You may, perhaps, see the task of organization change in terms of a logical sequence of events, such that the only variable factor is the willingness of all participants t

What is your philosophy on how best to fix, change, or improve an organization? From your own experience, what kinds of factors do you feel may be most crucial in ensuring that your efforts to effect change in an organization produce positive results rather than proving inert?

Please write a standard essay to describe your current ideas on organization change, along these lines. Organize the essay as you see fit, but without citations or references.

You may, perhaps, see the task of organization change in terms of a logical sequence of events, such that the only variable factor is the willingness of all participants to do their part. Alternatively, you may, perhaps, see organization change in political terms, or a matter of negotation, or a question of motivation. Perhaps you have adopted a systems view of organizations and now see organization change in very abstract terms. Maybe you have adopted a theory about the reasons for failure in organization change.

Regardless of your perspective, write from the heart, in the sense of openly expressing your thoughts on the subject. Then, upon completion, formalize and proofread your work, as you must try to write correctly, precisely, and logically to enable me to provide you substantive feedback on your writing (see below, under Purpose).

Ideas to Consider

Here are some ideas to consider. What are your assumptions as they relate to organization change? What do leaders do that guarantees failure in the effort? What do employees do to undermine the efforts of change agents? What do employees need from leadership for their willingness to be a part of the change rather than going against it? Have you experienced a successful or unsuccessful change effort? Do people really hate to change how they work? Can organizations truly change, or is the prospect simply unnatural? Many perspectives are available through which to approach this essay topic.

Purpose of the Essay

The purpose of the essay is twofold. First, I want to establish a baseline in your thinking. You may have taken other courses related to the topic of organization change or served for years in positions of responsibility over some species of change, at some level. Perhaps, contrarily, you have no such experience and have hardly considered these questions until just now. At whatever point in your career and personal experience you happen to find yourself in this sense, the learning process will benefit from your effort to reflect consciously and palpably on the topic and communicate it with as much active thought as possible.

Second, this essay will also serve as a medium through which to clarify my own standards of grading, especially on the matter of mechanics and reasoning. You will receive full credit for the essay if it meets the length criterion and is fully original. I will deduct no points for defects of mechanics or reasoning, but I will provide summary feedback on your writing. Therefore, to secure optimal value from this exercise, please strive to write formally and correctly—even if you must first express your thoughts informally and then sharpen your self-expression in the post-editing phase. Upon completing your work, be sure to proofread it by rereading it in its entirety. Otherwise, I will have wasted my own time by providing you my feedback on it.

This essay is a straight composition of 1,000 words, with a title at the top, followed by a series of paragraphs. The essay should have no citations or references at the end. It should have no title page or abstract. Just write correctly, originally, and sufficiently, and be sure to proofread your work. Aside from these considerations, the exercise in reflecting on your own theories and assumptions is an optimal basis for starting this course.