Elements of Change

Historically there have been many models of change introduced to attempt to improve student achievement. The purpose of this paper was to explore some of the elements of the change process. The researcher conducted a literature review of several of the leading theorists whose research suggests different factors contribute to the success or failure of adopting change. The research suggests the success or failure of adopting change starts with the leader. The research could assist other scholars to understand the many elements of the change process and the possibility of using a combination of those elements for successful implementation of change

Structural Model of Critical Success Factors The Success of E-Learning Implementation In Private Colleges-University in Palembang

—Electronic learning (e-learning) is the latest information technology used by many colleges to improve and enhance the learning process as a competitive advantage in order to achieve the vision and mission of the college. Conventional learning process gradually abandoned because the students have to change the way of learning so that the learning process to be efficient and effective by e-learning. The purpose of this study was to determine the critical success factor (CSF) or critical success factors that affect the success of the implementation or application of e-learning, and to model structural CSF factors. The study used Structural Equation Model (SEM), the population of the study was all students and lecturers of private colleges majoring in computer science and use e-learning. Conducting literature review to obtain the key factors of success, making the research structural models that can be continued for subsequent analysis. Determining hypothesis critical success factors, techniques for data collection were a questionnaire, Likert scale was presented in figures 1 to 5 defined ranging from strongly agree, agree, disagree, and strongly disagree, a quantitative statistic was used to obtain primary data. The results provided a structural research model related to the data available in the case study of this research. Further research of structural model can be used to analyze the correlation / regression of exogenous factors and endogenous factors

Contributions to public policy debate using quantitative analysis: NSW environmental policy 1979-2010

In this thesis I build an understanding of environmental policy within the Australian state jurisdiction of New South Wales (NSW) between 1979 and 2010 using quantitative comparisons and other analyses. These analyses provide a distinct perspective on the development of environmental policy during a time of sustained environmental interest in the social and political spheres. Previous work on these topics has focused on qualitative inquiry, but I demonstrate that quantitative methods can provide a broader-scale evidentiary base within which to consider qualitative findings. My primary research objective is to explore how quantitative data on environmental policies can be used to understand practical and theoretical public policy issues. This includes change in policy effort over time, trends in the use of different types of policy instruments, and changes in the policy agenda and policy dynamics and factors important in policy success or failure. I obtained quantitative data on environmental policy easily, and showed its analysis contributes to practical and theoretical public policy issues. For example, the data showed a three-fold increase in policy making under Labor Governments post-1995 but a growing diversion between policy effort (as measured by number of policies made) and public opinion. This period saw no trend away from using regulation to deliver policy outcomes but a relative strengthening in the importance of strategies, education, incentives and schemes. The policy agenda early in the study period focused on general environment, coast, soils, rivers, forests and catchments, but later shifted to cover flora and fauna, pollution, climate change, waste, water quantity, wetlands and marine issues. There was a consistent lineage in the environmental agenda from the relatively similar Wran, Unsworth, Greiner and Fahey Governments, to the Carr and onto the Iemma Government covering 1979 and 2008. This ended under the Rees and Keneally governments (2008-10), with a markedly different environmental agenda. I looked for evidence of models of policy dynamics, and observed policy change following three established rational, incremental and punctuated equilibrium models in 18 of the 24 patterns observed. The other six patterns were characterised by energetic periods of policy change over long timeframes, not fitting established models. I propose an additional model of policy dynamics to explain these observations and a salience-wickedness matrix to relate the four models and as a conceptual tool for how policy dynamics can be influenced. This develops understanding of the fluid nature of policy dynamics rather than fixing on competing models. I also used quantitative analysis to examine the factors related to policy success. Between 1979 and 2010, 25 factors in the policy process were linked to policy success, 22 factors were not linked to policy success and another 22 factors were generally present. This work narrows the range of factors that might have a causal relationship with policy success, and although limited, could be used to further evaluate predictors of success, or inform policy design. I recognise the constraints of this work. Constraints relate to the assumptions used, simplification required in order to utilize quantitative methods and on the broader applicability of the research. Despite this caution, the work presents a basis for a deeper understanding of the practical reality for government, where intent mixes with political, social and economic constraints. It shows the considerable potential for a broader conception of policy research, exploring new ways to study and synthesise accessible information to enhance our knowledge of Australian public policy

Organizational Transformation Towards Product-service Systems – Empirical Evidence in Managing the Behavioral Transformation Process

AbstractOne of the major challenges facing today's manufacturing industry is to differentiate from competition in a highly globalized world. As a consequence to the increasing competitive pressure, many companies transform their product centered business models towards service based business models to differentiate from competition. However, the transformation is often underestimated regarding its complexity and its management challenges to behavioral change. As a consequence lots of transformation initiatives fail. Besides difficulties in structuring the magnitude of changes in processes and structures, many transformation managers do not perceive the risk of employee resistance against changes, which is one of the key factors causing the failure of transformation. The objective of this paper is to enhance the existing body of research on manufacturer's organizational transformation towards Product-Service Systems. More detailed, the objective is to develop new knowledge to support the management during the decision-making process in the way how and by means of which instruments the change of behavior can be supported when transforming from a manufacturer to a solution.We developed a reference framework which structures and defines the relevant dimensions of behavioral change. The identification and validation of the success factors build the second component of our research. We conducted an empirical investigation in the German manufacturing industry and got 79 data sets. Structural equation modelling was applied for the analyses and the validation of the hypotheses. By this analysis we linked management practice with employee behavior and transformational success variables. On the basis of the gained insights decisions can be made concerning the successful transformation from manufacturer to a solution-oriented service provider

City in Transition: Urban Open Innovation Environments as a Radical Innovation

In this paper we apply the transition prespective to the field of urban development. As many sectors of our society the field of urban development is undergoing major changes. Commom ways of working and traditional business models fail under the present economic circomstances and are not able to answer to the challenges that climate change, peak oil and the shortage of rare earth minirals present. We view new approaches to the process of urban area development and the introduction of the Smart City concept as prominent examples of potential transitional change in urban development and explore their possible synergies. In order to do so, we use the key concept of radical innovation and find that Urban Open Innovation Environments, such as Fab Labs, have most transitional potential. We conclude with some examples of these environments in the city of Rotterdam and preliminary success factors

How change management is influenced by differences in professional discourses : a conceptualizing study on the adoption of an ICT tool for service engineers in a global perspective

This article describes the process of organizational change due to technological evolutions, suggesting that community-specific differences in discourse may have a considerable influence on its success. The questions for this study focus on: 1) how do we define a technically oriented employee who has to cope with organizational change? 2) Which factors determine the reaction to organizational change projects in which these technically oriented employees are involved? And 3) what are the consequences of these specific characters of technically oriented employees for implementing change programs in the most effective manner? First, while the present studies on professional communication do not pay any attention to change management, the current models of change management also barely pay attention to (professional) discourse. Second, we examine culture, which can be divided into national culture (NC), organizational culture (OC), and professional culture (PC). In this case study, we focus on the professional cultures of specific (change) managers and technicians and their discourse in the utilities sector. After this, we describe the case study, which exemplifies how change results can be influenced. It seems that within a technical environment, the change process and interventions need to be specific, concrete, and to the point. However, there also seems to be a dilemma between universal (e.g. mechanistic and formal) and contingency (e.g. organic, informal and emergent) approaches to the change process. The results of this study show the need to analyze cultures through discourse and through PC as a way to differentiate discourse between technical and non-technical employees. We suggest further research on three aspects that interfere and influence the change effort: context, discourse, and professional cultures of (change) managers and technicians

Behaviorism and the concepts of influencing the attitudes of patients towards health behaviors

Health professionals in primary care teams need to know how to effectively encourage patients to change health behaviors to achieve treatment goals. Understanding the behavioral patterns and psychological underpinnings of making changes can help healthcare professionals deliver interventions with a higher success rate. The aim of the study was to assess the importance of behavior patterns in shaping patients' health attitudes and behaviors. There are three types of theoretical models that explain how health behaviors are initiated and changed: motivational, post-intentional, and multistage models. Motivation models describe the role of individual cognitive variables in the process of creating the intention to change behavior. Changing habits in the context of health promotion takes place by influencing the perception of patients. This can be achieved using the TRA (Theory of Reasoned Action), TBP (Theory of Planned Behavior) and HBM (Health Belief Model) models by convincing the public about susceptibility to a given disease, disseminating knowledge about effective methods of prevention and generating persuasion, support, admiration or recognition in society after positive behaviors such as smoking cessation or regular physical activity. Post-intentional models indicate factors that increase the chance of translating motivation into action. They commit the individual to a certain action when certain environmental circumstances are met, thus helping to translate the intention of the goal into action. Multi-stage models describe health behaviors as involving several separate stages. These theories are based on the assumption that people at different stages will behave differently, so the types of interventions and information needed to change behavior will vary depending on the stage they are at. Helping patients set realistic goals, such as moving to the next stage, can facilitate the change process. Effective behavioral interventions must be based on changing the approach of medical staff to the interpersonal process with the patient. This approach should be patient-centred and collaborative. Medical staff should assess the importance that the patient attaches to his health and the treatment process, and thus also the willingness and motivation to comply with the recommendations. Merely providing information will not guarantee a change in their behavior. Healthcare professionals should use active listening techniques (using open-ended questions, explanations, reflective and summarizing statements), should encourage patients to express concerns, and should be able to weigh the pros and cons of different treatment approaches

How Change Management Is Influenced by Differences in Professional Discourses: A Conceptualizing Study on the Adoption of an ICT Tool for Service Engineers in a Global Perspective

This article describes the process of organizational change due to technological evolutions, suggesting that community-specific differences in discourse may have a considerable influence on its success. The questions for this study focus on: 1) how do we define a technically oriented employee who has to cope with organizational change? 2) Which factors determine the reaction to organizational change projects in which these technically oriented employees are involved? And 3) what are the consequences of these specific characters of technically oriented employees for implementing change programs in the most effective manner? First, while the present studies on professional communication do not pay any attention to change management, the current models of change management also barely pay attention to (professional) discourse. Second, we examine culture, which can be divided into national culture (NC), organizational culture (OC), and professional culture (PC). In this case study, we focus on the professional cultures of specific (change) managers and technicians and their discourse in the utilities sector. After this, we describe the case study, which exemplifies how change results can be influenced. It seems that in a technical environment, the change process and interventions need to be specific, concrete, and to the point. However, there also seems to be a dilemma between universal (e.g. mechanistic and formal) and contingency (e.g. organic, informal and emergent) approaches to the change process. The results of this study show the need to analyze cultures through discourse and through PC as a way to differentiate discourse between technical and non-technical employees. We suggest further research on three aspects that interfere and influence the change effort: context, discourse, and professional cultures of (change) managers and technicians

Information and communications technology in vocational and technical education in Brunei Darussalam 1999-2001: evaluating the need for innovation and change

This research study, conducted between the periods 1999-2001, examined issues of change in the innovation process of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in the context of Vocational and Technical Education (VTE) institutions in Brunei Darussalam. The study identified and analysed the factors and/or conditions that support success of ICT implementation; investigated what values, perceptions and attitudes VTE teachers in Brunei Darussalam have towards ICT; analysed the approaches and strategies for institutional management of change and decision-making about the implementing ICT in VTE institutions; documented with a view to informing policy makers and ICT implementers on models of best practices and made recommendations for change. A qualitative case-study method, semi-structured interviews constituted the main data-collection technique for gathering and analysing data, supplemented by a survey questionnaire and documentary analysis. 22 people were interviewed, a further 89 people participated in the questionnaire. The study revealed that the VTE system in Brunei Darussalam was in its early stages in its implementation of ICT; there was a lack of planning and policy to drive the impetus for change within institutions. A number of inter-related factors that hamper change and innovation of ICT were identified such as inadequate physical resources; ineffective staff development programmes; shortage of staff skilled and knowledgeable in ICT; ineffective management of change and lack of role clarity of among some of the VTE staff. The study concluded with a number of recommendations for change, for on-going professional development of VTE teachers and for further research

Measuring the beginning: a quantitative study of the transition to higher education

This quantitative study measures change in certain factors known to influence success of first-year students during the transition to higher education: self-efficacy, autonomous learning and social integration. A social integration scale was developed with three subscales: ‘sense of belonging’, ‘relationship with staff’ and ‘old friends’. Students responded to this and existing scales measuring self-efficacy and autonomous learning, before and after participating in transition activities including a group-work poster project. The authors discuss positive outcomes regarding a sense of belonging and how the authors' expectations in other areas such as self-efficacy were not met. The importance of early contact with academic staff and small-group work is confirmed. Tinto's assertions on pre-existing relationships are challenged. The authors suggest that further investigation might prevent a ‘scattergun’ approach to transition based upon superficial understanding of outcomes. They discuss potential models for transition design and support a ‘longer’ process with several opportunities for student engagement in success factor development