Embarking on Equitable
Change in Turbulent Times
A Study on Enabling Conditions for
Dialogic Organizational
Development
Rachael Banks
June 9, 2012
Social Inequities in Public Service

Persistent health inequities
Unjust
Costly
Preventable
Many Organizational Development
(OD) Efforts Underway

Previous efforts partially
successful



Bounded, distinct efforts
Separate programs
Organizational
complexity increasing



Increased Need
Wicked Challenges
Environment transforming
Two Types of OD

Diagnostic




Problem identification
Diagnosis
Time limited
Dialogic



Solutions oriented
Inquiry overlaps with
intervention
Continuous and
cyclical
OD Methods out of Touch

Dialogic seems better for
complexity and turbulence

Literature

EMPA coursework

Organizational experience
Research Question

What conditions must be in place to
initiate dialogic OD approach that
can address wicked challenges like
health inequities?

Are there different enabling conditions
for the two types of OD?
Literature Review

Literature on Diagnostic OD,
enabling conditions






Need and urgency
Top management commitment
Multi-level involvement
Resource allocation
Openness to learning
A plan
o Gap in Dialogic enabling conditions
Research Methodology
Name
Position
Agency
Jeanine Beatrice
Project Manager
Oregon Health Authority
Kristin Chung-Mei
Lensen
Owner
Kristin Lensen Consulting
Deborah Cockrell
Clinic Manager
Multnomah County Health
Department
Christopher
Hamilton
Program Analyst
Oregon Health Authority
(OHA)
Alana Heines
Owner
Heines Consulting
James Mason
Director Culturally
Competent Care
Providence Health and
Services
Selena Mason
Administrative
Director
Western States Center
Angela Mitchell
Patient Advocacy
Coordinator
Providence Medical Group
Paul Potter
Project Director
Oregon OD Network, OHA
Data Analysis
Phase 1: Determine wickedness using wicked scale
Phase 2: Identify wicked challenges that used
dialogic OD
Yes
Dialogic?
Phase 3: Determine pre-conditions
for dialogic changes that addressed
wicked challenges
Dialogic
+
Wicked
New dialogic
preconditions?
diagnostic &
dialogic
(hybrid)?
Yes
Wicked?
No
(Diagnostic)
No
Study Limitations

Small, convenience sample

Varying OD content areas

Limited generalizability

Preliminary study

Does not control for all variables
Findings


Dialogic used for
wicked
challenges
Health inequities
are wicked
challenges
Findings


Dialogic Pre-conditions not
in literature

Committed to disrupt status quo

Empowerment-focused

Strengths-based

Reflective Culture
Dialogic pre-conditions are
different than diagnostic

Hybrid
Implications

If working with wicked challenges:




Consider using Dialogic OD
Enabling conditions
Tools
Agencies sponsoring OD efforts:



Assess pre-conditions
Learn dialogic approach
Recruit people with dialogic skills,
experience
Future Study



Develop
method to
assess enabling
conditions
Solidify Dialogic
OD
competencies
Study enabling
conditions and
link to OD
outcomes
Discussion