The first annual volume of Research in Organizational Change and Development (ROCD) was published by JAI Press in 1987. Since then, ROCD has provided a special platform for scholars and practitioners to share new research-based insights in the annually published research volumes as well as at Academy meetings. Due to COVID-restrictions the longstanding tradition of a yearly AOM ROCD presenter symposium was interrupted for 2020 and 2021. We now re-start and combine the contributions of volume 28, 29 and 30 authors as catalyst for a lively dialogue around thought-provoking and timely ideas in the realm of change research and practice. Chapter presentations will be grouped under five central questions that are directly connected with the 2022 AOM theme. These questions invite the exploration of the relational conditions, the inquiry methods, the role of technology, issues of identity and the necessary future research and theorizing that will position the field of organization change and development as an important player in “creating a better world together.” As an integral part of former Organization Development and Change (ODC) Division programs, we resume the tradition of volume authors engaging with participants in roundtable conversations. With the new format and the current pertinence of change-oriented questions, we envision a symposium that might also attract members of other divisions who are interested in researching, understanding, and impacting organizational and social change dynamics for world betterment. Designing for Collaboration: Don’t Just Focus on the Team, Focus Also on the Context (Volume 29) Presenter: Brenda Barker Scott; - Presenter: Michael R. Manning; Benedictine U. The Laboratization of Change: What is it with Labs and Change these Days? Presenter: Mathis Schulte; HEC Paris Toward Reconfiguring Sociotechnical System Design: Digitally Infused Work Systems and the ‘Platform- Presenter: Oguz N. Baburoglu; Sabanci U. Digitalization in Schools: Four Examples of Embeddedness Presenter: Jan Löwstedt; Stockholm U. Are OD and Analytics Twins Separated at Birth? Toward an Integrated Framework Presenter: Alec Levenson; U. of Southern California Presenter: Alexis Fink; Facebook Aligning Strategy and Digital Technology in Government Organizations: A Call for Action Presenter: Joe McDonagh; Irish Management Institute / Trinity College Dublin Reflections: Change Management is not Organization Development Presenter: W. Warner Burke; Teachers College, Columbia U. Management is Missing in Change Management Presenter: Jeffrey D. Ford; Ohio State U. Reflections: Individually and Jointly Reconceiving OD to Foster a Hospitable Future Presenter: Susan A. Mohrman; U. of Southern California Presenter: Jean M. Bartunek; Boston College From Psychological Dispositions To Social Positions: Applying a Habitus Oriented Approach To Organiz Presenter: Baruch Shimoni; Bar-Ilan U. Constructing the Professional Identity of the Renowned Women of Organizational Change Presenter: David B. Szabla; Western Michigan U. Creating and Building Shared Scholarship in Organization Development and Change: A Metalogue Presenter: David Coghlan; Trinity College Dublin Presenter: A.B. Rami Shani; California Polytechnic State U. Applying Management and Organization Theory to Organization Change and Development: More than Meets Presenter: Thomas G. Cummings; U. of Southern California Presenter: Chris Worley; Pepperdine Graziadio Business School Research in Organization Development and Change: A Personal Journey Presenter: Philip H. Mirvis; Babson Social Innovation Lab The Social Media Presence of OD: A Social Network Analysis Using Big Data Presenter: Donna Ogle; Rockford U. Presenter: Ram Tenkasi; Benedictine U. Presenter: William Brock; Colorado Christian U. The Role and Relevance of Discourse and Discursive Perspectives in Organizational Change and Develop Presenter: Clifford Oswick; City U. London Presenter: Yuan Li; Saint Mary's College of California Developing a Sustainable High Commitment, High Performance System of Organizing, Managing, and Leadi Presenter: Michael Beer; Harvard Business School Context-Levels-Culture: A Diagnostic Framework for Consulting to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Change Presenter: Frank D. Golom; Loyola U. Maryland Presenter: Mateo Cruz; Bentley U. Values in Concert: Subjective Values Enabling Exploitation and Exploration in Executive Teams Presenter: Mikael Hansson; Orrebro U. Presenter: Johanna E. Pregmark; Chalmers U. of Technology Presenter: Tobias Fredberg; Chalmers U. of Technology Community In The New World Of Work: Implications For Organization Development and Thriving Presenter: Gretchen Marie Spreitzer; U. of Michigan Why Honest Conversations are Transformative Presenter: Michael Beer; Harvard Business School Change in Tightly Coupled Systems: The Role and Action of Middle Managers Presenter: Rita Berggren; Chalmers U. of Technology Presenter: Bjorn E. Frossevi; Chalmers U. of Technology Exploring the Richness of Action Learning Research to Exploit Action Learning in Networks: A Journey Presenter: David Coghlan; Trinity College Dublin Opening the Doors of the Ivory Tower: Action Research as a Tool Supporting Cooperation Between Unive Presenter: Beata Jalocha; Jagiellonian U. Presenter: Ewa Bogacz-Wojtanowska,; Jagiellonian U. Presenter: Piotr Jedynak; Jagiellonian U.

ABSTRACT Despite leadership being considered essential to successful organizational change, reviews of empirical research on the subject reveal inconsistencies in the approaches to, and measurements of, both leadership and its impact on change outcomes. The study and development of leadership should reach beyond the simple focus on individual leaders and ultimately broaden our view of how the most meaningful impact can be made. Toward this end, a general framework of leadership in the implementation of change is provided. Starting from a functional perspective, it is proposed that leadership is provided by one or more leadership sources that independently or collaboratively enact a configuration of four leadership functions through specific behaviours from three behavioural meta-categories. It is additionally argued that leadership effectiveness – and the success of change – is a product of the degree to which the configuration of functions enacted sufficiently addresses the variety of situations leadership sources encounter. In this regard, the integrative framework offered here focuses primarily on what Rost [(1991). Leadership for the twenty-first century. Praeger] categorizes as the peripheral elements of leadership theory.

The scholarship of both organizational change and leadership is extensive. However, there have been few attempts to systematically integrate these fields of research in terms of theory or empirical examination. As a result, our understanding of the role and impact of leadership on organizational change outcomes is incomplete. This symposium is designed to generate a dialogue about what constitutes effective change leadership. It is comprised of four papers (two empirical and two theoretical), which explore factors that influence the effectiveness of change leadership in terms of strategic choices, behaviors, and the demands and resources related to the change leader role. Authors of the two most comprehensive reviews of change leadership scholarship – Jeffrey Ford and Shaul Oreg – will introduce and conclude the symposium. In introductory comments, Dr. Ford will comment on the state of change leadership research to date and remaining questions. Shaul Oreg will offer discussant comments that integrate the insights from the papers and propose directions for further research. A Process Model of Organizational Change and Leadership Presenter: Myeong-gu Seo; U. of Maryland Leaders’ Choice of Change Processes: The Option of Dynamic Application to Improve Change Outcomes Presenter: Bradley J. Hastings; UNSW Sydney Presenter: Gavin M. Schwarz; UNSW Sydney The Motivation of Leader Change Messages: An Examination of Regulatory Fit & Follower Responses Presenter: Jill Waymire Paine; IE Business School Presenter: Myeong-gu Seo; U. of Maryland Presenter: Sirkwoo Jin; Merrimack College The Demands and Resources Underlying Change Leader Effectiveness Presenter: Art Uprety; IE Business School, IE U. Presenter: Jill Waymire Paine; IE Business School

Welcome to a new year with Journal of Change Management. The journey of creating the world's leading Journal on organizational change continues, and 2016 looks to become another exciting year follo...

In this symposium, we debate three key tensions within current and emerging organizational change scholarship and practice: engagement, energy, and emotion. The first debate considers the dialectic between readiness and resistance to deepen our understanding of organizational and individual engagement in change. The second debate focuses on how the drive for more change momentum and energy may be countered by change fatigue, burnout and disengagement. The third debate explores how helpful and harmful emotions affect the success of organizational change initiatives and the experience of those involved. Each of these debates are couched in a fourth duality: maintaining a balance between rigor and relevance. The ultimate goal of the symposium is to foster new research ideas for research and practice in organizational change.

It has generally been argued that leadership is a key to successful organizational change. However, as some authors have noted, there is a dearth of empirical research regarding leadership in the conduct of change and what research does exist uses a variety of leadership types and measures, making integration of findings difficult, if not impossible. By focusing on specific leadership behaviors and the generic leadership functions they enact, we provide an integrated view of the impact of focused and distributed leadership on the conduct and outcomes of organizational change.

Resistance can be a valuable resource in the accomplishment of change. Accessing its benefits, however, requires a shift in managers’ tendency to blame resistance for the failure of change. This may be difficult, because over half of all organizational changes fail and, according to the managers involved, the primary reason for those failures is resistance to change. So why stop blaming resistance as a hindrance, and start using it as a resource for achieving change? There are three reasons. First, blaming resistance can be dysfunctional for managers who perceive resistance as threatening. These managers may become competitive, defensive, and uncommunicative, more concerned about being right, looking good (or not looking bad), and winning (having their way) than about accomplishing the change. As a result, they may alienate potential partners in accomplishing change by relating to them as obstacles rather than resources. Responding negatively to resistance behavior can cost good will and valuable relationships as well as the opportunity to learn how to improve change implementation. Second, blaming other people for their apparent resistance behaviors is inaccurate in that it presumes resistance is a unilateral phenomenon. Resistance is at least partially dependent on the behaviors of change managers themselves. It is inaccurate and simplistic to view resistance as coming only from ‘‘over there, in them,’’ in the attitudes (and thinking), behaviors, and communications of the individuals and groups who are asked to make changes. This gives us the view that only ‘‘they,’’ those resisters, must alter their behaviors, and that the change would succeed if not for the irrational and self-serving actions of people who seem to be blocking or deflecting the change. Seeing resistance as solely ‘‘over there’’ is to see only one side of what must be a two sided story, and obviates it as a possible contribution to defining and implementing a proposed change. Finally, blaming resistance is incomplete because it ignores the functional value of resistance. Managers who consider resistance as negative and dysfunctional believe it increases the amount of work required, hinders progress, and serves the narrow self-interests of those resisting. This purely negative view of resistance is not found in other fields of study, e.g., mechanics, biology, and electronics, where resistance is an operational factor. In those fields, resistance is inherently neutral and only takes on a value of ‘‘functional’’ (e.g., in space heaters) or ‘‘dysfunctional’’ (e.g., excessive air drag) depending on what one is trying to accomplish. As a result, people in those fields are ambidextrous in working with resistance, capable of seeing it as both an asset and a liability. A more complete and balanced view of resistance can provide more flexibility in the field of managing change. While it seems to be the consensus approach, blaming resistance robs managers of a powerful lever in the conduct of change. Resistance is feedback, and like all feedback, it may be useful for improving the design and implementation of the process in question. By understanding our inclination to dismiss certain behaviors as resistance, we can learn to listen in a new way to the opportunities those behaviors provide for a successful change. The purpose of this article is twofold. The first is to provide an understanding of why managers blame resistance and support a greater awareness of the factors influencing their perceptions and actions regarding resistance. The second is to identify specific ways in which resistance can be a positive contribution to the successful accomplishment of change.

When a change initiative falters, the knee-jerk response can be to blame those who won't get on board. Jeffrey Ford, of the Ohio State University, and Laurie Ford, of Critical Path Consultants, examine why that type of reaction is not only pointless but potentially destructive. Drawing on their years of research and consulting work, the authors recommend seeing resistance for what it really is - feedback - and propose five ways for leaders to use that feedback to effect change more productively.Boost awareness. In the early stages, if the only way to keep the conversation about change alive is to entertain highly charged discussions, so be it. A complete lack of feedback can sound the death knell for change.Return to purpose. Employees need to know not only what will change but why the new reality will be better. Don't be shy about offering explanations as directly as possible.Change the change. People who resist change are often the ones most concerned about getting things right. Give them the chance to help you make a good change initiative better.Build participation and engagement. Heed feedback even when it doesn't seem likely to yield objective improvements. The ownership people feel when you adopt their best ideas will pay off in ways you often cannot foresee.Complete the past. A legacy of bad change can inhibit your change effort, even if you had nothing to do with the unfortunate history. Acknowledging - and, if possible, correcting - past change failures is often essential to future success.

Descifre la resistencia al cambio Jeffrey D. Ford y Laurie W. Ford Cuando fracasa una iniciativa de cambio, la respuesta refleja es culpar a los que no creyeron en el. Jeffrey Ford, de Ohio State University, y Laurie Ford, de Critical Path Consultants, examinan por que este tipo de reaccion no solo es inconducente, sino tambien destructiva. Recurriendo a anos de investigaciones y trabajo de consultoria, los autores recomiendan ver la resistencia como lo que es �feedback�y proponen cinco maneras para que lo lideres usen ese feedback para efectuar productivamente el cambio. Fomente la conciencia. En las etapas iniciales, si la unica forma de mantener vivo el dialogo sobre el cambio es sostener discusiones muy intensas, pues habra que hacerlo. La ausencia total de feedback es un indicio de muerte para la iniciativa de cambio. Reitere el proposito. Los empleados necesitan saber no solo lo que cambiara, sino por que la nueva realidad sera mejor. No tema dar explicaciones lo mas directamente posible. Cambie el cambio. Las personas que se resisten al cambio suelen ser las mas preocupadas por hacer bien las cosas. Deles la oportunidad de ayudarle a mejorar su iniciativa de cambio. Construya participacion y compromiso. Busque feedback incluso cuando no parece probable que aporte a mejoras objetivas. El sentimiento de propiedad de las personas cuando se adoptan sus mejores ideas generara beneficios que usted no puede pronosticar. Corrija lo ocurrido en el pasado. Una iniciativa de cambio mal hecha en el pasado puede inhibir su esfuerzo actual, incluso si usted no tuvo nada que ver con el suceso anterior. Reconocer �y de ser posible, corregir� los cambios fallidos del pasado suele ser esencial para el exito futuro.

This article provides a practical tool that managers and change agents can use to see their own conversational patterns in the management of a change, determine whether those patterns may be contributing to the progress of change, and if so, provide insights into what modifications might enhance progress. Based on the conversational model developed by Ford and Ford, this article explains a methodology for creating and analyzing a conversational profile, provides three illustrative cases, and explores implications for research and practice.

Prevailing views of resistance to change tell a one-sided story that favors change agents by proposing that resistance is an irrational and dysfunctional reaction located “over there” in change recipients. We tell the rest of the story by proposing that change agents contribute to the occurrence of resistance through their own actions and inactions and that resistance can be a resource for change. We conclude by proposing how resistance might be restructured.