Organizational Change Processes

Valerie Cox, Kimberly Kruse, Randi Latham, Sarah Uram

Learning Team C
AET/560
July 20, 2015
Randy Howell

University of Phoenix: Continuing Transformation

University of Phoenixs Purpose:
To facilitate cognitive and affective
student learning.
To develop competence in
communication, critical thinking,
collaboration, and information
utilization.
To provide instruction that bridges the
gap between theory and practice
through faculty members.
To provide General Education and
foundational instruction and services.

To use technology to create

effective modes and means of
instruction that expand access to
learning resources.
To assess student learning and
use assessment data to improve
the systems.
To be organized.
To generate the financial
resources necessary to support
the University's mission.
(Mission and Purpose, 2015.)

Lewins Theory
Founder Kurt Lewin created in the 1950s (Murthy, 2007)
Three stages (Thompson, 2015)
Unfreeze
Rationale: Identify all impacted parties ensure everyone understands why
change is needed
Change
Rationale: Communication and adequate time for the change to occur
Refreeze
Rationale: Provide training and check points to ensure that the change is
implemented consistently

Beckhard and Harris Theory

Four Stages:

Organizational Analysis
Rationale: The organization must know how they
function before change.
Why Change
Rationale: Create the Vision.
Gap Analysis
Rationale: Find the right corrective steps.
Action Planning and Transition Management
Rationale: Create measurements, determine if the
organization is on task

Concluding notes on theories

Facilitate change within the University of Phoenix structure.
Both theories can be used to facilitate these changes.
Lewin's model gives us a bird's eye view
Beckhard and Harris' model to facilitate the finer details of an intricate change
process.
Outline the behaviors or performance desired
Lewin's theory allows us to
identify and understand the "forces" of change (Rosch, 2002), and to
understand the vision
measure behaviors and performance
Through the steps in the Beckhard and Harris model, change agents and leaders
develop measurements for employee performance

Shared Diagnosis
Focus Groups
Participants:
Academics
Finance
Enrollment
Faculty
Students
Purpose:
Review early at risk indicators
Create a process for identifying students
Develop an effective outreach initiative

Data Collection
Questionnaires
Audience- students and advisors
Purpose - gather information on current state of affairs and benchmarks to measure progress

Interviews
Exit Interviews Audience recent drop out students and their advisors
Purpose determine reason for discontinuation of courses, review potential indicators
Faculty Interviews
Audience - faculty teaching high drop out classes
Purpose Gain insight on student struggles, frustrations and suggestions for improvement

Observations
recorded calls, retention reports, student satisfaction (end of course surveys), and
manager observations (managers observe their groups of employees and report results, likely on a weekly
basis).

Continuous Improvement
Student Satisfaction
This will be a consistent focus as needs and wants will change as fields and technology
change

Student Retention and Graduation Rates

Graduation rates are currently a difficult area for University of Phoenix
Strategy will change and adapt to the needs as retention increases

Increased contact and support from advisors to students

Aligned with individual student need and needs
Continuous improvement of support resources and training for advisors and faculty

Implementing the Change

University of Phoenix
Contact strategy is variable, depending on advisor, student, and class
attending
Training program implementation
Ensure all advisors know the student resources
Require a specific contact strategy
Trigger alerts for the advisor so that they do not have to monitor the time
frames themselves.
Request student feedback regarding contact

Managing the Change

Ensure advisors are following the contact strategy
Elicit feedback
Discuss the challenges advisors face
Discuss feedback they receive directly from the students.
Survey and compile direct feedback from students
determine the impact of the new strategy on their experience.
Gather data on
How the new strategy has impacted resource usage.
Have the students begun to use more of the resources?
Measuring the change
6 months into implementation.
Observe significant change in the retention of students
More referrals by current students.

Behaviors and Competencies

Active listening
Student Advising
Data analysis
Record keeping
Degree program knowledge
student resource knowledge,
Communication
Interpersonal skills
Team player
Conflict resolution

Implementation Strategies: Addressing Resistance

Resistance is an Opportunity to Learn!
Possible Sources of Employee Resistance (Spector, 2013):
Source

Solution

Remain Satisfied with the Status Quo

Explain Diagnosis and Learning

Process

View Change as a Personal Threat

Provide Training so Employees can

Acquire Necessary Skills

Assume Cost of Change Outweighs

Benefit

Clearly Articulate Goals of Change

Believe Management is Mishandling

Process

Give Employees a Voice in Change

Process

Believe the Change Effort will Fail

Explain how this Change is

Different than Previous Attempts

Implementation Strategies: Developing Commitment

Developing a Psychological Sense of Ownership (Spector, 2013):
Diagnosing Problems
Understand Importance of Change Needed
Developing Solutions
Establish Psychological Safe Environment (Spector, 2013)
Encourage Personal Risks
Minimize Negative Response to Attempts at Change Implementation

Incentives
Behaviors We Want

Non-Monetary Incentives

Employees to Exhibit

Food and beverages

_____(#) of touch points with a student

during each course
Student Satisfaction Scores on end-of-course
surveys
Number or percentage of students that access
resources
Number of referrals advisor receives from
student

Parties or team builder activities

Swag
Half-days, extra day off, flexible
scheduling
Ask your people what they want!
(Womald, 2009)

Teamwork
Teams are the tangible units that make
collaboration possible (Spector, 2013)
Cross-functional teams
shared responsibility and teamwork
Competencies
critical thinking,
brainstorming,
problem solving,
conflict management,
and communication (Spector, 2013).
Train together in order to enhance team
bonding and communication.

(Organizational Change Coaching, 2010)

Theories & Strategy

Kurt Lewins
Field Theory in Social Science
Unfreeze- Advisors are aware of necessary
changes.
Change- Vision accompanying training
programs.
Refreeze- Measurable goals are
implemented. Incentives and protocols for
resistance in action by setting examples.

Beckhard and Harris

Theory
Organizational Analysis- Developing a
Psychological Sense of Ownership.
Why Change- Understand Importance of
Necessary Change. Team Strength Training.
Gap Analysis- Developing Solutions. Agents
and Team Leaders emerge.
Action Planning and Transition
Management- 6 months into
implementation. Observe significant change
in the retention of students. More referrals
by current students.

Conclusion
Decline in Student Retention Demands an Alternative Approach
Student Service will be Modified to Focus on Successful Academic
Support
Focus Groups will be Formed to Review Student Trends
Training and Incentive Programs will be Introduced to Student Service
Employees
Teamwork will be Encouraged Across Departments to Encourage
Collaboration
Implementation will be Managed and Monitored by Management

References
Cawsey, T.F., (2012). Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit. Change Frameworks for Organizational
Diagnosis (2nd ed., pp. 39-55). Sage Publications
Mission and Purpose. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.phoenix.edu/about_us/about_
university_of_phoenix/mission_and_purpose.html
Murthy, C. (2007). Change Management. Mumbai, IND: Himalaya Publishing House. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com
Organizational Change Coaching. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.nathanielmills.com/organizational_change_coaching/
Rosch, E. (2002). Lewin's field theory as situated action in organizational change. Organization Development Journal, 20(2), 8-14.
Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/198000227?accountid=458

References, contd
Spector, B. (2013). Implementing Organizational Change: Theory into Practice (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson
Thompson, R. (2015). Lewin's Change Management Model: Understanding the Three Stages of Change. Retrieved from
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newPPM_94.htm
Wormald, K. (2009). Employee incentives that work. Office Solutions, 26(1), 24-26. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/216436770?accountid=458