Originally published as the Journal of Management Development Volume 25 Number 7, 2006
ISBN: 1 84663 078 9
eISBN: 1 84663 079 7
Guest edited by: Professor Richard Boyatzis, Departments of Organizational Behaviour and Psychology, Case Western Reserve University, USA.
In this Special Issue, each of the articles describes results and/or concepts driving current research studies on sustainable, intentional change.
Life is change and we adapt to survive or we change to strive, often towards higher social motives or building caring relationships. These changes can be called “intentional.” Some are conscious and others are not (i.e., autonomic). But they are intentional, and as such are desired and purposeful. In accidental or imposed changes, we decide how will respond and in this sense, our response to the imposed or accidental change is also intentional. Hardly a day goes by when we do not have to deal with intentional change or its consequences at every level of our existence.
The articles in this Special Issue examine how we can use complexity theory and its component concepts to understand desired change and build a model or theory of intentional change. They look at change at many levels of human, social organization, from the individual to dyads, (in coaching) to teams, to organizations and to countries.
Contents:
An overview of intentional change from a complexity perspective
Change, and in particular intentional or desired change, has not been understood nor systematically studied. By applying concepts from complexity theory to intentional change theory, the purpose of this paper is to provide a new level of insight into why and how sustainable desired change can occur at all levels of human/social interaction.
The ideal self as the driver of intentional change
If the ideal self is the emotional driver of intentional change, the purpose of this paper is to explore the components of a person's personal vision and how it comes from their ideal self.
Why the real self is fundamental to intentional change
Here, social science theory and research are used to respond to four primary questions: what is the real self, why is the real self essential to intentional change, how does one access the real self, and what are the challenges to accessing the real self with respect to intentional change?
Positive and negative emotional attractors and intentional change
This conceptual paper presents the intentional change theory (ICT) perspective on the role of positive and negative emotion in individual level intentional change. Existing emotion research is reviewed to provide a framework for discussion.
Working on the positive emotional attractor through training in health care
The aim of this paper is to link complexity theory to the intentional change process by examining the role of emotional attraction. A research study currently underway on intentional change theory (ICT) in a healthcare context is presented.
The evolving group: towards a prescriptive theory of intentional group development
The purpose of this paper is to provide a theoretical framework for understanding and formulating team intentional change. A prescriptive model or theoretical framework with a set of hypotheses are proposed that explain intentional, and positive group development processes.
Intentional change theory at the organizational level: a case study
This paper is a case study of Roadway Express, a leading transportation provider of industrial and commercial goods throughout North America, which embarked on a journey of cultural transformation in 1999, using a popular change process known as appreciative inquiry (AI). The Roadway case study illustrates both the theory of intentional change and the method of AI in use and provides a platform upon which to observe change at the organizational level.
Social capital and intentional change: Exploring the role of social networks on individual change efforts
Better understanding the mechanisms through which individuals engage in sustainable change efforts has been an ongoing concern of both researchers and practitioners. While dyadic interactions with others can play a significant role in individual change efforts, the purpose of this article is to explore how the networks of relationships in which individuals are embedded are likely to impact their efforts to engage in sustainable change.
National level intentional change: a story of two countries
The purpose of this paper is to develop an insight, through an examination of the American Civil Rights Movement and the Anti-Apartheid Movement in South Africa, into how desired change occurs at a national or cultural level of social organization.
About The Journal of Management Development
Access international research findings and case studies at the cutting edge of management development with the Journal of Management Development – an invaluable information resource. Explore the concepts, models, tools and processes which companies are using to help their managers become better equipped to tackle the challenges and opportunities of change, and compare ideas and experiences with your peers in a dedicated, expert forum. You'll find all these topics and more addressed in the Journal of Management Development.
Visit the Journal of Management Development homepage
