INDICATORS OF CHANGE: A STUDY OF THE ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE PROCESS

Organizational change can be precipitated by public pressure, intraorganizational interest, or both. Designing, planning, and implementing of organizational change are not uncommon features of today's organizations. Little is known, however, about the operation of these processes at the functional level (Williams, 1976). There has been little concern with elements of organizational change related to functional effectiveness of programs and structure. What is most often lacking is a process of follow-up, including monitoring and subsequent evaluation. This study has sought to make evaluative action easier through the design of a model for early analysis of planned change at the implementation stage.

A case study approach provided data from the administrative/management function of the organization and from the operational levels. A school system and an organizational change within that system were utilized for the collection of data for model development.

The implementation process is analyzed using current indicators of system success and effectiveness (Principal's Strategies and School-related Factors, Classroom-related Factors and Student Learning). Principal's Strategies and School-related Factors are analyzed using a profile of factors derived from dimensions and subdimensions of the 1982 study of Leithwood and Montgomery. Classroom-related factors are analyzed in relation to preferred behaviors (Key Instructional Behaviors), as determined by the school district. Student Learning is measured using statistical procedures, including t-tests, ANOVA, and multiple regression. The organizational data are also analyzed in relation to the Contributors Complexity, Formalization, and Centralization. A facility for both individual organizational analyses and a combined analysis is provided through the model.

Implementation is the procedure through which change is brought to fruition. The Model for Early Analysis of Planned Change is the product of an effort to study and facilitate successful program implementation. The Model allows for careful, integrated analyses and consideration of the change. Program failure can in this way, be predicted or prevented so that a program's outcomes and effect can be improved and organizational effectiveness can be increased.