ABSTRACT
To unleash the change management potential of social psychology, we have selected defining theories and models from the field of social psychology. Social psychology can be defined as the science explaining how people influence other people. Fiske (2004) points to the classic definition of Gordon Allport, one of social psychology’s pioneers: “Social psychology is the scientific attempt to understand and explain how the thoughts, feelings and behaviours of individuals are influenced by the actual, imagined or implied presence of other human beings” (in: Allport & Lindzey, 1954, p. 5). For this book, using the criteria of prominence, relevance and evidence, we have assessed a ‘longlist’ of more than 100 theories. In this way, we selected approximately forty ‘leading’ social psychological theories for change management. To categorize these theories, we embraced the five core social motives (which are also five unifying themes in social psychology) of Fiske (2004). The essential idea of Fiske (2004) is that “a small number of essential, core social motives enhance people’s survival in groups” and that this “offers a unifying framework for understanding the field of social psychology” (p. 15). We add: and for making social psychology (better) available and (more) accessible from the perspective of organizations in general and change management in particular. In addition to the introduction of these five ‘categories’, we introduced our own visualization in order to combine categorization and integration; the five motives are related perspectives. Together these form a dynamic system in which motives interact and have (causal) relationships and dependencies (like the issues and topics they address and the social psychological theories and concepts to which they relate). For example, understanding can positively influence controlling and trusting can be a precondition for self-enhancing. Fiske also addresses the interactions and combinations of motives. She makes use of these to address important social psychological issues and concepts. For example, Fiske presents schemas and expectations by stating that ‘people trust and understand the familiar’. Other examples: the concept of attachment is addressed by combining belonging and trusting, interdependence by controlling and trusting, and social norms by belonging and understanding. Discussing social influence and in particular compliance, Fiske uses three motives. She introduces compliance as: ‘strategies to understand self, maintain belonging and control resources’. Obedience is also defined by combining (in this case four) social motives: ‘belonging, controlling, trusting and understanding by doing what others say’ (all examples: Fiske, 2004, p. xv).
After selecting and categorizing the theories, we applied a rapid evidence assessment (REA) to each of them. Based on this and the theory itself, we have described the importance, relevance and potential of each theory for the field of change management. The theory itself was discussed in our team in order to define the possible contribution to the field of change and organization. This was primarily a deductive process of consensual validation carried out by experienced practitioners and scientists. The REA was focused on specific research on the theories applied to the field of change and organization. This was primarily an inductive process carried out by a team of analysts that delivered the REAs to the team of authors.
In summary, the purpose of our research and this book is threefold. The first aim is to further unlock the potential contribution of social psychology as a source for change management as a discipline and practice in a comprehensive, systematic and structured way (‘encyclopaedic’). The second aim is to assess the available social psychological theories, concepts and research and fuel change management with the evidence and insights found (evidence-based, scientific). The third aim is to present, categorize and integrate the theories and findings by using a framework based on five core social motives (Fiske, 2004) and our change management methodology (ten Have, ten Have, Huijsmans, & Van der Eng, 2015) (cohesive, systemic, practical). The overarching goal, however, inspired by the ideas and perspective of leading thinkers like Kurt Lewin, James Q. Wilson and Susan T. Fiske, is to make the world a better place. Social psychologists (being social scientists) study practical social issues, in our case issues related to change management, and application to real-world problems is a key goal. As Fiske (2004) states: “Social psychologists believe that if we understand how people influence one another, then perhaps we can understand and ameliorate some of the negative influences. Social psychology is in some ways a field for idealists” (p. 33). In addition, Fiske emphasizes that in the end social psychology searches for wisdom, not just knowledge. This provides valuable extra guidance for the way in which social psychology has to be applied to the set of social issues we call change management: “Wisdom may be considered knowledge about people and the world, combined with enduring moral, intellectual and societal concerns, that makes sense in the context of people’s lived experience” (p. 33).
In this chapter, we describe and explain the model based on the five core social motives (cohesive, systemic), the selection of leading social psychological theories (‘encyclopaedic’) and the evidence-based methodology, the REA and the formats used in order to describe the theories and their contribution to change management (evidence-based, scientific).
