Change Management is not Organization Development: A Conversation with Warner Burke

This is the thirteenth video produced in the ‘Just in Case…’ mini-series sponsored by Quality and Equality. This is another rare occasion for us to hear from one of the giants in the field of OD. Warner Burke is the author of the famous “Burke-Litwin” change model, which is one of the most frequently used frameworks in our practice. Professor Burke is a pioneer contributor to the field of organization development, a brilliant thought leader, and a dedicated steward of the profession of OD for over 50 years. His deep academic scholar-practitioner insights have been shaping a whole generation of practitioners. His commitment to ensure OD is a value anchored, theory-based field of knowledge have helped the field stay true to its purpose through the times of change. His work shows us how we can play a critical role to maintain the civil society. Today, Warner is speaking from a place of passion and concern as to how ODPs can continue to play vital roles in supporting client systems. His topic is Change Management is not Organization Development. There are two parts to this video as he unpacks the evolving focus for change management, OD, leadership and group dynamics in this world of the internet and virtuality. Articles, Books, and References Part One • Beckhard, R. (1967). The confrontation meeting. Harvard Business Review, 45(2), 149-155. • Beer, M., Eisenstat, R.A., & Spector, B. (1990). The critical path to corporate renewal. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press. • Bunker, B.B., & Alban, B.T. (1997). Large group interventions: Engaging the whole system for rapid change. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. • Burke, W.W., & Litwin, G.H. (1992). A causal model of organizational performance and change. Journal of Management, 18, 523-545. • Burke, W.W. (2018). The rise and fall of the growth of Organization Development: What Now? Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 70, 186-206. • Burnes, B. (2004). Kurt Lewin and the planned approach to change: A re-appraisal. Journal of Management Studies, 41, 972-1002. • Cooperrider, D.L. (2012). The concentration effect of strengths: How the whole system "AI" summit brings out the best in human enterprise. Organizational Dynamics, 41(2), 106-117. • Cooperrider, D.L., & Srivastva, S. (1987). Appreciative inquiry in organizational life. In W.A. Pasmore & R.W. Woodman (Eds). Research in organizational change and development, (Vol. 1). Greenwich,CT: JAI Press. • Kanter, R.M., Stein, B.A., & Jick, T.D. (1992). The challenge of organizational change. New York, NY: Free Press. • Kotter, J.P. (1996). Leading change. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. • Schein, E.H. (2013). Humble inquiry: The gentle art of asking instead of telling. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler. • Stouten, J., Rousseau, D.M., & DeCremer, D. (2018). Successful organizational change: Integrating the management practice and scholarly literatures. Academy of Management Annals, 12(2), 752-788. • Burnes, B. (2020). The origins of Lewin’s three-step model of change. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 56, 32-59. • Weisbord, M.R., (1978). Organizational diagnosis: A workbook of theory and practice. Reading MA: Addison Wesley. Part Two • Beckhard, R. (1972). Team building efforts. Journal of Contemporary Business, 1, 23-32. • Burke, W.W. (2014). Changing loosely coupled systems. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 50, 423-444. • Dunbar, R.I.M. (1992). Neocortex size as a constraint on group size in primates. Journal of Human Evolution, 20, 469-493. Biography W. Warner Burke, PhD, is the Professor of Psychology and Education and a founder of the graduate programs in social-organizational psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University where he has been since 1979. He continues to teach courses in leadership and organization change, and his current research focuses on learning agility. Dr Burke’s consulting experience has been with a variety of organizations in business-industry, education, health care, government, religious and professional service firms. Prior to 1979, Dr Burke was a professor of management and chair of the Department of Management at Clark University and from 1966 -74 was a professional staff member at the NTL Institute, and he also served as the initial executive director of the OD Network. Academically Dr Burke has authored some 200 articles and book chapters and authored/edited over 20 books. He has served as Editor of Organizational Dynamics, Academy of Management Executive, and the Journal of Applied Behavioral Science. Among his many awards are the Public Service Medal from NASA, Distinguished Professional Contributions Award from SIOP, Distinguished Scholar-Practitioner Award from the Academy of Management, and most recently the Outstanding Civilian Contribution Award from the Department of the Army for his work with West Point. Contact Email: [email protected]