that
successful results of change programs survive the pressures. Institutionalization is a way of
staying put or maintaining a balance in the midst of uncertainties and problems. Keeping an
, appropriate balance is a means of defense against the eroding forces of nature (Wheatley,
2006).
Institutionalization is impossible without considering evaluation processes. Evaluation
is concerned with providing feedback to change practitioners and organization members
about the progress and impact of interventions (Cummings & Worley, 2005). Such
discovering may imply a need for adjustment of the change initiative, or it may indicate that
the program is successful. The key aspects in evaluation are measurement and research
design. Measurement issues focus on selecting appropriate variables while research design
involves establishing the conditions for making valid assessments of an intervention’s effects
(Cummings & Worley, 2005).
Organization characteristics can affect change institutionalization. The key organization
characteristics that affect institutionalization processes include:
i. Unionization. While unions can be a useful force for promoting change,
integration of interventions may be difficult in unionized settings (Cummings &
Worley, 2005). A rigid union, for example, can make it difficult to combine
several job categories into one.
ii. Congruence. Congruence is concerned with the extent to which an intervention is
perceived as being in harmony with the organization’s managerial philosophy,
strategy, and structure (Cummings & Worley, 2005). When an intervention is in
agreement with these factors, it is more likely that it will be institutionalized.
iii. Stability of environment and technology. Unless change interventions match
with the changes in the environment and technology, it may be difficult to attain
long-term intervention stability.
