2nd Edition

Reshaping Change A Processual Perspective

By Patrick Dawson Copyright 2019
    298 Pages
    by Routledge

    298 Pages
    by Routledge

    This book views change as an ongoing process that should not be solidified or treated as a series of linear events. In drawing on data collected from over 40 years of research, it highlights the theoretical and practical value of using a processual perspective. Illustrative examples from a range of organizations including: Micro-X, General Motors, Pirelli Cables, BHP Billiton, Royal Dutch Shell, British Rail, British Aerospace, Hewlett Packard, Laubman and Pank and the CSIRO make the approach understandable and accessible to both researchers and practitioners.

    In a theoretical exploration of temporal context, sociomaterial relations and power-political processes the dynamics of changing organizations is brought to the fore and the implication for reshaping change examined. On the practice of engaging in longitudinal research, study design, data collection and processual analysis, as well as the write-up and dissemination of findings, are all considered. This is an innovative and highly practical research monograph that captures the truly complex processes of changing organizations and illustrates how these are best understood from a processual perspective.

    List of Figures and Tables

    Acknowledgments

    1. Introduction
    2. Introduction

      The case for adopting a processual approach

      The temporal dynamics of changing organizations

      Grounding a processual perspective in empirical research

      Main aims of the book

    3. The Development of the Processual Perspective and the Process Turn in Organization Studies
    4. Introduction

      Laying the foundations: The importance of context and process

      Pettigrew’s contribution to the processual-contextualist approach

      The process turn in organization studies

      Empirically grounded processual research and process philosophy: Issues and challenges

      Developing a typology of process research in fieldwork studies

      Processes of narrative change: Stories, sensemaking and dialogue

      Processes of temporal change: Time, temporality and practice

      Conclusion

    5. A Processual Framework: The Non-linear Dynamic Processes of Organizational Change
    6. Introduction

      Studying change over time: Analytical distinctions and conceptual considerations

      Type of organizational change

      The before, during and after of organizational change: ‘Catching reality in flight’ through conventional timeframes

      The importance of multiple times and multiple temporalities

      Doing processual research: Approach, commitment and methods

      Digging in the field: The committed researcher

      Longitudinal research designs in collecting processual data

      The processual framework reappraised and developed

      Temporal context

      Beyond contextual boundaries

      Culture and history

      Sensemaking and sensegiving

      Time and temporality

      Stories and narratives for understanding change

      Power-political processes

      Sociomaterial relations

      Assemblages and entanglement: Some early debates

      The concept of sociomateriality reappraised

      Conclusion

    7. Miners’ Stories and the Power-Political Processes of Contested Change
    8. Introduction

      The power of stories, storytellers and storying

      The power-political process of contested change at Glenrothes colliery

      Stories and the storying process in changing organizations

      Retrospective stories and prospective storying

      Temporal sensemaking and change: It’s ‘us’ against ‘them’

      Attribution of blame in making sense of performance

      Review and appeal: The power of stories to resist and steer change

      Conclusion

    9. Temporal Context and Non-linear Change at General Motors
    10. Introduction

      Context, time and temporality in the study of changing organizations

      Moving context beyond business considerations dominant in mainstream change management models

      Alternative conceptions of time and the concept of temporal context

      Temporal context: The illustrative example of General Motors

      The historical context of General Motors Holden

      Data gathering and the concern with data triangulation

      Stories in temporal context: Narrative in the making and processes in the shaping

      Temporal context and depth of contextual knowledge

      Temporal context and the sociomaterial dynamics of cell design

      Temporal context and power-political process

      Conclusion

    11. Sociomaterial Relations in the Emergence and Growth of Micro-X
    12. Introduction

      Ongoing change and sociomateriality at Micro-X

      The concept of sociomateriality and the importance of time

      Micro-X: A high-tech start-up company based in Adelaide

      The birth of a business: From idea generation to marketing and product emergence

      Finding a partner organization for distribution and sales

      Securing finance and building networks

      Prototypes, reliability testing and the core technology

      Establishing a Micro-X facility in South Australia: From design to manufacture

      Drawing on the experience of ex-Holden employees

      Quality supply and manufacture

      Strategy, collaboration and innovation

      Conclusion: Sociomaterial relations and the Micro-X story

    13. The Design of Longitudinal Case Study Research and the Importance of Process and Time
    14. 7. The Design of Longitudinal Case Study Research And The Importance Of Process And Time

      Introduction

      Time and temporality in processual research and the ethnographic case study

      Process ontology and debates on temporality and change

      Temporal practices and temporal awareness in researching workplace change

      A facilitating framework for accommodating time and temporality in extended case study research

      The design and practice of longitudinal research

      Longitudinal design and processual research: Practical constraints and contextual opportunities

      Conclusion

    15. Conducting Processual Fieldwork: Data Collection and Analysis
    16. Introduction

      Tacit knowledge: There is no substitute for dirty hands

      Doing it: Processual research and the task of data collection

      Observational methods

      The use of interviews

      Combining observation and in-depth interviewing

      Other data collection techniques and supplementary methods

      Processual analysis: The long vigil

      The essential needs of processual analysis

      The need for contextual richness in accommodating conflicting data

      Conclusion

    17. Disseminating Processual Research: Audience and Storyteller
    18. Introduction

      Stories and storytelling

      The anecdotal story as a recipe for success: The popular management literature

      Stories and storytelling in academic study

      The processual case study in written form

      The question of higher levels of output and the constraints of research group pressures

      The case study and the audience: A typology

      Content and style of the case material

      The currency of publications: Challenges, opportunities and constraints

      Conclusion

    19. Conclusion

    Introduction

    Practical dimensions of processual research

    Concluding comments on developments in the processual approach

    Appendix I: Some Examples of Interview Schedules and a Supervisor’s Questionnaire

    Introduction

    Supervisor’s interview schedule

    Yard staff interview schedule

    Supervisor’s questionnaire

    Appendix II: An Example of a Processual Case Study Write-up for Company Agreement on Publishable Material

    Introduction

    The company write-up: Total quality management at Laubman and Pank

    Introduction

    Research strategy and methods

    Laubman and Pank

    Quality management at Laubman and Pank

    Senior management assessment of service excellence

    Laboratory manufacturing and service excellence

    Service excellence and competitive optometric practice

    Conclusion: TQM in the Laubman and Pank Group

    Conclusion

    Appendix III: An Example of a Processual Case Study Used for Teaching Purposes

    Introduction

    Guidelines for case study tutorials

    A recommended approach

    The British Rail case study: Learning from the past?

    The computerisation of freight operations control

    The implementation problem

    The ‘task force’ approach

    Creating a culture of change

    Technological change and organizational innovation

    Case study questions

    Conclusion

    Bibliography

    Index

    Biography

    Patrick Dawson is a Professor of Change, Creativity and Innovation at the University of Adelaide, Professor of Organizational Change at the University of Northumbria, and an Emeritus Professor of Management at the University of Aberdeen.