Systems Thinking and Change Management

Paper Summary:

The paper focuses on four major areas of change management. Firstly, the paper provides an evaluation of systems thinking and the application of systems logic to strategies involving significant change in an organization. Then the paper explores how the various stakeholder interests and resource constraints are either met through negotiation or countered with a clear and precise definition of the objectives of the initiative. The paper also assesses the impact of technology on effective managerial decision making and finally, examines the evolving role of ethics and corporate responsibility in managing of change as it relates both to the IT initiatives and the business strategies themselves.

Outline:
Executive Summary
Evaluating Systems Thinking and the Application of Systems Logic
Managing Stakeholder Interests and Resource Constraints
Assessing the Impact of Technology on Decision Making
Analyzing the Evolving Role of Ethics

From the Paper:

"Throughout the defining, validating, and implementing of GE Lightings' IT initiatives, there's been a corresponding application of systems thinking and systemic logic as it relates to changing how the organization can change. With the majority of IT initiatives failing due to being rejected by the organizations they are created to assist and help, the systemic approach to defining strategies for changing how people will interact with and use the system is critical. Over and above the defining of how the software, hardware, networking, and services will combine to create a cohesive and usable system, systems thinking has more to do with envisioning how the social networks and their dependencies are impacted by IT initiatives."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Aguirre, Calderone, Jones (2004) -10 Principles of Change Management. Resilience Report, Booz, Allen Hamilton. New York, NY. Accessed from the Internet on April 23, 2007: http://www.strategy-business.com/resilience/rr00006?pg=all
• Caudron (1999) - Taking Charge of Change. Business Finance Magazine. January 1999. Page 27. Accessed from the Internet on April 23, 2007: http://www.businessfinancemag.com/magazine/archives/article.html?articleID=4931
• Galpin (1996) - Connecting Culture to Organizational Change. Human Resources Magazine, March 1996, pp. 84-90)
• Jenkins and Oliver (1998) - The Eagle & the Monk: Seven Principles of Successful Change (United Publishers Group, 1998)
• Schein (1992) - Organizational Culture & Leadership (2nd Edition, 1992, Jossey-Bass, an imprint of John Wiley & Son, New York, NY), ISBN 0787903620

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