ABSTRACT
Building on an article in a 1985 issue of the OD Practitioner, we now see four types of change, which include developmental change, transitional change, reactive transformational change, and conscious transformational change. We will describe each one first, provide some examples, and discuss similarities and differences. Additionally, we will include some of the implications that each type of change has for leadership and for change strategy. Figure 1 portrays and summarizes all four types. Table 1 compares them across a range of relevant factors. (See pp. 30–31.) Four types of change. https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9780429271298/ab5f3fef-a765-4b79-bce5-ae638a8b4c14/content/fig2_1.jpg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/> Four Types of Change Matrix https://www.niso.org/standards/z39-96/ns/oasis-exchange/table">
Type
Degree of pain felt
Primary motivation
Degree of threat to survival
Gap between environmental needs and current operations
Clarity of outcome
Impact on mindset and paradigm
Focus of change
Orientation
Method of creating solution
Level of personal development
How change occurs
Developmental change
I
Improvement
1
1
4 It is prescribed against a standard.
1 Little, if any
Improvement of skills, knowledge, practice, and performance
To do better in a certain area; project-oriented
Expert-driven; training
1
Through training, skill development, communications, process improvement
Transitional change
Fix a problem
It is designed against criteria.
1 Little, if any
Structures, practices, and technology (not culture)
Project-oriented; largely oriented to structure, technology, and practices
Problem solving; solutions created internally or externally
2
Organized process and support structures
Reactive transformational change
3–4
Survival: change or die
3–4
3–4
1 it is not known; it emerges or is tried and corrected.
2–3 Forced to shift: old mindset chipped away at; change may be piecemeal
Overhaul of structure, practices, and culture; may be partial
Process-oriented within parameters of the project; requires shift in mindset, behavior, and culture
Emergent; trialand-error based on tailoring current management trends and new practices
3--4
Leader-driven; emergent process
Conscious transformational change
1–4
Survival and thrival: drawn by the possibilities of the emerging paradigm
1–4
1–4
1 Principles of emerging paradigm provide some guidance: outcome emerges through trial and error and continuous course correction.
4 Choice to shift made through new information; choice to look at the world differently
Principle-driven; align structure, practices, and culture to principles of the emerging paradigm
Pure process orientation; evolutionary; requires shift in mindset, behavior, and culture
Emergent; cocreated with participation of all stakeholders (internal or external); aligned to the emerging paradigm
4
Principle driven; cocreated emergent process
