Theory and Research on Generative Change Processes

Prepared by Gervase Bushe, August 2018

These are books, chapters and articles that either a) are written for a managerial
audience or b) are good research studies and can be used to support your
attempts to influence your leaders to use Dialogic OD processes
Note: Dialogic OD is also very compatible with Organizational Agility and you can find lots of
material by Googling that. If you read the latest blogs from the Big Consulting Firms you will
find that a lot of what they are writing about under Organizational Agility is Dialogic OD Lite.

Ashkenas, R. & Jick, T. (1992) From dialogue to action in GE work-out: Developmental learning
in a change process. Research in Organizational Change and Development, 6, 267-287.

Balogun, J., & Hope Hailey, V. (2004). Exploring strategic change (2nd ed.). London, UK: Prentice
Hall. (75% failure rate of conventional change processes)

Bushe, G.R., & Kassam, A. (2005) When is appreciative inquiry transformational? A meta-case
analysis. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 41(2), 161-181.

Chia, R. (2014) Reflections: In praise of silent transformation: Allowing change through “letting
it happen.” Journal of Change Management, 14, 8-27

Collins, J. & Hansen, M.T. (2011) Great by choice: Uncertainty, chaos and luck – why some thrive
despite them all. NYC, NY: Harper Collins.

Eaton, M. (2010) Why change programs fail. Human Resource Management International
Digest, 18:2, 37-42. (75% failure rate)

Gulati, R., Casto, C., & Krontiris, C. (2014) How the Other Fukushima Plant Survived. Harvard
Business Review, 92,(7/8), 111-115.

Heifetz, R.A. & Laurie, D.L. (1997) The work of leadership. Harvard Business Review, 75(1), 124-
134.

Heracleous, L., Gößwein, J., & Beaudette, P. (2018) Open strategy-making at the Wikimedia
Foundation: A Dialogic Perspective. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 54:1, 70-82.

Lichtenstein, B. (2000). Self-organized transitions: A pattern amid the chaos of transformative

change. Academy of Management Executive, 14(4), 128-141.
Marshak, R.J. & Bushe, G.R. (2018) Planned change and Generative change in OD. OD
Practitioner, 50(4), in press.

Maxton, P.J. & Bushe, G.R. (2018) Individual cognitive effort and cognitive transition during
organization development. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 54(4), in press.

Mintzberg, H., & Waters, J.A. (1985) Of strategies, deliberate and emergent. Journal of Strategic
Management Journal, 6:3, 257-272.

Pascale, R., Millemann, M. & Gioja L., (2000) Surfing the edge of chaos: The laws of nature and
the new laws of business. New York: Crown Business.

Pascale, R., Millemann, M. & Gioja L., (1997) Changing the way we change. Harvard Business
Review, 75(12), 127-139.

Quinn, R. E. (2004) Building the bridge as you walk on it: A guide for leading change. San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Rowland, D., & Higgs, M. (2008) Sustaining change: Leadership that works. Chichester, UK:
Jossey-Bass.

Snowden, D.J. & Boone, M.E. (2007). A leader’s framework for decision-making. Harvard
Business Review, 85(11), 69-76.

Stensaker, I., Falkenberg, J., & Grønhaug, K. (2008) Implementation activities and organizational
sensemaking. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 44(2), 162-185.

Towers Watson (2013). Towers Watson change and communication ROI survey. Retrieved from
https://www.towerswatson.com/en/Press/2013/08/Only-One-Quarter-of-Employers-Are-
Sustaining-Gains-From-Change-Management (75% failure rate)