Conclusion

This section explored intervention methods through the social dimensions of organizing systems: individual, group, and culture. Woodman and Dewett (2004) illuminated the individual as a change target by offering a model for explaining how individuals influence organizations and how organizations change individuals. McGrath and Tschan (2004) provided insight into the group as a change target by integrating systems theory and complexity theory to propose a complex action systems (CAST) theory, which demonstrates the processes that continually and interdependently operate in groups. Hatch (2004) explained emerging understanding of the culture as a change target by offering a model of cultural dynamics that shows change agents how individuals and groups mutually interact in existing cultural patterns while creating new cultural patterns.

Considering various intervention techniques used on each change target helped to show the methods change agents can use to target specific social dimensions. However, this approach quickly shows the limitations of isolating targets for change. The approaches for one target are often also useful for others. For example, Lewin’s force field model, Action Research, and Appreciative inquiry can be used for targeting individuals and systems. Likewise, the approach that works in one situation may not work in another. For example, manipulating change by feeding emotional frenzy may work once but may not work once people have an opportunity to think about what they are doing.

The difficulty of categorizing the intervention approaches helps show why targeting specific parts for change can ultimately prove ineffective. The theorists who provided insight about the individual, group, and culture as change targets argued that the traditional approaches of isolating parts of an organization for intervention have limited effect and can cause unintended consequences for organizations. The social dimensions of an organizing system are not separate parts, they are dynamically inter-connected dimensions that build on the previous level: individuals form the group; individuals and groups form the culture. In other words, targeting one dimension affects the other dimensions.

Understanding the organization as an organizing system composed of dynamically inter-related parts interacting within boundaries to adapt to a dynamic environment (Manning & Binzagr, 1996) helps to illuminate the complexity of change interventions. Treating an isolated part while ignoring a system’s inter-related parts and environment can allow the disease to fester. Similarly, treating the system without considering its parts can cause disease. Effective and lasting change is not about targeting the individual, group, or culture; it is in recognizing and treating the dynamically organizing social dimensions within and around the organization.