Radical change accidentally: The emergence and amplification of small change

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Ashmos Plowman, Donde; Baker, Lakami T.; Beck, Tammy E.; Kulkarni, Mukta; Thomas Solansky, Stephanie; Villarreal Travis, Deandra
• 署名单位: University of Texas System; University of Texas at San Antonio; Mississippi State University; University of Houston System; University of Houston; University of Houston Clear Lake; Indian Institute of Management (IIM System); Indian Institute of Management Bangalore; University of Houston System; University of Houston; University of Houston Victoria
• 刊物名称: ACADEMY OF MANAGEMENT JOURNAL
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0001-4273
• 发表日期: 2007
• 页码: 515-543
• 关键词: PUNCTUATED EQUILIBRIUM; organizational-change; STRATEGIC CHANGE; complexity; IDENTITY; configurations; TRANSFORMATION; DYNAMICS; science; image

摘要

A decision to offer breakfast to homeless people led to radical change in a church and its environment. Existing theories of change do not fully explain observations from our qualitative study; however, complexity theory constructs suggest how and why such change emerged. We offer four key findings. First, the radical change was unintended, emergent, and slow. Second, destabilizing conditions helped small changes to emerge and become radical. Third, subsequent actions amplified an initial small change and, though not intended to do so, promoted radical change. Finally, the dynamic interaction of amplifying actions, contextual conditions, and small changes led to continuous radical change.