Empirical-rational
Strategies of Change
Objectives:
•
•
•
•
Describe Empirical-rational change and organizational renewal.
Discuss the different strategies of change.
Relate Empirical-rational change in education.
Illustrate and analyze the stages of organizational life in school
setting.
Empirical-rational Strategies of Change
• Strategies assume that providing knowledge is the most
powerful requirement for change (Sullivan, 2012). This strategy
assumes that people are rational and will act in their own selfinterest when they understand that change will benefit them.
• The empirical/rational, or “normal,” approach is a theory that
proposes organizational change occurs if a plan is rationally
justified and demonstrates benefits to a change target, be it an
individual, group or organization. The underlying assumption is
that individuals are rational beings who follow rational selfinterests. If an argument is rationally justified and presented in
an effective manner, a group will support change because it
supports their self-interests
Empirical-rational Strategies of Change
• Humans are a rational being and will follow their self interest
once it is reveal to them. Change is based on the
communication of information and the offerings of incentives.
• People act:
• When data reveal that change is reasonable and justified
• When it can be shown that they will gain by a change
• If one perceives benefit/gain from an innovation he will support
the change.
• If one perceives inconvenience/loss from an innovation he will
resist.
Assumptions:
1. Individuals are rational beings who are driven by self-interest.
2. If information is justifiable and put forth in a convincing manner,
individuals will act in support of the proposed change.
3. Information must be gathered by experts and professionals to
ensure the most accurate and empirical of knowledge.
4. The transfer of information is linear and unidirectional. Senior
members (and/or expert representatives) of a system communicate
facts to recipients, who decide if the posited change is rational.
5. Communication is meant to help recipients understand facts, and
not to promote the redefining and changing of information yielded
by experts.
STRATEGIES TO MANAGE PEOPLE THROUGH CHANGE
Application to Education:
• An example of its application includes an organization using health
and nutrition data to support the funding of Vitamin enhanced
bread (nutribun) to the feeding program. Based on information
which shows the effectiveness of using nutribun to reduce
malnutrition among students, a non-profit organization may raise
supporter funds to provide nutribun to susceptible/impacted
schools. By supporting the cause, contributors reason that they
are lowering the risk of malnutrition and saving lives. To then
implement change, the organization may innovate methods to
convince government to help alleviate malnutrition thru nutribun.
Methods would include demonstrating their utility and direct
benefits, as well as garnering the support of community leaders to
be the voices of reason.
Limitation:
• The
empirical-rational
approach
is
relatively
straightforward and easy to implement when focusing on
short-term problems. However, as a community and its
problems evolve, the approach is subject to doubt and
miscommunication. Technology poses a problem when
modern
information
conflicts
with
pre-existing
knowledge, leaving individuals mis-informed and unable
to make the most reasoned decisions. Likewise, when
participants are adherent to a particular school of
thought, change is also difficult to implement.
ORGANIZATIONAL SELF-RENEWAL
Organizational Self-renewal
• In order to remain competitive, a firm must constantly
create new strategies, products and features as well as
new ways of manufacturing, promoting and distributing
its products. The process of new product development
can serve as a catalyst for the self-renewal of an
organization. Developing a new product forces members
of an organization to create innovative approaches to
problems which may then lead to shifts in the thinking of
the firm.
• Organizational Self-renewal can occur as an ongoing,
continuous process or as episodic change.
Five Building Blocks of Change:
1. Awareness of the need for change
2. Desire to participate and support the
change
3. Knowledge on how to change
4. Ability to implement required skills and
behaviors
5. Reinforcement to sustain the change
Seven Stages of Organizational Life:
5.
Becoming
an
institution
6. Closing
In
4. Making
it
7. Dying
Out
3. Getting
organized
2.
Launching
the
venture
1.
Dreaming
the dream
Seven Stages of Organizational Life:
4. Making
it
5.
Becoming
an
institution
6. Closing
In
7. Dying
Out
7.
Beginning
a New
3. Getting
organized
2.
Launching
the
venture
1.
Dreaming
the dream
6a. The
Path of
Renewal
Seven Stages of Organizational Life:
4.
Realization
of the plan
5. SBM
Level 3
6. Closing
In
7. Dying
Out
3. Getting
the school
organized
7.
Beginning
a New
2.
Launching
the School
Plan
1. An
Excited
Principal
6a. What
else?
Charles Darwin once said:
“It is not the strongest
species that survive, nor
the most intelligent, but
the one who is most
responsive to change”
ME say: