Chapter Fourteen –
Change and Innovation
 Understand why change occurs
 Be familiar with the process of organizational
change
 Will be able to discuss four significant of a planned
change
 Understand the basic ingredients of planning in
criminal justice
 Understand personal resistance to change
 Understand organizational resistance to change
 Be able to discuss the characteristics of
organizations that readily facilitate change
 Be able to describe the process to overcoming
resistance to change
 Understand organizational development
 Be able to describe unintended consequences of
change
 Be aware of ethical pitfalls resulting from
organizational change
 Change can emanate from either inside of outside of an
agency’s environment.
 Performance gap – When the agency is performing
improperly or below capacity, change is likely.
 Employee turnover creates different expectations.
 Technology – can reveal the need for change, particularly
in communications.
 Change is really the bridge between the organization and
its environment.
 Unexpected and unintended events can cause change.
 The optimal approach is a deliberate and rational
process of rational change.
 At best however, administrators process change
through a process that is best described by
o Bounded rationality
o Garbage can theory
 Planned organizational change consists of a set of
activities designed to change:
o
o
o
o
Individuals
Groups
Organizational structures
Organizational processes
 Planned change steps
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Create a sense of urgency
Build coalitions across the organization (critical mass)
Develop a vision
Communicate the vision and strategy
Empower the coalition to overcome barriers
Achieve short term victories
Use success as the basis for short term wins
Repeat new programs, policies, and procedures until
they become rooted in the culture
 Planning – “any deliberate effort to increase the
proportion of goals attained by increasing
awareness and understanding of the factors
involved” (Dahl, 1959:340).
 The first step in the planned change process.
 Requires,
o
o
o
o
Review of the agency mission and goals,
Identification of constraints and opportunities
Forecasting, and
Identifying alternatives.
 Planning change is technical and relatively straight
forward.
 Implementing change involves human relations
and is the most difficult aspect of planned change.
 Resistance to change can be intense, especially if
the change is perceived to threaten entrenched
values, mores, and attitudes.
 Change agents should focus on eliminating, or at
least mitigating, the sources of resistance.
Personal
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Misunderstanding
Failure to see the need
Fear
Lack of identification/
involvement
Habit
Vested interests
Norms
Threats to existing social
systems
Organizational
 Reward system
 Rivalry or conflict
 Previous fiscal
commitments
 Threat to power balances
 Prevailing climate
 Poor choice of method
 History of unsuccessful
change
 Structural rigidity
 Lower costs or perceived higher return on
investment
 Less complex change that is consistent with
existing organizational structure
 Change that comes naturally from inside the
organization
 Involving fewer people or processes
 Three strategies
o Individual – individuals must modify their
attitudes, skills, and behaviors.
o Structural and Systems – modifying the basic
structure rather than merely changing a few
procedures.
o Organizational climate – involves changing
multiple dimensions within the organization
including the task structure and
reward/punishment relationship.
 Focuses on the environmental influences of an
organization.
 Attempts to alter an organization’s values, routines
and structures to create an atmosphere for change.
 Organizational development (OD) tends to be
more comprehensive and involve an entire
organization.
 Often it is necessary to identify a change agent.
 The final outcome of change may be
different than what was planned.
 Reasons for unintended consequences:
o Goals may not be thoroughly understood
o Interventions may be exploited
o Goals may be displaced by a bureaucratic
emphasis
 Change can be exploited by individuals
inside and outside the organization.
 Be aware that change threatens the lives of
all individuals involved.
 Honest and clarity of purpose are keys to
insuring an ethical outcome.
 Responding immediately to unethical
behaviors has considerable symbolic value.
 Stability, predictability and consistency are
virtues in most criminal justice
organizations.
 Change is often very slow and methodical in
criminal justice unless the organization’s
survival is threatened.
 Consistency in leadership over the change
process is a critical value.
 Changes in agencies take place after external
groups (citizens, legislators, clients, etc.) believe
that the agency is underperforming
 Change can also occur from pressure from internal
constituents such as unions.
 Change can take place by carefully planning or
because of forces beyond an organization’s control.
 The four significant elements of planned change
are individuals, groups, organizational structure,
and process.
 The basic ingredients of planning in criminal justice
are identify agency goals and problems, forecasting
contingencies, creating alternative opportunities, and
making clear the means-end relationship.
 Personal resistance to change can be caused by the;
fear of income or job status loss, need to protect
territory, lack of trust in management, fear of new
challenges, uncertainty and many others.
 Organizational resistance to change can be caused
by; traditions, ideology, past practices, deeply sunk
costs, change of large magnitude, or a rigid
organizational culture.
 Organizations that readily facilitate change tend to
have a professional rather than hierarchical structure
and a culture of innovation and creativity.
 The processes for overcoming resistance to change
include; unfreezing, changing, and refreezing.
 Change strategies should be aimed at individuals,
structures and systems, organizational climate, and
culture.
 Organizational development is a process that attempts
to alter systemic values, routines and structures to
eliminate obstacles to change.
 Organizational development requires an increased
level of trust among members and creating an
environment in which authority is based on
expertise.
 The final outcome of change may be different than
intended.
 Change often creates a new set of problems.
 The ethical pitfalls of change include; creating
winners and losers, harmful organizational
politics, and the dishonor of past efforts and
successes.
 Upon returning home after attending a
conference the Mayor called a meeting and
instructed the police depa
 rtment to “become a community policing
organization”.
 The Chief responded “We already adhere to
many of the precepts of community policing.
Mayor, what more do you want us to do?”
 “I want you to go all the way!” The Major
responded.
 Using what you know about the
planned change process, resistance to
change, and the possibility of
unintended consequences, discuss how
you would implement the Mayor’s
order.
 Give particular attention to the Mayor’s
lack of clarity in expressing his request.